Resources

Tools we reviewed

Every recommendation states the problem it solves, who it is not for, the criteria used, when we checked it, and whether we tested it or read about it.

8 tools · 0 tested by us · last check 8 Sept 2026

AI research and writing

Assistants, research and drafting tools scored on the same rubric.

ChatGPT

Read about — not run by us

The default general-purpose writer; Free covers most drafting, Plus buys reasoning models, tasks and custom GPTs.

Solves: Drafting and rewriting emails, proposals, product copy and social posts; summarising uploaded PDFs; a scheduled-task nudge for recurring writing chores. Plus adds Projects, scheduled tasks and custom GPTs so a solo operator can save a reusable brief per client.
Not for: Anyone who needs their chats kept out of model training by default. On the individual plans the comparison table states content is used to train models with an opt-out you must switch on yourself; contractual no-training and EU data residency sit on Business/Enterprise, and Business starts at 2 users.
Criteria: Training opt-out toggled in settings on individual plans · Plus is monthly-only billing (annual only on Business/Enterprise) · EU data residency is Enterprise-only · Free tier message and upload caps ('Limited')
Price: Free €0 / month; Go €6.50 / month; Plus €23 / month; Pro From €103 / month (EU-localised page; paid plans priced per user per month)

Visit ChatGPT (opens in a new tab)Our article →Checked 8 Sept 2026

Claude

Read about — not run by us

Strong long-document writing and editing; Free is usable, Pro is the sane tier, Max only if you hit the 5-hour window daily.

Solves: Long-form drafting and editing against big source material (contracts, transcripts, briefs), tone rewrites, and structured outputs. Pro lifts the usage cap enough for a full working day of drafting; usage renews on a rolling 5-hour session window.
Not for: Heavy all-day users on Pro will hit the 5-hour usage window and have to wait; Max starts at $100/month, which is hard to justify for writing alone. Prices are shown in USD, so EU buyers pay a converted amount plus VAT.
Criteria: Rolling 5-hour usage window and weekly caps · Annual Pro is $200 billed up front · USD pricing, VAT added at checkout for EU · Team plan bills per seat ($20-25/seat/month)
Price: Free $0; Pro $17 per month with annual subscription discount ($200 billed up front) or $20 if billed monthly; Max From $100 per month

Visit Claude (opens in a new tab)Our article →Checked 8 Sept 2026

Google Gemini

Read about — not run by us

Best value if you already live in Gmail and Docs; the Pro plan bundles 2 TB-plus storage, so it can replace a Google One bill.

Solves: Writing and rewriting inside Gmail, Docs and Sheets without copy-pasting, Deep Research reports, and NotebookLM-style work over your own files. AI Pro includes 5 TB of Google cloud storage, so it doubles as your Drive backup plan.
Not for: Anyone who needs contractual no-training guarantees: the page only states data isn't used to train Google models for the Enterprise editions. Gemini in Gmail/Docs is limited to certain languages, and the personal plans are for individuals, not a multi-seat team.
Criteria: Personal plans are monthly-only, cancel any time · Usage limits reset every 5 hours with weekly caps · No-training statement applies to Enterprise editions only · EU-localised page bills in EUR (AI Pro shown as 21,98 €/month)
Price: Free $0 / month with a Google Account; Google AI Plus $4.99 / month; Google AI Pro $19.99 / month; Google AI Ultra Starting at $99.99 / month (EU-localised page shows AI Plus 4,99 €/month and AI Pro 21,98 €/month)

Visit Google Gemini (opens in a new tab)Our article →Checked 8 Sept 2026

Automation

Connectors and schedulers that remove repeated steps.

Google Workspace

Read about — not run by us

The built-in layer most solo operators skip: custom-domain Gmail with templates, scheduled send and Gemini, priced in EUR per user.

Solves: A professional email on your own domain plus the free built-in automation Gmail already ships with (templates, scheduled send, filters, Calendar appointment booking) and Gemini in Gmail on Starter. Standard adds 2 TB per user and Gemini across Docs, Sheets and Meet.
Not for: Anyone expecting the headline price to stick: the page shows an introductory 20% discount (€5.44 vs €6.80 on Starter) that applies only to the first 20 users for a limited period, and the displayed price assumes an annual 1-year commitment. Starter gives 30 GB pooled storage only.
Criteria: Annual commitment vs flexible monthly billing · Introductory discount window and who it covers (first 20 users) · Storage per user: 30 GB on Starter vs 2 TB on Standard · Price excludes VAT
Price: Business Starter €6.80 / user per month, shown with introductory 20% off at €5.44 (Annual, Save 16% with 1 year commitment; price is per user/month and does not include tax); Business Standard €13.60 (intro €10.88); Business Plus €21.10 (intro €10.55); Enterprise contact sales

Visit Google Workspace (opens in a new tab)Our article →Checked 8 Sept 2026

Make

Read about — not run by us

Cheaper per run than Zapier and the visual builder handles branching, but Free polls only every 15 minutes and allows 2 scenarios.

Solves: Multi-branch workflows with routers, iterators and error handling for a fraction of Zapier's price: 10k credits for $9/month on Core. Good fit for a solo operator who wants to parse emails, sync a shop with a spreadsheet, or chain an AI step into a workflow.
Not for: Beginners who want a two-click setup; the scenario editor has a learning curve and credit accounting (each module operation consumes credits) is easy to misjudge. Free is limited to 2 active scenarios, a 15-minute minimum interval and 5 MB files.
Criteria: Free tier: 1,000 credits/mo, 2 active scenarios, 15-min interval · Credits consumed per operation, not per workflow run · Annual billing 'Save 15% or more' · Data transfer cap scales with credits (5 GB per 10,000 credits)
Price: Free $0/mo (Up to 1,000 credits/mo); Core $9/mo; Pro $16/mo; Teams $29/mo (each 'Price for 10k credits/mo', annual billing 'Save 15% or more'); Enterprise custom pricing

Visit Make (opens in a new tab)Checked 8 Sept 2026

Zapier

Read about — not run by us

The widest app catalogue and the easiest first automation, but the free tier is 100 tasks a month and paid tiers climb fast.

Solves: Glue between the SaaS tools a solo business already uses: new form entry to CRM row, paid invoice to Slack/email, calendar booking to a Google Sheet. Multi-step Zaps and pay-per-task overage mean a spike doesn't silently stop your workflows.
Not for: Anything that fires more than a few times an hour. Every step that runs an action counts as a task, so a busy inbox or store burns through 750 tasks quickly, and overage on monthly plans is billed at 2.5x the base rate.
Criteria: Free tier: 100 tasks/mo · Annual vs monthly gap (33% off annual) · Overage rate: 2.5x base on monthly, 1.25x on annual · Team plan needed for shared workspaces
Price: Free: 100 tasks/mo; Professional from $19.99 per month billed annually ($29.99 billed monthly) for 750 tasks; Team from $69.00 per month billed annually ($103.50 billed monthly) for 2,000 tasks; Enterprise custom

Visit Zapier (opens in a new tab)Our article →Checked 8 Sept 2026

Video and design

Editing, thumbnails and design tools for a one-person shop.

Canva

Read about — not run by us

Free does more than most solo businesses need; Pro pays for itself only if you use Brand Kit, background remover and premium stock weekly.

Solves: Social posts, one-pagers, slide decks, simple video and short animations from templates, with a Brand Kit on Pro so every asset uses your fonts and colours. Yearly Pro at €110 for one person is the cheapest route to consistent branding without a designer.
Not for: Print-accurate or complex video work; it is a template tool, not an editor. AI features draw from a shared monthly allowance that varies by plan and runs out on heavy use; the AI Pass add-on costs extra. Business is billed per person, so adding a helper doubles the bill.
Criteria: Yearly vs monthly billing (yearly 'Save from 16%') · Shared monthly AI allowance per plan · Per-person billing on Business · Brand Kit and background remover are Pro-only
Price: Free €0 /year for one person; Pro €110 /year for one person; Business €170 /year per person (yearly billing shown, 'Save from 16%'; monthly billing also offered); Enterprise 'Let's talk'

Visit Canva (opens in a new tab)Checked 8 Sept 2026

Descript

Read about — not run by us

Edit video and podcasts by editing the transcript; Free is a real trial, but 60 media minutes a month and 720p exports run out fast.

Solves: Turning a recorded call, screen-share or podcast into a clean clip: delete words to cut video, remove filler words, Studio Sound for laptop-mic audio, and clip generation for social. Hobbyist at $16 per person per month gets watermark-free 1080p and 10 media hours.
Not for: Colour grading, motion graphics or multi-cam productions; it is a transcript-first editor. The free plan caps media at 60 minutes a month with 720p, watermarked exports and a one-time 100 AI credits, and the AI voice and clip tools consume monthly credits on every plan.
Criteria: Free tier: 60 minutes/month media, 720p, watermark · Media hours per month per paid tier (10/30/40) · AI credits per month and what consumes them · Annual vs monthly per-person price
Price: Free $0 (60 minutes/month media, 720p export); Hobbyist $16 per person / month billed annually, $24 billed monthly; Creator $24 billed annually, $35 billed monthly; Business $50 billed annually, $65 billed monthly; Enterprise custom

Visit Descript (opens in a new tab)Checked 8 Sept 2026

Desk and home office

Desks, monitors, lights and cables, with dimensions, compatibility and power requirements.

Added from week 5, with dimensions, compatibility, power and cable requirements, and the date checked.

We link to European programmes and storefronts where we can. Availability, pricing and terms differ by country; verify them on the seller's page before you buy.