I got tired of wasting money on AI tools
Every week there’s a new “must-have” AI app.
New launch.
New hype.
New $29/month subscription.
After a few months I looked at my bank statement and realized something:
I was paying for 7 tools I barely used.
So I did what any stubborn builder would do…
I tested a ridiculous amount of them.
The experiment
Over the last couple months I:
• signed up for 27 different AI tools
• paid for several myself
• ran real tasks through each one
• compared speed, output quality, and pricing
• canceled most of them
No sponsorships.
No affiliate bias.
Just “does this actually help me or not?”
What I tested
Mostly tools in these categories:
• AI writing
• video generation
• transcription
• voice AI
• automation
• productivity assistants
Basically: tools that claim to “save hours”.
The first thing I learned (pricing is misleading)
A lot of tools look cheap…
Until you actually use them.
Examples:
• $19/month but hard usage caps
• “Unlimited” with hidden throttling
• Credits that disappear fast
• Features locked behind higher tiers
So the real question isn’t:
“How much per month?”
It’s:
“How much per useful result?”
Big difference.
The second thing I learned (most tools overlap)
This surprised me.
80% of tools do the exact same thing.
Just different branding.
Especially in:
• AI writers
• meeting note takers
• chat assistants
You don’t need 5.
You need 1 good one.
What actually mattered in testing
Here’s what I started judging tools by:
- Output quality
Does it actually save time?
Or do I spend 10 minutes fixing it?
- Speed
Fast tools get used.
Slow tools get abandoned.
- Pricing clarity
No weird credits math.
- Real workflow fit
Does it integrate into how I already work?
Not “cool demo”.
Actual daily use.
The tools that impressed me
Not naming winners like a YouTube review…
But patterns were clear:
Writing tools
Great for drafts and outlines
Bad for “one click perfect content”
Transcription tools
Huge time saver
Honestly one of the best ROI categories
Video tools
Fun, but often overhyped
Good for quick social clips, not full productions
Automation tools
Massive leverage if you invest time learning them
The tools that disappointed me
Common problems:
• generic outputs
• slow generation
• confusing pricing
• too many limits
• looks cool but no daily value
A lot of products feel like demos, not real tools yet.
My biggest takeaway
Most people don’t need more AI tools.
They need:
• fewer tools
• better ones
• actually learning the ones they pay for
Adding 10 subscriptions won’t fix workflow problems.
Choosing 2–3 solid ones will.
Why I ended up building my own comparison site
After all this testing…
I kept forgetting:
• which tools I liked
• which were overpriced
• what each one actually did
So I started documenting everything.
Feature lists.
Pricing notes.
Pros/cons.
Use cases.
Eventually it turned into a small project:
👉 PickAI
Just a simple place where I compare tools honestly and keep my own notes.
Nothing fancy.
Just practical info I wish I had before signing up for stuff.
If you’re picking tools right now, here’s my advice
Start here:
Define one real problem
Try 2–3 tools max
Test for a week
Cancel fast
Don’t collect subscriptions.
Solve problems.
Final thoughts
AI tools are amazing.
But the hype cycle is exhausting.
Testing them myself saved money and a lot of frustration.
Hopefully this saves you some too.
Happy to share details if you’re comparing anything specific.
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