Best AI tools for marketings
Marketers benefit from coverage more than depth — one strong tool per channel beats a frontier model trying to do everything. Start narrow: written copy + visuals. Add video when video is what you measurably need.
Starter stack — $32/mo
The bare-minimum capability for marketings: 2 essential categories covered (AI Writing, AI Image), nothing wasted. Run this for 60 days before expanding — most marketings discover they don't need anything else.
| Tool | Category | Entry | Why this one for marketings | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Copy.ai GTM AI platform with unlimited chat words | AI Writing | $24/mo | Highest G2 score among AI writing tools we track (4.9, as cited in third-party comparisons) | full pricing → |
| Midjourney The reference point for AI image aesthetics | AI Image | $8/mo | The de-facto aesthetic benchmark other image tools get compared against | full pricing → |
▍ Load starter into Advisor → Opens the Stack Advisor with this stack pre-loaded; tweak with your real income for a personalized health score.
Growth stack — $74/mo
When the starter is solved and you're scaling output, add the AI Video, AI Design, AI Presentations layer. 5 tools total — still tight, no fat. Run this when your monthly revenue from this work exceeds $370/mo (a 20% tool-to-income ceiling is the sustainability line).
| Tool | Category | Entry | Why this one for marketings | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Copy.ai FROM STARTER GTM AI platform with unlimited chat words | AI Writing | $24/mo | Highest G2 score among AI writing tools we track (4.9, as cited in third-party comparisons) | full pricing → |
| Midjourney FROM STARTER The reference point for AI image aesthetics | AI Image | $8/mo | The de-facto aesthetic benchmark other image tools get compared against | full pricing → |
| Canva The everything design platform with Magic Studio AI | AI Design | $10/mo | Largest template ecosystem; AI features integrated where non-designers already work | full pricing → |
| HeyGen AI avatar videos with voice cloning in 175+ languages | AI Video | $24/mo | G2 avatar-quality score 9.2/10 — the highest among avatar tools we track (Synthesia: 8.2) | full pricing → |
| Gamma AI presentations, docs & sites from a prompt | AI Presentations | $8/mo | One subscription covers presentations, documents, AND websites | full pricing → |
Budget reality check
For sustainable spend, AI tooling for marketings should run 4–12% of your monthly income from this work. That means:
- Starter ($32/mo) pays back from monthly income of $267+ — below that, you're spending hobbyist money on professional tools.
- Growth ($74/mo) pays back from monthly income of $617+. Until then, the starter is doing more work per dollar than the additional tools would.
What marketings can safely skip
Three categories that look useful but rarely earn their place for marketings: AI Trading & Investing, AI Coding.
It isn't that these tools are bad — they're built for different workflows. A subscription you use twice a month is a worse investment than one cheap, focused tool you use daily.
Already running an AI stack?
The Stack Advisor takes your current tools and income and tells you if the spend is healthy for a marketing — plus flags overlaps and missing essentials. Comes with a shareable URL.