Discover the top three free AI tools that are transforming workflows for small businesses and marketers in 2025. Learn integration tips and best practices.image

Essential AI Tools for SMBs and Marketers in 2025

I Test AI for a Living, and These 3 Free Tools Are the Ones I Used Most in 2025 – What SMBs and Marketers Need to Know

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

  • These three AI tools are versatile, time-saving, and free to use.
  • They are particularly beneficial for marketers, ecommerce leaders, and SMB owners.
  • Each tool can integrate into automated, scalable workflows.
  • AI Naanji helps businesses leverage these tools through automation.

Table of Contents

What Are the Top AI Tools for Professionals in 2025 According to ZDNET?

In the original ZDNET piece—I test AI for a living, and these 3 free tools are the ones I used most in 2025—author Owen Hughes identifies three top-performing AI tools that stood out throughout the year for their simplicity, power, and zero-dollar price tag:

1. ChatGPT (Free Tier – OpenAI)

Still dominating the AI conversation in 2025, ChatGPT’s free tier remains incredibly strong. While GPT-4 options are reserved for Plus users, GPT-3.5’s performance paired with its API versatility makes it a cornerstone for content and productivity workflows.

Common uses:

  • Drafting emails, blogs, ad copy
  • Generating ideas for campaigns or customer journeys
  • Conducting pseudo-research and summarization

Pros:

  • Unrivaled general-purpose use cases
  • Massive community knowledge base
  • Native integrations via plugins and extensions

Cons:

  • GPT-3.5 can struggle with nuance compared to GPT-4
  • Requires careful prompt engineering for best results

2. Perplexity.ai

This AI search engine combines conversational AI with real-time web indexing for an incredibly effective research assistant. Perplexity gives citations, sources, and a helpful UX—blending the best of Google and generative AI in one clean package.

Common uses:

  • Market research
  • Competitor comparisons
  • Summarizing industry articles or whitepapers

Pros:

  • Transparent citations
  • Real-time web data
  • No login required

Cons:

  • Can lag on complex follow-ups
  • Not ideal for deep creative tasks

3. ElevenLabs (Free Audio Tooling)

If you create long-form content, podcasts, or training material, ElevenLabs’ free tier offers studio-grade AI voice synthesis. It’s a must-have for marketers wanting high-quality voiceovers without paying for studio time.

Common uses:

  • Creating voiceovers for videos, ads, and training
  • Converting blog posts into immersive audio
  • Building branded audio experiences for customer journeys

Pros:

  • Hyperrealistic voices
  • Multilingual support
  • Accessible via REST API

Cons:

  • Free tier has usage limits
  • Ethical implications around voice cloning

How Are These Free AI Tools Changing SMB and Marketing Workflows?

For small and midsize businesses, the pressure to scale content and decision-making without bloating overhead is higher than ever. These AI tools directly address that gap:

  • ChatGPT streamlines everything from content creation to business analysis.
  • Perplexity slashes research time, offering data-rich answers where Google searches fall short.
  • ElevenLabs allows small teams to step into audio marketing (traditionally expensive) with virtually no budget.

Real-world example: A global ecommerce brand used Perplexity to optimize its buyer personas, ChatGPT to craft 200+ localized product descriptions, and ElevenLabs to produce multilingual voiceovers for their holiday ad campaigns—all in under three weeks with one content manager.

How to Implement This in Your Business

If you’re a business owner, marketer, or consultant looking to apply these tools, here’s a clear action plan:

  1. Audit Your Existing Workflows
    Identify where your team spends the most time—copywriting, research, presentation prep, etc.—and pinpoint 2–3 bottlenecks.
  2. Start with ChatGPT for Daily Tasks
    Use the free version to handle repetitive writing, brainstorming, or even spreadsheet formulas.
  3. Switch to Perplexity for Smarter Research
    Leverage Perplexity to compare industry benchmarks, summarize resources, or prepare competitive intelligence briefs.
  4. Experiment with ElevenLabs for Engagement Content
    Try using ElevenLabs to narrate how-to articles, voice your brand story, or enhance YouTube Shorts and Reels.
  5. Connect Tools with n8n Workflows (if applicable)
    Automate handoffs between content ideas (ChatGPT), verified research (Perplexity), and output (ElevenLabs) using n8n as the automation engine.
  6. Set Boundaries: Ethics, Bias, Oversight
    AI isn’t perfect. Designate a human-review checkpoint in your workflows, and don’t blindly trust outputs—especially anything public-facing.

How AI Naanji Helps Businesses Leverage AI Tools Like These

At AI Naanji, we help businesses turn great AI tools into daily drivers. That means designing end-to-end workflows using n8n, offering AI stack consulting, and crafting automation layers that integrate ChatGPT, Perplexity, ElevenLabs, and more.

We make AI real—not just experimental. Whether you’re automating content pipelines or creating voice-first customer experiences, we help you connect the dots.

FAQ

Q: What makes these three AI tools stand out among thousands on the market?
A: They’re free, intuitive, and integrate well into real business workflows. They help professionals work faster, smarter, and with fewer distractions.

Q: Can SMBs really benefit from these tools?
A: Absolutely. These tools offer enterprise-level capability with zero upfront costs, giving small teams leverage they previously couldn’t afford.

Q: Is the free version of ChatGPT enough for marketers?
A: For many daily tasks—like drafting, rewriting, or ideation—yes. For deeper logic or memory-based tasks, GPT-4 (paid) may be worth the upgrade.

Q: How do I ensure reliable outputs from tools like Perplexity?
A: Always verify sources. The strength of Perplexity lies in its citations, which let you dig deeper when accuracy matters.

Q: Where can I try ElevenLabs audio tools?
A: You can explore their free tier and test voices directly on the official ElevenLabs website.

Conclusion

The lessons from I test AI for a living, and these 3 free tools are the ones I used most in 2025 – ZDNET are crystal clear: Powerful, practical AI doesn’t have to break the bank. For business owners and marketing teams, these tools can unlock serious efficiency and creativity—without the need to hire more or spend more.

If you’re ready to go beyond experimentation and build AI-driven workflows that scale, AI Naanji can help make that a reality.

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