AI Tools for Content Creators: The Complete Stack
Manas Takalpati
Founder, Blue Orchid
Content creators need different AI tools than developers. Here's the complete stack - what I use, what I've tested, and what's worth paying for.
Writing Tools
Claude (Best Overall)
My primary writing tool. Best at matching voice, following instructions, and generating long-form content that doesn't sound robotic.
- Best for: Blog posts, newsletters, scripts, product descriptions
- Pricing: Free tier available, Pro at $20/month
- Why it wins: Instruction following. Tell it your style and constraints, it delivers.
ChatGPT
Better for brainstorming and quick ideation. The web browsing feature helps with research-heavy content.
- Best for: Brainstorming, research, quick drafts
- Pricing: Free tier, Plus at $20/month
Jasper
Purpose-built for marketing content. Templates for ads, emails, and social posts.
- Best for: Marketing copy, ad variations, email campaigns
- Pricing: From $49/month
- Verdict: Only worth it if you write high-volume marketing copy
Design Tools
Midjourney
Best image quality for editorial and social media visuals.
- Best for: Blog headers, social media images, concept art
- Pricing: From $10/month
Canva AI
AI features inside Canva. Good for quick social media graphics.
- Best for: Social posts, presentations, quick edits
- Pricing: Free tier, Pro at $13/month
DALL-E (via ChatGPT)
Convenient since it's inside ChatGPT. Good enough for most content needs.
- Best for: Quick illustrations, concept images
- Pricing: Included with ChatGPT Plus
Video Tools
Descript
AI-powered video editing with text-based editing workflow. Remove filler words, generate captions, overdub audio.
- Best for: Podcast editing, YouTube content, course creation
- Pricing: Free tier, Pro at $24/month
Opus Clip
Automatically clips long videos into short-form content for social media.
- Best for: Repurposing YouTube → Shorts/Reels/TikTok
- Pricing: Free tier, Pro from $19/month
SEO and Distribution
SurferSEO
AI-powered content optimization. Tells you what to include for target keywords.
- Best for: Blog post optimization, keyword targeting
- Pricing: From $89/month
Buffer / Typefully
AI-assisted social media scheduling and content generation.
- Best for: Consistent social media presence
- Pricing: Free tiers available, Pro from $15/month
My Actual Stack (Total: ~$70/month)
| Tool | Monthly Cost | Use Case | |------|-------------|----------| | Claude Pro | $20 | Writing, ideation, editing | | Midjourney | $10 | Blog and social images | | Canva Pro | $13 | Social media graphics | | Descript | $24 | Video/podcast editing | | Buffer | Free tier | Social scheduling |
Everything else I handle with Claude or free tools. You don't need 15 subscriptions.
The Content Creation Workflow
- Ideate - Claude expands my notes into content angles
- Outline - Claude structures the piece
- Draft - Claude generates the first version
- Edit - I add voice, stories, opinions (the irreplaceable part)
- Visuals - Midjourney for headers, Canva for social graphics
- Optimize - Claude generates meta descriptions, social variants
- Publish - Schedule across platforms
Total time: 1-2 hours per blog post, 30 min per social media batch.
For the complete AI content creation workflow and the broader tool stack, see AI Tools for Solo Operators.
Frequently Asked Questions
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