Most businesses only need three AI tools
There are thousands of AI tools on the market. Most businesses need surprisingly few of them.
A client asked me recently which AI tools they should buy. By the time we spoke, they'd made a list of twenty-three.
Ten minutes later we'd crossed twenty of them off.
Not because they were bad tools. Most of them were excellent. The problem was that many were solving exactly the same problem in slightly different ways.
That's become one of the biggest mistakes I see businesses making. They collect AI subscriptions hoping one more tool will finally unlock the productivity everyone keeps talking about.
Usually, it doesn't.
The businesses getting the best results from AI aren't using everything. They're using a small number of tools exceptionally well.
Start with the job, not the technology
The biggest mistake isn't choosing the wrong AI. It's choosing AI before you've decided what you're trying to achieve.
Don't buy a tool because someone on LinkedIn says it's brilliant. Buy it because you've identified a job that's costing your business time every single week:
- Writing proposals.
- Answering customer enquiries.
- Summarising meetings.
- Researching competitors.
- Drafting social posts.
The job comes first. The technology comes second. Every time.
A map of which tool for which job
When people ask me to name names, this is roughly the map I sketch. Think of it as a menu, not a shopping list.
| The job | Where I'd look |
|---|---|
| Writing and everyday work | Claude or ChatGPT |
| Research and fact-checking | Perplexity |
| Images | ChatGPT or Midjourney |
| Website chatbot | Basic FAQs: Voiceflow, Tidio or Chatbase. Sales, support or product advice: a custom AI assistant trained on your business and connected to your systems. |
| Automation, connecting tools | Make or n8n |
| Customer records (CRM) | HubSpot |
You do not need all of these. That's the whole point. It's a map so you can see where a tool would sit, not a list to go and buy. Most businesses will only ever live in the first two rows.
You probably already own more AI than you realise
Before paying for another subscription, stop and look at the software you're already using. ChatGPT, Claude, Microsoft Copilot, Google Workspace, HubSpot.
Many businesses are paying for AI features they've never even tried, while signing up to specialist tools that duplicate exactly the same capability.
The cheapest AI tool is often the one you've already bought.
Most AI tools aren't building new intelligence
Here's something the AI industry doesn't explain very often. Most AI products aren't building their own intelligence. They're building a better experience around someone else's. Behind the scenes, a huge number of AI applications rely on the same handful of large language models. What changes is the interface, the workflow, the integrations and the experience wrapped around them.
Sometimes that's worth every penny. A specialist tool designed around one job can save hours every week. Other times you're paying £40 a month for something you could achieve with a carefully written prompt inside ChatGPT or Claude. The only way to tell the difference is to test it using your own work, not the polished demo on the homepage.
Start with three
If I were helping a business adopt AI from scratch today, I'd deliberately keep it simple:
- One general-purpose assistant for writing, thinking and everyday work.
- One research tool for finding and checking information.
- One automation platform that connects everything together.
That's enough to solve the majority of business problems. I'd only introduce a fourth tool when I could point to a specific job those three genuinely couldn't do.
Buying AI because it looks clever is a bit like buying a van before you've decided what business you're starting. Start with the problem. The right tools usually become obvious.
Don't ask which AI is best
I get asked this almost every week. "Should we use ChatGPT or Claude?" My answer is nearly always the same: "What are you trying to do?"
Because there isn't one best AI. There's only the best AI for a particular job. The smartest businesses don't point the biggest, most expensive model at everything. They use the cheapest model that can do the job well. That's usually where the real return comes from.
Review your subscriptions like any other investment
Every few months I go through every AI subscription I'm paying for and ask one simple question: "If this disappeared tomorrow, would I genuinely miss it?" If the answer is no, I cancel it.
AI isn't expensive. Owning five tools that all solve the same problem is.
The goal isn't to own AI
The goal is to get work done faster, better and with less effort. The proposal takes minutes instead of an hour. The customer gets an answer before the phone rings. The report is ready before the meeting starts.
Nobody asks which model produced it. They care that the work got done. That's when AI becomes valuable, and honestly, that's when you quietly forget the tools are even there.
So before you buy another AI subscription, ask three questions:
- What specific job is this solving?
- Can something I already pay for do it?
- Will I still be using it in six months?
If you can't answer all three, don't buy it yet.
If you're not sure which AI tools are genuinely worth paying for, that's exactly what we help businesses figure out. Most don't need more AI. They need the right AI, solving the right problem.
Book a quick chat →Related: Tesla just put AI on an allowance. Here is the real lesson.
Common questions
How many AI tools does a business actually need?
Most only need three: one general-purpose assistant, one research tool, and one automation platform. Add a fourth only when you can point to a specific job those three genuinely cannot do.
Which AI tool should I use for which job?
As a starting map: writing, ChatGPT or Claude; research, Perplexity; a chatbot, Voiceflow, Tidio or Chatbase for basic FAQs, or a custom AI assistant for sales, support and product advice; automation, Make or n8n; CRM, HubSpot. But don't buy all of them, start with an assistant, a research tool and an automation platform.
Are expensive AI tools better than cheap ones?
Not automatically. Many AI products wrap the same few large language models in a nicer interface. Sometimes that convenience is worth it; sometimes you're paying £40 a month for something a good prompt inside ChatGPT or Claude would do. Use the cheapest model that does the job well.
How often should I review my AI subscriptions?
Every few months, like any investment. Ask of each tool: if this disappeared tomorrow, would I genuinely miss it? If not, cancel it. AI isn't expensive, owning five tools that solve the same problem is.