DeepLearning.AIPaid certificate
AI For Everyone
Andrew Ng's non-technical primer on what AI is good for and how to plan around it at work. It takes 7 hours on Coursera, and the certificate is paid.
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The best AI tools for marketing in 2026
The best AI tools for marketing are Claude for campaign copy, ChatGPT for ideas and variations, Perplexity for competitor research, Canva for social and ad creative and Adobe Firefly for images you can use commercially. Add CapCut for short video ads and Zapier to automate lead and reporting admin. Each one has a free plan to test with.
Marketing is the job where AI pays off fastest, because so much of it is drafts, variations and resizing. These 7 tools cover copy, research, creative, video and the reporting admin. Use them for volume and speed, and keep the strategy and brand judgement yours.
Last checked : each pick's free plan and price on the maker's own pricing page.
AI tools for marketing at a glance
One tool per job, in the order most marketers need them. Select a name to jump to why we picked it.
| Pick | Tool | Use it for | Score | Best for | Learn it free |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ClaudeAnthropic | Write campaign copy in your brand voice | 8.8 / 10 | Good for everyone | Generative AI for Everyone |
| 2 | ChatGPTOpenAI | Generate angles, hooks and A/B variations | 9.0 / 10 | Good for everyone | Generative AI for Everyone |
| 3 | PerplexityPerplexity AI | Research competitors and markets with sources | 8.0 / 10 | Good for everyone | Maker's own tutorials |
| 4 | CanvaCanva | Make social posts and ad creative at every size | 8.6 / 10 | Best for beginners | Maker's own tutorials |
| 5 | Adobe FireflyAdobe | Generate images you can use in ads | 8.2 / 10 | Best for beginners | Maker's own tutorials |
| 6 | CapCutByteDance | Cut short video ads and social clips | 8.3 / 10 | Best for beginners | Maker's own tutorials |
| 7 | ZapierZapier | Automate lead routing and reporting | 8.3 / 10 | Best for beginners | AI For Everyone |
Why we picked each tool
What each tool does for you, the catch, what is free and what costs money, from the maker's own pricing page.
- 8.8 / 10
Number 1: Claude
Anthropic
Good for everyonePaste your brand guidelines and 3 pieces of copy that worked, then ask for landing page sections, emails or ad headlines in that voice. It holds a tone well across a long brief, which saves rewriting.
- Use it for
- Write campaign copy in your brand voice
- The catch
- Like every assistant it can invent details. Ask it to show its reasoning and verify the result.
- Free plan
- Free plan for chat on web, desktop and mobile, including web search and file creation.
- Paid plans
- Pro is US$17 a month billed yearly, or US$20 billed monthly. Claude pricing (opens in a new tab)
- 9.0 / 10
Number 2: ChatGPT
OpenAI
Good for everyoneAsk for 20 subject lines or 10 ad angles aimed at one audience, then pick the 3 worth testing. Volume is cheap here; your job is choosing.
- Use it for
- Generate angles, hooks and A/B variations
- The catch
- It sounds as sure when it's wrong as when it's right. Check anything that matters against a real source.
- Free plan
- Free plan with unlimited chats on the standard model and limited uploads.
- Paid plans
- Go is US$8 a month; Plus is US$20 a month. ChatGPT pricing (opens in a new tab)
Learn it free
- Generative AI for EveryoneDeepLearning.AInever codedShows what chat assistants are good and bad at, with no code.
- Introduction to Generative AIGoogle Cloudnever codedA short primer on how the models behind it work.
- ChatGPT Prompt Engineering for DevelopersDeepLearning.AI and OpenAIsome PythonFor when you want to call it from your own code.
- 8.0 / 10
Number 3: Perplexity
Perplexity AI
Good for everyoneAsk how competitors position a product or what customers complain about in a category, and get an answer with links. Open the sources before a claim goes in a deck.
- Use it for
- Research competitors and markets with sources
- The catch
- A cited source isn't always a good source. Open the links before you trust the summary.
- Free plan
- Free plan available.
- Paid plans
- Pro is US$17 a month billed yearly. Perplexity pricing (opens in a new tab)
Learn it free
No free course we'd recommend yet. You'll learn this one fastest by using it, and the maker's own tutorials are the best place to start.
- 8.6 / 10
Number 4: Canva
Canva
Best for beginnersBrand kits keep fonts and colours consistent, and one design resizes to every platform. A non-designer can produce a week of on-brand posts in an afternoon.
- Use it for
- Make social posts and ad creative at every size
- The catch
- Lots of people use the same templates. Change fonts and colours so yours doesn't look generic.
- Free plan
- Free plan for one person.
- Paid plans
- Canva Pro is US$144 a year for one person. Canva pricing (opens in a new tab)
Learn it free
No free course we'd recommend yet. You'll learn this one fastest by using it, and the maker's own tutorials are the best place to start.
- 8.2 / 10
Number 5: Adobe Firefly
Adobe
Best for beginnersAdobe trains Firefly on licensed and public-domain images, which makes it the cautious choice for paid campaigns. Use it for backgrounds, product scenes and concept images.
- Use it for
- Generate images you can use in ads
- The catch
- Adobe says images from Firefly's own models are safe for commercial use. Images from partner models, such as Google's or OpenAI's, are your responsibility.
- Free plan
- Free daily generations, no plan needed.
- Paid plans
- Firefly Standard is £9.98 a month including VAT, with 2,000 generative credits. Adobe Firefly pricing (opens in a new tab)
Learn it free
No free course we'd recommend yet. You'll learn this one fastest by using it, and the maker's own tutorials are the best place to start.
- 8.3 / 10
Number 6: CapCut
ByteDance
Best for beginnersAuto-captions, vertical templates and quick cuts turn product footage into Reels and TikTok ads fast. Restyle the captions so your ads don't look like everyone else's.
- Use it for
- Cut short video ads and social clips
- The catch
- Templates make everything look the same. Use them as a starting point, not the finish.
- Free plan
- Free to use online and in the app. CapCut's website has no public pricing page, so check the Pro price in the app before you subscribe.
Learn it free
No free course we'd recommend yet. You'll learn this one fastest by using it, and the maker's own tutorials are the best place to start.
- 8.3 / 10
Number 7: Zapier
Zapier
Best for beginnersSend new form leads to your CRM and a team channel, or pull weekly numbers into one sheet. One working Zap that removes a daily copy-and-paste job pays for the setup time.
- Use it for
- Automate lead routing and reporting
- The catch
- Costs climb as your automations run more often. Keep an eye on usage.
- Free plan
- Free plan with 100 tasks a month and two-step Zaps.
- Paid plans
- Professional starts at US$19.99 a month and adds multi-step Zaps. Zapier pricing (opens in a new tab)
Which AI marketing tool should you add first?
Add a writing assistant first, Claude or ChatGPT, because copy is the bottleneck in most marketing teams and both have free plans. Add Canva next if you post on social media, then automation once you can name the admin task that eats your week.
How do you stop AI marketing sounding generic?
You stop AI marketing sounding generic by feeding it your own material: brand guidelines, customer quotes and past winners. Ask for options rather than one answer, then edit hard. Your product knowledge and customer insight are what the tool can't supply.
Free courses that make these tools more useful
Knowing what AI is good and bad at makes every tool above more useful. These reviewed courses teach that, with no code.
DeepLearning.AIPaid certificate
Generative AI for Everyone
What large language models can actually do for you and your team, without writing a line of code. Andrew Ng teaches it in 6 hours on Coursera, certificate paid.
never codedai literacypromptingllms
Google CloudFree certificate
Introduction to Generative AI
A short, no-code explainer on what generative AI is and how it differs from other machine learning.
never codedai literacyllms
Questions about AI tools for marketing
What is the best AI tool for marketing copy?
Claude is our pick for marketing copy because it keeps a brand voice across long briefs. ChatGPT is better for generating many short variations, such as subject lines and ad hooks. Many teams use both.
Can I use AI-generated images in paid ads?
Usually, if the tool's licence allows commercial use and the ad platform's rules are met. Adobe Firefly is the cautious choice because Adobe trains it on licensed images. Avoid images of real people or brands you don't have rights to.
Will AI replace marketers?
AI replaces the drafting, resizing and reporting parts of marketing, not the judgement. Someone still has to know the customer, choose the message and decide what to test. Marketers who use these tools well get more done in the same week.
Which AI tool is best for market research?
Perplexity is the quickest for market research, because every answer links its sources. Use it for a first pass on competitors and customer pain points, then read the sources and talk to real customers before you act.
How do I automate marketing reports?
Use Zapier to collect numbers from your ad, email and analytics tools into one spreadsheet on a schedule. Start with one report you build by hand every week, automate that, and only then add more.
Is there a free course on AI for marketing teams?
AI For Everyone by DeepLearning.AI, on Coursera, helps you choose which marketing tasks are worth handing to AI. Introduction to Generative AI from Google Cloud is a short primer on how the tools work.
Our verdict
If you market a product with a small team, choose AI tools for marketing that cut drafting time first: Claude for copy and Canva for creative. Add Zapier only when a repeated reporting job costs you an hour a week.
Where to go next
- How to make a faceless video with AI
Script, AI voiceover, generated visuals, edit and thumbnail: a full explainer without showing your face.
- Best AI chat assistants, ranked
The general-purpose AI you talk to. Most people should start here.
- Best AI research tools, ranked
Answers with sources, and study partners for your own notes.
- Best AI design and presentation tools, ranked
Presentations, posters and graphics without a designer.
- Best AI image generators, ranked
Turn a written description into a picture.
- Best AI video editing tools, ranked
Cut, caption and generate video with AI doing the dull parts.
- Best AI automation tools, ranked
Connect your apps and let AI handle repetitive steps.
- Best AI tools for students
Revise from your own notes, research with sources and polish essays without cheating yourself.
- Best AI tools for content creators
Script, voice, edit and package videos faster, without handing over your style.
- Best AI tools for small business
Write, design and automate the admin that eats your week, for under the cost of one lunch a month.
- Best AI tools for teachers
Plan lessons, adapt resources and make slides faster, so evenings go back to marking or rest.
- Best AI tools for developers
Coding assistants, research and local models: the AI stack that makes a working developer faster.
- Best AI tools for writers
Edit, check, research and hear your work, while the words stay yours.
Know your tools? Learn the ideas behind them.
Every course we link is free to start and reviewed. Browse the catalogue to find one at your level.