AI Directory
Every major AI tool — explained honestly. Pricing, strengths, real limitations, and what each one is actually best at. No affiliate links. No sponsored rankings.
Tools Used in This Workflow
These are the AI tools Billy uses to build. Claude is the star, ChatGPT is the debugger.
The primary build tool. Long context, structured output, Claude Code in VS Code. The headliner of this workflow.
The debugger. When Claude gets stuck in a circular error loop, ChatGPT breaks it. Also great for planning and filling out the CLAUDE.md template.
All AI Tools
Every major AI tool covered — what it is, what it costs, and what it's actually good at.
The least restricted AI. Real-time X data. Unfiltered research. Topics other AIs won't touch.
Google's AI. Best for Workspace users, large document analysis, and deep research with citations.
Microsoft's AI. Built into Word, Excel, Teams, Outlook. Best inside the Microsoft 365 ecosystem.
Open source AI built in China. Strong reasoning, free chat, cheap API. Data privacy considerations apply.
AI search engine. Every answer is cited. Best for replacing Google on technical lookups and research.
Open source. Run it locally on your own machine. No API costs, no data leaving your computer. For developers.
The most human-feeling AI. Not a build tool — a conversation partner. Personal support, thinking out loud, reflection.
AI Coding Tools
The AI models above are the brains. These are the tools that connect those brains to your actual code — editors, extensions, and agents that write and edit files directly.
VS Code extension. Reads your CLAUDE.md and builds step by step. Multi-file edits, terminal access. The tool this workflow is built on.
Learn more →AI-native IDE. Understands your entire codebase. Best for large existing projects and developers who want AI in every layer of the editor.
Learn more →The most widely deployed AI coding tool. Deep GitHub integration. $10/month Pro tier — best value for GitHub teams.
Learn more →Which Tool for Which Job
Not sure which AI to use? Start here.
Building software
Claude + Claude Code in VS Code
Debugging an error
ChatGPT free — paste the error, get the fix
Research with sources
Perplexity — every answer is cited
Real-time or current info
Perplexity or Grok
Google Workspace tasks
Gemini — it's already inside your Docs
Microsoft Office tasks
Microsoft Copilot — built into Word and Excel
Unfiltered research
Grok — least restricted of the major tools
Privacy-first, no API costs
LLaMA locally via Ollama
Personal conversation and support
Pi — the most human-feeling AI