5 AI Marketing Tools That Stand Above the Rest

Originally written by John Becker. Updated by Bob Ruffolo with support from the IMPACT editorial team.
Last updated: November 3, 2026

Thousands of new AI tools have appeared since ChatGPT launched at the end of 2022. At the same time, established brands have added AI capabilities to the platforms we already use every day.

The pace of innovation has gone from a trickle to a waterfall, and that's led to a lot of noise in the marketplace. Many people feel overwhelmed, and things show no sign of slowing down.

AI tools for the modern marketer

At IMPACT, we work with businesses of all shapes and sizes, which means we see dozens of industries and team structures. Within those organizations, we're coaching marketing teams, training salespeople, and advising senior leadership, so we see a wide swath of the professional landscape.

Below are some tools we've advised clients to try to increase their efficiency and improve their output. For each tool, I'll explain what it does, what it costs, the pros and cons, and my impressions, so you have a starting point as you sort through the crowded AI landscape.

Pricing below was checked in November 2026. These tools change their plans often, so confirm current costs on each vendor's site before you buy.

1. Video and audio editing tool: Descript

Descript is an AI-powered video and audio editor that transcribes your footage automatically so you can edit it like a text document.

How you can use it

Descript uses speech recognition to transcribe any audio or video file you feed it, and its accuracy is some of the highest I've seen. On higher-tier plans, you can add industry terms and names to a transcription glossary so Descript gets them right in the future.

Another feature I found useful is adding new scenes with one click: type a slash "/" in your script to start a new scene. Descript also has a stock library of clips, GIFs, and images to add to your video, or you can create your own.

The user experience is smooth, and text-based editing saves real time. I'd expect competitors to keep following Descript's lead on text-based editing.

Advantages

• The dashboard works like a shared drive, so you can collaborate with teammates
• Custom voice cloning is available
• The Remove Filler Words tool finds filler words and lets you decide what to cut
• Precise, text-based editing
• Descript has an active user community where you can pick up tips from other creators

Disadvantages

• Transcripts still need a proofreading pass, especially for names and industry terms
• The voice clone can sound robotic
• The voice clone can have speech synthesis issues in long sentences
• The video timeline doesn't let you drag and slide clips as smoothly as other editing tools
• You can't go as deep on keyframing, color grading, on-screen graphics, or text as you can in tools like Adobe Premiere

What it costs

There's a free plan, plus Hobbyist ($16 per person per month billed annually, or $24 monthly), Creator ($24 annually, or $35 monthly), Business ($50 annually, or $65 monthly), and custom Enterprise pricing. Paid plans include monthly media hours and AI credits. Full details are on Descript's pricing page.

2. Video clipping tool: Opus Clip

Opus Clip (now styled OpusClip) is also a video editing tool, but with a specific purpose: turning long-form video into short clips. For example, you could cut a 30-minute podcast into 10 vertical 30-second videos. Here's a clip we made with Opus.

How you can use it

Like a lot of AI, Opus Clip is a multiplier. If you're trying to produce a lot of content, it can get videos out the door quickly. You won't have as much control as you do in a traditional editor like Adobe Premiere, but the clips are serviceable, and you can make light edits within the platform.

Short-form video is a common way to reach buyers on YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok, and Opus can speed up that process.

Advantages

• AI scans your full video to find relevant clips and hooks
• Face tracking is very accurate
• Paid plans can cut filler words and silences smoothly
• Provides accurate captions and some basic animation
• The Pro plan can insert AI-selected B-roll into clips

Disadvantages

• The clips it chooses are not always the best
• The editor can be clunky at times
• The B-roll tool struggles to understand context

What it costs

There's a free plan with watermarked clips, then Starter ($15/month, billed monthly) and Pro ($29/month, or $14.50/month billed annually). Larger teams can request custom Business pricing.

3. Writing assistant: HyperWrite

The best AI tools feel collaborative, so the user keeps more control over the finished output. HyperWrite is an AI writing assistant that can adapt to your writing style as you use it.

How you can use it

HyperWrite offers a full suite of writing tools, from full drafts to translation to summarizing. You can use it to write a blog post from scratch, draft a follow-up email, do research, or craft a social post, which makes it a useful time-saver for marketers.

There are many AI writing tools on the market, from do-it-all assistants like ChatGPT to specialized ones like Jasper. HyperWrite is my go-to for the quality of what it produces and its ease of use. As a Chrome extension, it also works across the sites you already use.

Advantages

• Simple to use across platforms
• Adapts to mimic the style and tone you naturally write with
• Easily expands a short piece of text into something more fleshed out

Disadvantages

• The message limit on the Premium plan may not be enough for heavy users
• ChatGPT outperforms HyperWrite on some writing tasks

What it costs

Premium is $19.99/month (or $16/month billed annually), and Ultra is $44.99/month (or $29/month billed annually).

4. Search engine optimization tool: Surfer

Surfer (often called SurferSEO) is a cloud-based on-page optimization tool that lets you analyze and compare your own pages against what currently ranks in search results.

How you can use it

In my experience with writers across a variety of industries, SEO seems to be the one thing they all overthink, especially now that AI is changing how search works.

I've recommended this tool often to clients trying to rank in Google. I don't see it as a tool someone needs forever, but it's a good option if you're new to SEO and don't have the bandwidth to learn everything at once.

I especially like the actionable feedback in the content editor. It's direct and doesn't leave you unsure about what to do to improve your content.

Advantages

• Integrates with Google Docs and WordPress
• Write and edit within the tool and see your content score as you go
• Compare your pages to what already ranks well
• Planning tools group related keywords into clusters, which helps you plan content and internal linking

Disadvantages

• It's a paid-only tool, so check Surfer's current trial or refund terms before you commit
• The WordPress integration doesn't always work accurately
• Keyword research isn't as thorough as in dedicated research tools
• The SERP Analyzer includes a lot of data points, which can be overwhelming

What it costs

Surfer offers several paid tiers plus custom enterprise pricing, and its plans have changed more than once. Check Surfer's pricing page for current costs.

5. Time management tool: Reclaim

Reclaim (now part of Dropbox) is a smart scheduling app for Google Calendar and Outlook that uses AI to build a schedule around your priorities every week.

How you can use it

I trialed this tool for a few weeks and found it extremely helpful. I'm an overly organized, color-coded planner, so I may not be the typical Reclaim user, but I've recommended it to clients many times since.

Whatever industry or department you work in, a lot can go wrong when your calendar is chaotic. Having everything organized in one spot lets you stay available without clogging up your calendar.

My favorite feature: when a meeting is canceled or something shifts, Reclaim automatically reschedules your work at a good time. It also switches your events from "Free" to "Busy" as your week fills up, so you stay flexible without being overly available.

Advantages

• Reclaim runs regular live demo webinars
• Works with Google Calendar and Outlook, and integrates with Slack, ClickUp, Asana, and more
• Syncs multiple calendars to prevent conflicts
• Auto-blocks time for tasks and routines and finds the best time for 1:1 meetings
• Adds breaks and travel time around meetings
• Reprioritizes your calendar easily when things change

Disadvantages

• There is a learning curve when you first start
• You can't reach every function from your own calendar, so you'll need the Reclaim app open for full access
• Notifications can become overwhelming, though you can adjust them

What it costs

Lite is free. Paid plans are priced per seat: Starter ($10/month billed annually, or $12 monthly), Business ($15/month billed annually, or $18 monthly), and Enterprise ($22/month, annual billing only).

The tool is only as good as the person who uses it

While these tools open up real possibilities, remember that they are not a strategy. They aren't insight or creativity, either. Let them speed up the work you do, but don't expect them to do the job for you.

The AI landscape keeps shifting. These tools will improve, others will emerge, and a few will come to dominate their categories. For a broader look at where AI fits in your marketing and what's worth your time, read our guide to AI for marketing.

Keep experimenting and learning.