20 best AI tools for startups

AI for startups helps entrepreneurs bridge the gap between idea and delivery, using it to accelerate software design, improve testing, automate maintenance, and improve virtually every aspect of operations.

In this article, we’re covering 20 of the best AI tools for startups across various categories like no-code development, software engineering, design, video creation, and customer support.

We’ve selected each tool based on real-world startup use cases, intuitive UX, and how well they help teams move faster without sacrificing quality.

Here’s a preview of what you’ll find:

• Best for no-code development – Hostinger Horizons
• Best for code generation – Qodo and GitHub Copilot
• Best for design and branding – Canva and Midjourney
• Best for content and video creation – CapCut, InVideo AI, and Steve AI
• Best for customer support – Zendesk, Freshdesk, Gorgias, Kommunicate, and Tidio
• Best for financial automation – Docyt, Vic.ai, and Botkeeper
• Best for collaboration and task management – ClickUp, Motion, and Miro Assist
• Best for AI-powered writing and language tools – Cohere

Below is a breakdown of the AI tools by category and their main functions to help you quickly find what fits your startup’s needs:

Type	Used for	Tools
No-code development	Building MVPs, websites, and apps without code	Hostinger Horizons
Code generation	Assisting with programming tasks	Qodo, GitHub Copilot
Design and branding	Creating graphics, assets, and visual identity	Canva, Midjourney
Content and video creation	Producing social, explainer, and promo videos	CapCut, InVideo AI, Steve AI
Language and writing tools	Natural language processing and AI writing	Cohere
Task and project management	Planning, automation, scheduling	ClickUp, Motion, Miro Assist
Finance and accounting	Automating bookkeeping and reporting	Docyt, Vic.ai, Botkeeper
Customer support	Chatbots, ticketing, and AI-assisted support	Zendesk, Freshdesk, Gorgias, Kommunicate, Tidio

Let’s dive into the top 20 AI tools that can help your startup grow faster and work smarter in 2025.

Best AI builders and coding assistants

AI builders and coding assistants help users turn ideas into functional apps or websites without the need for extensive programming knowledge.

They automate tasks like code generation, debugging, and interface design, making development faster and more accessible. These tools are ideal for entrepreneurs, developers, and teams looking to prototype, build, and deploy software efficiently.

Below is a curated list of some of the best AI tools available in this category.

1. Hostinger Horizons

Hostinger Horizons is a smart, no-code AI tool for entrepreneurs who want to bring their web app ideas to life without writing a single line of code.

Using natural language processing, voice commands, and image input, it acts as your AI developer, designer, and content creator all in one.

What sets Hostinger Horizons apart from similar tools is the fact that it’s a turnkey solution. The plans come with one year of free hosting and a free domain, so you get everything you need to go live instantly, in a single solution.

Key features:

• Conversational app building. You can describe your idea in a chat or voice message, and the AI handles the layout, design, and content from start to finish.
• Multilingual functionality. It allows you to build apps in 80+ languages.
• Image and text input. It understands both text and image prompts and can turn them into real features.
• Live sandbox mode. You can preview and fine-tune your app before publishing, with built-in version control.
• One-click publishing. As soon as you’re done, your app is live with hosting and a custom domain all set.
• Seamless integrations. It lets you easily connect your app with Supabase, Stripe, analytics tools, and more.
• Multilingual support 24/7. You can get help in eight languages, whenever you need it.
• Full code ownership. You are free to download and migrate your project if you ever need to scale elsewhere.

Best for:

Hostinger Horizons is an AI software builder made for entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, and lean startup teams who want to move fast without hiring developers.

If you have a great idea but limited technical resources, Horizons lets you prototype, build, and publish, all in one place.

Price:

Hostinger Horizons offers a free trial, so you can test the platform before committing. Once you’re ready to upgrade, there are four paid plans:

• Explorer ($9.99) includes 30 AI messages per month. Perfect for occasional users and idea exploration.
• Starter ($19.99) includes 70 messages/month. Ideal for students, beginners, or anyone just starting to build apps with AI.
• Hobbyist ($49.99) with 200 messages/month. Great for freelancers, side projects, or creators working on projects more consistently.
• Hustler ($99.99) comes with 400 messages/month. Designed for startups, small teams, and entrepreneurs needing more freedom and flexibility.

2. Qodo

Qodo is an AI coding assistant built to improve code quality through intelligent suggestions, automated test generation, and streamlined collaboration.

It integrates deeply with popular IDEs and Git platforms to support developers in writing, testing, and reviewing code.

Key features:

• Smart code suggestions. Qodo offers helpful recommendations for docstrings, error handling, and best practices.
• Automatic test creation. It generates accurate unit tests that cover edge cases and core behaviors.
• Code explanation made simple. Qodo breaks down your code with clear descriptions and practical examples, making it easier to understand, especially for newer developers.
• Built-in collaboration tools. It supports GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket integration.
• Multi-language and IDE support. It is compatible with Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, and more; it works within VSCode, WebStorm, IntelliJ IDEA, PyCharm, and JetBrains IDEs.
• Enterprise-ready security. It is built with protections like SSL encryption and SOC2 certification, so your data stays safe.

Best for:

A tool like Qodo is great for both solo developers and teams looking to improve code quality, automate testing, and simplify collaboration, especially on projects that require thorough testing and efficient review cycles.

Price:

• Developer (Free) with 250 messages/month. Great for solo developers exploring AI-assisted coding with Qodo Merge and Gen. Includes smart test generation, code documentation, and community support.
• Teams ($38/user/month) includes 5,000 messages/month. Designed for teams needing collaboration tools like PR automation, bug detection, and repo best practices learning. Includes standard support and optional SSO.
• Enterprise ($45/user/month) allows full platform access with advanced features for large organizations. Includes analytics, multi-repo support, enterprise SSO, self-hosting, and priority support.

3. GitHub Copilot

GitHub Copilot is an AI-powered code completion tool developed by GitHub and OpenAI. It helps developers write code faster and with fewer errors by suggesting entire lines or blocks of code in real time based on natural language prompts or existing code context.

Key features:

• Context-aware code suggestions. GitHub Copilot intelligently completes code snippets, functions, and repetitive patterns.
• Natural language to code. You can write comments in plain English, and Copilot generates corresponding code in multiple languages.
• Broad language support. It supports dozens of programming languages, including Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Ruby, Go, and more.
• Editor integration. It works within Visual Studio Code, Visual Studio, Neovim, and JetBrains IDEs, providing inline code suggestions as you type.
• Team insights (Copilot for business). It comes with tools for managing usage, monitoring effectiveness, and ensuring compliance across developer teams.
• Trained on public code. GitHub Copilot is built on billions of lines of open-source code, giving it robust contextual understanding and versatility.

Best for:

GitHub Copilot is ideal for individual developers, students, and software teams looking to accelerate development, learn by example, and reduce cognitive load when tackling complex or unfamiliar codebases.

Price:

• Free ($0/month) with 50 agent mode or chat requests and 2,000 code completions per month. Includes access to Claude 3.5 Sonnet, GPT-4.1, and more.
• Pro ($10/month or $100/year) with unlimited completions and chats with access to advanced models like GPT-4.11, Claude 3.7/4 Sonnet, and Gemini 2.5 Pro. Includes code review features and 6x more premium requests than Free. Free for verified students, teachers, and maintainers of popular open source projects.
• Pro+ ($39/month or $390/year) allows maximum flexibility with access to all models, including Claude Opus 4, o3, and GPT-4.5. Offers 30x more premium requests than Free and includes a coding agent preview.
• Copilot Business ($19/user/month) – Includes all Individual features plus enterprise-grade privacy, policy management, and team collaboration tools.
• Copilot Enterprise ($39/user/month) – Tailored for large teams with enhanced security, compliance controls, analytics, and priority support.

Interested in learning how to master this tool? Visit our guide on how to use GitHub Copilot.

Best AI tools for content creation

AI tools for content creation assist with generating written, visual, and multimedia content quickly and efficiently. They streamline tasks like writing, editing, and designing, making them essential for marketers, bloggers, and creatives.

The following tools can help you accelerate and improve every part of your content creation process.

4. Canva

Canva is a graphic design platform that comes with AI tools for helping users create professional-quality visuals, videos, and written content with minimal effort.

Whether you want to build social media graphics or brand presentations, Canva’s AI features simplify and speed up the design process, especially when paired with effective prompt engineering for generating unique images and copy.

Key features:

• Magic design. You can upload an image or idea, and Canva will auto-generate fully designed templates tailored to your content.
• Magic write. An AI text generator can help you craft headlines, captions, blog content, and more.
• Text to image. It allows you to transform written prompts into unique visuals using generative AI.
• One-click background removal. It comes with AI-powered editing tools like background remover and image enhancer to make professional design easy for non-designers.
• Brand kit integration. You can easily maintain consistency with fonts, logos, and colors across your designs using your pre-set brand kit.
• Collaboration and sharing. Canva supports real-time collaboration, approvals, and feedback, making it great for team-based content development.

Best for:

Canva is perfect for content creators, marketers, and small businesses that need quick, on-brand visual content without the steep learning curve of traditional design tools.

Price:

• Free plan comes with access to basic design tools, templates, and limited AI features like Magic write and Text to image.
• Pro ($15/month/one person) unlocks premium templates, brand kits, advanced AI features, and team collaboration tools.
• Teams ($10/month per person) is designed for teams, offering advanced collaboration, approval workflows, 1TB of cloud storage, and team brand control.

5. Cohere

Cohere is an AI platform focused on providing powerful large language models (LLMs) for developers and businesses to build custom NLP applications, and comes with advanced content-related features.

It enables content generation, semantic search, summarization, and more, all accessible through a simple API and fine-tuned to specific use cases.

Key features:

• Command R+ model. Cohere’s flagship language model is optimized for retrieval-augmented generation (RAG).
• Embeddings and semantic search. You can quickly build AI-powered search and recommendation systems with high-performance embedding models.
• Custom training and fine-tuning. It allows you to tailor language models to your domain using your own datasets and controlled model adjustments.
• Multilingual support. It supports over 100 languages, enabling global content strategies and communication tools.
• Easy integration. Cohere provides robust SDKs and REST APIs that make it developer-friendly for building scalable AI features into any application.
• Enterprise-grade security. It is designed for compliance and security, with data privacy controls suitable for large organizations.

Best for:

Cohere is ideal for developers, product teams, and businesses that want to build custom NLP-powered tools, automate content workflows, or improve search and discovery features with fine-tuned AI models.

Price:

• Free tier includes limited usage of Command models, embeddings, and APIs for testing and prototyping.
• Pay-as-you-go (Custom pricing) is a flexible pricing model based on usage volume, model size, and support needs, suitable for startups and enterprises alike.

6. Midjourney

Launched in 2022, Midjourney is one of the most popular AI image generation tools around. It transforms text prompts into high-quality, artistic visuals. Known for its distinct aesthetic style, it’s widely used by designers, marketers, and content creators to quickly prototype or create unique visual assets.

The tool offers three distinct modes: Fast mode provides immediate GPU access for quick image generation using your monthly allocation of fast hours, Relax mode offers unlimited image creation through a queue system at slower speeds without consuming GPU time, and Stealth mode keeps your generated images private from the public Midjourney gallery.

Key features:

• High-quality image generation. It produces stunning, stylized images from natural language prompts with impressive detail and artistic flair.
• Fast iteration. You can refine prompts and generate multiple variations quickly.
• Community-powered access. Operates through a Discord-based interface where you can generate images, view others’ work, and learn from prompt experiments.
• Versatile use cases. You can use it for marketing visuals, concept art, social media posts, and thumbnails.
• Creative control. Its advanced prompt modifiers and parameter controls give you greater precision over the look and feel of the generated images.

Best for:

Midjourney is best suited for creatives, marketers, and content professionals who need original, eye-catching visuals and want to explore ideas quickly without traditional design tools.

Price:

• Basic plan ($10/month) comes with limited image generations per month with standard access to the tool via Discord.
• Standard plan ($30/month) includes faster rendering and unlimited relaxed generations.
• Pro plan ($60/month) is designed for professionals needing stealth image generation and higher priority access.
• Mega plan ($120/month) offers the highest tier with 60 hours of fast GPU time per month, unlimited relaxed mode, stealth mode for private image generation, and increased concurrency for running multiple fast jobs simultaneously.

Best AI-powered project management platforms

AI-powered project management platforms use automation, predictive analytics, and natural language processing to streamline task allocation, forecast project risks, and improve team collaboration.

These tools help identify bottlenecks early, optimize resource planning, and enhance decision-making, all of which are key factors in successful project management.

7. Motion

Motion is an AI-powered productivity platform that combines task management, calendar planning, and meeting scheduling into a single streamlined tool.

It uses intelligent algorithms to automatically plan your day, ensuring that high-priority tasks are completed on time, even when your schedule changes.

Key features:

• AI-driven scheduling. It automatically arranges your tasks around meetings and deadlines, adjusting in real time as priorities shift.
• Calendar and task integration. It combines your to-do list and calendar into one intelligent view, reducing the need to switch between apps.
• Meeting booking assistant. It helps you schedule meetings at optimal times, avoiding conflicts and minimizing disruption to deep work.
• Team collaboration. It lets team members assign tasks, track progress, and coordinate schedules while giving everyone a clear view of each other’s workload.
• Distraction-free productivity. Its focus mode minimizes context switching by surfacing only the tasks that matter most at any given moment.

Best for:

Motion is ideal for professionals and teams who juggle multiple responsibilities and need a dynamic, AI-assisted system to manage time efficiently and hit project deadlines.

Price:

• Pro AI ($19/user/month) includes AI task planning, project management, smart scheduling, meeting notes, docs, writing tools, and access to AI assistants (in beta).
• Business AI ($29/user/month) offers everything in Pro AI, plus productivity charts, team capacity planning, time tracking, dashboards, Gantt views, permissions, central billing, and business-level support.
• Enterprise (Custom pricing) includes all Business AI features along with enterprise-grade analytics, unlimited AI usage, enhanced security (SOC 2, SSO, RBAC), API access with implementation support, data backup, and a dedicated customer success manager.

8. Miro Assist

Miro Assist is the AI-powered enhancement of Miro’s collaborative whiteboard platform, designed to boost team productivity during planning, brainstorming, and mapping sessions. It helps generate ideas, organize content, and automate repetitive tasks directly on the board.

Key features:

• Smart summarization. It instantly summarizes sticky notes, meeting notes, or workshop sessions into clear action items.
• AI-generated mind maps. Miro Assist auto-creates mind maps based on keywords or notes to kickstart ideation.
• Text cleanup and translation. It can improve clarity with grammar suggestions and support multilingual teams through on-the-fly translation.
• Facilitator tools. It helps with organizing and structuring live sessions, including clustering and prioritizing notes for faster decision-making.
• Integration with Miro features. It works seamlessly across templates, boards, and visual elements for enhanced workflows.

Best for:

Miro Assist is great for product teams, educators, and remote collaborators who rely on visual thinking and want to streamline workshops and planning sessions.

Price:

• Free plan comes with limited access to Miro boards and AI features for individuals.
• Starter ($8/user/month) provides access to advanced templates and AI capabilities.
• Business ($16/user/month) adds SSO, integrations, and priority collaboration features.
• Enterprise (Custom pricing) includes tailored features, governance controls, and enhanced security.

9. ClickUp

ClickUp is a comprehensive project management platform that uses AI to boost productivity, automate workflows, and improve team communication. Its AI assistant helps teams write faster, summarize content, and streamline task creation.

Key features:

• AI writing assistant. It can draft emails, meeting summaries, project updates, and more using natural language inputs.
• Task automation. Allows you to create conditional automations for recurring tasks, status updates, and reminders.
• Smart summaries. It comes with AI that can instantly condense long comment threads and documents into actionable points.
• Multiview workspace. Switch between list, board, calendar, and Gantt views for flexible project tracking.
• Goal and time tracking. Set measurable goals, monitor time usage, and track progress toward key results.

Best for:

ClickUp is ideal for teams managing complex workflows who want a customizable, all-in-one solution with AI-enhanced productivity tools.

Price:

• Free forever plan with basic features and limited AI use for small teams.
• Unlimited ($7/user/month) includes integrations, dashboards, and unlimited tasks.
• Business ($12/user/month) adds AI, time tracking, and goal-setting tools.
• Enterprise (custom pricing) includes advanced security, support, and admin features.

Best tools for video editing with AI

AI video editing tools are revolutionizing content creation by automating cuts, enhancing audio/video quality, generating captions, and even turning scripts into full videos.

The following tools are especially useful for creators, marketers, and businesses looking to produce high-quality video content quickly and efficiently.

10. CapCut

CapCut is a free AI-powered video editing app developed by ByteDance that makes professional editing accessible to creators of all skill levels. It’s particularly popular for social media videos due to its light learning curve and rich automation features.

Key features:

• Auto-captioning. It can instantly generate accurate subtitles in multiple languages.
• Smart cuts and transitions. Its AI detects the best moments in clips and applies seamless transitions.
• AI effects and filters. You can use AI-generated backgrounds, motion tracking, and beauty enhancements.
• Script-to-video. It allows you to turn text scripts into storyboards and video sequences automatically.
• Multi-platform export. It has export settings for TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and other platforms, adjusting the best format and quality for each.

Best for:

CapCut is perfect for influencers, marketers, and anyone creating short-form or social-first video content.

Price:

• Free plan includes essential editing tools, watermark-free exports, and limited cloud storage. Suitable for casual users.
• CapCut Pro ($9.99/month) includes mobile-only access with additional effects, transitions, and premium tools.

11. Invideo AI

InVideo AI is a text-to-video platform that lets users generate full videos from prompts, scripts, or URLs. It handles editing, voiceovers, visuals, and music automatically, making video creation as simple as writing.

Key features:

• Prompt-based video generation. You can input a topic or script, and the AI will generate a complete video.
• Built-in media library. It provides access to millions of royalty-free images, videos, and audio clips.
• AI voiceovers. You can choose from a wide range of voice styles and languages.
• Scene editor. It allows you to customize scenes with drag-and-drop ease and real-time previewing.
• Automated publishing. You can schedule and share videos across platforms directly from InVideo.

Best for:

InVideo AI is ideal for marketers, educators, and entrepreneurs looking to produce explainer videos, ads, and tutorials quickly.

Price:

• Free plan includes 10 AI minutes per week, 1 express avatar, and up to 4 exports weekly with a watermark. No access to generative features.
• Plus ($28/month, billed annually) offers 10 credits, 50 AI minutes, 95 iStock assets, 2 UGC product asset ads, 30 seconds of generative video, 2 express clones, 100 GB storage, and unlimited exports for one user.
• Max ($50/month, billed annually) includes 25 credits, 200 AI minutes, 320 iStock assets, 5 UGC ads, 75 seconds of generative video, 5 express clones, 400 GB storage, and unlimited exports.
• Generative ($100/month, billed annually) comes with 100 credits, 200 AI minutes, 320 iStock assets, 5 generative UGC ads, 300 seconds of generative video, 8 express clones, 400 GB storage, and unlimited exports.
• Team ($899/month, billed annually) is esigned for professional teams; includes 1000 credits, 2000 AI minutes, 3200 iStock assets, 50 UGC ads, 50 minutes of generative video, 40 express clones, 4 TB storage, and one user seat.
• Enterprise (Custom pricing) is tailored for large organizations, with advanced security, custom features, and flexible pricing based on team needs.

12. Steve AI

Steve AI turns text-based content like blog posts or scripts into engaging animated videos. It’s especially useful for brands and agencies wanting to scale content production without hiring video specialists.

Key features:

• Text-to-video animation. It converts scripts into animated videos with characters, scenes, and voiceovers.
• Live-action video generation. You can create stock-style videos from text with realistic footage.
• Voiceover selection. You can choose your voice tone, gender, and language to reach a global audience.
• Scene customization. Drag-and-drop editor lets you tweak characters, backgrounds, and transitions.
• Brand kits. It allows you to maintain visual consistency with logos, fonts, and brand colors.

Best for:

Steve AI is a top pick for marketers, educators, and small businesses looking to repurpose written content into video at scale.

Price:

• Free plan includes limited access to features, includes a watermark, and restricted video exports.
• Basic ($20/month or $180/year) offers up to 100 minutes of AI-generated videos per month, 800 AI images and premium stock assets, 720p resolution, 120 seconds of generative credits, and access to over 100 animated characters. Includes watermark removal and unlimited exports.
• Starter ($60/month or $540/year) includes 300 minutes of AI videos per month, 2400 AI images and stock, 1080p resolution, 120 seconds of generative video, and 300+ animated characters. Also supports watermark-free, unlimited exports and human-like voiceovers.
• Pro ($80/month or $720/year) provides 400 minutes of AI videos monthly, 3200 AI images and stock, 2K resolution, 5 minutes of generative credits, and 300+ animated characters. Offers the most advanced animation tools, the highest voice quality, and all Pro-level features.
• Enterprise (custom pricing) is tailored for large teams and agencies. Includes 4K resolution, custom limits, commercial and reselling rights, AI data privacy features, dedicated infrastructure, team collaboration tools, and customized onboarding.

Best AI accounting tools

AI is shaping the accounting industry by automating bookkeeping, reconciling transactions, detecting anomalies, and generating financial insights.

The following tools can help you reduce human error, increase accuracy, and save valuable time.

13. Docyt

Docyt is an AI-driven accounting automation platform that helps businesses manage bookkeeping, financial reporting, and expense tracking in real time. It integrates with banks and accounting software to streamline workflows.

Key features:

• Automated bookkeeping. It provides real-time categorization of transactions and reconciliation.
• AI-powered document extraction. It can digitize and auto-classify receipts, invoices, and bank statements.
• Financial reporting. It generates monthly reports, cash flow insights, and P&L summaries.
• Multi-entity support. It allows you to manage financials across multiple business units or locations.
• Integrations. It works with QuickBooks, Xero, and major financial institutions.

Best for:

Docyt is best for small to mid-sized businesses seeking to simplify financial operations and minimize time spent on manual entry.

Price:

Custom pricing based on features, company size, and number of accounts managed.

14. Vic.ai

Vic.ai is an AI platform that automates invoice processing and improves decision-making in accounting departments. It uses machine learning to handle accounts payable tasks – the process of managing and paying bills owed to suppliers and vendors – and deliver real-time performance insights.

Key features:

• AI invoice processing. It automates approval workflows and GL coding.
• Audit-ready records. Vic.ai ensures transparency and traceability across financial operations.
• Real-time analytics. You get instant insights on cash flow, payment cycles, and vendor data.
• Multi-entity scalability. It is built for companies handling complex, multi-location finances.
• ERP integrations. It works with NetSuite, Sage Intacct, and Microsoft Dynamics.

Best for:

Vic.ai is ideal for finance teams and enterprises looking to eliminate manual data entry and streamline accounts payable.

Price:

Custom pricing based on invoice volume and enterprise requirements.

15. Botkeeper

As its name playfully suggests, Botkeeper offers automated bookkeeping for accounting firms and businesses by combining machine learning with expert oversight. It simplifies financial management while keeping human accountants in the loop.

Key features:

• Automated transaction categorization. Its AI model learns and adapts to business-specific rules.
• Dashboard and analytics. It provides real-time financial reports and KPIs in a user-friendly interface.
• Scalable bookkeeping. The tool handles clients with varying volumes and complexity.
• Human-in-the-loop review. Their accountants validate and adjust results as needed.
• Security and compliance. It offers SOC2 compliance and is GDPR-ready.

Best for:

Botkeeper is great for accounting firms and growing businesses needing accurate, scalable bookkeeping without building an internal finance team.

Price:

• $69/license/month includes access to core features such as Smart Connect, Transaction Manager, Password Manager, Auto Bank Reconciliation, Journal Entry Automation, Client & User Management, and more.
• Custom pricing based on business size and transaction volume.

Best AI tools for customer service

AI is enhancing customer service by automating support tickets, powering chatbots, and providing instant responses based on customer history and behavior.

The following tools help businesses scale support and improve ecommerce customer experience while reducing wait times and manual workload.

16. Zendesk

Zendesk integrates AI into its support platform to automate ticket routing, suggest responses, and surface relevant help articles. It improves support efficiency across email, chat, voice, and social channels.

Key features:

• AI-powered macros. It suggests replies and automates routine tickets.
• Intelligent triage. It can classify and route tickets based on sentiment and urgency.
• Self-service help center. Its AI model curates relevant content to deflect support volume.
• Multichannel support. It allows you to manage all customer conversations in one place.
• Analytics and reporting. It tracks customer satisfaction, resolution time, and more.

Best for:

Zendesk is perfect for businesses needing scalable, multichannel support with built-in automation and analytics.

Price:

• Support Team ($19/agent/month, billed annually) with a basic ticketing system for email support with automation, reporting, and integration capabilities.
• Suite Team ($55/agent/month) adds multichannel support (email, chat, phone, social), AI-powered automation, help center, and generative reply features.
• Suite professional ($115/agent/month) includes all Suite Team features plus advanced tools like CSAT insights, SLAs, smart routing, agent Copilot, HIPAA support, and team collaboration features.
• Suite Enterprise (custom pricing) is designed for large organizations needing advanced change management, sandbox testing, role-based access, and support for multiple brands and custom workflows.

17. Freshdesk

Similarly to Zendesk, Freshdesk offers AI-powered automation for customer service teams, including chatbots, ticketing workflows, and response suggestions. It’s designed to reduce response times and improve overall service efficiency. It’s an intuitive tool that’s user-friendly out of the box, ideal for small to medium businesses.

Key features:

• Freddy AI assistant. It can suggest answers, detect intent, and learn from ticket history.
• Scenario automations. You can automate escalations, reassignments, and follow-ups.
• Chatbots and self-service. It allows you to build and deploy bots without code to answer FAQs.
• Team dashboards. You can monitor team productivity, SLAs, and customer sentiment.
• Omnichannel support. It supports email, chat, phone, and social integration in one interface.

Best for:

Freshdesk is ideal for fast-growing companies that need smart, scalable support solutions without a heavy setup.

Price:

• Free plan with basic features suitable for small teams.
• Growth ($15/agent/month, billed annually) includes ticketing, customer portal, reporting, and essential automation, ideal for small businesses.
• Pro ($49/agent/month, billed annually) adds custom support portals, advanced ticketing, custom objects and reporting, plus flexible routing options.
• Pro + AI Copilot Bundle ($78/agent/month, billed annually) combines all Pro features with the Freddy AI Copilot for enhanced AI-powered assistance.
• Enterprise ($79/agent/month, billed annually) offers all Pro features plus audit logs, approval workflows, skills-based routing, advanced security, and more.

18. Gorgias

Gorgias is an AI-powered helpdesk built specifically for ecommerce stores, centralizing all customer communications and automating common queries to enhance support speed and personalization.

Key features:

• Ecommerce integrations. It integrates deeply with Shopify, Magento, BigCommerce, and more.
• Macro automation. It responds automatically to common questions about shipping, returns, and orders.
• Customer data sync. It can pull order details into every conversation for fast context.
• AI-suggested replies. It drafts accurate answers based on history and current inquiry.
• Revenue tracking. It links support interactions to conversion metrics.

Best for:

Gorgias is ideal for ecommerce brands that want to deliver fast, contextual, and personalized support.

Price:

• $50 per month for up to 300 helpdesk tickets.
• $104 per month for up to 300 helpdesk tickets and 60 automated tickets.
• $140 per month for up to 300 helpdesk tickets and 90 automated tickets.
• $185 per month for up to 300 helpdesk tickets and 150 automated tickets.
• Enterprise (custom pricing) for high-volume ecommerce operations.

19. Kommunicate

Kommunicate is a customer support automation platform that combines live chat with AI chatbots to offer instant, personalized support across web and mobile apps.

Key features:

• AI chatbots with fallback. It handles common queries with seamless handoff to human agents.
• Multichannel support. It can manage messages from websites, WhatsApp, Messenger, and more.
• Custom workflows. You can set up conversation logic, FAQs, and lead capture without coding.
• Agent assist tools. It suggests replies, auto-tags issues, and provides context in real time.
• Integration-ready. Kommunicate works with CRM tools, Zapier, and major messaging APIs.

Best for:

Kommunicate is a great choice for SaaS companies, startups, and ecommerce brands looking to offer 24/7 AI-powered support.

Price:

• Lite plan ($83.33/month, billed annually for 2 agents) includes AI for chat and email, 500 conversations/month, website and WhatsApp deployment, basic integrations, human handoff, and 3 months of chat history.
• Advanced plan ($166.66/month, billed annually for 5 agents) adds support for 2,000 conversations/month, AI assist for agents, mobile SDKs, analytics, 1-year chat history, and more deployment options.
• Enterprise plan (custom pricing) designed for large organizations needing custom voice support, unlimited chat history, premium integrations (e.g., Zendesk, Hubspot), dedicated account management, SSO, APIs, and whitelabel options.

20. Tidio

Tidio is an AI-powered customer service platform that combines live chat, AI chatbots, and ticketing in one easy-to-use interface. Designed for small and medium-sized businesses, Tidio helps automate conversations, answer FAQs, and improve response times.

Key features:

• Lyro AI chatbot. It comes with conversational AI that answers customer questions in natural language with minimal setup.
• Multichannel inbox. It can manage chats from websites, email, Messenger, and Instagram in one place.
• Visitor tracking and triggers. It automatically initiates chats based on user behavior, like cart abandonment.
• Live chat fallback. It provides seamless transition from AI to human agents for complex queries.
• Integrations. Tidio connects with Shopify, Wix, WordPress, and CRMs like HubSpot and Mailchimp.

Best for:

Tidio is perfect for ecommerce stores and small businesses looking to scale support, boost engagement, and improve ecommerce customer experience without large teams.

Price:

• Free plan includes basic chatbot and live chat tools, limited to 50 conversations per month.
• Starter ($24.17/month) adds 100 billable conversations, live visitor tracking, basic analytics, operating hours, and limited access to Lyro AI and automation tools.
• Growth ($49.17/month) increases capacity to 2,000 conversations/month, advanced analytics, permission settings, and Tidio’s power features. Also includes one-time access to 50 Lyro AI conversations.
• Plus (from $749/month) offers custom quotas, multisite support, departments, multilingual capabilities, OpenAPI, and a dedicated success manager. Supports up to 5,000 Lyro AI conversations and expanded automation limits.
• Premium (from $2,999/month) is designed for large-scale operations needing unlimited conversations, managed AI services, performance guarantees (e.g., 50% Lyro AI resolution rate), and priority support. Supports up to 10,000 Lyro AI conversations.

What are the essential AI tools to optimize work for a startup?

No-code platforms like Hostinger Horizons allow founders to build websites or product prototypes without touching a single line of code, while AI coding assistants such as Qodo or GitHub Copilot boost efficiency for tech teams by accelerating software creation and debugging. These tools reduce the time to launch and allow teams to focus on innovation instead of infrastructure.

Equally important are visual design and branding tools like Canva and Midjourney, which empower non-designers to create compelling marketing assets, and project management AI like ClickUp or Motion, which use intelligent scheduling and automation to help small teams stay on track.

Startups can also save countless hours using AI-powered financial assistants like Docyt or Botkeeper for automated bookkeeping and customer service platforms such as Zendesk or Tidio, which use machine learning to offer 24/7 support.

Are there any risks or downsides to AI tools in startups?

Yes. While AI tools can significantly boost startup efficiency, there are some potential drawbacks to be aware of, including:

• Data privacy concerns. Many AI tools collect user data, which can raise compliance and security issues for early-stage companies.
• Limited customization. Some tools offer rigid templates or workflows, which may not suit complex or unique startup needs.
• Subscription costs. Monthly fees for multiple tools can add up quickly, which is a challenge for bootstrapped founders.
• Learning curve. Teams may need training to get the most out of advanced AI tools, especially those with complex interfaces or functions.

Why should startups invest in AI tools now?

AI adoption is already reshaping how businesses compete. According to our AI statistics, around 56% of business leaders have already implemented AI in at least some areas of their operations.

Furthermore, 58% of companies plan to increase their AI spending in 2025. For startups, this creates a clear message: AI is where market leaders are focusing, and not getting on board means falling behind.

Leveraging the right tools, like no-code platforms and automated support systems, can help founders bring products to market faster, improve the user experience, and streamline operations without growing the team too quickly. In a space that’s constantly evolving, startups that delay adopting modern solutions risk getting outpaced.

For any business aiming to stay competitive, building smarter from the start is simply a necessity.

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