Rankings
Best tools, by the job
Each page starts with a short answer, then an editorial list. A sponsor, when there is one, sits above the list and does not change it.
- 1
Best tools for video editing
For most creators editing short-form video, start with CapCut. Choose DaVinci Resolve if you want a full editor and color tools, including a free version from Blackmagic Design. Choose Descript if you would rather edit talking-head video or a podcast by editing the transcript. Opus Clip is for cutting clips out of a longer video, not for building one. Riverside records remote interviews. Loom sends a screen recording. Neither is a timeline editor. - 2
Best newsletter platforms
If the newsletter is how you run a creator business, start with Kit (formerly ConvertKit). If you want a newsletter product built around growth and monetization, look at Beehiiv. If you want to publish and offer paid subscriptions with almost no setup, use Substack. If you want a site and memberships you can host yourself, use Ghost. - 3
Best tools for selling digital products
Use Gumroad to sell a file or a simple offer with the least setup. Use Lemon Squeezy when you want a merchant of record to handle sales tax on digital goods. Use Stan Store when the product has to sell from a link in your bio. Use Patreon when the offer is an ongoing membership, not a one-time download. - 4
Best design tools
Use Canva for social graphics, decks, and everyday marketing design. Use Figma when the work is an interface, a prototype, or a file other people will build from. Use Adobe Express when you want quick social graphics and you already live in Adobe’s apps. - 5
Best AI assistants
Use ChatGPT as the broad default assistant. Use Claude when the work is careful writing or a long document. Use Perplexity when you want an answer with links you can open. Use Notion when the notes themselves are the product and you want AI inside those pages, not as a separate chatbot. - 6
Best scheduling and automation tools
For booking links, use Cal.com. For simple automations between apps, use Zapier. For a more involved visual workflow, use Make. For a general social queue, use Buffer. For a visual feed, use Later. For writing posts on X or LinkedIn, use Typefully. For LinkedIn only, look at Taplio. - 7
Best payment tools
Use Stripe when you need payment infrastructure: Checkout, Payment Links, or Billing under a product you control. Use Lemon Squeezy when you sell digital goods and want a merchant of record to handle sales tax. Gumroad, Stan Store, and Patreon collect money too, but they are storefronts and memberships, not a payments API. - 8
Best website builders
If one page is enough, use Carrd. If you need a designed marketing site, use Framer. If you want templates, a blog, and light commerce handled for you, use Squarespace. If you need a CMS and more structural control, use Webflow. If the site is a publication with memberships, use Ghost.