Which AI tool should you really use in 2026?
There are dozens of AI tools for creators today, and most of them do only one thing. To produce a complete YouTube video, you quickly end up with four subscriptions: one tool for images, one for video, one for voice, one for copy. That means as many interfaces to learn, invoices to track and files to move around.
This comparison covers the seven tools creators use most in 2026: what they really do well, their limits, and when they are worth the price. Third-party prices are indicative and change often: check them on their websites.
The summary in one table
| Tool | Images | Video | Voice | Copy | Starting price (indicative) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iafetch | Yes | Yes (subscribers) | Yes | Yes | Free (10 credits), then €19 / month |
| Midjourney | Yes | Limited | No | No | About $10 / month |
| Runway | Yes | Yes | No | No | Limited free plan, then about $15 / month |
| ElevenLabs | No | No | Yes | No | Limited free plan, then about $5 / month |
| Jasper | Limited | No | No | Yes | About $40 / month |
| Adobe Firefly | Yes | Yes | No | No | Included in Creative Cloud, or standalone plan |
| ChatGPT | Yes | No | No | Yes | Limited free plan, then about $20 / month |
1. iafetch: the all-in-one
What it does: one workspace to create images, videos, voices and copy, with 17 AI models and a single credit balance. Images with GPT Image 2, Flux, Ideogram, Recraft and Nano Banana Pro; videos with Kling, Hailuo, Wan, Seedance and Veo; voices with ElevenLabs in 29 languages; copy with Claude; and a prompt generator for everything else.
Price: 10 free credits with no credit card, then Creator at €19, Pro at €49 or Studio at €99 a month. Credits never expire.
For whom: creators, entrepreneurs and agencies who want one tool, in their language, with the cost shown before each creation.
Limits: no voice cloning or advanced editing tools; video is available to subscribers.
2. Midjourney: the king of artistic images
What it does: images with a very strong artistic personality and an instantly recognisable aesthetic.
For whom: illustrators, art directors and creative studios looking for the best artistic rendering.
Limits: focused on images, a dedicated subscription, less precise when writing text in the image.
→ The full iafetch vs Midjourney comparison
3. Runway: the reference for creative video
What it does: advanced video generation, camera control, AI-assisted editing tools.
For whom: directors, editors and video production studios.
Limits: a specialised tool, a longer learning curve, costs that climb quickly with volume.
→ The full iafetch vs Runway comparison
4. ElevenLabs: the most natural AI voice
What it does: very realistic text-to-speech in 29 languages, a voice library and voice cloning.
For whom: podcasters, course creators and YouTubers who record a lot of voice-overs.
Limits: audio only, small quotas on the free plan. Its Multilingual v2 voice is also available in iafetch, alongside the other modules.
→ The full iafetch vs ElevenLabs comparison
5. Jasper: the marketing copywriter
What it does: marketing copy, blog posts and social media posts, with templates tuned to a brand's tone.
For whom: marketing teams and content agencies that produce a lot of copy.
Limits: focused on text, high price compared with today's general-purpose models.
→ The full iafetch vs Jasper comparison
6. Adobe Firefly: AI inside the Adobe ecosystem
What it does: image generation, generative fill and editing in Photoshop, vector elements in Illustrator.
For whom: Adobe users who want AI inside the software they already use.
Limits: mostly worthwhile if you already pay for Creative Cloud.
→ The full iafetch vs Adobe Firefly comparison
7. ChatGPT: the Swiss army knife
What it does: conversation, writing, document analysis and image generation in one interface.
For whom: users who want a versatile everyday assistant.
Limits: no video or professional voice-over, quick quotas on the free plan.
→ The full iafetch vs ChatGPT comparison
How much does a stack of specialised tools cost?
To cover images, video, voice and copy with separate tools, you need at least four entry-level subscriptions, several tens of euros a month, with as many quotas to keep an eye on. An all-in-one tool replaces that stack with a single balance: you spend your credits where you need them this month, image, video or voice.
How to choose?
- You want to produce everything in one place: an all-in-one tool like iafetch
- Your work depends on artistic images: Midjourney on top
- You edit films or complex clips: Runway for advanced control
- You need to clone your own voice: ElevenLabs directly
- You already live in Photoshop: Adobe Firefly
Our recommendation
For most creators, an all-in-one tool covers the essentials for far less than four subscriptions. Keep a specialised tool only if your work truly depends on it. Either way, test before you pay: iafetch's 10 free credits let you try images, voices and copy with no credit card.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free AI tool for a creator?
No complete tool is entirely free, but several trial offers let you test. On iafetch, the 10 free credits cover images, voices, copy and prompts; video needs a subscription.
Can creations be used commercially?
On iafetch, yes: what you generate belongs to you, within the models' terms of use. On other tools, check each plan's licence, especially free plans.
Do I need to know how to write prompts?
No. On iafetch, the "Improve with AI" button and the Prompts module turn a short idea into a detailed instruction.
Read next: the video model comparison · the image model comparison · all our comparisons · iafetch for creators