I tested dozens of AI tools so you don’t have to. Here are 10 that actually work for building a side income — even if you’re not tech-savvy.
Whether you want to start freelance writing, build an affiliate blog, create videos, or automate your workflow, there’s an AI tool on this list that can help you get started today.
1. Jasper AI — Best for Writing Content That Sells
What it does: AI writing assistant that creates blog posts, ads, emails, and social media content in seconds.
Who it’s for: Freelance writers, bloggers, affiliate marketers, anyone who needs to produce content fast.
How to make money with it:
- Write SEO blog posts 5x faster, rank on Google, earn from ads and affiliate links
- Offer AI-powered copywriting services on Upwork/Fiverr ($50-$200 per project)
Pricing: Starts at $49/month. 7-day free trial available.
My experience: I used Jasper to write a 2,000-word product review article. Gave it my outline and target keyword, and it pumped out a solid first draft in about 8 minutes. Did I need to edit it? Yes, maybe 20 minutes of tweaking. But without Jasper, that article would have taken me 3 hours. The Boss Mode lets you write long-form content without it losing context halfway through.
Rating: 8.5/10
Bottom line: If you write content to make money, Jasper pays for itself within the first week.
2. Surfer SEO — Best for Ranking on Google
What it does: Analyzes top-ranking pages and tells you exactly what to write to beat them.
Who it’s for: Bloggers, affiliate marketers, SEO freelancers.
How to make money with it:
- Write perfectly optimized articles that rank on page 1, earning passive affiliate/ad income
- Offer SEO content optimization as a service ($100-$500 per article)
Pricing: Starts at $89/month.
My experience: I wrote an article about best portable blenders without Surfer — ranked on page 4. Rewrote it using Surfer’s Content Editor. Two weeks later: page 1, position 7. That single article now earns $200+/month in affiliate commissions.
Rating: 9/10
Bottom line: If you’re serious about making money from Google traffic, Surfer is non-negotiable.
3. Writesonic — Best Budget AI Writer
What it does: Similar to Jasper but more affordable. Writes articles, ads, product descriptions.
Who it’s for: Budget-conscious content creators, affiliate marketers starting out.
Pricing: Free plan with 10,000 words/month. Paid from $16/month.
My experience: For 80% of writing tasks, Writesonic gets the job done at one-third the price of Jasper. Start here if budget is tight, upgrade later when profitable.
Rating: 8/10
4. Pictory — Best for Turning Articles into Videos
What it does: Converts blog posts into professional videos with AI voiceover and stock footage automatically.
Who it’s for: Content creators who want to repurpose blog posts into YouTube/social videos without filming.
Pricing: Starts at $23/month. Free trial with 3 video projects.
My experience: I pasted a blog post into Pictory and 8 minutes later had a 6-minute video with relevant stock footage, music, and captions. Uploaded to YouTube, now gets 300 views/month driving traffic back to my affiliate article.
Rating: 7.5/10
5. AppSumo — Best for Finding Lifetime Deals to Promote
What it does: Marketplace for software lifetime deals.
Who it’s for: Anyone who reviews software or runs a deals blog.
How to make money: 100% commission on new customer’s first purchase. Write reviews of deals, rank for tool name + review keyword.
My experience: Wrote a review for an AI tool on AppSumo ($69 deal). That single article earned $483 in the first month from 7 sales. Easiest affiliate money I’ve made.
Rating: 8.5/10
6. NeuronWriter — Best Budget SEO Tool
What it does: AI-powered SEO content planning and optimization. Cheaper alternative to Surfer SEO.
Pricing: Starts at $23/month.
My experience: Gets 85% of Surfer’s job done at 25% of the price. Perfect for beginners who can’t justify $89/month yet.
Rating: 8/10
7. KoalaWriter — Best for One-Click Blog Posts
What it does: Generates entire SEO-optimized blog posts in one click with affiliate product recommendations built in.
Pricing: Starts at $9/month for 15,000 words.
My experience: Generated 30 articles in one afternoon. About 20 were publishable with light editing. Published across 3 niche sites, 8 reached page 1 within 2 months. At $9/month, the cost per article is basically nothing.
Rating: 8.5/10
8. TubeBuddy — Best for YouTube Growth
What it does: YouTube optimization tool for keywords, tags, and thumbnails.
Pricing: Free plan available. Pro from $7.50/month.
My experience: Went from 50-100 views per video to 500-800 within 2 months using its keyword suggestions and A/B thumbnail testing.
Rating: 8/10
9. Mailerlite — Best Free Email Marketing
What it does: Email marketing platform for building subscriber lists and automated sequences.
Pricing: Free for up to 1,000 subscribers.
My experience: Built a 5-email welcome sequence promoting 3 affiliate products. Earns about $300/month on autopilot from a 2,000-person list. The free plan gives you everything to start.
Rating: 8.5/10
10. Hostinger — Best Budget Web Hosting
What it does: Gets your website online. Fast, cheap, includes free domain.
Pricing: From $2.99/month with annual plan.
My experience: Hosted 6 sites for over 2 years. Zero downtime. Speed scores 90+ on PageSpeed. Setup takes 10 minutes.
Rating: 8/10
How to Get Started
- Pick 3-5 tools from this list to write about first
- Sign up for Impact and ShareASale (free)
- Apply to each tool’s affiliate program
- Publish reviews targeting keywords like “best [tool] alternative” and “[tool] review 2025”
- Build an email list from day 1 with Mailerlite
Your first $1,000/month from affiliate commissions is closer than you think. Most people just never start.