Best AI for Run a Business

Where it wins

• The widest feature range of any consumer AI product, covering research, files, data, images, and code
• Deep Research and web browsing built in
• Projects, memory, and custom GPTs make repeat workflows genuinely faster
• Four price points, from USD 8 to USD 200, so you can match spend to use

Know before choosing

• The number of modes and models is genuinely confusing, and the right one is rarely obvious
• Usage allowances are per model rather than one pool, so heavy users hit caps they did not expect
• Chat data trains OpenAI models by default and you have to go and turn it off

Privacy note

OpenAI states consumer chat data is used to improve its models by default. You can disable this under Data controls, using the Improve the model for everyone toggle.

Where it wins

• Sits inside Gmail, Docs, and Sheets rather than beside them
• The cheapest paid entry point of any major assistant at USD 4.99 a month
• Bundles 5 TB of storage and YouTube Premium Lite at the Pro tier, which changes the real cost comparison
• Genuinely capable free tier

Know before choosing

• The value case collapses if you do not use Google services
• Feature availability varies by region and plan more than rivals
• Google states that even with Keep Activity off or in temporary chats, conversations are still processed for safety and security, including by human reviewers

Privacy note

Google states that with Keep Activity on, chats are used to train its generative AI models, and turning it off means future chats are not used for training. Safety processing continues either way.

Where it wins

• Template driven design that produces respectable results without design skills
• AI image and content generation built into the same canvas rather than as a separate tool
• Brand kits keep output consistent across a team

Know before choosing

• We could not verify current pricing. Canva served an unsupported client page to every automated check we ran, and its own newsroom post is the only reachable figure we found, quoting Canva Teams at USD 10 per person per month starting at three people
• AI features are metered through an AI Pass credit system rather than being unlimited on paid plans, and the per plan credit counts are also unverified
• Canva's privacy policy states it may analyse account activity, content, and media uploads to train its algorithms, models, and AI products

Privacy note

Canva states it may analyse account activity, content, and media uploads to train its algorithms, models, and AI products, and directs users to its privacy controls page to manage this. Canva Education student content is excluded.

Where it wins

• Works inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook rather than requiring copy and paste
• Bundled with a subscription many people already hold, so the marginal cost is low
• The Premium tier adds AI agents for research reports and data analysis

Know before choosing

• On the Family plan, Microsoft states AI features are available to the subscription owner only, not all six members, which is easy to miss when comparing prices
• Consumer conversation data is used for AI model training by default and requires opting out
• The good agent features sit at the USD 19.99 Premium tier

Privacy note

Microsoft confirms consumer conversation data is used for AI model training by default. You opt out under Privacy, using the Training on conversation activity toggle, with a separate toggle for voice conversations.

Where it wins

• Answers are grounded in your own wiki, docs, and databases rather than the open web
• Notion states its AI subprocessors are prohibited from using customer data to train models, which is the strongest contractual position on this list
• Enterprise adds zero data retention with the underlying model providers

Know before choosing

• Notion Agent, AI Meeting Notes, and Enterprise Search all require the USD 20 Business tier, not the USD 10 Plus tier
• Custom Agents cost a further USD 10 per 1,000 monthly Notion credits after the trial
• Priced per member, so costs scale with headcount rather than usage

Privacy note

Notion states that your data is yours and that its AI subprocessors are prohibited from using customer data to train models. Enterprise plans add zero data retention with the large language model providers.