This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by avantek
These 10 free AI tools helped me save 20 hours in one week by automating writing, research, design, and meetings. Discover how to use ChatGPT, Notion AI, Gamma, and more to work smarter, not harder.
If your to-do list feels endless, you’re not alone. Between emails, meetings, content creation, and planning, most of us spend hours on repetitive work.
This week, I decided to test how much time I could actually save using AI productivity tools — specifically, free ones.
The result? I reclaimed about 20 hours of my week without cutting corners. Here are the 10 AI tools that made it happen — plus exactly how I used each one.
🧠 1. ChatGPT — My On-Call Writing Partner
Let’s start with the obvious choice.
I use ChatGPT (free version) to outline blog posts, brainstorm headlines, and draft emails. In fact, this article started as a ChatGPT draft. I gave it a prompt (“Write a conversational blog about 10 free AI tools that save time”), and it delivered a solid foundation in minutes.
Then I tweaked it for tone and added examples.
🕒 Time saved: ~4 hours
💡 Pro tip: Tell ChatGPT who it’s writing for. Try, “You’re a productivity expert writing for busy creators.” It adapts instantly.
🗒️ 2. Notion AI — Summarize Messy Notes Instantly
If you take chaotic meeting notes (like I do), Notion AI will save your brain.
I paste raw notes into Notion and hit “Summarize.” It spits out a clean, bullet-point recap with next steps and owners.
Example: 1,200 words of messy notes → a 3-paragraph summary with clear action items.
🕒 Time saved: ~2 hours
🖼️ 3. Gamma.app — Build Beautiful Slides From Plain Text
Making decks used to take me hours. Now, Gamma does it in minutes.
I typed a one-paragraph outline for a “Social Media Growth Strategy” and Gamma turned it into a professional presentation — images, transitions, and all.
I tweaked a few lines, exported to PDF, and looked like I’d hired a designer.
🕒 Time saved: ~1.5 hours
💡 Pro tip: Use Gamma’s rewrite feature to adjust tone or simplify slides for clients.
🎨 4. Canva Magic Studio — Design Without the Designer
I’ve used Canva for years, but their Magic Studio upgrade is next-level.
Magic Write creates captions
Magic Edit removes or replaces objects
Magic Expand resizes images perfectly
Example: I uploaded a product screenshot, removed the messy background, and replaced it with a brand-colored gradient in seconds.
🕒 Time saved: ~2 hours
🔍 5. Perplexity.ai — Research Without Endless Tabs
When you need quick, trustworthy info, Perplexity is unbeatable.
It combines AI-generated summaries with real citations (no more fake stats). I used it to find the latest AI marketing data and it linked to the original sources directly.
🕒 Time saved: ~1 hour
✍️ 6. Glasp — Highlight and Summarize Anything Online
If you read a lot of articles, Glasp is a huge time-saver.
It’s a Chrome extension that lets you highlight text on any site, then AI-summarize your highlights into digestible key points.
Example: I read a 20-minute SEO article and ended up with a 2-minute summary and action steps.
🕒 Time saved: ~45 minutes
🎤 7. ElevenLabs — Voiceovers Without Recording
Need a voiceover but hate recording? Try ElevenLabs.
I pasted a script, picked a voice, and it generated realistic audio instantly. It sounds natural — no robotic tone.
I used it for a short product video, and the result was studio-quality.
🕒 Time saved: ~1 hour
📚 8. Claude.ai — The Long-Form Powerhouse
Claude (from Anthropic) handles longer documents than ChatGPT’s free tier.
I uploaded a 40-page whitepaper and asked for a “500-word summary.” Claude returned a clear, professional summary in under a minute.
🕒 Time saved: ~3 hours
🗣️ 9. Fireflies.ai — Transcribe and Highlight Meetings Automatically
Fireflies records and transcribes Zoom or Google Meet calls automatically. It highlights questions, tasks, and key moments.
After a client strategy call, I received a full transcript and searchable highlights — no need to rewatch the recording.
🕒 Time saved: ~2 hours
🧾 10. Tally.so — Build Forms in 5 Minutes
For quick surveys or sign-up forms, Tally is a lifesaver.
It’s as intuitive as Notion: just type your questions and it formats them beautifully. I built a feedback form for my newsletter in under five minutes.
🕒 Time saved: ~30 minutes
⚡ Total Time Saved: ~20 Hours
Here’s the breakdown:
Task Tools Used Hours Saved Writing & Drafting ChatGPT, Claude 7 Meeting Notes & Summaries Notion AI, Fireflies 4 Design & Presentations Canva, Gamma 3.5 Research & Reading Perplexity, Glasp 1.75 Voice & Forms ElevenLabs, Tally 1.5 Total ~20 hours
🧩 The Real Win: Focus, Not Just Time
Yes, these tools saved me about 20 hours — but more importantly, they gave me mental space.
Instead of being buried in admin work, I had time for deep work: writing, planning, and actually thinking.
AI didn’t replace my creativity — it amplified it.
🚀 Your Challenge
Pick two tools from this list. Use them for one week. Track your time.
Even if you save just 30 minutes a day, that’s 2.5 hours by Friday — and you’ll quickly see where automation makes the biggest difference.
Because at the end of the day, AI isn’t the future — it’s your new assistant. And it’s free
This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by avantek
avantek | Sciencx (2025-10-23T03:21:42+00:00) 10 Free AI Tools That Saved Me 20 Hours This Week. Retrieved from https://www.scien.cx/2025/10/23/10-free-ai-tools-that-saved-me-20-hours-this-week-2/
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