Stack by business type
Best AI tools for consultants (2026)
Research, analyse, present and follow up.
Last updated
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Step 1 · Research & writing
Free tierChatGPT
AI assistant
General AI assistant for writing, research and brainstorming.
Free; paid plans on openai.com
Step 2 · Data analysis
Free tierJulius AI
Data analysis
Analyse spreadsheets by chatting, no SQL needed.
Free tier; Plus $20/mo
Step 3 · Decks
Free tierGamma
Presentations
Generate decks, docs and one-page sites from a prompt.
Free tier; Plus $9/mo billed annually ($108/yr)
Step 4 · Meeting notes
Free tierFathom
Meeting notes
AI notetaker with unlimited free recordings and summaries.
Free plan; Team $15/user/mo billed annually ($19 monthly), 2-user minimum
Step 5 · CRM
Free tierHubSpot CRM
CRM
Free CRM with AI features and paid marketing/sales hubs.
Free CRM; paid hubs on hubspot.com/pricing
Frequently asked questions
What AI tools help consultants most?
Research and writing (ChatGPT), data analysis without SQL (Julius AI, free tier and Plus at $20/mo), decks (Gamma) and meeting notes (Fathom).
Is a free CRM enough for an independent consultant?
For most solo consultants, HubSpot's free CRM is enough to track contacts and deals. Paid hubs add marketing and sales automation.
The Solo Stack, every week
One AI tool deep-dive, three quick finds and one workflow to copy. Written for people who run their business alone.