ALBTO Studio · Recurso gratis / free resource

Free AI & automation tools worth actually using

Not an affiliate list. No links we get paid for. Just the free tiers we've checked are genuinely current, what the catch is on each one, and who it's actually good for — so you don't have to dig through ten "best free tools 2026" listicles to find out.

Checked 2026-09-21 · Free-tier limits change without notice — verify on the provider's site before you build a workflow around one.

How to read this: "The catch" is the thing that'll make you outgrow the free tier. If that's a wall you're going to hit in month one, we say so.

Google AI Studio (Gemini API)
AI / Automation Brain
Free
1,500 requests/day on Gemini 2.5 Flash, no credit card. A permanent rate-limited tier, not a burn-through trial.
The catch
Pro models require billing. Google may use free-tier input/output to improve their models — don't paste anything confidential.
Best for
The "brain" behind an automation — classifying incoming leads, drafting replies, summarizing calls.
→ aistudio.google.com
Make.com
Workflow Automation
Free
1,000 operations/month, full visual builder, up to 2 active scenarios. ~500 workflow runs on a simple 2-step automation.
The catch
Only 2 scenarios can be live at once — enough to prove one workflow works before paying for more.
Best for
Connecting your form/booking tool to your CRM/email without writing code. This is what we build most client automations on.
→ make.com
HubSpot CRM
CRM
Free
Free forever, up to 1,000 contacts, 2 users, 1 pipeline, 2,000 emails/month.
The catch
No workflows, sequences, or automated follow-ups on the free tier — every follow-up is manual until you upgrade.
Best for
A real place to track leads instead of a spreadsheet, if you're under 1,000 contacts.
→ hubspot.com/products/crm
Calendly
Scheduling
Free
Forever free, unlimited bookings, no time limit — the restriction is features, not volume.
The catch
Only 1 active event type and 1 connected calendar. No SMS reminders or automated workflows on free.
Best for
Killing "what time works for you?" email back-and-forth for a single service (consult, audit call).
→ calendly.com
WhatsApp Business App
Customer Chat
Free
The app itself is 100% free — quick replies, away messages, a catalog, basic labels/CRM tags.
The catch
One phone/device per number, and it's not the same product as the paid WhatsApp Business API for real automation.
Best for
El Paso/CDMX businesses specifically — this is how most of your customers already expect to reach you.
→ whatsappbusiness.com
Google Business Profile
Local Visibility
Free
Completely free, no tier at all — listing, photos, posts, reviews, messaging.
The catch
None, really. The only cost is the 20 minutes it takes to fill it out completely and the discipline to keep it updated.
Best for
Showing up when someone searches "[your service] near me." Do this before anything else on this list.
→ business.google.com
Canva
Design
Free
Unlimited designs, 1.6M+ templates, 5GB storage, up to 200 standard AI uses/month.
The catch
No background remover, no transparent/SVG export, and your brand kit is capped at 3 colors.
Best for
Social posts, flyers, and menu/price graphics without hiring a designer for every small update.
→ canva.com
Zapier
Workflow Automation
Free
100 tasks/month, unlimited Zaps, access to Tables and Forms.
The catch
Free Zaps are capped at 2 steps (1 trigger + 1 action) — real workflows almost always need more. Make.com's free tier goes further for the same $0.
Best for
Apps that only have a Zapier integration and no Make.com equivalent — check both before committing to one.
→ zapier.com
Mailchimp
Email Marketing
Free
250 contacts, 500 sends/month.
The catch
Cut hard in January 2026 — half the contacts of before, and automation was removed from the free tier entirely. You'll outgrow this fast.
Best for
Literally your first newsletter, to a very small list, while you decide if email marketing is worth investing in.
→ mailchimp.com
We use several of these ourselves (this site runs partly on Make.com). We're not paid by any of these companies and none of the links above are affiliate links — if one starts charging you unexpectedly, that's on them, not us. Free-tier limits shown are what we verified as current on the date at the top of this page.

Adding to this list as we test more

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