{ "index": "BestThingsOnline — AI Recommendation Index", "category": "ai-writing", "week": "2026-W28", "measured_at": "2026-07-06T08:20:52Z", "providers": [ "chatgpt", "claude", "gemini", "perplexity" ], "samples_per_cell": 1, "methodology": "https://www.bestthingsonline.com/ai-index/methodology", "license": "CC BY 4.0 — reuse freely with attribution + a link to BestThingsOnline", "note": "RecShare = fraction of answers naming a product, with a Wilson 95% CI. AI outputs are non-deterministic, so numbers will not reproduce exactly on a re-run — instead, replay our deterministic aggregation from the verbatim answers in raw_answers. That is what makes this auditable.", "rankings": [ { "position": 1, "name": "Jasper", "name_norm": "jasper", "recshare": 0.7333, "ci_low": null, "ci_high": null, "mentions": 11, "answers": 15, "per_provider": { "claude": 3, "gemini": 5, "perplexity": 3 } }, { "position": 2, "name": "ChatGPT", "name_norm": "chatgpt", "recshare": 0.6667, "ci_low": null, "ci_high": null, "mentions": 10, "answers": 15, "per_provider": { "claude": 4, "gemini": 4, "perplexity": 2 } }, { "position": 3, "name": "Writesonic", "name_norm": "writesonic", "recshare": 0.5333, "ci_low": null, "ci_high": null, "mentions": 8, "answers": 15, "per_provider": { "gemini": 5, "claude": 3 } }, { "position": 4, "name": "Copy.ai", "name_norm": "copyai", "recshare": 0.4667, "ci_low": null, "ci_high": null, "mentions": 7, "answers": 15, "per_provider": { "claude": 3, "gemini": 3, "perplexity": 1 } }, { "position": 5, "name": "Claude", "name_norm": "claude", "recshare": 0.4, "ci_low": null, "ci_high": null, "mentions": 6, "answers": 15, "per_provider": { "claude": 2, "gemini": 3, "perplexity": 1 } }, { "position": 6, "name": "ChatGPT Plus", "name_norm": "chatgptplus", "recshare": 0.2667, "ci_low": null, "ci_high": null, "mentions": 4, "answers": 15, "per_provider": { "gemini": 2, "perplexity": 1, "claude": 1 } }, { "position": 7, "name": "Jasper", "name_norm": "jasperai", "recshare": 0.2667, "ci_low": null, "ci_high": null, "mentions": 4, "answers": 15, "per_provider": { "perplexity": 2, "claude": 2 } }, { "position": 8, "name": "Rytr", "name_norm": "rytr", "recshare": 0.2667, "ci_low": null, "ci_high": null, "mentions": 4, "answers": 15, "per_provider": { "perplexity": 1, "gemini": 2, "claude": 1 } }, { "position": 9, "name": "Surfer AI", "name_norm": "surferai", "recshare": 0.2, "ci_low": null, "ci_high": null, "mentions": 3, "answers": 15, "per_provider": { "perplexity": 2, "gemini": 1 } }, { "position": 10, "name": "Anyword", "name_norm": "anyword", "recshare": 0.2, "ci_low": null, "ci_high": null, "mentions": 3, "answers": 15, "per_provider": { "perplexity": 2, "gemini": 1 } }, { "position": 11, "name": "Surfer SEO", "name_norm": "surferseo", "recshare": 0.2, "ci_low": null, "ci_high": null, "mentions": 3, "answers": 15, "per_provider": { "claude": 1, "gemini": 1, "perplexity": 1 } }, { "position": 12, "name": "Gemini", "name_norm": "gemini", "recshare": 0.2, "ci_low": null, "ci_high": null, "mentions": 3, "answers": 15, "per_provider": { "claude": 1, "gemini": 2 } }, { "position": 13, "name": "Frase.io", "name_norm": "fraseio", "recshare": 0.1333, "ci_low": null, "ci_high": null, "mentions": 2, "answers": 15, "per_provider": { "claude": 1, "gemini": 1 } }, { "position": 14, "name": "Grammarly", "name_norm": "grammarly", "recshare": 0.1333, "ci_low": null, "ci_high": null, "mentions": 2, "answers": 15, "per_provider": { "claude": 1, "perplexity": 1 } }, { "position": 15, "name": "Honest caveat", "name_norm": "honestcaveat", "recshare": 0.1333, "ci_low": null, "ci_high": null, "mentions": 2, "answers": 15, "per_provider": { "claude": 2 } }, { "position": 16, "name": "Quick note", "name_norm": "quicknote", "recshare": 0.1333, "ci_low": null, "ci_high": null, "mentions": 2, "answers": 15, "per_provider": { "claude": 2 } }, { "position": 17, "name": "Claude Pro", "name_norm": "claudepro", "recshare": 0.0667, "ci_low": null, "ci_high": null, "mentions": 1, "answers": 15, "per_provider": { "perplexity": 1 } }, { "position": 18, "name": "Surfer SEO + AI Editor", "name_norm": "surferseoaieditor", "recshare": 0.0667, "ci_low": null, "ci_high": null, "mentions": 1, "answers": 15, "per_provider": { "claude": 1 } }, { "position": 19, "name": "Canva", "name_norm": "canva", "recshare": 0.0667, "ci_low": null, "ci_high": null, "mentions": 1, "answers": 15, "per_provider": { "perplexity": 1 } }, { "position": 20, "name": "ChatGPT / GPT", "name_norm": "chatgptgpt", "recshare": 0.0667, "ci_low": null, "ci_high": null, "mentions": 1, "answers": 15, "per_provider": { "gemini": 1 } }, { "position": 21, "name": "ChatGPT Team/Enterprise", "name_norm": "chatgptteamenterprise", "recshare": 0.0667, "ci_low": null, "ci_high": null, "mentions": 1, "answers": 15, "per_provider": { "gemini": 1 } }, { "position": 22, "name": "Claude 3 Opus", "name_norm": "claude3opus", "recshare": 0.0667, "ci_low": null, "ci_high": null, "mentions": 1, "answers": 15, "per_provider": { "gemini": 1 } }, { "position": 23, "name": "Brandwell", "name_norm": "brandwell", "recshare": 0.0667, "ci_low": null, "ci_high": null, "mentions": 1, "answers": 15, "per_provider": { "perplexity": 1 } }, { "position": 24, "name": "Gemini Advanced", "name_norm": "geminiadvanced", "recshare": 0.0667, "ci_low": null, "ci_high": null, "mentions": 1, "answers": 15, "per_provider": { "claude": 1 } }, { "position": 25, "name": "Semrush ContentShake AI", "name_norm": "semrushcontentshakeai", "recshare": 0.0667, "ci_low": null, "ci_high": null, "mentions": 1, "answers": 15, "per_provider": { "claude": 1 } }, { "position": 26, "name": "Writer", "name_norm": "writer", "recshare": 0.0667, "ci_low": null, "ci_high": null, "mentions": 1, "answers": 15, "per_provider": { "perplexity": 1 } }, { "position": 27, "name": "Writer.ai", "name_norm": "writerai", "recshare": 0.0667, "ci_low": null, "ci_high": null, "mentions": 1, "answers": 15, "per_provider": { "claude": 1 } }, { "position": 28, "name": "Frase", "name_norm": "frase", "recshare": 0.0667, "ci_low": null, "ci_high": null, "mentions": 1, "answers": 15, "per_provider": { "perplexity": 1 } }, { "position": 29, "name": "KoalaWriter", "name_norm": "koalawriter", "recshare": 0.0667, "ci_low": null, "ci_high": null, "mentions": 1, "answers": 15, "per_provider": { "perplexity": 1 } }, { "position": 30, "name": "Outranking.io", "name_norm": "outrankingio", "recshare": 0.0667, "ci_low": null, "ci_high": null, "mentions": 1, "answers": 15, "per_provider": { "perplexity": 1 } }, { "position": 31, "name": "Scalenut", "name_norm": "scalenut", "recshare": 0.0667, "ci_low": null, "ci_high": null, "mentions": 1, "answers": 15, "per_provider": { "gemini": 1 } }, { "position": 32, "name": "Canva Magic Write", "name_norm": "canvamagicwrite", "recshare": 0.0667, "ci_low": null, "ci_high": null, "mentions": 1, "answers": 15, "per_provider": { "claude": 1 } }, { "position": 33, "name": "Google Gemini Advanced", "name_norm": "googlegeminiadvanced", "recshare": 0.0667, "ci_low": null, "ci_high": null, "mentions": 1, "answers": 15, "per_provider": { "gemini": 1 } }, { "position": 34, "name": "Koala AI", "name_norm": "koalaai", "recshare": 0.0667, "ci_low": null, "ci_high": null, "mentions": 1, "answers": 15, "per_provider": { "perplexity": 1 } }, { "position": 35, "name": "WriteTraffic", "name_norm": "writetraffic", "recshare": 0.0667, "ci_low": null, "ci_high": null, "mentions": 1, "answers": 15, "per_provider": { "perplexity": 1 } }, { "position": 36, "name": "Honest note", "name_norm": "honestnote", "recshare": 0.0667, "ci_low": null, "ci_high": null, "mentions": 1, "answers": 15, "per_provider": { "claude": 1 } }, { "position": 37, "name": "Volume", "name_norm": "volume", "recshare": 0.0667, "ci_low": null, "ci_high": null, "mentions": 1, "answers": 15, "per_provider": { "claude": 1 } }, { "position": 38, "name": "Brand consistency", "name_norm": "brandconsistency", "recshare": 0.0667, "ci_low": null, "ci_high": null, "mentions": 1, "answers": 15, "per_provider": { "claude": 1 } }, { "position": 39, "name": "Full marketing suite", "name_norm": "fullmarketingsuite", "recshare": 0.0667, "ci_low": null, "ci_high": null, "mentions": 1, "answers": 15, "per_provider": { "claude": 1 } } ], "questions": [ "What's the best AI writing tool right now?", "Which AI writing assistant is best for SEO blog content?", "What's the best AI tool for writing marketing copy?", "Which AI content tool should a small business pay for?", "What's the best AI writing software for an agency?" ], "raw_answers": [ { "question_id": 7, "provider": "claude", "model": "claude-sonnet-4-6", "sample": 0, "answer": "# Top 5 AI Writing Tools Right Now\n\n1. **Claude (Anthropic)** - Strongest at nuanced, long-form writing with natural tone and careful reasoning\n\n2. **ChatGPT (OpenAI)** - Versatile and widely used, with strong general writing across many formats and styles\n\n3. **Gemini Advanced (Google)** - Good integration with Google Workspace and solid all-around writing assistance\n\n4. **Jasper** - Purpose-built for marketing copy with useful templates and brand voice features\n\n5. **Grammarly (with AI features)** - Best for editing, refining existing writing, and catching stylistic issues\n\n---\n\n**Honest caveat:** I'm made by Anthropic, so I have an obvious conflict of interest placing Claude first. ChatGPT and Claude are genuinely close, and reasonable people rank them differently depending on the use case. I'd suggest trying both for your specific needs." }, { "question_id": 7, "provider": "gemini", "model": "gemini-2.5-flash", "sample": 0, "answer": "The \"best\" AI writing tool often depends on your specific needs (e.g., long-form content, marketing copy, SEO, code generation, general brainstorming). However, based on overall capability, versatility, and market presence right now, here's a ranked top 5:\n\n1. **ChatGPT Plus (powered by GPT-4o)**\n * **Reason:** Unmatched versatility across writing tasks, powerful new multimodal capabilities, and continuous innovation.\n2. **Claude 3 Opus**\n * **Reason:** Exceptional at handling long-form content, maintaining nuance, and producing natural-sounding, less \"AI-like\" prose.\n3. **Jasper**\n * **Reason:** Industry-leading templates, robust features for marketing teams, and dedicated content workflows.\n4. **Writesonic**\n * **Reason:** Strong for long-form article generation, SEO optimization, and a good balance of features and usability.\n5. **Google Gemini Advanced**\n * **Reason:** Seamless integration with Google Workspace and a rapidly improving large language model for diverse tasks." }, { "question_id": 7, "provider": "perplexity", "model": "sonar", "sample": 0, "answer": "The best AI writing tool for 2026 is **Claude Pro**, which excels in producing the most natural, low-edit long-form drafts.\n\nHere is the ranked top 5 list of specific AI writing products with a short reason for each:\n\n1. **Claude Pro** – Writes the cleanest, most natural long-form drafts with the best tone control and lowest editing needs.\n2. **ChatGPT Plus (with GPT-5.4)** – The most versatile daily driver, ideal for research-heavy content and pulling current sources with minimal hallucination.\n3. **Jasper AI** – Best for marketing teams needing strict brand voice consistency, approval workflows, and marketing-specific templates.\n4. **Surfer AI** – Top choice for SEO-focused content generation, integrating keyword strategy and search visibility tracking directly into drafts.\n5. **Rytr** – A budget-friendly option for creators who need speed and simplicity for short-form copy or low-complexity content.\n\n*Note: All tools produce drafts that still require human briefing, fact-checking, and final editing.* [1][2][3]" }, { "question_id": 8, "provider": "claude", "model": "claude-sonnet-4-6", "sample": 0, "answer": "# Top 5 AI Writing Assistants for SEO Blog Content\n\n1. **Surfer SEO + AI Editor** - Combines real-time SERP analysis with writing, so content is optimized *as you write* against current ranking pages\n\n2. **Jasper AI** - Strong long-form output with native Surfer SEO integration and templates specifically built for blog content\n\n3. **Semrush ContentShake AI** - Pulls directly from Semrush's keyword data, giving content genuinely grounded in competitive SEO research\n\n4. **Frase.io** - Excellent for brief-building and content gap analysis alongside AI writing, making it research-forward\n\n5. **ChatGPT (with SEO prompting)** - Most flexible and affordable option; lacks built-in keyword data but handles structure, tone, and volume well with good prompts\n\n---\n\n**Quick note:** Tools like Surfer and Frase tend to outperform pure LLM tools for SEO specifically because they incorporate **live SERP data**, which is the real differentiator. If budget is a concern, pairing a free/cheap AI writer with a dedicated SEO tool often beats an all-in-one solution." }, { "question_id": 8, "provider": "gemini", "model": "gemini-2.5-flash", "sample": 0, "answer": "Here are the top 5 AI writing assistants best for SEO blog content, ranked:\n\n1. **Surfer AI:** Deeply integrates with Surfer SEO for on-page optimization, generating content based on competitor analysis.\n2. **Frase.io:** Comprehensive SEO research and content optimization built-in, helping you outline and write to SERP best practices.\n3. **Jasper:** Excellent for generating long-form, high-quality content; integrates with SEO tools like Surfer for optimization.\n4. **Scalenut:** Integrates keyword research and SERP analysis directly into content creation, guiding the AI writing process.\n5. **Writesonic:** Good all-around AI writer with specific features for generating SEO-friendly articles and blog posts quickly." }, { "question_id": 8, "provider": "perplexity", "model": "sonar", "sample": 0, "answer": "1. **Surfer AI** – Best for generating SEO-optimized content that ranks, with built-in real-time SERP analysis and optimization scoring.\n\n2. **Jasper AI** – Best for versatile, high-quality blog content with flexible templates, brand voice customization, and strong SEO frameworks.\n\n3. **Brandwell** – Best for producing human-like SEO blog posts that feel natural to readers while meeting search intent.\n\n4. **Outranking.io** – Best for technical SEO content with precise SERP analysis, content grading, and fact-based structuring for ranking-ready posts.\n\n5. **WriteTraffic (via Clearscope Draft With AI)** – Best for creating content that aligns tightly with real user search intent using AI-powered drafting built for SEO performance." }, { "question_id": 9, "provider": "claude", "model": "claude-sonnet-4-6", "sample": 0, "answer": "# Top 5 AI Tools for Marketing Copy\n\n1. **Claude (Anthropic)** - Strong nuanced writing, follows brand tone well, and handles longer-form copy with coherent structure\n\n2. **ChatGPT (OpenAI)** - Versatile and widely used, with GPT-4 producing polished copy across virtually any format\n\n3. **Jasper** - Built specifically for marketing copy with templates for ads, emails, and product descriptions targeting marketers directly\n\n4. **Copy.ai** - Beginner-friendly interface with dedicated workflows for sales copy, social posts, and campaigns\n\n5. **Writesonic** - Solid for generating multiple copy variations quickly, useful for A/B testing ad creative\n\n---\n\n**Honest caveat:** Rankings in this space shift frequently as models update, and the \"best\" tool genuinely depends on your use case - bulk social content, long-form brand storytelling, and ad copy each have different ideal tools. Most offer free trials, so testing with your specific brief is the most reliable approach." }, { "question_id": 9, "provider": "gemini", "model": "gemini-2.5-flash", "sample": 0, "answer": "Here's a ranked list of the best AI tools for writing marketing copy, with a short reason for each:\n\n1. **Jasper** (formerly Jarvis)\n * **Reason:** Offers the most comprehensive suite of marketing templates (AIDA, PAS, social, ads, emails) and robust brand voice features for consistent, high-quality output.\n\n2. **ChatGPT / GPT-4 (or similar advanced LLM like Claude)**\n * **Reason:** Unparalleled flexibility and powerful natural language generation allow for highly customized, iterative copy creation across any marketing format with the right prompts.\n\n3. **Copy.ai**\n * **Reason:** Excellent for generating a diverse range of short-form marketing copy (ads, social posts, headlines, product descriptions) with an intuitive interface.\n\n4. **Writesonic**\n * **Reason:** Great for generating a wide array of marketing assets, excelling particularly with landing page copy, ad variations, and blog post generation for content marketing.\n\n5. **Rytr**\n * **Reason:** An excellent budget-friendly option that still provides a good variety of templates for quick, diverse marketing copy needs, ideal for small businesses or individuals." }, { "question_id": 9, "provider": "perplexity", "model": "sonar", "sample": 0, "answer": "1. **Jasper** – Best all-around tool for long-form marketing content and agencies, with strong brand voice customization and SEO integrations [1][2][3]. \n2. **Copy.ai** – Ideal for short-form ad creatives, headlines, and landing pages with AI-powered workflows for GTM teams [1][2][5]. \n3. **Surfer SEO** – Optimizes marketing copy to actually rank by reverse-engineering top-performing content and embedding that intelligence into writing [1]. \n4. **KoalaWriter** – Top choice for SEO-focused bloggers who need keyword-optimized content with minimal editing [2]. \n5. **Anyword** – Stands out for predictive performance scoring that estimates conversion potential before publishing ad copy [2]." }, { "question_id": 10, "provider": "claude", "model": "claude-sonnet-4-6", "sample": 0, "answer": "# Top 5 AI Content Tools for Small Businesses\n\n1. **ChatGPT Plus ($20/mo)** — Most versatile all-around tool for writing, brainstorming, emails, and strategy; huge capability for the price\n\n2. **Jasper ($49/mo)** — Built specifically for marketing content with useful templates for ads, blogs, and social posts\n\n3. **Copy.ai ($49/mo)** — Strong for short-form sales and marketing copy with a generous free tier to test first\n\n4. **Writesonic ($20/mo)** — Good balance of blog writing, SEO content, and affordability for teams on tight budgets\n\n5. **Canva Magic Write (included in Canva Pro, $15/mo)** — Best choice if you already use Canva, combining AI writing with design in one workflow\n\n---\n\n**Honest note:** Most small businesses will get solid value from **ChatGPT Plus alone** before needing anything else. The specialized tools add value mainly if you need high content volume or specific marketing templates." }, { "question_id": 10, "provider": "gemini", "model": "gemini-2.5-flash", "sample": 0, "answer": "Here's a ranked top 5 list of AI content tools suitable for a small business, balancing versatility, specific features, ease of use, and pricing:\n\n1. **ChatGPT Plus (or Gemini Advanced / Claude Pro)**\n * **Reason:** Unrivaled versatility and raw generative power for brainstorming, summarization, complex tasks, and first drafts of almost any content type, all for a low monthly cost.\n\n2. **Copy.ai**\n * **Reason:** Excellent marketing-focused templates for ads, social media, emails, and product descriptions, with a user-friendly interface and good output quality.\n\n3. **Jasper**\n * **Reason:** Robust suite of marketing templates, high-quality long-form content generation, and strong brand voice capabilities, though often at a higher price point.\n\n4. **Rytr**\n * **Reason:** Highly affordable for quality short-form content (social media posts, emails, ad copy), making it great for budget-conscious businesses starting with AI.\n\n5. **Writesonic**\n * **Reason:** Offers a good balance of features, templates, and pricing for diverse content needs, including articles, ads, and product descriptions, with a focus on ease of use." }, { "question_id": 10, "provider": "perplexity", "model": "sonar", "sample": 0, "answer": "For a small business focused on AI content creation, the top recommended tools are:\n\n1. **Jasper** – Best AI tool for high-volume marketing copy and long-form content; understands brand voice to generate consistent blog posts, emails, and ads [1][3]. \n2. **Canva** – Best for fast, on-brand visuals with AI design help; creates social graphics, videos, and resized assets in one place [2][3]. \n3. **ChatGPT** – Best general-purpose AI for ideation, drafting, and problem-solving across marketing, social, and content tasks; versatile “Swiss Army knife” [2][3]. \n4. **eesel AI Blog Writer** – Best for generating publish-ready, SEO-optimized blog posts with embedded images and videos; ideal if organic blog growth is a priority [2]. \n5. **Grammarly** – Best AI tool for spelling, grammar, and tone-checking; ensures professional, polished content across all platforms [1][4]." }, { "question_id": 11, "provider": "claude", "model": "claude-sonnet-4-6", "sample": 0, "answer": "# Top 5 AI Writing Software for Agencies\n\n1. **Jasper AI** - Purpose-built for marketing teams with brand voice controls, multi-user collaboration, and the widest range of agency-focused templates\n\n2. **Copy.ai** - Excellent workflow automation and bulk content generation tools that scale well across multiple clients\n\n3. **Writer.ai** - Strong brand consistency enforcement with style guides and terminology controls, ideal for managing multiple client voices\n\n4. **Writesonic** - Good balance of quality output and affordability, with solid SEO integration and white-label options\n\n5. **Rytr** - Budget-friendly option for smaller agencies needing reliable output across basic content types without heavy overhead\n\n---\n\n**Quick note:** The best choice depends on your agency's specific needs:\n- **Volume-focused** → Copy.ai\n- **Brand consistency** → Writer.ai\n- **Full marketing suite** → Jasper\n- **Budget-conscious** → Rytr" }, { "question_id": 11, "provider": "gemini", "model": "gemini-2.5-flash", "sample": 0, "answer": "For an agency, the \"best\" AI writing software hinges on factors like scalability, brand voice consistency, collaboration features, and the ability to produce high-quality, long-form content efficiently.\n\nHere's a ranked top 5 list:\n\n1. **Jasper (formerly Jarvis.ai)**\n * **Reason:** Offers robust features for long-form content, strong brand voice customization, and excellent collaboration tools essential for agency workflows.\n\n2. **ChatGPT Team/Enterprise**\n * **Reason:** Provides unparalleled versatility, advanced models, custom GPTs for specific client voices, and API access for deeper integration into agency systems.\n\n3. **Copy.ai**\n * **Reason:** Known for its speed, user-friendly interface, and a wide variety of content templates, making it great for quickly generating diverse short-form and increasingly capable long-form content.\n\n4. **Writesonic**\n * **Reason:** Features a powerful AI Article Writer 5.0 for quality long-form content, alongside numerous templates for other content types, offering a great balance of features and value.\n\n5. **Anyword**\n * **Reason:** Unique for its predictive performance scores and data-driven approach, helping agencies optimize copy for specific target audiences and conversion goals before publication." }, { "question_id": 11, "provider": "perplexity", "model": "sonar", "sample": 0, "answer": "The best AI writing software for an agency is **Jasper**, followed by Anyword, Writer, Frase, and Koala AI, based on their strengths in brand consistency, data-driven copy, compliance, SEO, and affordable drafting.\n\n1. **Jasper** – Best for brand-consistent marketing content across high-volume agency workflows, with mature customization and quality controls [1][3]. \n2. **Anyword** – Best for data-driven, audience-aware copy with accurate engagement scores and seamless ad platform integrations, ideal for social and advertising agencies [1][3]. \n3. **Writer** – Best for enterprise teams needing strict style guidelines and AI compliance, offering transparency and strong editor functionality for on-brand output [1][2][9]. \n4. **Frase** – Best for SEO-informed content briefs and drafts, enabling agencies to build ranking content quickly with integrated SEO tools [1][4]. \n5. **Koala AI** – Best for fast, affordable SEO-focused article drafts, ideal for solo creators and small agency teams needing rapid content generation [1]." } ], "content_sha256": "83e91228608a6fa019b0b543add3d02e53d92a03b16cc2e23d1a2ad9f35b2e1e" }