The 5 Most Popular AI Tools in Australia
If you’ve been here for more than five minutes, you’ve heard us bang on about AI more times than you can count. We wrote about some of our favourite AI tools, but what’s everyone else loving? There’s no single leaderboard, but across Australian businesses (from SMEs through to corporates), a pretty consistent stack has emerged.
ChatGPT
A surprise to noone – Chatty G is the all-rounder. Used for everything from drafting emails and proposals to brainstorming ideas and summarising information. For most businesses, this is the entry point into AI.
The perks:
- Easy to use
- No setup required
- Covers a wide range of use cases
In practice
A plumber uses ChatGPT to draft a quote follow-up email in under two minutes. An e-commerce store owner uses it to write product descriptions for 30 new SKUs in an afternoon instead of a week.
Best for: tradies, e-commerce, professional services… really anyone. Free to start; paid plan is approximately AU$30/month.
Claude
The “deep thinking” tool. Claude tends to be the go-to for more complex work like reviewing long documents, pulling insights from large datasets, or producing more structured writing.
The perks:
- Handles large amounts of information
- Produces more nuanced outputs
- Strong for analysis-heavy tasks
In practice
A financial planner uploads a client’s 40-page statement of advice and asks Claude to flag any inconsistencies or gaps before sign-off. An e-commerce business uses it to analyse customer review data and identify the top three product complaints worth addressing.
Best for: professional services and anyone dealing with large volumes of information. Free tier available; Pro plan approximately AU$30/month.
Microsoft Copilot
Built into tools like Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint, Copilot is less about “going somewhere to use AI” and more about AI showing up where you already work.
The perks:
- It’s already in your systems
- Minimal change required
- Strong for productivity and admin
In practice
An electrical contractor uses Copilot in Excel to automatically categorise job costs and flag budget overruns without touching a formula. A consulting firm uses it to summarise a two-hour Teams meeting into a one-page action list within minutes of the call ending.
Best for: businesses already running on Microsoft 365. Requires a Copilot add-on licence (from approximately AU$45/user/month).
Google Gemini
The Google ecosystem player. Particularly common in businesses running on Google Workspace. Think smarter Docs, faster Sheets, and better search.
The perks:
- Research and insights
- Real-time information
- Teams already using Google tools
In practice
A retailer uses Gemini inside Google Sheets to build a live inventory tracker that flags low stock automatically. A marketing agency uses it in Docs to research competitor pricing and pull together a briefing document without leaving the page they are already working on.
Best for: businesses on Google Workspace. Included in some Google Workspace plans; advanced features from approximately AU$35/user/month.
Canva Magic Studio
The graphic design and content engine. Canva’s AI features have made it incredibly easy for non-designers to create high-quality content, quickly.
The perks:
- Low barrier to entry
- Built for everyday users
- Ideal for social, presentations and brand assets
In practice
A tradie uses Canva to produce a professional-looking job completion report with photos and branding in ten minutes. A small café could type a prompt like “promote our new summer menu” into Canva’s Magic Design, and within seconds have a polished IG post and print out for the window, all on-brand and ready to customise.
Best for: e-commerce and any business that needs regular marketing content. Free plan available; Pro is approximately AU$22/month.
Most businesses aren’t choosing one tool, they’re combining them. A pretty typical setup looks like:
- ChatGPT or Claude → thinking, writing, problem-solving
- Copilot or Gemini → day-to-day operations
- Canva → marketing and content
The goal is not to adopt every tool at once, it’s to identify the biggest time drainers in your business right now and find the AI tool that solves it. For most of our clients that’s admin, writing, or chasing information buried in documents and emails.
Not sure where to start? Get in touch and we’ll help you figure out what makes sense for your business, without the tech overwhelm.
