Need help choosing the right AI app for my daily workflow

Apps
1

I’m overwhelmed by all the AI apps out there and not sure which one fits my daily needs like note-taking, content drafting, and quick research. I’ve tried a few, but they either feel too complex or too limited. Can anyone recommend AI apps or a setup that balances ease of use, good privacy, and strong features for productivity

2

You do not need a huge stack of apps. You need 1 main workspace and 1 good AI layer.

Here is a simple setup that works for note taking, drafting, and quick research without feeling bloated.

  1. Pick your main note app first
    Keep all your stuff in one place. Then let AI sit on top.

Good options:
• Notion

  • Good for notes, docs, light project tracking.
  • Has built in AI. You can rewrite, summarize, and ask questions about your notes.
  • Best if you like databases and organizing things.

• Obsidian

  • Local files, Markdown, no lock in.
  • Has plugins for AI like Text Generator or Copilot style tools.
  • Good if you like folders and want full control.

• Apple Notes or Google Docs

  • Simple, synced, no learning curve.
  • Pair them with a separate AI app or browser tool.

If you feel overwhelmed, start with Notion or Google Docs. Those feel less “technical”.

  1. Choose one AI tool and stick with it for 2 weeks
    Do not hop between apps. You will waste time comparing.

For your use case:

• ChatGPT

  • Good for drafting emails, blog posts, outlines.
  • Good for quick research and “explain like I am 12” type stuff.
  • You can paste notes, ask for summaries, action items, or reformatting.

• Perplexity

  • Better for research.
  • Shows sources, faster for “what is X, how does it work, what are pros and cons” kind of questions.
  • Great when you want links you can open.

Simple split that works well:

  • Use Notion or Docs for writing and storing.
  • Use ChatGPT for drafting and rewriting.
  • Use Perplexity for fact checking and research.
  1. Concrete daily workflow you can try

Morning, 15 minutes:
• Brain dump into one daily note in Notion or Docs.
• Ask ChatGPT: “Pull key tasks and dates from this and format a todo list.”
• Paste the result back into your note or todo app.

During the day:
• For content:

  • Draft in your note app.
  • Paste into ChatGPT with a prompt like:
    “Rewrite this for clarity, keep same meaning, keep it under 400 words.”
  • Paste improved version back into your doc.

• For research:

  • Use Perplexity with prompts like:
    “Give a short overview of X in 5 bullet points. List 3 solid sources at the end.”
  • Open links only if needed, do not go down rabbit holes.

End of day, 10 minutes:
• Paste your main notes from meetings, ideas, links into one note.
• Ask ChatGPT:
“Summarize this day in bullet points. Split into: decisions, tasks, ideas.”
• Store that summary in a daily log page.

  1. Keep your setup “dumb simple”
    Hard rule that helps a lot:
  • One note app as your “home”.
  • One AI chat app for writing and thinking.
  • One AI search app for research.

Example minimal stack:

  • Notion
  • ChatGPT
  • Perplexity

If you want less, you can do:

  • Notion with Notion AI only.
    That handles notes, drafting, and some research. Less accurate than Perplexity sometimes, but simpler.
  1. Settings and prompts that make life easier

Prompts you can reuse:
• “Summarize this into 5 bullets for my notes.”
• “Turn this messy note into a clean outline, keep all important points.”
• “Draft a first version of an email based on this note, neutral tone, short.”
• “List action items with owners and deadlines from this text.”

Practical tips:
• Create a template day note: tasks, meetings, ideas. Copy it each morning.
• Use headings like “Notes”, “To do”, “Questions”. AI handles clear structure better.
• Do not dump 50 random things into 10 different apps. Centralize input.

  1. If everything still feels too complex
    Start with only this for 7 days:
    • Google Docs
    • ChatGPT in your browser

Workflow:

  • Take all notes in one long Google Doc per week.
  • At the end of the day copy the new stuff, send to ChatGPT, ask for a summary and tasks.
  • Paste result at the top of the same doc under “Daily summary”.

Once that feels smooth, then think about adding Notion or Perplexity.

3

You’re not crazy, the “AI tools” space is a circus right now.

I mostly agree with @yozora about keeping your stack tiny, but I’d tweak the approach a bit, especially if things are feeling too complex.

1. Start from your actual habits, not from tools

Instead of picking “the best” app, ask 3 questions:

  • Where do you already type the most during the day? (email, docs, task app, Slack, etc.)
  • Do you prefer typing on phone, laptop, or both equally?
  • Are your notes mostly:
    a) quick scratch notes
    b) longer articles / reports
    c) meeting / project info

The right tool is the one that fits those habits with the least behavior change, even if it’s not the “coolest” one.

Example:

  • If you live in Gmail: use something that integrates there (Superhuman AI, Gmail’s built-in help, or a Chrome extension for ChatGPT).
  • If you live in Slack: use a Slack bot for AI instead of a separate app.
  • If 90% of your notes are on phone: Apple Notes + an AI keyboard app can beat Notion easily.

2. One place for “raw brain,” but it doesn’t have to be a fancy note app

I slightly disagree with the idea that you must pick a big “workspace” like Notion or Obsidian. Those are great, but they can be overkill if you’re already overwhelmed.

Alternative:

  • Use something stupid-simple as your inbox of thoughts:
    • Apple Notes “Inbox” folder
    • Google Keep
    • A single “Daily log” Google Doc
  • Let AI help you after the fact, instead of while you type.

So your flow is more like:

  • Dump → Later process with AI
    instead of
  • Configure system → Learn app → Maybe write something.

3. Make AI come to you, not the other way around

Instead of a separate AI app, try an AI layer where you already are. A few directions:

  • Browser extension (for quick research + drafting)
    You highlight text on any page and get: summarize, explain, compare, rewrite, etc.
    This solves “quick research” and “content drafting” without yet another tab to manage.

  • AI keyboard on mobile
    Reply to texts, emails, notes directly from your keyboard suggestions. Super boring but insanely useful. No need to open separate apps.

  • Inside your doc editor
    Google Docs + its built-in AI (or an extension) is underrated. You type like normal, then:

    • “Summarize above in 5 bullets”
    • “Draft a reply to the email text below, polite but brief”
      That’s often enough.

4. A tiny workflow you can actually remember

Try this for 5 days, nothing more:

  • Tool setup:

    • One capture tool: Apple Notes or Google Docs
    • One AI: ChatGPT in browser, pinned tab
    • One browser extension for AI search (if you want research help)

  • Workflow:

    1. All notes, ideas, meeting scribbles go in one running doc or one Notes folder. Don’t organize, just date them.
    2. When you’re stuck writing something:
      • Copy your messy text
      • Paste into ChatGPT:

        “Clean this up, keep my tone, keep it under 200 words.”

      • Paste back and move on.
    3. When you need quick research:
      • Use the AI search tool with:

        “Explain X like I’m 15, then list 3 legit sources at the end.”

      • Only open links if it actually matters.

No tags, no fancy templates, no databases yet.

5. How to know if a tool is “too complex” vs “too limited”

After 3–5 days, check:

  • Did you avoid opening it because it felt heavy or confusing?
    • If yes, it’s too complex for now.
  • Did you repeatedly think “I wish this could just [summarize / rewrite / search] for me”?
    • Then your app is probably too “dumb” and needs an AI layer.

The goal is boring:
You open the same 2–3 things every day without thinking. If you have to remember processes, it’s not the right setup.

6. What I’d suggest, specifically, for your use case

You want: note taking, content drafting, quick research, without bloat.

Minimal but powerful combo that’s a bit different than @yozora’s:

  • Capture & storage:
    • Google Docs (1 doc per week, or 1 doc per project)
  • AI thinking & drafting:
    • ChatGPT tab, pinned in your browser
  • AI research:
    • Either Perplexity or an AI search extension. If that feels like “one tool too many,” just use ChatGPT and live with occasionally weaker sources.

Very concrete:

  • During calls: type in Google Doc, don’t structure, just dump.
  • After call: copy notes to ChatGPT:

    “Turn this into: 5 key takeaways + 5 action items with owners and due dates left blank.”

  • For articles / emails: draft in Docs, refine with ChatGPT.
  • For questions like “what’s the difference between X and Y?” use AI search, skim 1–2 sources to sanity-check.

If this setup still feels like too much, the actual problem usually isn’t the tools, it’s that you’re trying to reorganize your whole digital life at once. Start tiny, even if it feels “dumb.” The best AI stack is the one you’re too lazy to quit using.