AI Explained Simply
No jargon, no hype — just clear explanations of the AI tools and concepts everyone is talking about. Whether you're new to AI or just want the basics without the buzzwords, start here.
Guides
ElevenLabs vs OpenAI TTS vs PlayHT: which text-to-speech engine to build on?
Three text-to-speech engines, three reasons to pick them. A decision-first split of ElevenLabs, OpenAI TTS, and PlayHT by voice quality, price, and who each one fits, with sourced pricing as of May 2026.
Merlin vs ChatGPT: do you need a browser assistant or a standalone subscription?
Merlin puts many models inside any tab; ChatGPT Plus gives you one deep environment. A decision-first split by where you work, which models you get, and what each costs, with sourced details as of May 2026.
ChatGPT vs Claude vs Perplexity: which AI assistant should you pay for?
Three of the most-searched AI assistants, three different jobs. A decision-first split of ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity by what each one is actually built to do, with sourced pricing as of May 2026.
ChatGPT vs Notion AI: do you need a standalone assistant or is the workspace add-on enough?
Notion AI lives inside your workspace; ChatGPT is a standalone assistant. A decision-first split of which one covers your knowledge work, and when you end up paying for both, with sourced pricing as of May 2026.
Perplexity vs Google Gemini: which one replaces your search habit?
Perplexity answers questions with citations; Gemini answers them inside the Google account you already live in. A decision-first split by what each is built to do, with sourced May 2026 pricing and working API examples for both.
Wispr Flow vs Superwhisper vs macOS Dictation: which AI dictation tool should you use?
Three ways to talk instead of type, aimed at three different buyers. A decision-first split of Wispr Flow, Superwhisper, and the built-in macOS Dictation by privacy, polish, and price, with sourced figures as of May 2026.
Clico Review (May 2026): The Free Chromium Extension That Puts ChatGPT and Claude In Every Text Box
Clico is a free Chromium extension that brings ChatGPT and Claude into Google Docs, Gmail, Notion, and Slack with a single shortcut. Here is who it is for, what Pro at $9.90 actually unlocks, and where Grammarly and Notion AI still win.
Merlin AI Review: The 26-in-1 Browser AI Sidebar (May 2026)
Merlin's Pro plan at $19/month puts GPT-4o, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, Gemini, and Llama in one Chrome sidebar. The catch is the documented fair-use cap. Here is who saves money and who hits the wall.
Monica AI Review (May 2026): The All-in-One Sidebar With a Generous Free Tier, If You Can Live With Credits
Monica gives you the widest AI-sidebar feature surface at the lowest entry price in the category. Chat, search, image generation, voice, summarize, translate, PDF and YouTube chat all live in one Chrome extension. The catch is the credit-based pricing model. Here is the candid breakdown for May 2026 buyers.
Sider AI Review (May 2026): The ChatGPT Sidebar Built for Deep Research, Priced for Operators
Sider AI is the strongest browser sidebar for multi-step research in 2026, with the cleanest unlimited tier in the category. The pricing across third-party sources is a mess; here is what the moat looks like anyway.
Wispr Flow Review: The AI Voice Dictation App That Actually Works (May 2026)
Wispr Flow at $15 per month is the current category leader for AI-augmented dictation, because it formats as you speak instead of just transcribing. Worth the buy for writers and founders who already type fast; not worth it for developers, sensitive-data handlers, or noisy environments. Full breakdown.
Suno v5.5 vs Udio Licensed Edition: Which AI Music Tool Is Safe to Use in a Monetized Newsletter or YouTube Channel
Suno v5.5 grants commercial rights to paid subscribers on YouTube, newsletters, and podcasts. Udio's new licensed edition is a walled garden with no downloads or external export. Here's the full breakdown by channel type.
FLUX.2 vs Nano Banana Pro vs Midjourney v8 Alpha: Build-Your-Own AI Image Pipeline for Solo Operators
Three AI image models, one pipeline. How solo operators can wire FLUX.2, Nano Banana Pro, and Midjourney v8 together for 100 finished images a month.
Runway Gen-4 vs Pika 2.0 vs Kling O3: Which AI Video Tool to Pick After Sora's Web Sunset
Sora's consumer app shut down April 26. Runway Gen-4, Pika 2.0, and Kling O3 are the three tools left standing. Here is how to pick the right one for your use case.
AI Coding Tools for Non-Coders: A Plain-English Primer
AI coding tools let regular people describe what they want and get working software. Here is what that means, who it is for, and where to start.
How Does AI Actually Work? A No-Math Explanation for Curious Beginners
AI is not magic. It is next-word prediction at huge scale. Here is the one idea that explains it, and the one weakness it predicts, no math, no jargon.
What is an AI Hallucination? Why AI Sometimes Makes Stuff Up
AI hallucinations are confident-sounding answers that are wrong. Here is what they are, why they happen, and how to spot them.
What is an AI Agent? A Simple Guide for Non-Technical Readers
AI agents go beyond chat. They can take actions, run tasks, and use other software for you. Here is what that means in plain English.
What is an MCP? Model Context Protocol Explained for Beginners
MCP is a new standard that lets AI assistants connect to your apps and data. Here is what that means, in plain English, with no hype.
What is ChatGPT? A Plain-English Guide for Beginners
A simple explanation of ChatGPT, the AI chatbot from OpenAI. Learn what it is, how it works, and how regular people use it every day.
What is a Large Language Model (LLM)? Explained in Simple Terms
A Large Language Model is a next-word predictor trained on a huge pile of text. That one fact tells you what it is good at and where it fails. No jargon.
What is Claude? A Simple Explanation of the AI Assistant
An easy-to-understand guide to Claude, the AI assistant from Anthropic. Learn what it is, what makes it different, and how you can use it.