Every week a client asks me: “Feby, which AI tools should my VA actually be using?” And every week I see VAs drowning in tool-hopping — subscribing to everything, mastering nothing.
After 12+ years of remote work, currently as an EA to a SaaS CEO, here’s my real list. Not the 47-tool listicle. The nine that earn their spot in my daily workflow — and what each one is for.
1. ChatGPT / Claude — Your Thinking Partner
Best for: email drafting, summarizing, research, client communication Price: Free tier; ~$20/month for pro versions
If you use one AI tool, it’s this. Inbox triage, drafting replies in your executive’s voice, meeting summaries, SOPs — this is 60% of my AI usage. The difference between VAs who get value and those who don’t is prompting: give it context, a role, and an example of the output you want.
Grab my free prompt starter kit inside the Free AI Resource Library — or get all 44 of my client-tested prompts in the [AI Prompt Pack]([YOUR PRODUCT LINK]).
2. Tekmatix — The All-in-One Client Machine
Best for: funnels, email marketing, courses, bookings — for you AND your clients Price: From ~$97/month · 7-day free trial
Here’s the career move most VAs miss: learning a funnel platform doesn’t just organize your business — it becomes a service you sell. Funnel builds go for $350+ per project. Tekmatix is the platform I use for my own business and recommend to coaching/course-creator clients because it replaces five other subscriptions.
3. Make.com — Automation Without Code
Best for: connecting apps, automating repetitive workflows Price: Free tier; paid from ~$10/month ·
Client onboarding that runs itself: form filled → contact created → welcome email sent → folder created → task list generated. Once you can build that, you’re not a VA anymore — you’re an automation specialist, and the rate conversation changes completely.
4. Notion AI — Your Second Brain
Best for: project management, client wikis, SOPs, content calendars Price: Free tier; AI add-on ~$10/month · [AFFILIATE LINK]
Every client I onboard gets a Notion workspace. The AI features summarize meeting notes, draft docs, and answer questions from your own workspace content. I wrote a full guide: Using Notion to Master Your Freelance Project Management.
5. Canva (with Magic Studio) — Design Without a Designer
Best for: social graphics, presentations, client branding Price: Free tier; Pro ~$13/month · [AFFILIATE LINK]
Magic Write, background remover, brand kits, bulk resize. If you offer social media support, Canva Pro pays for itself with the first client. The AI features turn “I’m not a designer” into a non-issue.
6. Descript — Edit Video Like a Doc
Best for: podcast/video editing, captions, repurposing content Price: Free tier; from ~$16/month ·
Delete the “ums” by deleting words from a transcript. Studio Sound makes bad audio professional. If you want to offer video editing (one of the highest-paying VA add-ons), this is the shortest learning curve in the industry.
7. Fathom / Otter — Never Take Meeting Notes Again
Best for: meeting transcription, summaries, action items Price: Generous free tiers ·
Auto-joins calls, transcribes, extracts action items. I turn these into the follow-up email before the meeting ends. Executives notice this.
8. Grammarly — The Last Line of Defense
Best for: client-facing writing polish Price: Free tier; Pro ~$12/month ·
When you write in a second language for US/AU/UK clients all day, this is cheap insurance. Tone detection is the underrated feature — it catches “this sounds blunt” before your client does.
9. CapCut — Short-Form Video on Demand
Best for: Reels, TikToks, Shorts for clients Price: Free; Pro ~$10/month
Auto-captions, templates, AI edits. Short-form video support is one of the easiest upsells to add to any social media VA package. My full walkthrough: How to Edit Videos for Social Media Like a Pro.
The Real Secret: Stack, Don’t Hop
The VAs earning $30–50/hour aren’t using more tools. They’re using the same 3–4 tools at a deeper level and packaging them as outcomes:
- ChatGPT + Fathom = “I’ll run your inbox and meetings”
- Make + Tekmatix = “I’ll automate your client onboarding”
- Canva + CapCut + Descript = “I’ll run your content engine”
Pick one stack. Master it. Sell the outcome.
Want the exact workflows?
Inside Feby’s Inner Circle ($17/month) I teach the full systems behind each of these stacks — with weekly live Q&A where you can ask me anything about your specific client situation.
Or start free: Feby’s AI Resource Library — prompts, templates, and tutorials, no credit card required.