The AI and dev tools worth a look in 2026
Disclosure: This guide contains referral and affiliate links (marked “sponsored”). They cost you nothing extra, and I’m not affiliated with these companies. Where a link gives you no perk, I say so.
Most “best AI tools” lists are a wall of logos and made-up discounts. This one is a short list grouped by the job each tool does, with who should skip it and exactly what the link gets you, including when that’s nothing.
The short version: Nous Portal for one login to many models, Muse to try a personal AI agent, Railway or DigitalOcean to host what you build, Vast.ai or Novita AI for GPUs and open-model APIs, ScraperAPI or Apify for web data, bunny.net to serve files fast, and ElevenLabs for voice. If a tool doesn’t match what you’re building, skip it.
Model access & agents
Nous Portal: one login for a lot of models
- What it is
- One account with access to 300+ models, including Nous’s Hermes models and models from other major labs. There’s a free tier; the paid plan raises limits for agents, long sessions and batch jobs. It includes a Tool Gateway for web search, image generation and browser automation without separate API keys, and it works with the open-source Hermes Agent framework.
- Best for
- People juggling several model subscriptions and keys, or agents that keep hitting rate limits.
- Skip it if
- You only ever use one model through one app.
- Tip
- The discount is for new accounts only, so use the link before you create an account.
- Your perk
- $15 off your first month on the $20 plan (new accounts only).
Muse: a personal AI agent
- What it is
- A personal AI agent with a free, usage-limited tier and paid plans for heavier use.
- Best for
- Trying an agent-style assistant without committing to a subscription.
- Limits
- US and Canada only for now, 18+, and you need a Meta account. Signup may ask you to verify with a payment method or a Facebook/Instagram account.
- How to redeem
- Sign up, then go to Settings › General › Redeem invite code within 48 hours. Codes have limited uses; if it says used up, that’s why.
- Your perk
- Code
E6YZOI= 1B bonus tokens; redeem in Settings within 48 hours. Tokens have no cash value.
Hosting & delivery
Railway: hosting that doesn’t eat your weekend
- What it is
- App hosting that deploys from your repo and handles databases and environments.
- Best for
- Solo builders and small teams shipping a side project, bot or API without managing servers.
- Skip it if
- You need deep, low-level control over infrastructure; a raw server may suit you better.
- Your perk
- $20 in Railway credits when you sign up.
DigitalOcean: plain, predictable servers
- What it is
- Virtual servers, managed databases and storage with clear pricing.
- Best for
- A simple Linux box for a bot, database or small site without a giant cloud console.
- Honest note
- It’s the standard new-user credit, not a special deal. Use it only if you were signing up anyway.
- Your perk
- Standard $5 credit for 90 days, the same as signing up without a link. Payment method required.
bunny.net: CDN, storage and video
- What it is
- A content delivery network with file storage and video hosting.
- Best for
- Serving images, downloads, model files or video quickly to users around the world.
- Skip it if
- Your host’s built-in CDN already covers your traffic.
- Your perk
- None for you. This is a plain referral link.
GPUs & open-model APIs
Full walkthrough: How to rent cloud GPUs cheaply.
Vast.ai: renting GPUs by the hour
- What it is
- A marketplace for renting cloud GPUs from many hosts, usually below big-cloud prices.
- Best for
- Fine-tuning, open-weight models and batch inference without buying hardware. Quantize first and shut instances down when done.
- Skip it if
- You need enterprise SLAs or a fully managed service.
- Your perk
- None for you. This is a plain referral link.
Novita AI: model APIs and GPU cloud
- What it is
- An API platform for popular open models, plus GPU instances.
- Best for
- Calling open models from code without hosting them, and comparing a few on price.
- Skip it if
- You’re happy with a single provider’s API.
- Your perk
- None for you. This is a plain affiliate link.
Web data
AI apps often need fresh data from the web. Always follow each site’s terms and robots rules, and the law where you operate.
ScraperAPI: scraping through one API call
- What it is
- A web scraping API that handles proxies and JavaScript rendering for you.
- Best for
- Developers who want page HTML back from a single request instead of running their own proxy setup.
- Skip it if
- You only need data from sites with official APIs.
- Your perk
- None for you. This is a plain referral link.
Apify: scraping and automation platform
- What it is
- A platform for running scrapers and browser automations, including ready-made ones.
- Best for
- Scheduled scraping jobs and automations without hosting them yourself.
- Skip it if
- A one-off script on your own machine does the job.
- Your perk
- None for you. This is a plain affiliate link.
Voice & workflow extras
ElevenLabs: AI voice and audio
- What it is
- Text-to-speech, voice generation and audio tools.
- Best for
- Adding natural-sounding voice to an app, video or prototype.
- Skip it if
- Built-in system voices are enough.
- Your perk
- None for you. This is a plain affiliate link.
Raycast: a faster Mac launcher
- What it is
- A command launcher and productivity tool for Mac, with extensions and AI features on paid plans.
- Best for
- Mac users who live in the keyboard.
- Skip it if
- You’re not on a Mac.
- Your perk
- 10% off Raycast Pro.
How to combine them
Starting from scratch? Use a multi-model portal for day-to-day prompting, rent GPUs only when an open model needs your own hardware, host the finished app on a platform that deploys from your repo, and put heavy files behind a CDN. Add voice only if your project actually talks. Fewer subscriptions, less idle spend.
Every link here, plus creator tools and big-ticket picks, is on the deals page. Perks change; check each site’s current terms before signing up.