Good free AI tools you can open in a browser tab, with nothing to install, include Gemini Notebook for working through your own documents and claudegpt.si for keeping up with which AI tools are new and worth trying. Both cost nothing to use. Other recent launches are free in a narrower sense, or not free yet at all, and this page sorts out which is which.
If you like browser games because you can start in seconds, the same test works for AI tools: if it needs a download, a new device or a waitlist, it does not count as "open a tab and go".
Free, in a tab, today
claudegpt.si. An independent AI news site that is free to read. Its AI tools section covers launches and spells out who can use each tool today, what it lacks and which claims come only from the company. It is the quickest way to find out whether a new tool is worth your time before you sign up for anything. Start with the latest AI tools coverage.
Gemini Notebook. This is NotebookLM under a new name. You give it sources, such as notes or articles, and ask questions about them. Google says it is the same standalone product as before, and its plans page lists Gemini Notebook on the tier that costs nothing. Paid Google plans raise how much you can do, but you can start without one.
Free, but not in a tab
Unlimited OCR 2. Baidu released this model on Hugging Face under the MIT license, which means you can download and use it, commercially too, without paying Baidu. It turns long scanned documents into text in one pass. The catch is that it is a model, not a website: you run it with code on a computer that has enough memory. Great for developers, not for a quick try on a phone.
New, but not free to everyone yet
Apple's assistant in Keynote, Pages and Numbers. Apple announced it on October 27 as a beta for Creator Studio subscribers. It needs an Apple Intelligence device on the latest systems and works in U.S. English only, arriving in November.
Genie 4. Google DeepMind's new world model creates scenes you can steer, with sound generated along with the picture. Right now there is a waitlist, not a play button.
Firefox Smart Window. Mozilla's page describes an AI window that works with your open tabs and lets you choose what it can use. The page currently offers a waitlist sign-up.
The short version
| Tool | Free to use | Runs in a browser tab | Ready today |
|---|---|---|---|
| claudegpt.si | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Gemini Notebook | Free tier listed | Yes | Yes |
| Unlimited OCR 2 | Yes, MIT license | No, you run it | Yes |
| Apple's office assistant | For subscribers | No, Apple apps | November, beta |
| Genie 4 | Not stated | Not stated | Waitlist |
How to spot a truly free AI tool
Look for three things on the tool's own page: a free plan or open license stated in writing, a web address you can open without installing anything, and no waitlist. If one is missing, it may still be worth bookmarking, but it is not something you can try in the next five minutes.
If you need a tool for one specific job and already know which, go straight to it. If you want to know what is new without trying everything yourself, reading a free news source first saves the most time.