When I sit down to write blog posts for PratsDigital, I always ask: “How can I work smarter, not just harder?” Using AI tools has been a big part of that but I don’t mean just any tools. I mean free (or freemium) AI tools that help me brainstorm, draft, optimise and polish content without immediately blowing my budget. In this post, I’ll walk you through the tools I use (or would use), how I use them, and how you can plug them into your workflow right away.
Why I Focus on Free Tools
- As someone running a blog solo (like you might be), budget is real. Free tools let you test ideas without risk.
- Using free tiers helps you decide what features are worth paying for later (if needed).
- These tools let me focus more on thinking, strategy and voice the human parts that AI can’t replace while handling the repetitive parts (ideas, outlines, grammar) with help.
- The blog niche moves fast AI tools evolve, pricing changes so starting free gives flexibility.
What I Look for in an AI Tool for Blogging
Before picking a tool, I check these criteria. I’d recommend you do the same:
- Value in the free tier – Does it offer meaningful usage (words per month, features) for free or very cheap
- Ease of use & workflow fit – Does it plug into your existing tools (like Google Docs, WordPress), or require a huge setup
- Quality & control – Are outputs reasonably good, and can you tweak tone, style, structure
- SEO / optimisation support – Does it help you structure for search, or at least allow you to focus on that
- Output originality & editing required – AI never writes finished posts; you’ll still edit how much extra work is needed
- Scalability & upgrade path – If you like it, can you pay to scale, or is free tier too limiting
My Top Free AI Tools for Blog Writing
1. Texta.ai — Free blog writer + keyword aid
What it is (short): A freemium AI drafting tool that combines simple keyword/brief inputs with outline and draft generation. It often has a drag-and-drop content builder.
How I used it (real workflow)
- Idea → Outline in 2 minutes: I type a seed phrase like “compare AI search optimization tools” and ask Texta to produce 6 H2s and 3 H3s. It gives a usable skeleton I rarely rewrite from scratch.
- Drafting sections: For a 400–700 word section, I let Texta generate a first draft, then immediately paste it into Google Docs and edit for voice and examples.
- Keyword focus: I paste my target keyword and ask Texta to weave it naturally into the intro and two section headings so the piece starts SEO-friendly.
Example prompts I used
- “Create an outline for a 1,500-word guide: How to compare AI search optimization tools — include checklist and scoring matrix.”
- “Write a 250-word section: Why precision@3 matters for article search — include an example and a short metric formula.”
Strengths (what I liked)
- Fast outline generation — saves the most time early in the draft.
- Built-in keyword helpers — helps nudge headings toward SEO intent.
- Drag-and-drop builder — quick to arrange sections and export.
Weaknesses (what to watch for)
- Generic phrasing — outputs often feel templated; I must add local examples and my voice.
- Repetition — sometimes it repeats the same point in different sections.
- Edit heavy — good as a time-saver, not as a finished author.
Practical tip
Start each Texta draft with two lines you write yourself (tone anchors). The AI copies that style better than starting from zero.
Quick rating
4/5 for ideation and fast drafting; 3/5 if you expect publish-ready copy.
2. Copy.ai — Versatile free plan for blog starts
What it is (short): A creative AI toolkit focused on headlines, intros, marketing copy, and microcopy. Less for long-form full drafts; stronger for hooks and short bits.
How I used it (real workflow)
- Headline & hook generation: When I’m stuck on a title, I run 10 variations and pick one I can tweak into a clickworthy H1.
- Meta descriptions & CTAs: I generate 4–6 meta descriptions and 3 CTA variants, then tweak for length and keywords.
- Intro variations: I ask Copy.ai for 5 intros with different tones (formal, casual, curiosity-driven) and pick the one closest to my voice.
Example prompts I used
- “Generate 8 SEO-friendly blog titles for: Compare AI search optimization tools (intent: product evaluation).”
- “Write 4 meta descriptions (max 155 chars) for the above title focusing on step-by-step testing.”
Strengths
- Great for headlines and microcopy — saves brainstorming time.
- Quick tone switches — easy to request casual vs formal lines.
- Simple UI — low friction for non-technical users.
Weaknesses
- Not built for longform — it can help with sections but won’t produce a coherent multi-1,500-word article by itself.
- Free limits — you may hit monthly generation limits if you iterate a lot.
Practical tip
Use Copy.ai at the start of your session to unblock creativity — titles, intros, and CTAs. Then pivot to Texta or Rytr for paragraph drafting.
Quick rating
4/5 for ideation and marketing microcopy; 2.5/5 as a longform writer.
3. Rytr (or similar fast-drafting tools)
What it is (short): Lightweight AI writer that’s fast and inexpensive for short-to-medium text blocks — useful when you want a quick paragraph or section draft.
How I used it (real workflow)
- Section-by-section drafting: For complex posts I ask Rytr to write small chunks: one H2 → 200–300 words. This keeps the AI focused and reduces hallucination.
- Rewriting and variant creation: I paste an AI paragraph and ask Rytr to rewrite for clarity, or to produce a longer/shorter version.
- Tone adaptation: If I need “friendly Indian English” or “conversational first person”, I include that in the prompt and Rytr follows reasonably well.
Example prompts I used
- “Write a 220-word explanation of Mean Reciprocal Rank (MRR) with a simple example: user searches ‘how to compare AI tools’.”
- “Rewrite this paragraph to sound like a friendly guide — use ‘I’ and simple English.”
Strengths
- Speed & responsiveness — fast results for iterative drafting.
- Good for modular writing — take small bits then humanize.
- Cheap/free tiers — good for experimentation.
Weaknesses
- Generic output — needs heavy localisation and personality.
- Surface-level reasoning — not great for deep technical nuance without edits.
Practical tip
Ask Rytr to include a short concrete example in every technical paragraph — that makes the content immediately practical.
Quick rating
3.5/5 for quick drafting and modular writing.
4. INK for All (SEO-focused tools)
What it is (short): An SEO writing assistant that checks readability, suggested keywords, and snippet optimization — bridges drafting and publishing.
How I used it (real workflow)
- Post-draft optimization: After I have a draft, I paste it into INK for a readability score and keyword suggestions.
- Snippet & meta optimization: I test different meta descriptions and H1s and check how well they align with the target SERP intent.
- Structure tweaks: INK suggests section lengths and where to add bullet lists or H3s for scanability.
Example uses
- “Check the draft for missing related keywords and give 5 suggestions.”
- “Show readability score and highlight sentences >25 words.”
Strengths
- SEO-focused suggestions — practical and immediately applicable.
- Helps with on-page structure — improves scanability and snippet potential.
- Actionable prompts — tells you exactly where to add bullets, summaries, or examples.
Weaknesses
- Free tier caps — limited word checks per day.
- Not a style editor — it focuses on SEO mechanics, not voice.
Practical tip
Use INK after you humanize an AI draft — it’s best at polishing structure and keyword presence, not creating voice.
Quick rating
4/5 for on-page SEO and readability improvements.
5. LanguageTool — Grammar & style checker
What it is (short): A grammar, clarity, and tone checker (an alternative to Grammarly), open source with useful free features.
How I used it (real workflow)
- Final polish: I paste the near-final article and apply LanguageTool’s suggestions for grammar, passive voice, repeated words, and sentence length.
- Tone consistency: I use the tone suggestions to keep the article sounding like “I” and to remove accidental formality.
- Regional spelling & phrasing: It helps catch small language issues that make writing sound more Indian-English friendly.
Example uses
- “Run grammar check and list all passive voice sentences.”
- “Highlight long sentences > 25 words and propose shorter rephrases.”
Strengths
- Solid free offering — covers most common grammar and style issues.
- Customisable rules — you can add vocabulary or style preferences.
- Lightweight and fast — good for last-pass editing.
Weaknesses
- Not a structural editor — it won’t fix content flow or add examples.
- Sometimes overzealous — it can suggest edits that remove personality; always review.
Practical tip
Use LanguageTool as the last step: fix grammar and clarity, but protect your unique voice by ignoring some suggested tonal edits if they strip authenticity.
Quick rating
4.5/5 for polishing, clarity, and grammar checks.
Summary – how these five fit together in my exact workflow
- Idea & headline — Copy.ai (5–10 title/intro variations).
- Outline & section skeleton — Texta.ai (fast, structured outlines).
- Section drafting — Rytr (short, focused paragraphs) or Texta.ai for bigger chunks.
- SEO polish & structure — INK (readability, keywords, snippet optimization).
- Final grammar & tone polish — LanguageTool (clarity, passive voice, style).
Why this combo works for me: it balances creativity (Copy.ai), speed (Texta/Rytr/Texta), SEO (INK), and polish (LanguageTool). I get a fast first draft without sacrificing search relevance or final readability.
My Blog Writing Workflow Using Free AI Tools
Here’s a step-by-step flow I use for each post, using the tools above (and you can adapt to your brand).
- Topic & goal definition
- I decide the blog’s goal (e.g., “how to compare AI search tools”) and target audience (e.g., SEO specialists in India).
- I set primary keyword, secondary keywords.
- Brainstorm & outline
- Use Copy.ai to generate 5 headline options.
- Use Texta.ai or Rytr to draft an outline (H2s, H3s).
- I refine the outline manually—making sure each section gives practical value.
- Drafting
- For each section, I ask an AI tool (like Texta.ai or Rytr) to draft a paragraph or 2.
- I paste into a doc and revise heavily—adding my voice, examples, local context.
- Optimize for SEO & readability
- Import into INK (or similar) to check readability score, headings, keyword placement.
- Adjust: shorten paragraphs, add bullet lists, bold important points, add internal links.
- Polish & final review
- Run the draft through LanguageTool to catch grammar/style issues.
- Read the article aloud (I often find awkward phrasing or “AI-tone”).
- Ensure I’m speaking in first person (“I”) and using simple language — friendly yet professional.
- Meta data & publish
- Write meta title & description aligned with snippet goals (short answer first for snippet, then detail).
- Add featured image, alt text, internal links.
- Publish and then share via LinkedIn / Twitter / newsletter.
- Monitor & iterate
- After 1–2 weeks, check performance (time on page, bounce, keywords ranking).
- Update the article as needed (AI tools help make revisions faster).
Important Caveats (What Free Tools Won’t Do)
- AI won’t replace your unique voice. A blog article that stands out has you in it — your perspective, your examples.
- Free tiers often limit usage (words per month, features). If you scale, you may need paid.
- Quality varies: AI may generate generic prose or introduce inaccuracies. Always human-review and fact-check.
- SEO and ranking depend on more than content: site speed, mobile friendliness, backlinks, internal linking–all matter.
- If you lean too heavily on AI output without editing, you risk sounding “AI-written”, which may affect engagement and trust.
My Personal Tips for Using Free AI Tools Effectively
- Begin each draft with your “voice check”: write two sentences yourself first, so the tool adapts to your tone.
- When using free tools, budget your words: e.g., “I’ll use 500 words from the free plan for drafting this section”.
- Always edit in small chunks—don’t paste 2,000 words and hope it’s perfect. Your voice gets lost.
- Use bold headings and bullet lists for scanability — readers skim blogs.
- Add localised context: since you’re in India (Nagpur, Maharashtra), maybe include examples or references that speak to Indian audiences (makes it more relatable).
- Schedule a “revision day” 30 days after publishing—the free tools make updating easier and you’ll get SEO benefit from freshness.
Wrapping Up
Free AI tools are not a shortcut to zero effort. But they are a shortcut to smarter effort. When I write for PratsDigital, I think of AI as a writing assistant not a ghost-writer. I still bring the strategy, the voice, the insights. AI just helps me move faster and polish better.
If you plug any (or all) of the tools above into your blogging workflow, you’ll likely see: less writer’s block, faster drafting, and more time for what you do best—sharing ideas, building authority, connecting with your readers.
Ready to try? Pick one free tool today (even just for headline generation) and test one blog. See how much faster you complete it. Then scale from there.
