Generative AI Tools: 21 Best Picks for 2027

Generative AI models can create content that mimics the work of humans. This includes producing still images, logos, videos, and musical compositions.

Three-quarters of the 500 established Shopify merchants surveyed in November 2025 reported using AI tools.* Content generation was the most common use.

Here’s a primer on using generative artificial intelligence, including a list of the market’s top generative AI tools.

What is generative AI?

Generative AI creates content by learning patterns from training data. Businesses can use it to draft product descriptions, generate campaign images, or produce audio. Prompts and reference materials guide the output, which needs review before publication.

Although generative AI tools can produce human-like responses to questions, along with other creative output like images or music, some argue that artificial intelligence technologies don’t possess human intelligence. AI-powered tools use machine learning to mimic human behavior based on the training data they are fed.

How do generative AI models work?

Generative AI models learn patterns during training and use those patterns to produce content in response to a request.

Pattern recognition

During training, a model learns relationships in examples of text, images, audio, or other data. Large language models specialize in language, while other models generate or edit visual and audio content.

Content creation

A prompt tells the tool what to produce. Reference materials, such as product specifications or approved campaign images, give it additional context. You can review the result and request specific changes before using it.

Multimodal models

A multimodal model handles more than one type of data. For example, a tool might accept a product photo and written instructions, then draft a description. Check the tool’s available inputs and outputs: accepting an image and generating a video are separate capabilities.

Top generative AI tools

Here are some of the top generative AI programs you can use, depending on the output you’re looking for:

Text-based tools

These assistants can draft and revise written content. Several also accept images, files, or audio as reference material, but their inputs and generation capabilities vary by tool and plan.

Shopify Sidekick

Shopify Sidekick is an AI agent that lives in the Shopify admin. It can generate:

• Written content, such as product descriptions, email subject lines, and headings
• Product images, like changing the background of product photos
• Website design changes for your online store
• Custom analytics reports and data explorations

Ask Sidekick to revise a product description using the product’s existing details and your brand instructions. Review the proposed wording, request changes, and accept it when it’s ready.

Sidekick can also generate custom apps, such as an app that recommends products to reorder based on sales. This feature requires a Basic, Grow, Advanced, or Plus plan and a desktop browser. Refine the app in the preview and test it before installation. Generated apps run inside your Shopify admin.

Advantages: Sidekick uses your store’s data and asks you to review proposed changes before applying them. It can also generate images from uploaded reference photos. Review the image and select Save to files before adding it to a product or page. Image-generation limits vary by Shopify plan.

Pricing: Included with every Shopify plan. Feature availability and usage limits vary by plan.

ChatGPT

ChatGPT is OpenAI’s AI assistant. It can draft text, analyze supplied materials, write code, and generate images. Available models, voice features, and usage limits vary by plan.

You can also use ChatGPT’s image generation feature to create product images. Upload a reference photo and request changes to its background, composition, or lighting.

The Shopify plugin for ChatGPT lets you create a store, refine it in the conversation, and save it to a Shopify account. For an existing store, it can update product listings with your permission and retrieve order information. Order access is read-only.

Coop Sleep Goods also built a custom GPT to create AI copy based on their brand guidelines, FTC guidance, and marketing history. “We take the personal knowledge of the brand and the industry and use it for copywriting, brainstorming, and iterations of successful campaigns,” says co-founder Jin Chon in a Shopify Masters interview.

In personal ChatGPT workspaces, you can turn off “Improve the model for everyone” in Data controls. ChatGPT Business workspace data is excluded from model training by default.

Advantages: You can provide product specifications, approved copy, and reference images in the same conversation, then request revisions to the wording or visuals.

Pricing:

• Free: Unlimited text chats, subject to abuse guardrails. Uploads, image generation, and voice chats have usage limits.
• Go: $8 per month in the US, with higher usage limits.

Google Gemini

Gemini is Google’s AI assistant. It can help draft content, analyze uploaded materials, and generate or edit images. Available models and usage limits vary by plan.

The Shopify connector for Gemini can create a store for you to save to a Shopify account or connect to a store you already own. After authorizing access, you can request product updates or changes to an unpublished theme. Publish the theme and complete payment, tax, and domain setup in Shopify.

Advantages: Gemini is useful for teams that already work with Google apps and want to use their existing documents as context.

Pricing: Free with a Google account. Google AI Plus starts at $4.99 per month. Google Workspace business subscriptions have separate pricing.

Claude by Anthropic

Claude is a business-focused AI platform developed by Anthropic. Compared to other generative AI models like ChatGPT, it has similar functions, whether that’s generating prose or writing code in various programming languages. Claude can process both text and photo inputs.

“We went into Claude and built a copywriting agent where we put all of our favorite copy we’ve ever written, all of our best performing emails, all the data,” Ridge’s CEO Sean Frank says on Shopify Masters. “Now when we have a new campaign, we can outline and write it to match.”

Advantages: Add your brand guidelines, product information, and approved copy to a Claude project so later requests can use the same reference material. The Shopify connector for Claude also lets you work with store data after authorizing access.

Pricing: Free for limited usage. Claude Pro is $20 per month, or $200 billed annually.

Microsoft Copilot

Microsoft Copilot can draft content, summarize information, and generate images. With a Microsoft 365 subscription, use Copilot in apps such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

The Shopify plugin for Microsoft Copilot works in Copilot Cowork and Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat. Connect your store and approve access before requesting tasks such as reviewing unfulfilled orders or updating product information.

Advantages: Teams using Microsoft 365 can work with their documents and Shopify data in the same chat. Features and data protections vary by subscription and account type.

Pricing: Free consumer version available. Microsoft 365 Personal starts at $9.99 per month. The Microsoft 365 Copilot Business add-on has a standard price of $21 per user per month, paid yearly, plus an eligible Microsoft 365 subscription.

Image and video tools

Image and video tools can generate new visuals or edit existing product photos and footage. Compare their reference image controls, editing options, and export limits. For a closer look at video-specific options, see the best AI video generators.

Tinker by Shopify

Tinker is a free mobile app from Shopify with more than 100 AI tools. You can use it to:

• Design a logo
• Create marketing videos
• Generate product name ideas
• Make lifestyle product images
• Remove photo backgrounds

Tinker also has tools for generating virtual try-on images and drafting an investor one-pager.

Upload a reference image, describe the result you want, and refine it with follow-up prompts. Compare versions before downloading your chosen asset to your phone. To use an image or video in your store, upload it through Content > Files in Shopify admin or the product’s media section.

“The magic of AI is out there, but most people don't know which tool to use or what to ask for," says Rousseau Kazi, director of product at Shopify. “We built Tinker to remove that friction."

Advantages: You can try multiple creation tools in one app. A Tinker account is required, but a Shopify account is optional. Usage limits refresh monthly.

Pricing: Free.

fal.ai

fal is a generative media platform for teams that want to build AI workflows through an API. It gives developers access to more than 1,000 production-ready models for image, video, audio, and 3D generation, along with tools for deploying custom models on the same infrastructure.

Advantages: fal is a fit for retailers with internal technical resources who want to generate product images, short-form video, audio, or 3D assets within existing automation systems. Its model APIs use a single access pattern across supported models, and pricing is usage-based.

Pricing: fal offers a pay-as-you-go plan with no ongoing subscription. Image models are often billed per image or megapixel, while video models are billed per second or per generated clip.

Midjourney

Midjourney generates images and short videos from prompts and visual references. Retail teams can use it to explore campaign concepts, packaging directions, or seasonal imagery. Upload an image to guide the composition or style, then refine selected areas in the Editor and download the result.

Advantages: Midjourney is an excellent tool for concept art outputs, thanks to its varied artistic styles and robust user control.

Pricing: Midjourney starts at $10 per month for a limited number of generations.

NightCafe Creator

NightCafe Creator lets you conjure up AI-generated images and videos using plain conversational English. It also lets you upload images from your computer and create new artistic works in the style of those uploads.

Advantages: With compatible models, you can mask an area of an image and regenerate that section, then download the finished artwork. For commercial projects, use reference images you own or have permission to use.

Pricing: NightCafe Creator is free for basic generation, but you’ll need to purchase credits to generate images faster and with more user control. Paid plans start at $7.49 per month.

Synthesia

Synthesia creates narrated videos with AI avatars. Provide a script or source material for a product explainer, customer FAQ, or staff training video, then revise the wording and scenes before generating the final version.

The tool features Syren, a built-in AI agent, which you can describe video ideas to. Syren turns that into a first draft, which you can edit by chatting with the agent.

Advantages: You can update a presenter-led video by editing its script. Stock and synthetic avatar licensing restricts paid advertising, so review the video licensing rules before planning an ad campaign.

Pricing:

• Basic: Free, with 500 credits per month and watermarked videos shared by link.
• Starter: $19 per month with monthly billing. Includes downloads and removal of the Synthesia watermark.

Descript

Descript edits audio and video through a transcript. Import footage from a product demonstration or founder interview, then remove sections by editing the corresponding text. Its Underlord assistant can help create clips, add captions, and clean up the recording.

Advantages: Create custom voices and auto-dub content into multiple languages. One-tap fixes for eye contact correction, filler word removal, gap shortening, and background noise cleanup. It also has built-in collaboration tools.

Pricing:

• Free plan available.
• Hobbyist: $24 per person per month, or $16 per person per month billed annually. Includes 10 media hours and 400 AI credits per month.

Adobe Firefly

CAPTION: Create videos or images from a reference with Adobe Firefly.

Adobe Firefly generates images, vectors, video, and audio. Firefly Boards lets teams develop mood boards and compare visual ideas.

The app includes Adobe and partner models, so check the terms for your chosen model and feature before using an output commercially. Commercial use permissions and protection against intellectual property claims vary by offering.

Advantages: Continue editing generated assets in compatible Adobe apps, including Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere, and Express.

Pricing: Paid plans start at $9.99 per month. The Standard plan includes 2,000 credits per month.

Code and design tools

Lovable, Replit, v0, and Manus can build storefronts from your instructions. Describe the pages, product presentation, and shopping features you need, then review and refine the generated site. For more options, compare these AI design tools.

When a tool creates a Shopify store, claim it and complete setup in Shopify. Choose a plan, configure payments and shipping, review taxes and policies, and test an order before launch. Shopify and the AI platform have separate charges. Publishing a generated website is only one step in preparing the business to accept orders.

Lovable

Lovable is a no-code AI tool that lets you create apps and websites. Describe the thing you want to create, such as “Create a Shopify store to sell handmade candles,” and collaborate with the AI agent to fine-tune the output.

To create an ecommerce website with Lovable, you’ll need underlying infrastructure to process payment, manage inventory, process orders, and collect customer data. Shopify’s integration with Lovable covers this.

Advantages: Refine the storefront through follow-up requests, and connect either a new Shopify store or one you already own.

Pricing: The free plan includes five daily build credits, capped at 30 per month, and publishing on Lovable domains. Pro starts at $25 per month and adds credits and custom domains.

Replit

Replit is a generative AI tool that lets you build websites, mobile apps, animations, slides, and product designs with AI. It has an intelligent model routine that lets you switch between different models to reduce costs and maintain quality.

Replit’s Shopify integration creates a new Shopify store for the storefront you build. Its setup flow currently excludes connecting an existing store.

Advantages: Plenty of templates to build upon, and a Shopify integration.

Pricing: Free plan available. Replit Core starts at $20 per month, or $18 per month billed annually, with $20 in monthly credits.

v0 by Vercel

v0 by Vercel generates websites and web apps from your instructions. You can refine the result in chat, adjust its appearance with Design Mode, sync the code with GitHub, and deploy the project to Vercel.

v0 has prebuilt templates for landing pages, contact forms, calculators, online games, and newsletter signup forms. You can also describe an ecommerce site you want to build with v0 and connect it to Shopify.

Advantages: Hundreds of templates created by professional designers, which you can customize using AI prompts.

Pricing: v0 offers a free plan with $5 in one-time credits. Paid plans, which include access to all models and higher usage limits, start at $30 per month.

Manus

Manus is an AI agent that can create websites and generate media. Its model catalog includes models from Google, OpenAI, and ByteDance. Choose a model for the task or let Manus select one.

Manus can help you build or manage a Shopify store. Manus acts as the front-end layer, while Shopify powers checkout and the ecommerce infrastructure beneath.

Advantages: Multiple AI models available within one generative AI tool.

Pricing: Paid plans start at $20 per month with 4,000 monthly credits. Annual billing offers a 17% discount.

Shopify Canvas

Shopify Canvas is a desktop workspace for creating and editing Shopify themes. Describe your brand to Sidekick to generate a theme, or explore a new design on a copy of an eligible theme. View your home, product, and collection templates side by side, then refine the design through prompts or direct edits.

Advantages: Review layouts across your storefront in one workspace. Changes become visible to customers after you publish them.

Availability: Early access for selected stores on plans with theme customization. Canvas works with Shopify-developed and custom themes. Themes created or edited in Canvas must be edited there and have editing and export restrictions, including no theme-file downloads or theme updates.

Music and audio tools

SOUNDRAW and Suno generate music you can customize for videos and other projects. Check the plan’s commercial-use terms before using a track in your marketing.

SOUNDRAW

SOUNDRAW generates music based on choices such as genre and mood. The company says its AI is trained on music created by its own producers. You can adjust a track’s instruments, intensity, and length before downloading it.

Soundraw keeps ownership of any music generated. Usage restrictions apply depending on your plan. Check whether you can use the audio for commercial purposes before implementing it into your marketing campaigns.

Advantages: Soundraw is easy to use, even if you have no musical background.

Pricing: Soundraw plans start at $16.99 per month.

Suno

Suno is a music generation tool. You can give it a short prompt—like “lo-fi house beat on rainy Mondays”—or full custom lyrics.

Songs created while subscribed to Pro or Premier receive commercial use rights. Upgrading later does not automatically license songs created on the free plan. Generation and download limits vary by subscription.

Advantages: Generate background music for unboxing videos or ads, then refine the track to fit your footage. Create music intended for commercial use while subscribed to Pro or Premier.

Pricing:

• Free: 50 credits per day for noncommercial use.
• Pro: $10 per month, or $8 per month billed annually.

Other generative AI tools

Murf generates voiceovers, while Copilot in Power BI helps create reports and written summaries from business data. Here’s how businesses can use them:

Murf

Murf is an AI voice generator. Advanced features include text-to-speech tools, voice cloning, AI dubbing, and AI translation tools. You get multiple voice options, with many ways to use them, from audiobooks to software narration.

Advantages: Adjust the voice’s speed, pitch, and pronunciation to fit a product tutorial or demonstration. Preview the narration against your footage before exporting.

Pricing: The free plan includes 10 minutes of voice generation for testing, with downloads and commercial rights reserved for paid plans. Creator starts at $19 per month billed annually. Voice cloning and broadcast rights have separate plan requirements.

Microsoft Power BI

Copilot in Microsoft Power BI uses generative AI to create and edit report pages, summarize findings, and answer questions about business data. Prepare your data model and review generated reports for accuracy.

Advantages: Teams already using Power BI can work with their existing reports and data. Copilot requires paid Fabric F2 or higher capacity, or Power BI Premium P1 or higher capacity, plus the appropriate administrator settings and region eligibility.

Pricing:

• Power BI: Free account available.
• Power BI Pro: $14 per user per month, paid annually.
• Copilot: Requires qualifying organizational capacity. A Pro or Premium Per User license alone is insufficient.

*Based on a November 2025 survey of 500 Shopify merchants conducted in English across Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, and the United States. Respondents were established merchants with 2+ years on the platform. Results reflect the experiences of this specific sample and may not be representative of all merchants.