{
 "name": "Worth It?",
 "checked": "2026-10-15",
 "currency": "EUR",
 "verdict_scale": [
  "yes",
  "maybe",
  "no"
 ],
 "tasks": [
  {
   "slug": "build-an-app-without-coding",
   "title": "Best AI to build an app without coding",
   "short": "no-code app builder",
   "intro": "Prompt in, working app out. For first web apps, MVPs (minimum viable products) and side projects."
  },
  {
   "slug": "ai-pair-programmer",
   "title": "Best AI pair programmer for vibe coding",
   "short": "AI coding assistant",
   "intro": "You code a bit (or want to) and want an AI that edits your whole project with you."
  },
  {
   "slug": "game-art-and-sprites",
   "title": "Best AI for game art and sprites",
   "short": "AI for game art",
   "intro": "Consistent sprites, items and concept art without hiring an artist for a jam or prototype."
  },
  {
   "slug": "npc-voices-and-sound-effects",
   "title": "Best AI for NPC voices",
   "short": "AI voices for games",
   "intro": "Voice lines, narration and sound effects from text."
  },
  {
   "slug": "3d-models-for-games",
   "title": "Best AI for 3D game models",
   "short": "AI 3D model generator",
   "intro": "Text or image to 3D props you can drop into Unity, Godot or Blender."
  },
  {
   "slug": "game-music",
   "title": "Best AI for game music",
   "short": "AI music generator",
   "intro": "Background loops, menu themes and trailer music."
  },
  {
   "slug": "trailers-and-short-videos",
   "title": "Best AI for game trailers and short videos",
   "short": "AI video tool",
   "intro": "Trailers, devlogs and TikTok/Shorts clips for your game or app."
  },
  {
   "slug": "discord-bots-and-automations",
   "title": "Best AI for Discord bots",
   "short": "AI automation tool",
   "intro": "Glue apps together, run bots and automate the boring parts."
  },
  {
   "slug": "backend-and-database",
   "title": "Best AI backend for your vibe-coded app",
   "short": "backend for vibe coders",
   "intro": "Logins, a database and storage without running a server."
  },
  {
   "slug": "smart-npcs-and-game-ai",
   "title": "Best AI for smart NPCs",
   "short": "AI NPC engine",
   "intro": "Characters that talk back and remember the player."
  },
  {
   "slug": "general-ai-assistant",
   "title": "Best general AI assistant",
   "short": "AI chat assistant",
   "intro": "One chatbot for game design docs, store-page copy and 'why is this broken?'."
  }
 ],
 "tools": [
  {
   "slug": "lovable",
   "name": "Lovable",
   "url": "https://lovable.dev",
   "tasks": [
    "build-an-app-without-coding"
   ],
   "price": "Pro ~€22/mo",
   "free": "Yes: 5 build credits/day (max 30/mo)",
   "curve": "Very low",
   "verdict": "yes",
   "summary": "Prompt in, working web app out, with hosting built in. Best 'zero to a link you can share' tool right now.",
   "pros": [
    "Fastest path to a shareable app",
    "Hosting included"
   ],
   "cons": [
    "Credits run out quickly on big changes"
   ],
   "page": "https://worthitradar.com/ai/tools/lovable/"
  },
  {
   "slug": "bolt",
   "name": "Bolt.new",
   "url": "https://bolt.new",
   "tasks": [
    "build-an-app-without-coding"
   ],
   "price": "Pro ~€22/mo",
   "free": "Yes: 1M tokens/mo (300K/day)",
   "curve": "Low",
   "verdict": "yes",
   "summary": "Browser-based full-stack builder with more control over the code than Lovable. Unused tokens roll over on Pro.",
   "pros": [
    "See and edit the real code",
    "Tokens roll over"
   ],
   "cons": [
    "Token use is hard to predict"
   ],
   "page": "https://worthitradar.com/ai/tools/bolt/"
  },
  {
   "slug": "replit",
   "name": "Replit Agent",
   "url": "https://replit.com",
   "tasks": [
    "build-an-app-without-coding",
    "discord-bots-and-automations"
   ],
   "price": "Core ~€18/mo ($20; $18 yearly)",
   "free": "Yes (limited)",
   "curve": "Low",
   "verdict": "maybe",
   "summary": "Agent that builds and hosts apps and bots in the browser. Great for always-on Discord bots; pricier than it looks once you add usage.",
   "pros": [
    "Hosting and database in one place",
    "Good for bots"
   ],
   "cons": [
    "Usage-based extras add up"
   ],
   "page": "https://worthitradar.com/ai/tools/replit/"
  },
  {
   "slug": "v0",
   "name": "v0 by Vercel",
   "url": "https://v0.app",
   "tasks": [
    "build-an-app-without-coding"
   ],
   "price": "Free; team plans from ~€27/user/mo",
   "free": "Yes: 7 messages/day",
   "curve": "Low",
   "verdict": "maybe",
   "summary": "Excellent for good-looking React front ends. The cheap Premium plan is closing to new users, so the next step up is the pricier team plan.",
   "pros": [
    "Best-looking UI output",
    "Deploys to Vercel"
   ],
   "cons": [
    "Paid tier for solo users is being phased out"
   ],
   "page": "https://worthitradar.com/ai/tools/v0/"
  },
  {
   "slug": "cursor",
   "name": "Cursor",
   "url": "https://cursor.com",
   "tasks": [
    "ai-pair-programmer"
   ],
   "price": "Plus ~€7/mo, Premium ~€27/mo",
   "free": "Yes (limited)",
   "curve": "Medium",
   "verdict": "yes",
   "summary": "AI-first code editor with agents that edit your whole repo. Start on Plus; go Premium once you use agents daily.",
   "pros": [
    "Default editor for vibe coders",
    "Agents work across the whole project"
   ],
   "cons": [
    "You still need to read the code it writes"
   ],
   "page": "https://worthitradar.com/ai/tools/cursor/"
  },
  {
   "slug": "windsurf",
   "name": "Windsurf",
   "url": "https://windsurf.com",
   "tasks": [
    "ai-pair-programmer"
   ],
   "price": "Pro ~€18/mo",
   "free": "Yes (light usage)",
   "curve": "Medium",
   "verdict": "maybe",
   "summary": "Solid Cursor alternative with its own fast models and built-in previews and deploys. Pick it if Cursor's limits bite.",
   "pros": [
    "Generous free tier",
    "Previews and deploys built in"
   ],
   "cons": [
    "Smaller community than Cursor"
   ],
   "page": "https://worthitradar.com/ai/tools/windsurf/"
  },
  {
   "slug": "github-copilot",
   "name": "GitHub Copilot",
   "url": "https://github.com/features/copilot",
   "tasks": [
    "ai-pair-programmer"
   ],
   "price": "Pro ~€9/mo",
   "free": "Yes (limited)",
   "curve": "Low",
   "verdict": "yes",
   "summary": "Cheapest solid pick if you already use VS Code (Visual Studio Code). Unlimited completions on paid plans; agent work uses credits.",
   "pros": [
    "Cheap",
    "Works in editors you already use"
   ],
   "cons": [
    "Agent features cost extra credits"
   ],
   "page": "https://worthitradar.com/ai/tools/github-copilot/"
  },
  {
   "slug": "claude",
   "name": "Claude Pro",
   "url": "https://claude.com/pricing",
   "tasks": [
    "general-ai-assistant",
    "ai-pair-programmer"
   ],
   "price": "Pro ~€18/mo (~€15 yearly)",
   "free": "Yes",
   "curve": "Very low",
   "verdict": "yes",
   "summary": "Strong at code, long design docs and explaining errors. Includes a command-line coding agent on paid plans.",
   "pros": [
    "Great at code and long documents"
   ],
   "cons": [
    "Usage limits on heavy days"
   ],
   "page": "https://worthitradar.com/ai/tools/claude/"
  },
  {
   "slug": "chatgpt",
   "name": "ChatGPT Plus",
   "url": "https://chatgpt.com",
   "tasks": [
    "general-ai-assistant"
   ],
   "price": "Plus ~€18/mo ($20)",
   "free": "Yes",
   "curve": "Very low",
   "verdict": "yes",
   "summary": "The all-rounder: chat, images, voice and quick scripts in one app.",
   "pros": [
    "Does a bit of everything",
    "Image generation included"
   ],
   "cons": [
    "Jack of all trades"
   ],
   "page": "https://worthitradar.com/ai/tools/chatgpt/"
  },
  {
   "slug": "ollama",
   "name": "Ollama",
   "url": "https://ollama.com",
   "tasks": [
    "general-ai-assistant",
    "smart-npcs-and-game-ai"
   ],
   "price": "Free (runs on your PC)",
   "free": "Yes, open source",
   "curve": "Medium",
   "verdict": "yes",
   "summary": "Run open AI models on your own computer for free. Good for offline NPC dialogue experiments and privacy.",
   "pros": [
    "Free and private",
    "No usage limits"
   ],
   "cons": [
    "Needs a decent GPU (graphics card)",
    "Weaker than top paid models"
   ],
   "page": "https://worthitradar.com/ai/tools/ollama/"
  },
  {
   "slug": "scenario",
   "name": "Scenario",
   "url": "https://www.scenario.com",
   "tasks": [
    "game-art-and-sprites"
   ],
   "price": "Starter ~€13/mo (−33% yearly)",
   "free": "Limited trial",
   "curve": "Medium",
   "verdict": "maybe",
   "summary": "Train image models on your own art style so sprites and items all look like the same game. Overkill for a game jam.",
   "pros": [
    "Consistent game style"
   ],
   "cons": [
    "Setup time"
   ],
   "page": "https://worthitradar.com/ai/tools/scenario/"
  },
  {
   "slug": "layer",
   "name": "Layer",
   "url": "https://www.layer.ai",
   "tasks": [
    "game-art-and-sprites"
   ],
   "price": "From ~€9 per 300 credits",
   "free": "Trial",
   "curve": "Medium",
   "verdict": "maybe",
   "summary": "Game-studio-focused art generation with style training, built for live-ops and mobile game assets.",
   "pros": [
    "Made for game teams"
   ],
   "cons": [
    "Credit packs, not a flat price"
   ],
   "page": "https://worthitradar.com/ai/tools/layer/"
  },
  {
   "slug": "midjourney",
   "name": "Midjourney",
   "url": "https://www.midjourney.com",
   "tasks": [
    "game-art-and-sprites"
   ],
   "price": "Basic ~€9/mo, Standard ~€27/mo",
   "free": "No",
   "curve": "Low",
   "verdict": "yes",
   "summary": "Best-looking concept art and key art. Less suited to consistent sprite sheets.",
   "pros": [
    "Top image quality"
   ],
   "cons": [
    "No free tier",
    "Consistency takes work"
   ],
   "page": "https://worthitradar.com/ai/tools/midjourney/"
  },
  {
   "slug": "comfyui",
   "name": "ComfyUI (Stable Diffusion)",
   "url": "https://www.comfy.org",
   "tasks": [
    "game-art-and-sprites"
   ],
   "price": "Free (runs on your PC)",
   "free": "Yes, open source",
   "curve": "High",
   "verdict": "maybe",
   "summary": "Node-based image generation with open models. Unlimited and free if you have the hardware and patience.",
   "pros": [
    "Free, unlimited, very flexible"
   ],
   "cons": [
    "Steep learning curve",
    "Needs a strong GPU"
   ],
   "page": "https://worthitradar.com/ai/tools/comfyui/"
  },
  {
   "slug": "elevenlabs",
   "name": "ElevenLabs",
   "url": "https://elevenlabs.io",
   "tasks": [
    "npc-voices-and-sound-effects"
   ],
   "price": "Starter ~€5/mo (30K credits)",
   "free": "Yes",
   "curve": "Very low",
   "verdict": "yes",
   "summary": "Realistic voices and sound effects from text. Starter covers a small game's worth of lines.",
   "pros": [
    "Best voice quality",
    "Sound effects too"
   ],
   "cons": [
    "Credits go fast on long scripts"
   ],
   "page": "https://worthitradar.com/ai/tools/elevenlabs/"
  },
  {
   "slug": "meshy",
   "name": "Meshy",
   "url": "https://www.meshy.ai",
   "tasks": [
    "3d-models-for-games"
   ],
   "price": "Pro ~€18/mo (re-check)",
   "free": "Yes (monthly credits)",
   "curve": "Low",
   "verdict": "maybe",
   "summary": "Text or image to 3D models for Unity, Godot or Blender. Fine for props and prototypes, not hero characters.",
   "pros": [
    "Fast props"
   ],
   "cons": [
    "Topology needs cleanup for animation"
   ],
   "page": "https://worthitradar.com/ai/tools/meshy/"
  },
  {
   "slug": "tripo",
   "name": "Tripo3D",
   "url": "https://www.tripo3d.ai",
   "tasks": [
    "3d-models-for-games"
   ],
   "price": "~€18/mo (billed yearly)",
   "free": "Yes (limited)",
   "curve": "Low",
   "verdict": "maybe",
   "summary": "Meshy rival with clean meshes and auto-rigging. Try both free tiers and keep the one that suits your style.",
   "pros": [
    "Auto-rigging"
   ],
   "cons": [
    "Same prop-not-hero limits"
   ],
   "page": "https://worthitradar.com/ai/tools/tripo/"
  },
  {
   "slug": "suno",
   "name": "Suno",
   "url": "https://suno.com",
   "tasks": [
    "game-music"
   ],
   "price": "Pro ~€9/mo, Premier ~€21/mo",
   "free": "Yes (non-commercial)",
   "curve": "Very low",
   "verdict": "yes",
   "summary": "Full tracks from a prompt. Pay for a plan if you ship the music in a game: the free tier is non-commercial.",
   "pros": [
    "Surprisingly good tracks"
   ],
   "cons": [
    "Commercial use needs a paid plan"
   ],
   "page": "https://worthitradar.com/ai/tools/suno/"
  },
  {
   "slug": "runway",
   "name": "Runway",
   "url": "https://runway.com",
   "tasks": [
    "trailers-and-short-videos"
   ],
   "price": "Standard ~€13/mo (~€11 yearly)",
   "free": "125 one-time credits",
   "curve": "Medium",
   "verdict": "maybe",
   "summary": "High-end AI video for trailer shots. Credits do not roll over on Standard, so buy it for a trailer month then pause.",
   "pros": [
    "Top video models in one place"
   ],
   "cons": [
    "Credits burn fast"
   ],
   "page": "https://worthitradar.com/ai/tools/runway/"
  },
  {
   "slug": "kling",
   "name": "Kling AI",
   "url": "https://klingai.com",
   "tasks": [
    "trailers-and-short-videos"
   ],
   "price": "From ~€8/mo",
   "free": "Yes (daily credits)",
   "curve": "Low",
   "verdict": "yes",
   "summary": "Cheapest good-looking AI video clips. Great for Shorts and teaser B-roll.",
   "pros": [
    "Cheap entry plan"
   ],
   "cons": [
    "Queue times on free tier"
   ],
   "page": "https://worthitradar.com/ai/tools/kling/"
  },
  {
   "slug": "capcut",
   "name": "CapCut",
   "url": "https://www.capcut.com",
   "tasks": [
    "trailers-and-short-videos"
   ],
   "price": "Pro ~€18/mo (shown $19.99)",
   "free": "Yes",
   "curve": "Very low",
   "verdict": "yes",
   "summary": "Free editor with auto-captions; the go-to for TikTok and Shorts devlogs. The free tier is enough for most.",
   "pros": [
    "Free tier is enough",
    "Auto-captions"
   ],
   "cons": [
    "Best features keep moving to Pro"
   ],
   "page": "https://worthitradar.com/ai/tools/capcut/"
  },
  {
   "slug": "descript",
   "name": "Descript",
   "url": "https://www.descript.com",
   "tasks": [
    "trailers-and-short-videos"
   ],
   "price": "Hobbyist ~€14/mo (yearly)",
   "free": "Yes",
   "curve": "Low",
   "verdict": "maybe",
   "summary": "Edit video by editing the transcript. Ideal for talking-head devlogs and podcasts, less for gameplay trailers.",
   "pros": [
    "Edit by text"
   ],
   "cons": [
    "Not built for game trailers"
   ],
   "page": "https://worthitradar.com/ai/tools/descript/"
  },
  {
   "slug": "n8n",
   "name": "n8n",
   "url": "https://n8n.io",
   "tasks": [
    "discord-bots-and-automations"
   ],
   "price": "Cloud from €20/mo (yearly); self-host free",
   "free": "Self-hosted Community Edition",
   "curve": "Medium",
   "verdict": "yes",
   "summary": "Visual automations with AI agent steps: Discord, Telegram, Sheets and 400+ apps. Self-host for free if you can run a small server.",
   "pros": [
    "Free when self-hosted",
    "Huge integration list"
   ],
   "cons": [
    "Cloud plan is pricey for hobbyists"
   ],
   "page": "https://worthitradar.com/ai/tools/n8n/"
  },
  {
   "slug": "supabase",
   "name": "Supabase",
   "url": "https://supabase.com",
   "tasks": [
    "backend-and-database"
   ],
   "price": "Free; Pro ~€22/mo",
   "free": "Yes: 500 MB database, 2 active projects",
   "curve": "Medium",
   "verdict": "yes",
   "summary": "Database, logins and storage that Lovable, Bolt and Cursor all know how to wire up. The free tier carries most side projects.",
   "pros": [
    "Generous free tier",
    "AI builders integrate natively"
   ],
   "cons": [
    "Free projects pause when idle"
   ],
   "page": "https://worthitradar.com/ai/tools/supabase/"
  },
  {
   "slug": "inworld",
   "name": "Inworld AI",
   "url": "https://inworld.ai",
   "tasks": [
    "smart-npcs-and-game-ai",
    "npc-voices-and-sound-effects"
   ],
   "price": "Free start; paid from ~€22/mo",
   "free": "Yes",
   "curve": "High",
   "verdict": "maybe",
   "summary": "Engine for AI characters with memory and voice, with Unity and Unreal plugins. Powerful, but it's a real integration project.",
   "pros": [
    "Built for games"
   ],
   "cons": [
    "Steep setup",
    "Running costs scale with players"
   ],
   "page": "https://worthitradar.com/ai/tools/inworld/"
  }
 ]
}