How to replace these $20/mo softwares with AI

DEEP DIVE
How to replace these $20/mo tools with AI

A couple years ago, I looked at my numbers and realized I was spending around $400/month on SaaS tools.

Yikes.

The culprits:

• Invoicing (Simple Invoice)

• Contract signing (HelloSign)

• SEO tools (RankMath, Ahrefs)

• Content creation (Jasper)

• Design (Canva)

• Calendar booking (Calendly)

Nothing that fancy really. Just regular business tools that added up fast.

At the time, it felt like a necessary evil (just the cost of doing business?)

But with the rise of AI (and especially no-code platforms like Lovable and n8n), the tide is turning.

I got that $400 bill down by nearly 50%.

And you probably can too.

What You Can Replace (And What You Can’t)

First off, not everything is worth replacing.

But a lot of those $10–$30/mo “one-trick pony” tools are.

Here’s my personal framework/checklist:

✅ Is it just for writing or formatting content?

✅ Is it mostly visual (graphics, thumbnails, stock images)?

✅ Does it only do one simple thing?

✅ Do I rarely collaborate on it with others?

If yes to ~2 of the above: AI can probably handle it better, cheaper, and faster.

If we’re talking about something like HubSpot or a all-in-one software?

Don’t bother. That’s still SaaS territory (for now).

The $200 Stack That Replaces $600

Let’s talk specifics.

Here’s a side-by-side examples of tools I’ve cut — and what replaced them:

#1: Simple Websites

If your website is just a 3–4 page storefront…

Stop paying for builders or hiring designers.

Lovable can spin up something clean in minutes, with natural language.

You literally just chat with it, and it builds the site for you.

And if you want to update it, same thing, just with prompts.

#2: Images, Graphics, and Stock Photos

If you’re still paying for stock image sites or using Canva for basic stuff, you’re wasting your $$.

ChatGPT's image generation (or tools like Ideogram, Midjourney, or 4o) can:

• Create branded graphics

• Design visuals for presentations

• Turn prompts into mockups or client deliverables

We did a full breakdown on this in this video.

But tl;dr: prompt your way to better visuals.

#3: Writing + Editing Tools

Grammarly? Hemingway? Rewording tools?

ChatGPT smokes them.

Especially if you’ve set up a dedicated Project that knows your tone, goals, and formatting preferences.

With AI browsers around the corner, this will get even smoother, but for now, just feed it your draft and let it clean things up.

Bonus: Tools You Can Build (That Don’t Even Exist Yet)

This was the fun part for me.

I’ve always had these ideas for tiny apps or internal dashboards but never enough justification to build them.

But there was either no SaaS doing it (too niche) or they were overkill (and the ROI didn’t make sense).

Now that I can create these myself on Lovable, sky is the limit!

Some I’ve made:

• AI Agent ROI Calculator: Shows clients time + money saved from automations

• Internal Analytics Dashboard: Pulls in revenue, traffic, and social stats

• Tool Stack Recommender: Suggests AI tools based on business type, size, and goal

These aren’t meant to become SaaS products.

They’re fast, custom, and work exactly how I want.

The Catch (or Not?)

Yes, this is exciting, but don’t fall into the trap of trying to rebuild everything.

Some tools are cheap for a reason.

If it’s $9/month and saves you 3 hours a week, just keep it.

Also:

• Security can be an issue with custom tools

• Integrations can be messy

• Don’t spend $100 and 10 hours to replace something that already works

Use AI where it saves you time, money, or gives you more control.

Otherwise? Let it be.