Vol. I · No. 080Monday, September 21, 2026Free edition
The Memo

Where marketing meets AI, decoded every morning

Topic

AI Tools

Each new AI tool on the marketing beat: the work it handles, the places it breaks, and the bill you actually pay.

Briefings
23
Latest
Sep 19, 2026
Gemini pricing explained: the real 2026 cost
Lead storyAI Toolspricing

Gemini pricing explained: the real 2026 cost

Gemini pricing explained for small teams, covering every personal plan, Google Workspace costs, usage limits, storage, and API billing.

Sep 19, 2026 · 9 min read

More from AI Tools

Claude pricing explained: the real 2026 cost
AI Toolspricing

Claude pricing explained: the real 2026 cost

Claude pricing explained for small teams, including Pro, Max, Team, Enterprise, usage limits, and the separate cost of automated API work.

Sep 12, 2026 · 9 min read
ChatGPT reads company data, Slack builds reports: Sept. 11
AI Toolsbriefing

ChatGPT reads company data, Slack builds reports: Sept. 11

ChatGPT connects to company data, Slack builds reports in chat, Gemini lands on Windows, and licensed AI music gets a major-label test.

Sep 11, 2026 · 4 min read
ChatGPT pricing explained: the real 2026 cost
AI Toolspricing

ChatGPT pricing explained: the real 2026 cost

ChatGPT pricing explained for small teams, with current plan costs, usage limits, business minimums, and a plain answer for each workload.

Sep 5, 2026 · 8 min read
OpenAI launches Astra, Google adds voice: Sept. 4
AI Toolsbriefing

OpenAI launches Astra, Google adds voice: Sept. 4

OpenAI launches GPT-6 Astra, Google adds voice to daily work, Meta prices data sharing, and Nvidia buys Hugging Face.

Sep 4, 2026 · 4 min read
Claude gets cheaper, Google launches Pics: Sept. 2
AI Toolsbriefing

Claude gets cheaper, Google launches Pics: Sept. 2

Claude cuts usage costs, Google brings AI image editing into Workspace, and Amazon turns shopping alerts into a new discovery channel.

Sep 2, 2026 · 4 min read
Claude remembers, Google visualizes: August 26 brief
AI Toolsbriefing

Claude remembers, Google visualizes: August 26 brief

Claude now carries memory into Cowork, Google turns room photos into shopping prompts, and OpenAI shows faster AI hardware results.

Aug 26, 2026 · 4 min read
Canva pricing explained: the real 2026 cost
AI Toolspricing

Canva pricing explained: the real 2026 cost

Canva pricing explained for small teams, including current annual costs, AI limits, team billing, and when Business earns its higher price.

Aug 25, 2026 · 9 min read
OpenAI locks down data, Stripe buys OpenRouter: Aug. 20
AI Toolsbriefing

OpenAI locks down data, Stripe buys OpenRouter: Aug. 20

OpenAI tightens business data privacy as Stripe buys OpenRouter, Calendly adds AI notes, and new ad disclosure guidance lands.

Aug 20, 2026 · 4 min read
Gemini halves prices, Sheets builds apps: August 14 brief
AI Toolsbriefing

Gemini halves prices, Sheets builds apps: August 14 brief

Gemini cuts AI processing prices, Google Sheets turns data into mini-apps, OpenAI accelerates its top model, and Suno adds editing controls.

Aug 14, 2026 · 4 min read
ChatGPT goes unlimited, Time targets AI: August 7 brief
AI Toolsbriefing

ChatGPT goes unlimited, Time targets AI: August 7 brief

ChatGPT removes text limits for free users, Time tests ads for AI crawlers, and Suno adds tracking to generated music.

Aug 7, 2026 · 4 min read
Beehiiv vs Kit: which newsletter platform fits?
AI Toolscomparison

Beehiiv vs Kit: which newsletter platform fits?

Beehiiv vs Kit compared on price, email tools, selling fees, and growth features for a small business choosing a newsletter platform.

Aug 2, 2026 · 8 min read
Microsoft unifies Copilot, Meta eyes agents: July 30 brief
AI Toolsbriefing

Microsoft unifies Copilot, Meta eyes agents: July 30 brief

Microsoft plans one Copilot app, Meta outlines paid business agents, and Hint puts AI between homeowners and service providers.

Jul 30, 2026 · 4 min read
AI chatbots for customer service: 3 compared (2026)
AI Toolscomparison

AI chatbots for customer service: 3 compared (2026)

AI chatbots for customer service compared for small businesses: current costs, safe use cases, and where Tidio, Intercom, and Gorgias fit.

Jul 27, 2026 · 8 min read
Google cuts AI costs, Substack scans copy: July 22 brief
AI Toolsbriefing

Google cuts AI costs, Substack scans copy: July 22 brief

Google lowers the cost of fast AI work, Substack lets readers scan for AI-written copy, and OpenAI starts a small-business program.

Jul 22, 2026 · 4 min read
Best newsletter platform to monetize in 2026
AI Toolscomparison

Best newsletter platform to monetize in 2026

Beehiiv, Kit, and Ghost compared on paid subscriptions, ads, selling fees, and the real cost of monetizing a newsletter in 2026.

Jul 21, 2026 · 9 min read
Inkling opens up, Reelful edits video: July 16 brief
AI Toolsbriefing

Inkling opens up, Reelful edits video: July 16 brief

Inkling opens custom AI models, Reelful automates short videos, and Whatnot sharpens shopping discovery in the July 16 AI marketing brief.

Jul 16, 2026 · 3 min read
Jasper vs Copy.ai: which fits a small team in 2026?
AI Toolscomparison

Jasper vs Copy.ai: which fits a small team in 2026?

Jasper vs Copy.ai on 2026 pricing, brand control, team access, and repeatable marketing work, with a plain answer for small business owners.

Jul 13, 2026 · 9 min read
Copy.ai alternatives 2026: 3 clearer choices
AI Toolscomparison

Copy.ai alternatives 2026: 3 clearer choices

Copy.ai alternatives for small marketing teams, compared on current price, brand control, search research, team access, and the work each handles well.

Jul 11, 2026 · 8 min read
OpenAI voice, Grok pricing: the July 9 brief
AI Toolsbriefing

OpenAI voice, Grok pricing: the July 9 brief

OpenAI made voice AI more usable, xAI cut model costs, Cloudflare made site launches easier, and Google Search demand stayed loud.

Jul 9, 2026 · 4 min read
Best marketing automation tools for 2026
AI Toolslisticle

Best marketing automation tools for 2026

Make, Zapier, and GoHighLevel compared for small teams: real 2026 pricing, where each fits, and the automation traps that cost money.

Jul 10, 2026 · 12 min read
ZCode vs Claude Code: the free AI coder, benchmarked
AI Toolscomparison

ZCode vs Claude Code: the free AI coder, benchmarked

Z.ai's free ZCode runs the GLM-5.2 model and lands near Claude on coding benchmarks at a fraction of the price. What it means if you pay to build software.

Jul 4, 2026 · 4 min read
Best AI writing tools for marketing 2026
AI Toolslisticle

Best AI writing tools for marketing 2026

Jasper, Frase, and Copy.ai compared for small marketing teams: which fits which job, real 2026 pricing, and where output still needs an editor.

Jul 10, 2026 · 12 min read