01AI assistantFree tier
“General-purpose AI assistant”
- Why you'd click
- Everything writing
- Red flags
- Can hallucinate
- Price
- $0 with these limitslimited messages on the newest models
Opening line
Rewrite this email to sound friendlier.
Polished stack · 3 tools · prices checked Oct 2026
Faceless Shorts & TikTok channel for $0
Script in ChatGPT, make visuals in Leonardo, record the voice on your phone, edit in CapCut. Every tool stays on its free plan, so the stack costs $0 — as long as you stay inside the free limits below.
The plan
Exactly what to buy.
| Tool | Job | Plan to use | Price source |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | AI assistant | Free plan: unlimited everyday text chats, limited uploads and images | chatgpt.com/pricing, Oct 13 |
| Leonardo.ai | Images & art | Free plan: 150 tokens/day | leonardo.ai/pricing, Oct 13 |
| CapCut | Edit video & audio | Free plan — only if you avoid Pro-marked assets (see limitations) | CapCut help center, Oct 13; watermark-free free export not confirmed |
| Total | $0/mo and $0/yr, before tax. First paid step if you outgrow it: Leonardo Essential at $12/mo (private images, more tokens). | ||
Each price lists where it came from and when. All prices are before tax and change often — confirm before you subscribe.
Workflow
Step by step.
- Pick one narrow niche (facts about one topic, one kind of story). Ask ChatGPT for 20 hook ideas, then a 120–150 word script for the best one — about 45–60 seconds spoken.
- Rewrite the script in your own words and record it on your phone in a quiet room. Your real voice is free, has no license questions, and sounds less generic than default AI voices.
- Generate 6–10 vertical (9:16) images per video in Leonardo's free plan. 150 tokens/day is enough for roughly one short a day, so batch on quiet days.
- In CapCut, set the canvas to 9:16, drop in the voice track, cut images to each sentence, and add auto-captions. Use only assets without the Pro badge.
- Export at 1080p, post to TikTok, YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels, and check which hooks hold viewers after 3 seconds. Make more of those.
Limitations
What it won't do.
- Leonardo free images are public, and 150 tokens/day caps how much you can make. Posting several shorts a day means Essential ($12/mo).
- CapCut blocks free export when a project uses anything Pro-marked (templates, effects, fonts, music, stickers, AI tools). We couldn't confirm watermark-free free exports for every account — do one test export before you build a routine around it.
- Music: use each platform's built-in sound library when you post rather than adding tracks in the editor, so you don't hit licensing or Pro-asset problems.
- AI voices: CapCut's text-to-speech and other free AI voices often carry limits or commercial-use restrictions. Recording yourself avoids both.
The tools
Each tool, up close.
02Images & artFree tier
image studio
“Image studio with fine-tuned models”
- Why you'd click
- Game/concept art
- Red flags
- Token system confusing
- Price
- $0 with these limits150 tokens/day; free images are publicUpgrade: $12/mo (Essential, ex. tax)
Opening line
Character sheet of a steampunk inventor.
03Edit video & audioPaid · has free tier
video editor
“Editor with AI captions and effects”
- Why you'd click
- Short-form editing
- Red flags
- Privacy/ToS concerns
- Price
- Check priceFree tier
Opening line
Auto-caption and cut silences.