The 10 Best AI Productivity Tools for Virtual Assistants

Whether you specialize in data entry, social media management, graphic design, real estate, or any other area, you need proper tools at your disposal to be an effective virtual assistant. AI productivity apps and virtual assistant AI software can be valuable tools.

These platforms use artificial intelligence and machine learning to function as AI virtual assistants that can manage to-do lists, schedule meetings, generate summaries and templates, and support project management and customer support workflows in your day-to-day work.

We’ll share the ins and outs of some of the top 10 AI productivity tools for virtual assistants, including their core features, benefits, and pricing, as well as how they can reduce repetitive tasks and support more efficient workflows.

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1. Otter

Otter offers an AI-powered assistant that handles transcription and note-taking tasks. It can automatically join your Google Meet or Microsoft Teams meetings to take notes in real time while you focus on other work. Its newer AI meeting agent can also answer questions about what was discussed, so you don't have to replay entire calls.

Otter can generate short summaries for long meetings so you can quickly understand what team members covered and keep a shared knowledge base up to date. Its transcription and summaries make it useful for virtual assistants, as well as sales teams, students, marketing professionals, and recruitment teams. If you manage a busy calendar, pairing Otter with an AI scheduling assistant can help keep meetings organized.

Features:

• Calendar-aware recording. Automatically joins scheduled meetings and captures notes in real time.
• Context-rich transcripts. Uses timestamps so you can jump to key moments.
• AI meeting agent. Creates summaries and answers questions about past discussions.
• Popular integrations. Connects to Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet.

Pricing (billed annually):

• Basic plan is free, but with limited features
• The pro plan is $8.33 per user per month
• Business plan is $19.99 per user per month
• Enterprise is available for a custom price quote

2. Fireflies

Fireflies is best for virtual assistants who spend much of the day on calls and need real-time search and summaries. It helps you automate your workflows by analyzing voice conversations, transcribing content, and turning meetings into a searchable knowledge base for each client.

This AI-powered assistant records calls from tools such as Google Meet, Aircall, RingCentral, and Webex. It then creates summaries and highlights so you can scan key moments instead of replaying every recording. Over time, Fireflies can support data analysis and conversation intelligence so you can spot patterns, track outcomes, and cut down on repetitive tasks.

Features:

• AI-powered search. Find key topics and action items across long meetings using filters and natural language queries.
• Conversation intelligence. Track talk time, sentiment, and topics to understand how discussions evolve over time.
• Collaboration tools. Comment on transcripts and share notes through tools such as Asana and Notion.
• Central knowledge base. Store conversations in one place so you can revisit details for clients when needed.

Pricing (all billed annually):

• The free forever plan has limited features
• The Pro plan is $10 per seat per month
• Business plan is $19 per seat per month
• The enterprise plan is $39 per seat per month

3. Zoom AI Companion

Zoom AI Companion uses artificial intelligence to summarize meetings and chat threads so you can review key points. The conversational AI assistant can generate action items, draft follow-up messages, and answer questions about what was discussed so you can keep projects on track after busy days of calls.

You can use AI Companion during or after meetings to get real-time summaries without taking manual notes. It works across Zoom Meetings, Zoom Phone, and Team Chat and offers settings that help teams align AI features with their data privacy policies and tools such as Microsoft Teams.

Features:

•  Smart recordings. Organizes recordings by topics so you can jump to the sections that matter most.
• AI companion chat. Updates you on what you missed and answers questions about meeting content.
• Generative follow-up. Draft action items, emails, chat messages, and notes to support meetings.

Pricing (billed annually):

• The basic plan is free but has limited features
• Custom AI Companion is $10 per user per month
• Pro plan is $13.33 per user per month
• Business plan is $18.33 per user per month

4. ChatGPT

Developed by OpenAI, ChatGPT is an AI chat tool that uses large language models, including GPT and other AI models, to support many virtual assistant tasks. You can use this conversational AI to draft blog posts, summarize docs, write code, and support customer support or customer experience messages.

ChatGPT can keep track of context across messages and provide instant answers in real time. Newer features, such as Tasks, let you schedule reminders and recurring updates so the tool works more like a virtual assistant that helps you manage deadlines, meetings, and ongoing projects. 

Many virtual assistants also use ChatGPT for light data analysis and research support in specialized fields such as health care, while still relying on experts to review the final work.

Features:

• Multilingual support. Generates content in multiple languages beyond English.
• Real-time interaction. Responds to prompts and follow-up questions quickly.
• Multimodal options. Supports text, images, and voice interactions in supported apps.
• Custom GPTs. Allows you to build tailored assistants for specific workflows and use cases.

Pricing:

• Free plan for everyday tasks.
• Plus plan for $20 per month with expanded messaging limits.
• Pro plan for $200 per month with expanded deep research.

5. Gemini

Gemini is a generative AI assistant that works well as a personal assistant for virtual assistants who live in Google Workspace. You can use it to draft content, create summaries, manage to-do lists, and support light project management planning without leaving Gmail, Docs, or Sheets.

It is multimodal, so it can process and generate text, code, and images while responding in natural language. That makes it useful for everything from quick email replies to early data analysis and brainstorming use cases for clients. Its multilingual support also helps if you work with international teams or audiences.

Features:

• Workspace integration. Works inside Gmail, Docs, and other Google apps so you can stay within your existing workflows.
• Multimodal responses. Handles text, code, and images for more flexible tasks.
• Context awareness. Uses natural language understanding to keep track of ongoing conversations.
• Multilingual support. Supports more than 40 languages for writing and translation tasks.

Pricing:

• Gemini is free to use in supported countries.
• Gemini Advanced is around $19 per month, depending on the country.

6. Grammarly

Grammarly is an advanced grammar, tone, plagiarism, and style checker that helps keep your writing clear and consistent. It also offers AI tools that support generative writing, so you can rephrase, rewrite, lengthen, or shorten content with an AI assistant instead of doing everything manually.

Virtual assistants can use Grammarly to polish customer support emails, social media posts, and knowledge base documentation so communication feels professional and aligned with each client's voice. Its generative features can also draft replies and summaries of long emails, which helps reduce repetitive tasks across your inbox.

Features:

• Compatibility. Works in Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Gmail, and many browser-based apps through extensions.
• Custom voice. Adapts tone so you can match each client's brand and customer experience goals.
• Formatting support. Suggests ways to organize text for better readability.
• Idea generation. Helps you build outlines, templates, and first drafts faster.
• Email summarizer. Creates short summaries of long email threads so you can respond quickly.

Pricing (billed annually):

• Free plan offers 100 AI prompts per month
• Premium is $12 per month with 2,000 AI prompts
• Enterprise plan available via custom quote

7. Reclaim AI

Reclaim AI is an AI-powered calendar assistant that uses AI tools to streamline scheduling for virtual assistants. It connects to Google Calendar and Outlook, so it can automatically place meetings, tasks, and habits into the best available slots, which helps you handle routine tasks and complete tasks without constant manual changes.

For virtual assistants who balance several clients, Reclaim AI can reduce context switching by protecting focus time around calls and deadlines. It also supports time zone coordination, so international schedules stay under control.

Features:

• Smart scheduling. Finds time for meetings, tasks, and routines around existing events.
• Focus time. Blocks time for deep work so client projects keep moving.
• Calendar sync. Syncs multiple calendars so you avoid double bookings.
• Integrations. Connects with tools such as Slack, Asana, and ClickUp so your workflows stay aligned.

Pricing (billed annually): 

• Free but limited plan available
• Starter with 10 seats for $10 per month
• Business with 100 seats for $15 per month

Enterprise starts at $22 per month with custom pricing after 100 seats

8. Layla

Planning an itinerary can be time-consuming, especially when clients are visiting a new area. Layla is an AI assistant that eases this process by generating recommendations based on interests, hobbies, and target location through a simple chat-style interface.

Layla can help you find suitable hotels and flights that match a client's budget and preferences. Its partnerships with providers such as Skyscanner and Booking.com let you compare options in one place. Virtual assistants can use Layla to plan trips, then move key dates and bookings into project management tools and to-do lists to keep everything organized. Some clients may even pair plans with smart home voice assistants for travel reminders.

Features:

• AI prediction. Estimates flight prices and highlights cheaper options.
• Travel discovery. Surfaces attractions, monuments, artworks, and local spots.
• Multimodal previews. Generates images of destinations to help clients choose.
• Saved itineraries. Allows you to save and share trips through links and apps.

‍Pricing:

• Layla is available for free with limited access
• ~$49 per month for full access

9. ClickUp Brain

ClickUp Brain is a virtual assistant AI software layer inside ClickUp that focuses on project management and task automation. It helps virtual assistants write content, organize client onboarding, and turn knowledge base pages and docs into actionable tasks so day-to-day workflows keep moving.

You can use ClickUp Brain to manage to-do lists, routine tasks, and project updates in one place. It functions similarly to lightweight AI agents that help you complete tasks inside ClickUp instead of switching between multiple apps.

Features:

• AI writing assistant. Generates drafts, updates, and templates in your preferred tone.
• AI search. Finds answers across tasks, docs, and comments in your workspace.
• Transcription. Creates transcripts from voice and video files linked to projects.
• Prebuilt templates. Offers customizable templates for recurring workflows and clients.

Pricing:

• Free forever plan
• Unlimited starts at $7 per month
• The business plan is $12 per month

Enterprise requires custom pricing

10. Zapier

Zapier AI helps virtual assistants automate workflows between hundreds of apps so routine work runs in the background. You can connect AI integrations to summarize content, move data between tools, and trigger follow-up tasks without manual effort each time.

Many virtual assistants link Gmail, Slack, and CRM tools through Zapier so new leads, messages, and updates stay synced. You can also connect voice assistants such as Alexa and Siri to trigger simple voice commands for reminders or smart home routines. Zapier can orchestrate AI agents and AI models across multiple apps to help you complete tasks with less context switching. 

Features:

• AI automations. Connects AI tools so you can generate summaries and actions from one place.
• Templates. Offers premade workflows you can adapt to your use cases.
• Visual builder. Allows you to build custom automations without coding.

Pricing (billed annually):

• The free version has limited features
• Professional is $19.99 per month
• Team is $69 per month
• Company edition available via custom quote

How to choose the right AI tool for your needs

With so many options available, focus on virtual assistant AI software that matches your client mix and day-to-day work. These tips can also help when you compare an AI chatbot and an AI virtual assistant:

• Assess your core use cases, such as customer support, project management, or health care support.
• Review pricing so subscriptions fit your budget over time.
• Check how each tool handles data privacy and access to your knowledge base.
• See whether it uses LLMs or conversational AI that responds in clear natural language.
• Confirm it offers the integrations and scalability you need across your workspace.

Tips for maximizing AI productivity as a virtual assistant

Once you choose your main AI virtual assistants and AI tools, use these day-to-day habits to get better results for clients and improve customer experience:

• Use AI to automate repetitive tasks and routine tasks.
• Integrate tools so chatbots, voice assistants, and apps work together.
• Save effective prompts and templates as your personal knowledge base.
• Adjust each AI assistant's settings to match your workflows.
• Keep learning about new features and onboarding options.

Fact-check AI output before using it for decision-making.

Elevate your work with Upwork

Productivity apps, chatbots, and virtual assistant AI software can help you automate repetitive work so you focus on higher-value tasks for clients. Upwork is a human and AI-powered work marketplace where you can showcase your ability to use AI tools, AI agents, and AI virtual assistants in your profile and proposals.

‍As AI technology advances, more companies will need professionals to help them harness the power of AI. So, if you're a professional looking for work, Upwork can connect you with virtual assistant roles and AI jobs to help grow your portfolio. Get started today!

FAQs

These FAQs cover common questions about AI virtual assistants, AI tools, and how they fit into everyday assistant work.

What is an AI virtual assistant?

AI virtual assistants are software tools that use natural language processing, conversational AI, and AI models to help schedule meetings, manage to-do lists, support customer support tasks, and interact with smart home voice assistants.

What is the best AI to use as a personal assistant?

The best personal assistant depends on your use cases. ChatGPT and Gemini work well for flexible AI chat and summaries, Microsoft Copilot suits Microsoft users, and Alexa or Siri help with voice commands.

What is the best software for virtual assistants?

The best virtual assistant AI software depends on whether you focus on project management, customer support, or data analysis. Many assistants use ClickUp Brain, Zapier, Otter, and Fireflies to support these workflows.

Is ChatGPT a virtual assistant?

ChatGPT is a conversational AI tool built on LLMs that can act like an AI assistant by answering questions, summarizing documents, and supporting routine tasks in real time.

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Upwork is not affiliated with and does not sponsor or endorse any of the tools or services discussed in this article. These tools and services are provided only as potential options, and each reader and company should take the time needed to adequately analyze and determine the tools or services that would best fit their specific needs and situation.

Price are current at the time of writing and may change over time.