Should I Buy This AI Tool?

Evaluate any AI tool before you buy it. Get the real cost, free alternatives, honest capability assessment, and a clear buy, wait, or skip verdict.

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SITUATION: I run a [DESCRIBE YOUR BUSINESS — e.g. 12-person accountancy firm in Manchester].

CHALLENGE: I need to decide whether [TOOL NAME — e.g. Microsoft Copilot] is worth the money for a business like mine.

OPTIONS: The tool I am evaluating is [TOOL NAME]. I am also open to hearing about alternatives that solve the same problem.

PARAMETERS:
- Problem I want it to solve: [e.g. "summarising meeting notes", "writing first drafts of proposals", "managing email overload"]
- Budget: [e.g. "up to £30 per user per month" or "up to £500 total per month"]
- Team size: [e.g. "15 people, most are not technical"]

EVALUATE: Give me an honest assessment covering:

1. REAL COST — What does this tool actually cost when you factor in per-user pricing, required upgrades, add-ons, and any minimum commitments? Show me the total monthly and annual cost for my team size.

2. FREE ALTERNATIVES — Are there free or cheaper tools that solve the same problem? List up to 3 with a one-sentence summary of each.

3. WHAT IT ACTUALLY DOES vs WHAT THEY CLAIM — Cut through the marketing. What is this tool genuinely good at? What does it struggle with? What features sound impressive but rarely work well in practice?

4. QUESTIONS TO ASK BEFORE BUYING — Give me 3-5 specific questions I should be able to answer yes to before signing up. These should help me confirm the tool is right for my situation.

5. VERDICT — Based on everything above, give me a clear recommendation: BUY (it solves a real problem and the price is fair), WAIT (promising but too early, too expensive, or not ready), or SKIP (not worth it for a business like mine). Explain your reasoning in 2-3 sentences.

Keep the whole response under 400 words. No jargon. Be direct.