2026年10月12日
6 分で読める
guide
A Five-Minute Way to Test If an AI Tool Is Worth Paying For
Most free trials tell you nothing because you don't run a real task. Here's the test I use.
Pick the single ugliest task you actually do - the one you dread - and run it on the free tier. Not a demo, the real thing. If the tool fumbles that, no amount of polish on the homepage matters.
Time it. The win isn't 'it worked,' it's 'it saved me the twenty minutes I'd have spent.' If it saves less than it cost to set up, skip the paid plan.
Then check the exit. Can you get your data out? A tool that traps your files isn't cheaper at $0 if switching later costs a weekend.
Five minutes on the dreaded task beats an hour of comparison posts. The task knows what you need better than a reviewer does.