Content creation tools are more essential than ever. With content creation spanning formats, channels, and platforms, managing it all takes more than skill—it takes the right set of tools.

From brainstorming to repurposing, content creation platforms shape how we create, collaborate, and stay consistent.

But with so many options claiming to be the best, how do you find the best ones?

I’ve tested more than 30 platforms, and in this guide, I’m sharing the 11 best content creation tools that have made the biggest difference in my workflow. These are the ones that help me work faster, think clearly, and create content without burning out.

If you’ve ever felt stuck choosing the right tools, this list is a solid place to start.

Table of Contents

• Why Content Creation Tools Matter More Than Ever

• How I Chose These Content Creation Tools

• 11 Tools That Improved My Content Workflow

  • 1. beehiiv

  • 2. Notion

  • 3. Grammarly

  • 4. Hemingway Editor

  • 5. ChatGPT

  • 6. Surfer

  • 7. Repurpose.io

  • 8. Canva

  • 9. Figma

  • 10. Descript

  • 11. Loom

• Where beehiiv Fits Into My Publishing Stack

• My Advice for Building Your Tool Stack

Why Content Creation Tools Matter More Than Ever

Content today isn’t just blog posts. It has evolved into LinkedIn carousels, YouTube Shorts, expert-led podcasts, and TikTok videos. The bar has been raised, and so have audience expectations.

To keep up the pace without burning out, building a content creation toolkit is non-negotiable.

The right content creation platforms don’t just save time; they preserve your creativity. They help you automate tedious tasks, manage your work, and help you turn one idea into five pieces of content without losing quality.

Here’s how the right stack can help you:

• Automate repetitive tasks like content formatting, grammar checks, editing, or search engine optimization (SEO)

• Boost your reach by helping you repurpose content into various formats across channels

• Keep your work organized so you can scale content creation with ease

• Help you monitor content performance and make improvements to generate revenue

How I Chose These Content Creation Tools

As a B2B SaaS content marketer, I rely on content creation platforms to get the job done.

Each tool in this list earned its spot because it helps me work better, not just faster.

Here’s what I look for before adding anything to my stack:

• It saves time. I ask myself, “Will this tool remove a bottleneck or create a new one?” If it adds more work for me, it’s out.

• The learning curve is short. I prefer a self-explanatory tool so that I can get to work rather than spending hours watching tutorials or setting things up.

• It integrates with the rest of my stack. I constantly switch between different tools, so I value tools that integrate with the rest of my tools.

• The UX makes sense. I gravitate toward tools that feel intuitive and clean.

• It’s not a full-time job to maintain. I avoid tools that need constant tweaking, manual updates, or rigid workarounds.

Some of the tools in the following section have stuck with me for years. Others made the cut after a thorough analysis of 30+ tools.

11 Tools That Improved My Content Workflow

1. beehiiv

beehiiv is my go-to tool for writing and publishing newsletters. Its no-code editor centralizes the entire process, from writing a post to designing the layout and publishing it. The best part is that every newsletter gets published on a website, making content accessible to my audience all the time.

What I love most is its 3D analytics that go beyond the surface level and offer insight into subscriber growth, content performance, and email engagement.

2. Notion

I use Notion as my work headquarters (HQ). Every content plan, project tracker, and to-do list lives here.

For example, I’ve built a swipe file database in Notion, using tags and relevant fields, to filter and find relevant pages during the ideation or research process. I save links to this database using Notion’s Web Clipper.

Best of all? Its free plan is more than enough for content creators and small businesses.

3. Grammarly

Grammarly is my writing assistant that helps me catch overlooked typos, fix spelling errors, and rewrite confusing sentences.

Whether I am writing a blog post in Google Docs or drafting an email pitch, it works as a final sweep tool to ensure my writing is clear and error-free.

4. Hemingway Editor

Hemingway Editor has turned me into a more ruthless self-editor. It pushed me to look at my writing critically and trim the fluff and redundant phrases.

I use Hemingway Editor to make my content skimmable and readable, especially for an audience with the attention span of a goldfish. What I love most is how it color-codes issues like passive voice, complex sentences, and adverbs, which makes editing a lot easier and fun.

5. ChatGPT

ChatGPT is the newest addition to my content creation toolkit. I use it to outsource low-hanging fruits like title and meta description writing, keyword analysis, and brainstorming content ideas.

One of my most frequent use cases is to ask ChatGPT about the search intent behind a keyword. It gives me a lot of ideas to consider when creating an outline for a content piece.

6. Surfer

Surfer is a solid companion for on-page SEO and content analysis. It analyzes hundreds of SERP pages within a minute and generates a list of keywords to add, questions to address, and links to include for better optimization.

Surfer also gives a content score based on your content’s alignment with the optimization suggestion, helping you improve search visibility.

7. Repurpose.io

Repurpose.io is a content distribution platform that turns one piece of content into many, automatically. Whether it’s turning a podcast into TikTok videos or republishing a YouTube video into an Instagram reel, it helps you show up everywhere without the manual grunt work.

Repurpose.io saves tons of time by automating content distribution and scheduling across channels so you can sip your matcha without a worry while your content works for you in the background.

8. Canva

Canva is my go-to design tool because it helps me create every graphic imaginable without doing the heavy lifting of learning complex tools like Photoshop or Illustrator.

I use it to design blog post graphics, LinkedIn carousels, email layouts, vision boards, flow charts, you name it! It also comes in handy whenever I need to edit an image, such as removing the background or changing its dimensions.

Here’s an example of a LinkedIn Carousel I designed in Canva.

9. Figma

Figma is an amazing tool for creating landing page wireframes or email layouts and sharing them across teams with its native team collaboration tools.

It's also best for mind mapping, content brainstorming, and building an email design system similar to the one created by the team at Email Love.

10. Descript

I have been a big fan of Descript because of its text-based editor. It auto-generates the transcript from a video or podcast, and you can edit it like a doc—cut awkward phrases, fix typos, or add new information.

Descript is a great video editing and recording tool for turning podcasts or interviews into written content, analyzing the script, or even creating clips to share on social media.

11. Loom

I don’t use Loom daily, but when I need to explain something quickly or give feedback visually, it’s unmatched.

Loom is best for asynchronous communication, especially with multiple stakeholders. You can explain changes to a client, share feedback, or create product walkthrough videos.

You can even create an entire course using Loom. For example, Tyler Hakes, founder of content marketing agency Optimist, has launched two self-paced courses recorded using Loom.

Where beehiiv Fits Into My Publishing Stack

beehiiv is the gold standard if you’re serious about building an engaged audience. From writing a draft to analyzing email performance, you get a complete package with beehiiv.

I’ve tested many email newsletter platforms like Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, and Kit (formerly Convertkit), and none come close to beehiiv’s simplicity and creator-first features.

Here’s why I chose beehiiv over other platforms.

• Built-in AI tools: Generate subject lines or email copy and refine existing content

• Powerful no-code website builder: Design a professional-looking website with tons of customization tools

• 3D analytics: Get a thorough view of your post performance, audience behavior, and subscriber growth

• Segmentation: Create a dynamic audience segment to make emails more targeted and personalized

Best of all? You can repurpose your newsletters into podcasts and share them on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music. Here’s how 👇🏼

My Advice for Building Your Tool Stack

The promise of every content creation tool is simple: they help us work faster, reduce overload, and keep our work organized. But adding more tools without considering how they fit into your content creation workflows can do more harm than good. 

So, start by auditing your workflow and figure out tasks that slow you down or take up too much of your time. Then, find tools that solve these pain points without bloating your processes.

Bonus points if a single tool can do double duty, like beehiiv. It not only helps you create content but also distributes it across channels (podcasts, social media), grows your email audience (referral loops, recommendations), and monetizes your content (paid subscriptions).

Start your beehiiv’s 30-day free trial today!