With so many AI large models available, I've grouped them into a few main categories based on their primary functions to help you choose the right one. Below are the categories and some tools I find easy to use—simple to get started with and focused on practicality!

1. Text Generation: All-in-One for Writing, Chatting, and Polishing

These models specialize in understanding and generating text. Whether you need to write articles, translate, refine copy, or just chat, they've got you covered.

• Free and User-Friendly in China:

  • DeepSeek Chat (chat.deepseek.com): A versatile tool for text tasks, simple and easy to use.
  • Tencent Yuanbao (yuanbao.tencent.com): Packed with features, handles everyday text processing effortlessly.
  • Tongyi Qianwen (Qwen) (chat.qwen.ai): Reliable and stable, suitable for all kinds of text needs.

• Worth Trying from Abroad:

  • Grok (grok.com): Excellent for tasks requiring real-time search, seamlessly pulling data from X platform for up-to-date information.
  • Gemini (via Google AI Studio, aistudio.google.com): Nearly free with no limits, great for text generation, translation, and polishing, and even handles mixed text and images—just no video generation.

2. Text-to-Image: Turn Words into Art

These models generate images directly from your text descriptions, perfect for sparking creativity.

• Recommended in China:

  • Jimeng (jimeng.jianying.com): Not only generates images but also creates videos, full of creative potential, though the free quota is a bit limited.
  • Tongyi Wanxiang (wan.video): Excels in both images and videos with good results, but free usage is also restricted.

• Strong Options from Abroad:

  • Grok: Not just for text—it handles image generation too.
  • Gemini: More powerful, capable of generating images independently and embedding them directly in text for a cool experience.

3. Text or Image to Video: From Idea to Short Clip

These models transform text or images into short videos, ideal for quick results.

• Top Picks:
  • Jimeng (jimeng.jianying.com)
  • Tongyi Wanxiang (wan.video)

4. Audio and Video Understanding: Listen, Watch, and Summarize

These models analyze audio or video content to produce transcriptions or summaries, highly practical.

My Experience and Recommendations

These are the large models I use regularly, and they've all performed well. For text tasks in China, DeepSeek Chat, Tencent Yuanbao, and Tongyi Qianwen are solid, free, and user-friendly.

From abroad, Grok stands out with real-time data from X platform for powerful searches, while Gemini is an all-rounder—almost free, feature-rich, and especially impressive with mixed text and images. For text-to-image or video needs, Jimeng and Tongyi Wanxiang are great domestic choices, though you'll need to manage their free quotas carefully.

If you prefer to stick with just one tool, I highly recommend Gemini. It does almost everything perfectly except generate video, offering incredible value and a smooth experience for developers!