25:48Nate Herk | AI Automation · Review
I Tested Sonnet 5.5 vs Opus 5.5: What You Need to Know
Seven identical prompts, two Claude models, and one real question: when does paying double for Opus actually buy you something?
September 29thThe argument in one line.
After testing 100+ AI tools, the ones that matter most aren't flashy: a coding agent for building instead of renting software, one gateway for hundreds of AI models, and a server that keeps automations running while you're away from your laptop.
Read if. Skip if.
READ IF YOU ARE…
- You run a small AI-automation or content business and want a filtered list of tools worth paying for, not another 100-tool roundup.
- You're deciding between Claude Code and Codex and want a practical, week-to-week framing for when each one wins.
- You build automations for clients or yourself and want a cheap way to route across multiple AI model providers with per-project cost tracking.
- You want to self-host agent frameworks like n8n or open-source agents without doing your own DevOps.
SKIP IF…
- You want unbiased tool reviews: two of the seven picks (Hostinger, Glaido) are a paid sponsorship and a product the creator is a partner in.
- You're not running any automations or a VPS-backed workflow; several of these tools assume a technical stack already in place.
The full version, fast.
Nate Herk tested over 100 AI tools for his business and narrowed them down to seven he keeps coming back to every week. Claude Code and Codex together drive about 90% of his daily workflow, replacing paid tools like Gamma by letting him build custom internal apps instead of renting someone else's. OpenRouter consolidates access to 500+ models from 80+ providers into one dashboard with per-automation API keys and automatic fallbacks. A Hostinger VPS keeps automations and self-hosted agent frameworks running 24/7 without hands-on DevOps. Grokbot handles scheduled bot tasks from a shared browser-based cloud computer, Glaido replaces typing with voice dictation plus a command mode that takes real actions, Kie.ai gives pay-per-use access to image and video models, and Trigger.dev runs deterministic, scheduled code without managing a server. The throughline: pay for leverage you'll actually use, and build what you can describe instead of renting someone else's tool.
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00:00 – 00:23
01 · Intro
States the premise: of 100+ AI tools tested, only seven have had a lasting daily impact on the business.
00:23 – 02:10
02 · Tool 1: Claude Code & Codex
Names Claude Code and Codex as the single biggest lever in the business, driving ~90% of the daily workflow as a second brain, slide-deck/doc builder, and replacement for paid tools like Gamma.
02:10 – 03:13
03 · Tool 2: OpenRouter
Explains OpenRouter as one dashboard for 500+ models across 80+ providers, with automatic fallbacks and per-automation API keys for cost tracking.
03:13 – 03:41
04 · Free AIOS Kit
Pitches a free kit (the 'Herk Loop' framework: context, connections, capabilities, cadence) for building a personal AI operating system.
03:41 – 05:10
05 · Tool 3: Hostinger VPS
Sponsor segment: a VPS keeps automations and self-hosted agent frameworks (n8n, Hermes agents, OpenClaw) running 24/7 via one-click templates, no DevOps background required.
05:10 – 06:28
06 · Tool 4: Grokbot
Grokbot runs scheduled bots on a shared cloud computer with browser/file system/terminal access, handling recurring community tasks like posting Q&A transcripts and video announcements.
06:28 – 07:42
07 · Tool 5: Glaido
A voice-dictation app (the creator is a partner) that types what's spoken and, in command mode, takes real actions like web search, file search, and custom MCP-server plugins.
07:42 – 08:14
08 · Tool 6: Kie.ai
Pay-per-use access to image and video generation models (Veo, Kling, Nano Banana) for carousels, thumbnails, and reels, with no monthly subscription.
08:14 – 09:21
09 · Tool 7: Trigger.dev
Hosts and schedules TypeScript code without server management, used for deterministic automations like document processing and data syncs that don't need a full AI agent loop.
09:21 – 10:15
10 · Outro
Recaps that the list reflects his own business and changes over time, points to free community resources, and closes with a subscribe ask.
Lines worth screenshotting.
- Claude Code and Codex together now drive about 90% of one creator's daily business workflow, replacing paid tools like Gamma and content assistants with custom-built internal apps.
- The choice between Claude Code and Codex isn't about picking a permanent winner; it's about matching the tool to the task, since which model is 'ahead' shifts week to week.
- Once you can describe the tool you want to an AI coding agent, you often don't need to rent someone else's version of it, like building your own Loom instead of paying for it.
- A good place to start automating is a tool you pay for monthly but only use one feature of, or pointing a coding agent at your SOPs so the team can ask it questions instead of you.
- OpenRouter gives access to 500+ AI models from 80+ providers through one account, so a single automation can fall back to a different model instead of breaking when one provider goes down.
- A separate OpenRouter API key per automation turns one dashboard into a per-project cost tracker, showing exactly which automation is costing how much money.
- A cheap, fast model can sort incoming leads while a smarter model writes the replies, and switching between the two is a one-line change through the same provider.
- A VPS running 24/7 keeps automations like trading bots and social-content agents alive even when the creator's own laptop is closed, without requiring a DevOps background.
- One-click server templates for agent frameworks (n8n, Hermes agents, OpenClaw) remove the need to manually configure hosting, scaling, or server commands.
- A bot platform that shares one cloud computer with a browser, file system, and terminal removes most of the setup overhead of running an open-source agent framework yourself.
- Scheduled bot routines can quietly absorb repetitive community tasks, like posting a Q&A transcript after every call or announcing every new video, closing the gap left by human inconsistency.
- A voice-dictation tool's command mode can take real actions, like web search or opening files, instead of only transcribing speech, turning dictation into a lightweight automation trigger.
- Paying per generation instead of a flat monthly subscription fits image/video AI work well, since usage comes in bursts (a carousel, a thumbnail, a reel) rather than steady daily use.
- Deterministic, repeatable automations like processing documents or syncing data between tools don't need a full agentic AI loop; routing them through a scheduled code runner is cheaper and simpler.
- A serverless TypeScript code runner with a $5/month free credit tier can run small, deterministic business automations at close to zero ongoing cost.
Seven tools that earned a permanent spot after testing 100+.
WHAT TO LEARN
The tools that stuck aren't the flashiest ones; they're the ones that replaced a rented subscription, removed a manual task, or kept the business running without the creator at his desk.
02Tool 1: Claude Code & Codex
- Default to building a tool with a coding agent instead of paying monthly for a narrower, pre-built version of it, once you can describe exactly what you want.
- Point a coding agent at your SOPs and client docs so your team can ask it questions directly, instead of routing every question through you.
- Treat the choice between two capable AI coding agents as a weekly, task-by-task decision rather than a permanent pick, since relative strengths shift over time.
03Tool 2: OpenRouter
- Route automations through a single multi-model gateway so one provider going down doesn't break production, and use separate API keys per project to see exact per-automation cost.
- Pair a cheap, fast model for simple sorting work with a smarter model for reasoning-heavy steps, within the same automation.
05Tool 3: Hostinger VPS
- Host automations and self-hosted agent frameworks on an always-on server instead of your personal laptop, using one-click templates if you don't have a DevOps background.
06Tool 4: Grokbot
- Offload small, recurring tasks (posting a call transcript, announcing a new post) to a scheduled bot so they don't depend on you remembering to do them.
07Tool 5: Glaido
- Use a voice tool's action/command mode, not just dictation, to trigger searches or open files without touching the keyboard.
08Tool 6: Kie.ai
- Pay per generation for bursty, creative-asset work like image and video generation instead of carrying a flat subscription for a tool you use unevenly.
09Tool 7: Trigger.dev
- Route deterministic, repeatable automations (document processing, data syncs) through a scheduled code runner instead of a full AI agent loop; it's cheaper and simpler for predictable steps.
Terms worth knowing.
- OpenRouter
- A single API gateway that provides access to 500+ AI models from 80+ providers through one account, one API key scheme, and one billing relationship.
- Trigger.dev
- A hosted service that runs TypeScript code on a schedule or in response to a webhook, without the user having to provision or manage a server.
- VPS (Virtual Private Server)
- A cloud-hosted computer that stays on continuously, used to run automations, agents, or self-hosted software independent of a personal laptop.
- The Herk Loop
- The creator's own framework for building a personal 'AI operating system,' organized around four parts: context, connections, capabilities, and cadence.
- AIOS (AI Operating System)
- A personal knowledge and workflow system built inside an AI coding agent, storing a user's projects, skills, and meeting notes so the agent can act as a second brain.
- Grokbot
- A cloud bot platform where each bot shares a hosted computer with its own browser, file system, and terminal, letting it complete tasks the way a human would on a real machine.
- Glaido
- A voice-dictation app that types what you say into any application, with an optional 'command mode' that can take actions like web search or opening files instead of just transcribing.
- Kie.ai
- A pay-per-use marketplace for image and video generation models (including Veo, Kling, and Nano Banana), billed per generation instead of a flat subscription.
- OpenClaw
- An open-source AI agent framework that typically requires the user to manage their own server, hosting, and connections, mentioned here as the harder-to-set-up alternative to Grokbot.
Things they pointed at.
00:23toolClaude Code
00:23toolCodex
02:10toolOpenRouter
04:10tooln8n
04:10toolHermes agents
04:10toolOpenClaw
05:10toolGrokbot
07:42toolKie.ai
08:14toolTrigger.dev
Lines you could clip.
00:35
“If I had to only use one of these tools on this list today, it would be either Cloud Code or Codex.”
01:15
“Once you can just describe the tool that you want, you don't really need to rent someone else's tool.”
02:00
“It's not a matter of which one is best. It's which one of them is best for the task that I'm doing right now.”
08:50
“I just tell Cloud Code, hey, I want a TypeScript Trigger.dev automation for this use case, and it will build it, it will also deploy it, it will also test it, and it can also update it for me.”
Word for word.
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metaphoranalogy
So after testing over 100 AI tools for my business, I noticed something. which is that most of them are just noise or a fancy solution to something pretty basic. But there are seven tools that have actually changed how I run my business every single day, even though there are so many new tools popping up all the time.
Now, some of these may sound pretty simple or even boring, but they have had a bigger impact on my business than I expected when I first started using them. So today, I want to talk about what they are, how I use them, and why you should too. So the first tool is not going to shock anybody.
It's actually two tools. It's Cloud Code and Codex. They're AI agents that work right on your computer, so they can read your local files, they can write code, they can build things, and all you have to do talk to them in natural language.
And for me, they're the number one biggest lever in my business. If I had to only use one of these tools on this list today, it would be... either Cloud Code or Codex.
I can use them to make slide decks or spreadsheets and Google Docs. I can use them as a brainstorming partner, as a council, and basically my entire operating system that my whole business runs on. .
All my projects, my skills, all my knowledge, all my meeting transcripts, all of that kind of stuff. It drives about 90 % of my daily workflow. It's also helped me cut out a lot of other tools that I used to pay for because now I can just build them myself.
So I used to pay for something like Gamma to make slide decks or something like Poppy to help with content. And now I can just build my own little custom apps instead. I've even built my own version of Loom that I use because once you can just describe the tool that you want, you don't really need to rent someone else's tool.
That's not me saying it's easy to build software that you could scale to hundreds of thousands of users, but if you're just using it or you're using it for a small team, it's not. as risky so if you guys run a business a good place to start is a tool that you're paying for every month but only using one feature of or you can point something like cloud code at sops and client docs and your team can ask eight questions instead of asking you now people do always ask me which one of these two that i use and the answer is it's both i pay for both and i use both every single week you know sometimes one model is ahead sometimes my usage just lasts longer on one so i'm bouncing back and forth a lot but in general You know, I think Codex is a lot better at computer use, browser use, and Cloud Code is a better thought partner when I'm brainstorming.
And right now, the usage lasts a lot longer, but that might not be true in two months. So it's not a matter of which one is best. It's which one of them is best for the task that I'm doing right now.
And how do I build my whole like AIOS, all my files and my folders and projects in a way where I can switch between the two and it's not a hassle or it's not a pain at all. But let's move on to number two, which is OpenRouter. OpenRouter gives you access to over 500 AI models from more than 80 different providers through just one account.
So everything's in one place. You're not having to manage a bunch of different separate keys or different billing information or different passwords for things like OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, all the other AI model providers. So any automation that we've got running in production right now, whether it's for my business or for one that we are putting in production for a client, it pretty much uses OpenRouter as the AI model provider powering it.
Because I can also set up fallbacks so that if one model goes down or errors out, it just tries the next one. It falls back instead of the whole automation breaking. And I can create a separate API key, per automation.
So the analytics are showing me exactly which one is costing me how much money. So if you're building automations for your own business, which I'm assuming all of you guys are, then you could have a cheap, fast model, sort your incoming leads, and then you could have a smarter model, write the actual replies or do different reasoning.
And that can all happen in one dashboard from one provider. It's a really, really simple tool. And that's kind of why I like it.
Everything is in one dashboard, like I said, and it can all be on one credit card. And switching models is basically just changing one line. Super easy.
Real quick, guys, I've got this completely free kit that I want to give to you all on helping you build your own AIOS. Whether you need to build it or whether you need to scale it up, this is the full kit. It's based on my actual framework.
I call the Herc Loop, context, connections, capabilities, and cadence. This thing comes with six skills. It helps you set up a brain.
It helps you set up your priorities in your business and it interviews you. It is exactly how I built my own actual AI operating system and it's how I'm able to move so fast. So if you guys want this, the link for this is down in the description.
But anyways, let's get back to the video. All right, so moving on to number three, Hostinger VPS. Now, Hostinger is sponsoring this part of the video, but I'd have it on the list either way because I actually do use it and I've been using it for a long, long time.
A VPS is a virtual private server. So basically, a computer in the cloud that stays on 24 -7 and it keeps all your stuff on that private server running, even if your laptop or your desktop is closed or turned off. Now, this one probably sounds the most boring on the list, but it's where a lot of my stuff actually lives.
I've got one running Aniden, I've got one running Hermes agents and OpenClaw agents and all the other open... agents you might want to host later, or even open source models you might want to host for yourself. You know, my Hermes agents can automate different parts of my business over here.
Like I've got one that's trading stocks for me and one that's making Instagram reels and carousels for me 24 -7. And then I use some just to test different cloud code setups. And the reason that I use Hostinger is because I can spin up a server really quickly with just one click of a button without worrying about the technical side, like scaling or compute or, you know, running the different commands or whatever it may be, because I don't really come from a technical background or like a DevOps background.
So because of all these one -click templates for trending tools like either Enidon or Hermes or OpenClaw or whatever comes next, it makes it so much easier. And it also makes sure that I don't have to worry about it when I'm trying to sleep at night, that something's going to shut down and I'm not going to be able to figure out what happened and why.
And if you guys want to try this one out for yourself, you can go to Hostinger .com slash NateHerkVPS and that will be linked in the description. And one more quick thing on this guys, Hostinger told me that they're having this Black Friday sale from pretty much now until about halfway through December. So there's going to be lots of different sales and Cyber Monday and lots of different things going on.
So I'll let you guys go check it out. and explore those deals. But anyways, let's get back to the video.
So number four is Grokbot. And I use this one a ton. Grokbot lets you set up bots that do work for you.
And they all share a cloud computer with a browser, file system, and a terminal. So they can basically do anything that you could do yourself on a real computer. And what I love about Grokbot is how fast I can set up an automation.
because it's got connectors in there to all the apps that I already use. I have it on my phone and it syncs pretty much automatically. I can schedule routines super easily in there.
So basically automations that run on some sort of schedule or a webhook, and they just keep going all the time in the background, right from my pocket. So for example, after every single Q &A call in my Plus community, one of my Grokbots grabs the transcript, posts it in my community, and then it also puts it in the classroom so that members can find it later.
Another one is posting in both of my communities every time I drop a YouTube video. So it's like these little repetitive things that I might forget. or if I did forget, I'd have to like catch up on later.
Grokbot can now just handle that stuff. So I don't have to be like perfectly consistent and there's less room for human error for me to make a mistake. I've got another one set up that keeps me up to date on everything that's going on in AI.
It's just pinging me little reminders and I've got all these little different Grokbot personalities set up and each one has a very specific. job the way i think about it is it's like having a bunch of open claws in your pocket but with way less technical setup because with open claw you're kind of figuring out like the server side and the connection and figuring out the hosting and everything but with grokbot you just describe what you want and it's just an app that you would install on either your laptop or your phone all right so moving on to the next one Number five, this is Glido.
And full disclosure, I am a partner in Glido. But that's how you guys know that I actually do use it and trust the vision of it. So it's a voice dictation app.
So you just hold a key, you talk, and then words get typed and pasted into whatever app that you're actually in. So I basically don't type anymore. Prompts, messages, emails, I just speak into my mic and it's there.
But you can really customize all your settings in there. It's also the fastest on the market and it's completely private. But the reason why I wanted to put this one on the list is because of command mode inside of Glido.
This means instead of just dictation, it can also take action. for you. So I can have it search the web, summarize a YouTube video, do deep research, find and open files and apps for me, or you can even look through all of the different things that I've said to Glido.
And all of this is obviously stored locally. Like I said, it's completely private. And what's cool about the command mode is you can build custom tools for it.
So basically you can build custom MCP servers on top of it. So basically plugins, and you could have it like kick off threads into cloud code or codex or sync to your notion or to your task app or whatever it is. Ultimately, the vision we have for Glido is that you can control your whole computer with just your voice and get just as much done away from your desk as you would if you were sitting at it.
And even if you only use the dictation feature and not the command mode, it still saves a ton of time when you're writing emails or SOPs or whatever it is that you may be doing. Just talking is faster than typing. Okay, moving on to number six.
This one is Key .ai, and it's basically OpenRouter, but for images and videos. You get pay -per -use access to a bunch of image and video models in one spot, like Veo or Kling or Cdance, NanoBanana, GPT -Image 2. Anytime that I'm making images or visuals for a carousel or for a thumbnail or for an Instagram reel or whatever it may be, I'm using Key .ai because you only pay for what you generate, and it's been the cheapest option I've found when I'm making a lot of images and videos at once.
So for you guys, that's stuff like product photos, ad creatives, short videos for socials, you know, whatever it may be. And you don't have to pay a monthly subscription.
You're just paying per usage. And the last one here, number seven is trigger .dev. It hosts your TypeScript code and it runs on a schedule or whenever something kicks off like a webhook.
So unlike a VPS, there's no server that you have to manage. It's just your code and it just gets executed. We use this all the time for all the automations in the business that are more deterministic, meaning they're more predictable.
They do the same steps every time, like processing documents or syncing data between two different tools. Those don't really need a full cloud code, agentic harness loop, AI agent, and it would kind of be a waste to use something that powerful. It'd kind of be overkill for something that simple.
So we just build out a script using Cloud Code, and then we put that script in Trigger .dev for it to automatically process. And I don't even have to open up Trigger .dev. I don't have to, like, it's not very confusing because I just tell Cloud Code, hey, I want a TypeScript Trigger .dev automation for this use case, and it will build it, it will also deploy it, it will also test it, and it can also update it for me.
And because it's just running code, it's super, super cheap as well. So you basically just pay the second it runs, and the free plan comes with five bucks of credits every month, which will honestly last you quite a while. So for your business or for your clients, business, and you're setting up a bunch of deterministic code based automations, I would definitely recommend using trigger .dev.
Okay, so now you have seen the seven tools that I use to run my business. And obviously, this is my list, you know, it kind of changes over time. But these are the seven that I keep coming back to and that I have been using consistently over, you know, a year and a half, two years now.
Now, if your business is doing different things than mine, then this exact list might not be the best one for you. And that's totally fine. But I know that learning some of them can feel pretty overwhelming at first.
And that's why I try to cover as many as I can on this channel and inside. of my community. You can also find all the free resources I've ever given away inside of my communities and you can ask questions about how other members of the community are using these tools or finding success.
And if you are really serious about using AI tools to build a business or just earn some income on the side, then you can join my plus community with everything that you need for the business side of AI as well. So both links are down in the description, but that is going to do it for this one. So if you guys enjoyed it, you're learning something new, please give it a like.
It helps me out a ton. And as always, I appreciate you guys making it to the end of the video. I'll see you on the next one.
Thanks.
The Hook
The bait, then the rug-pull.
Nate Herk opens with the premise: most of the 100+ AI tools he's tested are noise or a fancy wrapper on something basic, but seven of them have changed how he runs his business every day. What follows is a ranked walk through each one, what it replaced, and why it earned a permanent spot in his stack.
Named ideas worth stealing.
03:20acronym
The Herk Loop
- Context
- Connections
- Capabilities
- Cadence
The creator's framework for structuring a personal 'AI operating system' inside a coding agent: what it knows, what it's connected to, what it can do, and how often it runs.
Steal forOrganizing a Claude Code or Codex workspace into a reusable personal/business operating system
How they asked for the click.
MENTIONED ON CAMERA
FROM THE DESCRIPTION
PRIMARY CTAWhere the creator wants you to go next.
AFFILIATECommission earned if you click.
OTHER LINKSAlso linked in the description.
Visual structure at a glance.
