Tools
Every tool we have checked, grouped by whether it is safe for sensitive material.
13 tools
Controlled route for sensitive material
These stay on your own computer or your own server. They are the only route for material that identifies a person.
Whisper on your own computer
A program you install on your own computer that turns recorded speech into written text.
Local open source transcription that protects audio when installed and run locally, with weak or unverified Kurdish coverage.
NeverNever send sensitive audio to a website or phone app that merely carries the Whisper name, because that upload leaves your computer.
CostThe software and the model weights cost nothing and need no account, so the real cost is a person to install a command-line tool, the model file downloaded before you go offline, and slower transcription on an old computer.
Tesseract OCR on your own computer
A command-line program you install on your own computer that reads printed text out of scanned images.
Local open source OCR for printed scans, with no built-in Sorani model and substantial review needs.
NeverDo not run Sorani pages through it and treat the result as text, because the official language data carries Arabic and Kurmanji but no current Sorani pack.
CostFree software with no quota and no account, so the cost is the install, the language pack downloaded before you go offline, and the correction time every scan needs.
Only approved or redacted sensitive material
Use these once identifying details are removed, or through an account your organisation controls and can switch off.
Canva
A design website where you drop text and images into a template to make a flyer or card.
An accessible visual-design tool for public campaign material, with sharing and AI data settings that need attention.
NeverDo not place an unconsented face or an unpublished location in a design, because a share link or a team folder can expose the file even with AI settings restricted.
CostThe free plan covers a flyer, a card or a short presentation with limited AI use at no cost, and premium features come free only if your organisation itself applies to Canva for Nonprofits and is approved.
OpenCode
A tool for people who write code, installed on your own computer, that proposes file changes and commands.
An open source coding client whose privacy depends on whether the selected model is local or cloud-hosted.
NeverDo not point it at a folder of real files while a cloud provider key is connected, because it sends files it reads by itself, not only what you type.
CostThe client is free and a local model costs only your own hardware, while any cloud provider you select bills you under its own account rules.
Notion AI
An assistant inside Notion, a website where a team keeps notes, that summarises a page and drafts tasks.
A workspace assistant for teams already using Notion, with permissions and sharing risk beyond the AI prompt itself.
NeverDo not ask it to summarise across pages with mixed permissions, because the reply can repeat content the page's viewers are not allowed to see.
CostA free workspace may include only a limited AI trial, full AI use depends on a paid plan whose price is not recorded here, and any discount needs your organisation to apply and be verified.
Ollama
A program you install that runs chat models on your own computer, or on Ollama's cloud service.
A runner for local and cloud models. Only a downloaded local model in verified offline mode keeps prompts on the computer.
NeverDo not treat a prompt as private because Ollama is installed on your machine, since an Ollama Cloud model sends that prompt to Ollama's cloud.
CostRunning a downloaded model is free, so the cost is storage for the model file, enough memory to load it, and a slow, hot computer while it answers; Ollama Cloud has separate account and usage terms that this portal does not price.
NotebookLM
A website where you upload documents and ask questions, and each answer points back to your files.
A source-grounded research notebook that is safer for bounded public research, not automatically safe for confidential uploads.
NeverDo not send feedback on an answer that repeats your uploaded source text, because feedback from a personal account can be read by a reviewer.
CostCore use is free with limits on how many sources and how much you can use, no paid price is recorded here, and the stronger organisational controls come through Google's programme your organisation has to apply for.
DeepL
A translation website you paste text into, then read it back in Arabic, Sorani, Kurmanji or English.
A focused translation service with explicit Arabic, Sorani, and Kurmanji support and important free-versus-Pro privacy differences.
NeverNever type a real name or a case detail into the free translator, whose terms let your text and even your corrections feed service improvement.
CostFree text translation and limited document use cost nothing, and no Pro price and no organisational discount programme are recorded here, so check the plans page yourself.
Check by Meedan
A shared workspace in a browser where a team logs public claims, assigns them and tracks verification status.
A collaborative verification workflow for newsrooms and civil society teams, not an automatic truth detector.
NeverDo not connect a real tipline channel to it before consent, access control, deletion and escalation are written down.
CostThe code costs nothing to self-host, but your organisation must supply the person who runs and patches the server, and hosted access is arranged with Meedan rather than bought at a listed price.
Uwazi
A document archive your organisation runs on a server, where each record has set fields, roles and permissions.
An open source platform for governed document and case collections, with real operational responsibilities.
NeverDo not import your real archive until you have tested the fields, role permissions, backups and deletion on invented records.
CostThe software is free, so the cost is the person who hosts it and keeps patches, backups and permissions working, while a managed instance is arranged with HURIDOCS at no published price.
Never for sensitive material
Use these for material that is already published, or that you invented for a test. They are the fastest way to draft, translate and explain, and nothing about a real person goes into them.
ChatGPT
A chat assistant you type into in a browser or on a phone, for drafts, translation and explanations.
A capable general assistant for drafts and analysis, with consumer and organisational data rules that must not be confused.
NeverDo not trust an opt-out you set once, because the Improve the model for everyone switch in Data Controls has to be rechecked after any account or app change.
CostThe free plan costs nothing and has lower feature and usage limits than the paid plans, which start at 8 US dollars a month, and no organisational discount programme is recorded here.
Claude
A chat assistant you type into in a browser or on a phone, with document upload.
A strong long-document assistant that still requires privacy choices, source checking, and human judgement.
NeverDo not treat an ordinary chat as kept out of model training, because only an Incognito chat is documented as excluded on a consumer account.
CostFree use costs nothing but its limits vary and can stop you mid-task, the paid plan starts at 20 US dollars a month, and no organisational discount programme is recorded here.
Google Gemini
A chat assistant from Google, opened in a browser or phone app, for drafting, translation and web research.
Google's general assistant, with different data rules for consumer, unpaid API, paid API, and managed Workspace use.
NeverDo not assume the Gemini you opened with a personal Google account carries your organisation's Workspace protections, because those do not follow a personal account.
CostFree consumer access costs nothing and its limits can change, no paid price is recorded here, and the Google for Nonprofits benefits must be applied for by your organisation, with eligibility varying by country and organisation type.