How to Browse AI Tools by Category or Task on Altern

Altern (altern.ai) organizes its index of AI tools in two complementary ways: a Categories view for browsing by domain, and a Tasks view for browsing by what you want to accomplish. Both are reachable from the site's main navigation, alongside Lists, Alternatives, Leaderboard, and Buildboard. According to the site, it currently indexes 2,173 AIs. Use Categories when you already know the field you're working in (e.g., marketing, legal, healthcare); use Tasks when you know the job to be done but not the tool category.

The two main entry points

Browse by Category

The Categories page is a directory of domains. Selecting one narrows the index to tools tagged for that area. The site lists a very broad range, including:

• Content and creative: Copywriting, Image Generation, Video Generator, Music Generation, Logo Generator, Meme Generator, Graphic Design, Writing Assistants, Storytelling, Character Design
• Business functions: Marketing, Sales Tools, CRM, Customer Support, HR, Recruiting, Lead Generation, Project Management, E-Commerce, Contract Management, Compliance, Tax & Accounting
• Developer and data: Code Assistant, DevTools, API Tools, Database Tools, MLOps, Model Hosting & Inference, Vector Databases, Debugging, Observability, Software Testing, Synthetic Data
• Operations and productivity: Workflow Automation, Productivity, Calendar Scheduling, Note-Taking Apps, Document AI, Transcription, Meeting Assistants, Email Assistants, Spreadsheets
• Industry-specific: Healthcare, Legal Assistants, Finance, FinTech, Real Estate, Construction, Manufacturing, Energy, Farming, Fashion, Government, Insurance, Education/Academia, Nonprofit, Space Tech, Robotics, Web3, Biotech, Geospatial
• Media and audio: Text to Speech, Speech-to-Text, Voice Cloning, Voice Agents, Dubbing, Video Subtitling, Video Editor, Video Enhancer, Podcast
• Discovery and research: Search Engines, Local Search Engines, Research Tools, Market Research, Knowledge Management, AI Newsletters, AI Directories, Prompt Tools

The list is long by design — it spans everything from Accessibility and AR/VR to Pets, Parenting, and Dating. If you don't see your field, check the Others category or try a task-based search instead.

Browse by Task

The Tasks view flips the model: instead of picking a domain, you start from an action. The site's "New tasks" section surfaces recently added task entries, and the Buildboard highlights what's trending — for example, the page evidence shows a "Buildboard · Week 4" leaderboard and a featured entry for Activepieces. Tasks are also tagged by delivery format, including:

• AI Agent
• AI Model
• API
• Browser Extension
• CLI Tool
• Desktop App
• Open Source
• Python Library

That format layer matters when your constraint isn't the category but the deployment: an open-source Python library and a hosted desktop app can serve the same category but fit very different workflows.

Using Curated Lists to shortcut discovery

Curated lists are editor-assembled collections that cut across categories. They're the fastest route when you don't want to scan a 2,000+ entry index yourself — a list has already made the selection for a theme or use case. Combine them with the other navigation tools:

A practical narrowing workflow

1. Pick your axis. If you can name the domain, open Categories; if you can only name the outcome, open Tasks.
2. Apply the format filter. Decide whether you need an agent, an API, a browser extension, or a desktop app — this alone removes most irrelevant entries.
3. Cross-check with Lists or Leaderboard. A curated list confirms whether your shortlist matches what others use for the same job.
4. Use Alternatives for a known reference point. If you already use a tool, the Alternatives view shows what else occupies the same slot.
5. Verify before committing. Altern is an index — it points you to tools but the listing itself isn't a guarantee of fit, pricing, or availability.

Keyboard and search navigation

The site supports a command-style interface: the prompt shows ↑↓ navigate, ↵ open, and an Add action, with the running count of indexed AIs (2,173) displayed alongside. This means you can move through results without leaving the keyboard and jump straight into a category, task, or tool. A Sign in option appears for continuing past certain points, so some functionality may require an account — the site does not state that browsing is unrestricted without one.

Common sticking points

• Category overlap. A tool like a "Chatbot Builder" may sit under both Chatbots and No-Code; check more than one category before concluding a tool is missing.
• Task vs. category confusion. "Video Generator" is a category; "generate a product demo video" is a task. If a category search returns too much, switch to the task view.
• Format mismatch. The most common reason a good-looking tool doesn't work for you is delivery format — filter for it early rather than late.
• Stale listings. With thousands of entries, individual tools change pricing and features independently of the index. Treat Altern as a discovery layer and confirm details on the tool's own site.