There's no shortcut to mastering a subject, is there? Lectures, assignments, and maybe even a side hustle - it’s already enough to make your head spin! Don’t worry, we are here to help you with the best study apps. Whether you find it difficult to stay productive, plan your routine, or memorise your lessons, there’s an app for you. These paid or free study apps for students can become your digital taskmasters and beyond! However, one question looms - how do you find the number one study app that will work for you? To help you see the light, we will tell you why you need these great study apps and the different types of applications. Moreover, we will categorise the apps for studying to help you find a suitable one in a blink.
Why Do You Need Apps for Studying?
Over the years, studying as a process has evolved and how! Study apps have come into play to boost productivity. They make learning easier to understand, more fun, and better organised. You can enhance your productivity through calendars, immerse in interactive learning sessions through gamification, and access lessons on the go. With so many must-have apps for students, we know it gets difficult to navigate your way through. To understand which great study apps you need to download on your phone, keep these factors in mind:
1. Convenient and easy to access
2. Variety of content
3. Interactive, flexible, and customisable
Different Types of Study Apps for Students
Finding the number one study app for students is like finding a needle in a haystack when you do not know which purpose you want the application to serve. Most study apps for university students are engaging and help you stay motivated. However, do you want to use the apps to track study progress? Or are you looking for apps that reward you for studying? Here, we break down the apps for study into different categories:
17 Best Study Apps for Students
If you are a student of this new age, you can find ample opportunities for student internships and learning hubs. To stay up to date with your priorities, the role of some good study apps for students is noteworthy. Let’s have a look at the best study apps by dividing them into different categories!
Productivity Apps
In our fast-paced world, we often fall for doomscrolling. In no time, we always end up watching videos while we could finish our assignments! If you feel the same, these productivity apps can help you set your goals and manage time. Let’s have a look at the must-have study apps to crank up your productivity levels!
1. Google Calendar
Subscription Price: Free to use
Platforms: Android (4.6★) and iOS (4.6★)
Best Features: Work together on group projects and schedule meeting rooms
First on our list is one of the free study apps for students: Google Calendar. You must have already used this app, as some phones have it as an in-built application. It is very intuitive and helps you organise your studies. If your schedule is the same for a few weeks, you can easily stretch it in the app. It's a smart way to keep track of your studies and assignments, as you can colour-code each event. Another cool feature is inviting your friends to a meeting if you have a study session online.
2. Clockify
Subscription Price: Paid plans begin at $3.99/user/month
Platform: Android (4.0★) and iOS (4.6★)
Best Features: Set time tracking targets for the team
If you have noticed that you are losing track of time while doing an assignment or studying, Clockify is one of the best apps for studying for students. You can map out your day and set time aside for different tasks. Plus, the feature of viewing how much time you devote to your tasks is why we think it’s one of the best study apps. Gradually, you can figure out the subjects that get the most of your attention and the ones you should focus more on.
3. Forest
Subscription Price: Free; $1.99 for pro features
Platforms: Android (4.8★) and iOS (4.8★)
Best Features: Planting trees and setting focus timers
Forest is one of the best study apps for students struggling to stay focused. This great app uses a fun, gamified approach to help you avoid distractions and be more productive. Plant a virtual seed that grows into a tree over time - but only if you resist the urge to leave the app! It is one of the fun study apps that lets you track and analyse your study sessions. With customisable settings and ambient sounds, it creates the perfect distraction-free study zone. Forest is one of the best study apps to swear by, especially if you want to develop better concentration habit
4. Habitica
Subscription Price: Plans start from $4.99/month
Platforms: Android (4.8★) and iOS (4.0★)
Best Features: Gamification elements to motivate users
Staying motivated often feels like the opposite of having fun, but Habitica changes this perception. It’s become one of the best study apps that reward you for studying to boost your mood. It's a great study tool that lets you track habits, earn rewards, and even face penalties if you slip up. For example, there are many benefits of group study, and before your tests, studying with your friends can help you memorise a lesson quicker. You can also introduce Habitica to your group and build positive routines while having a blast. You can team up with your friends to fight monsters using the goodies you collect. Habitica helps you stay organised and build positive routines.
5. MyHomework Student Planner
Subscription Price: Free to use
Platform: iOS (4.5★)
Best Features: Monitor classes and important dates
MyHomework Student Planner is one of the best study apps to keep your homework and schedules organised. You can create various sections for tests, assignments, labs, and more. You can colour-code your tasks and focus on what’s more important than the other. Use the calendar view to take a glance at what’s coming up. Best of all, MyHomework syncs across, so it is always with you. If you have been looking for one of the top study planning apps, you cannot miss out on this one!
6. Be Focused
Subscription Price: Free to use, paid plans start from $4.99
Platform: iOS (4.7★)
Best Features: Retain Motivation and Focus
Be Focused follows the Pomodoro technique, allowing you to work with periodic breaks. So, one can work for 25-50 minutes straight, along with 5-10 minutes of breaks. Breaks can help you clear up the cluttered mind, take a breather, and get back on to the task fully re-energized. This is one of the best free study apps for students, allowing them to learn the value of taking a break when it’s necessary.
Quiz/Flashcard Apps
Taking quizzes is a challenge but can help you out in your studies in a way you never expected. Using flashcards and taking quizzes is one of the best ways to memorise anything you have just studied. Below are some of the best study apps:
7. Quizlet
Subscription Price: Plans start from $7.99 every month
Platform: Android (4.6★) and iOS (4.8★)
Best Features - Personalised quizzes and practice test
Easily one of the best study apps for students, Quizlet is a flashcard application that functions similarly to traditional paper flashcards. You can make cards for your topic and write down all of your relevant information on them, which you can use to edit later. You can also include images in your flashcards! It is an excellent tool for expanding your vocabulary and learning new terms, making it one of the best study apps.
8. Kahoot!
Subscription Price: Plans start from $29 per host every month
Platform: Android (4.7★) and iOS (4.3★)
Best Features: Online learning; trivia quizzes in minutes
Kahoot is one of the best study apps that makes reviewing material fun. This awesome quiz app lets your teacher turn lessons into fun interactive games. Just answer questions on your phone or tablet as they appear. The quicker you buzz in the right answer, the more points you get. Kahoot also has cool music and graphics to get the excitement going. It's one of the good study apps that quizzes your knowledge while letting you compete against classmates.
9. Cram
Subscription Price: Plans start from $29.95 every month
Platform: Android (4.6★)
Best Features: Create, print, and share flashcards
If you believe using flashcards is one of the tried and tested study techniques, Cram has got your back. It is one of the best study apps for students looking to master any subject with flashcards. This is the best app for study, allowing you to create digital flashcard decks or explore millions of sets made by others. Swipe through cards to quiz yourself anytime, anywhere, on your phone or laptop. Track your progress and see which topics need more practice. Being one of the best study apps, it has tools like audio recordings and games to make learning fun.
10. Ankiapp Flashcards
Subscription Price- $29.99 for iOS users
Platform: Android (4.7★) and iOS (4.5★)
Best Features: Active learning and remembering things
Ankiapp aids in studying more effectively and efficiently. It is one of the best study apps for students since learning, revising, and retaining key concepts are made easier. One can also set the card difficulty level to challenge oneself during learning. Anki is available as a desktop application for Windows, macOS, and Linux, as well as mobile apps for iOS and Android devices.
Note-taking Apps
The purpose of the note-taking apps is to organise your lectures in one place. You can find some of the best study apps serving the purpose of jotting down important pieces of information whether found online or offline. Not only do these useful study apps let you take notes, but they also support all devices to let you access them later. Here, we list down some of the popular note-taking apps for studying!
11. Microsoft Lens
Subscription Price: Free to use
Platform: Android (4.8★) and iOS (4.8★)
Best Features: Scan text, edit images, store images in different formats
Depending on your academic courses, you may occasionally find a true fancy diagram. What is the most successful line of action? Should you scribble it down quickly or let the speaker explain it? Thanks to Microsoft Lens, you no longer have to choose. Hold your camera to the board and take a photo; the app will crop out everything in the background. Hence, Microsoft Lens is one of the best study apps for students!
12. Microsoft OneNote
Subscription Price: Free to use
Platform: Android (4.7★) and iOS (4.7★)
Best Features: Flexible canvas for freeform, multiple formats (text, audio, handwriting)
If we have to pick the number one study app on everyone’s phone, Microsoft OneNote will surely come up. This is one of the best study apps for college students because you can take notes in text, draw diagrams, record lectures, or clip web articles on an infinite canvas. You can also brainstorm with your classmates when working on a project without having to leave this online study app. Plus, the search finds anything in the text – even if it’s a handwritten text. Of course, don’t miss out on OneNote tips and tricks to get the most out of the best study app for students.
13. Dragon Anywhere
Subscription Price: $14.99 per month
Platform: Android (3★) & iOS (3.5★)
Best Features: Take notes during lectures or meetings, draft creative content
Dragon Anywhere will be your new BFF in the class because this number one study app features mobile speech recognition. This means the app can create documents and notes by voice on your smartphone. This study app for students is well-known for its high accuracy and continuous dictation. So, if you need to draft reports during lectures or capture ideas on the go, this might be the number one study app for all good reasons. The best part is that you can write without touching the keyword! Dragon Anywhere integrates cloud services, enhancing your productivity.
Online Learning Apps
Even before the pandemic broke out, learning apps for study have been on the rise. With the transition from offline to online, we can say that learning apps have mushroomed. Since many students have developed the habit of online learning and easy online study courses, the apps are here to go a long way.
14. Coggle
Subscription Price: Free version plus plans starting from $5 /month
Platform: Android (3.4★) and iOS (3.0★)
Best Features: Creating mind maps and flow charts to display complex information
Does your brain stop braining when it comes to dissecting complex information? That’s the time you should open Coggle, one of the best study apps. The app helps you create an unlimited number of flow charts and mind maps despite the level of complexity. You can add floating texts and images to annotate maps. Also, you can make the best out of the in-built image and icon library to make the diagrams more visually appealing. Being one of the great studying apps for students, Coggle offers real-time information to allow multiple users to work on the same diagram.
Also, we've compiled an exclusive PDF featuring an additional 15 apps that can revolutionize your learning experience. Whether you're looking for productivity boosters, flashcard aids, or collaborative platforms, this bonus list has got you covered.
15. Duolingo
Subscription Price: Free, paid
Platform: Android (4.7★) & iOS (4.7★)
Best Features: Gamification of learning new languages
Duolingo is one of the best study apps for students learning a new language. This great app makes language practice fun with bite-sized lessons in the form of games. Earn points and level up as you master vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. Duolingo's delightful characters and visuals keep you motivated and coming back daily. Set daily goals to build an impressive streak. With courses in over 40 languages, it's an ideal app for students preparing for travel or academic requirements.
16. BYJU'S
Subscription Price: Plans start from $149.99 per year
Platforms: Android (4.0★) and iOS (4.5★)
Best Features: Informative videos, tests, and practice materials
One of the best study apps, no matter how challenging or boring, is BYJU'S. It is an online learning platform that offers in-depth videos and streamlines subject scripts for better learning. Additionally, one can have a one-on-one session with mentors to solve doubts. Students can learn at their own pace, get detailed explanations, and take practice tests. The effective study app's user-friendly interface and gamified approach make learning fun.
17. Khan Academy
Subscription Price: Free to use
Platforms: Android (4.3★) and iOS (4.5★)
Best Features: Online lessons in Maths, science, and humanities
Khan Academy is an e-learning system that has benefited learners from diverse academic backgrounds and levels. Unlike other platforms, most courses and lessons are free of cost and provide the utmost knowledge. Khan Academy specialises in teaching maths and science topics and has recently developed courses like programming language and economics. Needless to say, it is one of the best study apps for the minds of tomorrow!
So, this session, don't "cram" your phone with useless apps and download a few of these great study apps for students. If you need help studying and making the most out of your time, these proven tips on how to study effectively will help you. Along with the number one study app by your side, you can finish your syllabus more quickly and efficiently. Meanwhile, learn about the best skills for students to upgrade yourself and stay on top of your priorities. Just in case you are studying with full dedication to pursue your academic aspirations abroad, don't forget to book your student accommodation on the amber app on Android and iOS.