Notion (free Plus with a student email) to organise a degree, Obsidian for local notes, Google Docs, Drive and Calendar for collaboration, OneNote for handwriting, Todoist for tasks, Anki for spaced repetition, Zotero for references, Pomofocus for focus and Trello for group projects. Pick one notes app and one task app.
Tool-hopping is procrastination in disguise. Choose one notes app, one task list and one calendar, then stop changing them for a semester.
The 12 picks
Swipe or use the arrows.
Free; Plus free for eligible studentsNotion
Notes, databases, planners and shared wikis; free Plus plan with a student email.
Free for personal useObsidian
Markdown notes stored on your device with linking and plugins.
FreeGoogle Docs, Drive and Calendar
Collaborative documents, storage and time blocking.
FreeMicrosoft OneNote
Freeform notebooks with handwriting and audio.
Free planTodoist
Task lists with projects, due dates and recurring tasks.
Free on desktop and Android; paid iOS appAnki
Spaced-repetition flashcards.
FreeZotero
Reference manager with browser capture and citation export.
Free basic planGrammarly
Writing checks in the browser and documents.
Compare in a table
Show the full comparison table
| Tool | Best for | Free plan |
|---|---|---|
| Notion | Organising courses, projects and applications | Free; Plus free for eligible students |
| Obsidian | Linked study notes you own | Free for personal use |
| Google Docs, Drive and Calendar | Group assignments and scheduling | Free |
| Microsoft OneNote | Lecture notes on a tablet | Free |
| Todoist | Daily task management | Free plan |
| Anki | Memorising for exams | Free on desktop and Android; paid iOS app |
| Zotero | Research papers and reports | Free |
| Pomofocus | Focus sessions | Free |
| Trello | Team projects and hackathons | Free plan |
| Google Keep | Capturing ideas fast | Free |
| Grammarly | Cleaner emails and reports | Free basic plan |
| NotebookLM | Revision from your material | Free |
Get started this week
- Set up one notes app and one task list, no more.
- Do a weekly review every Sunday.
- Use Anki for anything you must recall in exams.
How to choose
- Capture everything in one inbox (Keep or Todoist) and process it daily.
- Keep a weekly review: calendar, tasks and one project goal.
- Use Anki for anything you must recall in exams; use Notion or Obsidian for understanding.
- Turn off notifications during Pomodoro sessions; the timer only works if you do.
Free plans change. Limits above were checked on 31 Oct 2026; confirm on each tool's pricing page before relying on them.
Frequently asked questions
Is Notion free for students?
Yes. The free plan works for anyone, and students with an eligible education email get the Plus plan free.
Notion or Obsidian for students?
Notion for planning and collaboration; Obsidian if you want fast, private, linked notes stored locally.
What is the best free app for exam revision?
Anki for spaced repetition and NotebookLM for asking questions over your own notes.
Which free tool is best for group projects?
Trello for tasks and Google Docs or Drive for shared work.
Learn this with mentors
Programmes for students and freshers with admissions open: live classes, mentors and project work.
