Technology has made many aspects of life more convenient, and learning is no exception. With countless educational apps available, you can find support for nearly every area of your academic journey.
However, sorting through these apps to find the best ones can be both time-consuming and challenging. To make things easier, we’ve done the research for you and selected the top educational apps that are not only highly effective but also easy to use.
To streamline your search, we’ve categorized these apps into four main sections: “Tutoring & Test Prep,” “Homework Help,” “Note-Taking & Organization,” and “Independent Learning.” Here’s our curated list of the best educational apps for students.
TUTORING & TEST PREP
QUIZLET
With over 50 million students using it monthly, Quizlet is widely recognized for its virtual flashcards. Whether you’re studying biology, history, or any other subject, you can choose from millions of pre-made flashcards or create your own to share with study partners.
While traditional flashcards may seem outdated, Quizlet has refreshed and gamified the experience. You can still flip through flashcards, but the app also offers interactive options like “write,” “match,” and “test” modes to challenge yourself further.
Quizlet users can upgrade to Quizlet Go or Quizlet Plus for additional features. Quizlet Go allows offline access and removes ads, while Quizlet Plus offers progress tracking, the ability to add recorded audio and images, document scanning, and more.
Price: Free to download (upgrade to Quizlet Go for $2.99/month or Quizlet Plus for $3.99/month)
Available on: iOS & Android
Recommended for: Grade 6 and up
KHAN ACADEMY
The Khan Academy app is like having a personal tutor in your pocket. This free, user-friendly app provides thousands of interactive exercises, videos, and articles to help you master subjects like math, science, economics, finance, grammar, history, government, and more.
You can choose lessons manually or create a profile to personalize your learning experience. The video lessons feature a virtual chalkboard, simulating a classroom setting. You can stream these videos online or download them for offline study.
Khan Academy also offers comprehensive, personalized test prep for exams like the SAT, GMAT, LSAT, MCAT, NCLEX-RX, and AP exams.
Price: Free to download
Available on: iOS & Android
Recommended for: Grades K-12
MAGOOSH
Magoosh, a leading test prep company, offers both an ACT Flashcards app and an SAT Flashcards app. Created by admissions test experts, these apps are continuously updated to reflect the most current content on the ACT and SAT.
The flashcards focus on essential vocabulary and math concepts, using an algorithm that removes topics you’ve already mastered, allowing you to concentrate on areas where you need improvement. While these apps aren’t meant to be your sole study resource, they are excellent for supplementing your test prep routine.
Price: Free to download
Available on: iOS & Android
Recommended for: Grades 9-12
HOMEWORK HELP
SLADER
Slader provides step-by-step solutions to millions of homework problems from popular middle school, high school, and college textbooks. The app is user-friendly and easy to navigate—simply scan your textbook’s barcode or search for it by name, and you’ll gain access to solutions and explanations for each problem.
Slader’s basic High School option is completely free, but there are also paid upgrades available. The High School Plus and College Plus options remove ads and offer additional resources like one-sheeters for quick reviews.
Price: Free to download (upgrade to Slader High School Plus for $4/month or College Plus for $8/month)
Available on: iOS & Android
Recommended for: Grade 6 and up
CITATIONSY
Citationsy is a game-changer for students who dread creating bibliographies. This app simplifies citing sources, making the process nearly effortless.
To cite books, simply scan the barcode using your phone’s camera, and the app will generate a citation in APA, Chicago, Vancouver, or any other style you need. For websites, podcasts, videos, or online journals, just input the URL, and Citationsy does the rest.
The app is free to download, but the free version limits you to 20 references and five bibliographies. Upgrading to Citationsy Pro unlocks unlimited references, customizable bibliographies, and easy sharing.
Price: Free to download (upgrade to Citationsy Pro for $49/year)
Available on: iOS & Android
Recommended for: Grade 6 and up
GRADEPROOF
If writing isn’t your strong suit, the GradeProof app could be a helpful tool. Using AI, GradeProof analyzes your grammar, word choice, sentence structure, and originality to offer suggestions for improving the quality of your writing. Unlike autocorrect, it doesn’t automatically fix mistakes but provides thoughtful recommendations to help you improve.
The app’s core features are free, but upgrading to GradeProof Premium for $9.99 a month unlocks advanced grammar checks, a more comprehensive originality checker, and additional features.
Price: Free to download (upgrade to GradeProof Premium for $9.99/month)
Available on: iOS & Android
Recommended for: Grade 6 and up
PERIODIC TABLE
Developed by the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Periodic Table app offers far more than just a list of elements. By selecting an element, you can access detailed information, along with videos and podcasts featuring experiments related to that element.
The app is regularly updated with the latest periodic table data, making it a valuable resource for anyone from middle school students to AP chemistry learners. Despite its wealth of information, the app is designed to be user-friendly and easy to navigate.
Price: Free to download
Available on: iOS & Android
Recommended for: Grade 8 and up
PHOTOMATH
If you need extra help with math, Photomath is the perfect solution. This user-friendly app lets you take a photo of handwritten or printed math problems, and it provides detailed, step-by-step instructions to help you solve them.
The app is free to download and can be used without an internet connection. For an enhanced experience, you can upgrade to Photomath Plus, which offers an ad-free interface, AI tutorials to visualize each step, and definitions that explain the “how” and “why” behind the solutions.
Price: Free to download (upgrade to Photomath Plus for $2.99+/month)
Available on: iOS & Android
Recommended for: Grade 6 and up
WOLFRAMALFA
WolframAlpha harnesses advanced algorithms, a vast knowledge base, and AI technology to answer almost any question you can imagine. Whether you’re curious about math, physics, history, nutrition, finances, or countless other topics, WolframAlpha not only provides answers but also details how it arrived at them.
Price: $2.99 to download
Available on: iOS & Android
Recommended for: Grade 6 and up
NOTE-TAKING & ORGANIZATION
DUE
Due is a helpful daily reminder app designed to keep you organized with your academic and personal responsibilities. You can set daily or weekly reminders, just like in a planner, and the app will alert you before each task, ensuring you never forget. It conveniently syncs across all your Apple devices and adjusts automatically when you cross time zones.
Price: $6.99 to download
Available on: iOS
Recommended for: Grade 6 and up
MICROSOFT ONENOTE
If you’re looking for a free alternative to Evernote, Microsoft’s OneNote is an excellent choice. The app allows you to sync your notes across devices without any subscription fees and offers many features similar to Evernote. Users can easily embed images and documents into their notes, and the new virtual pen tool lets you handwrite and annotate notes while attending lectures.
Price: Free to download
Available on: iOS & Android
Recommended for: Grade 6 and up
EVERNOTE
Evernote is a versatile note-taking platform that enables you to create organized multimedia notes. You can type or write your notes, use drawing tools for annotations, and download or mark up documents and images.
One of the app’s standout features is its ability to let you take notes while recording audio simultaneously. This is especially useful in a classroom setting, allowing you to focus on what your teacher or professor is saying while capturing essential information.
The basic functions of the app are free, but you can upgrade to Evernote Premium for $7.99 a month. The premium option allows you to sync across all devices, enjoy 10 GB of uploads per month, and access your notebooks offline.
Price: Free to download (upgrade to Evernote Premium for $7.99/month)
Available on: iOS & Android
Recommended for: Grade 6 and up
MY STUDY LIFE
The days of traditional paper planners are behind us with My Study Life, an online schedule planner tailored for today’s students. Once you upload your schedule, the app syncs your data across all your devices and sends notifications about upcoming assignments, classes, exam dates, and more.
Price: Free to download
Available on: iOS & Android
Recommended for: Grade 6 and up
INDEPENDENT LEARNING
COURSERA
Whether you want to learn something new, enhance your skills, or boost your career potential, Coursera is a valuable resource. The Coursera app allows anyone with a smartphone to access college-level courses taught by professors and experts from top universities and companies, including Harvard, Stanford, Yale, Google, and IBM.
With an extensive library of over 3,900 courses, Coursera covers a wide range of topics, from Python programming to photography and music. You can watch lectures and complete assignments at your own pace. Upon successfully finishing certain specializations, you may qualify for degrees or certifications that can advance your professional career.
Price: Free to download (most courses can be audited for free)
Available on: iOS & Android
Recommended for: Grade 8 and up
DUOLINGO
Learning a new language can be challenging, but Duolingo simplifies the process. The app offers over 35 languages and makes language learning enjoyable through interactive activities and games.
Once you create a profile, you can choose to start from scratch or take a placement test to find the right lessons for you. While the app doesn’t currently allow for specific lesson plans, it serves as an excellent supplement to classroom learning.
Duolingo also has a paid option, which provides features like offline access, progress tracking, and an ad-free experience.
Price: Free to download (optional upgrade to Duolingo Plus for $6.99/month)
Available on: iOS & Android
Recommended for: Grade 6 and up
SOLOLEARN
Sololearn is an ideal app for both current and aspiring coders. Whether you’re a beginner or have some experience, you can take advantage of Sololearn’s extensive library of coding tutorials and assignments in languages like Java, JavaScript, Python, Swift, PHP, HTML, CSS, and more.
The app simplifies complex coding topics into manageable lessons, making it suitable for anyone looking to learn coding for fun or as a potential career path.
While the standard features are completely free, upgrading to Sololearn PRO unlocks personalized insights into your activities and progress, lets you see who has viewed your profile, connects you with nearby users, and removes ads.
Price: Free to download (optional upgrade to Sololearn PRO for $6.99/month)
Available on: iOS & Android
Recommended for: Grade 7 and up
CONCLUSION
In today’s digital age, educational apps have emerged as powerful tools for students to enhance their learning experience. By providing personalized learning experiences, engaging content, and convenient access to educational resources, educational apps have the potential to transform the way students learn and achieve their academic goals.
