The internet has transformed all aspects of our lives, including how we study. It gives us access to numerous resources and education for people who need help accessing it in physical mode. However, at the same time, it has also made concentrating more challenging.Â
With the constant temptation to switch from the relevant app to social media to see one more TikTok or scroll Instagram, most of us are distracted from our studies. But worry not, for we have a solution for these challenges, too!
From study tools that provide expert tutoring and notes to technology that improves focus and blocks distracting sites, we’ve covered them all in this article.Â
What Should You Look for in a Study Tool?
Here are the things you should look for in a study tool:
- User-friendly interface: Look for a tool with an intuitive and user-friendly interface. A tool that is easy to navigate will save time and reduce frustration
- Compatibility and accessibility: Ensure the tool is compatible with the devices and operating systems you use (e.g., Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android). It should also be accessible across multiple devices to allow for flexibility in your study environment
- Collaboration features: If you are a college student who often collaborates with others on projects or study groups, choose a tool that supports collaboration features such as real-time editing, commenting, and file sharing
- Note-taking capabilities: Look for a study tool that allows you to take organized and searchable notes, and it’s a bonus if it supports multimedia elements like images and audio recordings
- Learning resources: Some study tools have built-in learning resources, such as flashcards, quizzes, or pre-made study materials. Evaluate whether these resources align with your education
- Progress tracking: Look for tools that provide features for tracking your progress. This could include analytics, statistics, or visual representations of your achievements and areas for improvement.
15 Best Study Tools to Use in 2024
Here are the best online study tools you can use in 2024:
1. ClickUp
ClickUp is a powerful tool and project management solution that is useful for students, professionals, and businesses across the globe. Wondering how?Â
Use ClickUp for Students to manage your schedule, track your assignments and progress, take notes, collaborate with friends, use AI assistants, and more. You can integrate it with other tools like Google Docs, Slack, Zoom, and Clockify.
ClickUp best features
Kanban Board
Track your assignments, plan your schedules, and sync various tasks with your calendar. Change statuses and dates and organize your tasks by priority
ClickUp Docs enables you to take and manage your notes. Its advanced features can efficiently serve as an alternative to apps like Supernotes and Obsidian. You can embed additional resources in your notes to make them more relevant. You can also use ClickUp Notepad.Â
Sync with Google Calendar
ClickUp easily syncs with Google Calendar so that you can remember an important submission or test. You can easily add due dates and drag and drop items to your calendar.Â
ClickUp Chat
Collaborate for group projects with fellow students, assign tasks, keep all communication in one place, and more with ClickUp Chat.
ClickUp AI helps you summarize notes, prioritize revision tasks, and get help with creative tasks quickly and easily. Â
ClickUp Templates
ClickUp offers several student templates for a school or college student that help track progress, collaborate with others, and manage their schedules. These include:
- Rubric Templates like ClickUp Gradebook Template
- Time Studies Templates
- Notes template, like the ClickUp Cornell Notes template
ClickUp limitations
- Limited templates for students
- Steep learning curve
ClickUp pricing
- Free forever
- Unlimited: $7/month per user
- Business: $12/month per user
- Enterprise: Contact for pricing
- Access ClickUp Brain on all paid plans for $5 per Workspace
ClickUp ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.7/5 (9,200+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (3,900+ reviews)
2. Khan Academy
Khan Academy is another online study tool that offers a wide range of courses taught by experts. You can use the app to learn new skills, brush up on existing ones, prepare for a test, and more. It also lets you track your progress and learn at your own pace. What’s better is that it is entirely free.Â
Khan Academy best features
- Access reputed course material and resourcesÂ
- Track your progress
- Choose from a range of courses
- Learn at your pace
- Prepare for tests like the SAT, MCAT, and more
- Get AI tutoring
- Gamification for interactive and fun learning
Khan Academy limitations
- Some users have complained about the complicated user interface and lack of personalizationÂ
Khan Academy pricing
Free
Khan Academy ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.5/5 (170+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (25+ reviews)
3. Quizlet
Quizlet offers many helpful online study tools that make it essential to students’ lives. From interactive flashcards to comprehensive study resources, it makes education and learning fun.Â
It has over 250 million pre-made study sets. You can also create and share your flashcards with others for better collaboration.Â
Quizlet best features
- A wide range of subjects, including physics, French, and scienceÂ
- Enables progress tracking
- Allows you to convert your notes into personalized quizzes, tests, and flashcards
- Offers custom study routines, ad-free learning, and offline access in the premium versionÂ
- Allows easy integration with Google Classroom
- Provides AI tutoring and personalized help
Quizlet limitations
- Some content uploaded by users may be inaccurate
- Live tutoring is not availableÂ
Quizlet pricing
- Monthly: $6 per month
You can get a free 7-day trial on the annual plan.
Quizlet ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.5/5 (280+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.6/5 (100+ reviews)
4. Chegg Flashcards
Chegg has a huge repository of flashcards (over 500 million!) to help you study better and smarter. You can get flashcards for almost all subjects, whether religion or medicine. What’s more, you can easily create new flashcards if you do not find the ones relevant to you.Â
Chegg also offers homework solutions, grammar assistance, textbook explanations, AI-powered writing tools, and much more for students.Â
Chegg Flashcards best features
- Create your flashcards or use premade ones
- Access learning resources, including guides, step-by-step solutions, and more
- Use it as a focus app
- Get solutions verified by experts
Chegg Flashcards limitations
- Flashcards can have inaccurate informationÂ
Chegg Flashcards pricing
- Chegg Study: $14.95/month
- Chegg Study Pack: $19.95/month
- Chegg Math Solver: $9.95/month
- Chegg Writing: $9.95/month
Chegg Flashcards ratings and reviews
- G2: Not available
- Capterra: Not available
5. ChatGPT
ChatGPT is a relatively new study tool on the market. However, it is undoubtedly among the most popular ones. You can study complex concepts in easy-to-understand language, ask ChatGPT to summarize long essays, and much more. All you have to do is give a clear prompt to the tool, and it will immediately generate answers for you.Â
ChatGPT best features
- Help summarize long articles and essays
- Generate ideas for creative writing
- Explain difficult concepts in easy language and with examples
- Summarize class notes for quick understanding
- It helps in identifying language errors
- Provides multilingual support
ChatGPT limitations
- Some of the information provided can be inaccurate
- Can generate repetitive results
ChatGPT pricing
- Free
- Plus: $20 per user per month
- Team: $25 per user per month
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
ChatGPT ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.7/5 (400+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.6/5 (30+ reviews)
6. HippoCampus
HippoCampus is a free online study tool that improves your learning with videos, animations, simulations, course outlines, and other learning resources. These tools make it incredibly useful for visual learners. You can use it for 13 subjects, including natural science, English, arithmetic, and algebra.Â
HippoCampus best features
- Interactive live classes are available
- Access study material on the go
- Video material is available for 13 subjects
- Integrate with other learning platforms
HippoCampus limitations
- Some resources are not uniqueÂ
HippoCampus pricing
Free
HippoCampus ratings and reviews
- G2: NA
- Capterra: NA
7. Duolingo
If you are a language student, Duolingo is a must-have study tool. Quick, bite-sized lessons and personalized learning can make language learning fun and interactive.Â
But that’s not all Duolingo can teach! It can also help you learn phonics and math lessons. The best part is that the basic version is completely free!
Duolingo best features
- Offers many languages, including Spanish, Hindi, Greek, Hungarian, and more
- Provides bite-sized lessons for fun and interactive learning
- Enables reading, writing, speaking, and listening practice
- Personalized learning
- Provides features like streaks, achievements, leaderboards, and XPs to motivate learners
Duolingo limitations
- Some people have complained about frequent Super Duolingo ads
Duolingo pricing
- Free
- Super Duolingo: $6.99 per month
- Duolingo Business: $49.99 per year
*You can try Super Duolingo for free for two weeks.
Duolingo ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.5/5 (100+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (790+ reviews)
8. StudyStack
A fun study tool, StudyStack makes learning enjoyable and easy with its creative flashcards. It offers free study resources with millions of flashcards created by community members and the ability to help you create your own.Â
StudyStack has flashcards for various subjects, including business, medical, geography, science, and even standardized tests. You can play games created from your flashcards for more interactive learning.Â
StudyStack best features
- Make learning fun with gamified study activities like unscramble, matching games, crossword puzzles, and more
- Offers evaluation options like MCQs, direct tests, and quizzes
- Enables offline learning in the mobile app
- Develop and share your flashcards
StudyStack limitations
- Some cards may have inaccurate information
- Some users have complained about the ads on the app
StudyStack pricing
- Free
- StudyStack PRO: $10 per year
- StudyStack PRO Teacher: $20 per year
StudyStack ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.3/5 (20+ reviews)
- Capterra: Not enough reviews
9. Udemy
With over 210,000 online courses, Udemy is among the most popular online study tools for students. So, whether you want to learn Python or music, Udemy has a wide range of courses taught by experts. With these courses, you can also access quizzes, assignments, and forums. You can also track your unfinished tasks and progress.Â
Udemy best features
- A wide range of courses and categories are available
- Learn at your pace
- Get zero ads and offline access with the paid subscriptionÂ
- Available in over 60 languagesÂ
- Some courses offer lifetime access
- Get customized reminders to achieve your learning goals
Udemy limitations
- Some courses can be pricey
- Some do not offer feedback or discussion forums
Udemy pricing
- Personal Plan: ₹750 per month
- Buy individual courses and pay as you go
- Enterprise Plan
Udemy ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.5/5 (500+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.6/5 (100+ reviews)
10. Anki
Anki makes learning easy and quick by helping you develop and learn using flash cards. You can use it to support your learning, from studying how to play the guitar to studying for medical exams.Â
Anki uses spaced repetition and active learning to enhance your learning and help you remember concepts you may have trouble remembering. Â
Anki best features
- Allows synchronizing cards across multiple devices
- Can manage over 100,000 cardsÂ
- Offers many customization options
- Allows you to embed audio, videos, images, and scientific markup on your cardsÂ
- A wide range of add-ons are available
- It enables you to share your decks with other people
Anki limitations
- It has a steep learning curve
- Creating decks can be challenging
Anki pricing
Free
Anki ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.7/5 (30 reviews)
- Capterra: 4.6/5 (20+ reviews)
11. Course Hero
Made to help all students graduate with confidence, Course Hero is an online learning platform with over 30 million study materials and resources. It also has over 200,000 educators who develop quizzes, lecture notes, and other learning materials.Â
You can find materials related to various subjects on Course Hero, from homework solutions to study guides and textbook solutions. You can also take expert advice and have one-on-one sessions with the educators.Â
Course Hero best features
- Access study material and resources for various courses and colleges
- Offers AI-powered homework help that provides instant answers and explanations
- Get 24/7 personalized tutor support
- Hone your knowledge with a library of practice problemsÂ
- Offers AI tools like spell checker, grammar checker, and paraphrasing tool
- Use the AI-powered Flashcard Maker for a personalized learning experience
Course Hero limitations
- It does not offer multilingual support
- Some users have complained about frequent ads
- Progress tracking is not available
Course Hero pricing
- Free
- Premier Membership
- Monthly: $39.99 per month
- Quarterly: $19.95 per month
- Annually: $9.95 per month
Course Hero ratings and reviews
- G2: Not enough reviews
- Capterra: 3.4/5 (30+ reviews)
12. Google Scholar
Google Scholar is a free search engine that lets you efficiently find and research scholarly literature. It provides a simple and efficient way for researchers, academics, college students, and anyone interested in scholarly work to discover and access academic articles, conference papers, theses, books, and patents.Â
Google Scholar best features
- Search scholarly literature from one place
- User-friendly interface that allows you to find content using keywords, author names, or publication titles
- Offers citation counts for articles
- Allows you to set up email alerts for specific keywordsÂ
Google Scholar limitations
- Some people have criticized it for ranking articles based on citationsÂ
- Some material is not available for free
Google Scholar pricing
Free
Google Scholar ratings and reviews
- G2: NA
- Capterra: NA
13. Grammarly
Good writing skills go a long way in ensuring good grades in school and college, especially if your course is more theoretical. Grammarly helps you ensure that your articles are well-written and presentable.Â
Whether spelling, grammar, delivery mistakes, clarity, plagiarism, punctuation, or engagement, Grammarly assesses your text and gives you a clear explanation and suggestions to improve your writing.Â
According to Grammarly, 94% of students improved their grades with Grammarly Premium. You can easily add the Grammarly extension to your browser to check your writing. It also works with Windows, Chrome, iPhone, iPad, and Android.Â
Grammarly best features
- Offers AI-enabled writing assistance for better writing
- Provides real-time guidance and feedback to improve writingÂ
- Gives suggestions for improving clarity and tone
- Checks for plagiarismÂ
- Get fully formatted citations from online sources
- Proofreads your text
- Available in more than 5 lakh applications
Grammarly limitations
- Only supports English
- Offers limited suggestions in the free version
Grammarly pricing
- Free
- Premium: $12 per month
- Business: $15 per member per month
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
Grammarly ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.7/5 (5,700+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.8/5 (6,900+ reviews)
14. Forest
The Forest app is perfect for people who get distracted and spend time on their phones but love trees. With this app, you can build a thriving forest (albeit virtual) each time you focus on your work. How? The idea is simple.Â
Add the time you want to stay focused, and the app will plant a tree during that time. If you leave the app before the time is up, your tree will die. If you, however, stay focused, you can slowly build a vibrant forest. Â
Forest plants real trees if you spend the virtual coins you earn using the app.Â
Forest best features
- Set a timer to focus during a specific period
- Grow different types of trees and get a visual representation of your forest
- Get an insightful overview of your focus time
- Access detailed statistics to manage your timeÂ
- Share with your friends and focus together
- Plant real trees and be more eco-friendly
Forest limitations
- Does not have a pause button
- Some users complained about the limited number of free trees
Forest pricing
- Free
- Pro: $4.22Â
Forest ratings and reviews
- G2: Not availableÂ
- Capterra: Not available
15. BlockSite
Most of our learning today takes place online. However, the easy accessibility of your favorite website and social media can quickly distract you from your studies. This is where BlockSite helps. With BlockSite, you can block the sites and apps you find distracting.
You can also turn on Focus Mode during a specified period, preventing distractions. This will help you increase productivity, better manage your time, and complete your studies quicker than ever.
BlockSite best features
- Block apps and sites and sync them across multiple platforms
- Add a schedule to block distractions during specific hours
- Get detailed insights about your browsing trendsÂ
- Use a one-click block to block websites or apps by category or keywords
- Get automatically redirected to a custom block page if you open a blocked site/app
- Enable password protection to change your settings
- Prevent uninstalling BlockSite easily
- Supports Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, and Mozilla Firefox
BlockSite limitations
- The free plan only allows six blocked websites
- Blocked websites are not blocked in incognito mode
BlockSite pricing
- Free
- Paid Plan: $10.99 per month
BlockSite ratings and reviews
- G2: Not available
- Capterra: Not available
Enlist the Power of the Right Tool to Your Study Sessions
There you go! With these 15 study tools, you can supercharge your study sessions and finish more in less time. Of course, use the tools that best match your requirements. For example, apps like Forest and BlockSite may be useful if you have trouble focusing. If you best learn with flashcards, StudyStack will not disappoint.
While you can use several apps, using one app to help you manage all aspects of your learning will prevent confusion and constant switching. ClickUp is an all-in-one project management tool that is incredibly useful for students. You can leverage features like ClickUp Docs, AI, note templates, etc. Try ClickUp for free today!