The best study and note-taking apps for students (2026)
Updated September 2026 · 9 apps · by the Student App Centre team
Lectures, reading lists and revision notes pile up quickly. The right study apps keep everything in one searchable place, let you annotate PDFs as you read and make revision far less painful.
These are the note-taking, PDF and research tools students claim most on Student App Centre, each with a student discount.
Get voice transcripts, smart summaries and tailored notes from this AI note taking app now.
Student discount: $20 Off for Student App Centre members · 80+ students have claimed it. Get the AI Notebook student discount →
SideNotes is a note-taking app for MacOS that looks like folder-organized sticky notes on the side of your display.
Student discount: 45% Off for Student App Centre members · 1,900+ students have claimed it. Get the SideNotes student discount →
An innovative AI-powered tool, can take your written PDF content and breathe life into it with automatic video generation.
Student discount: 50% Off for Student App Centre members · 70+ students have claimed it. Get the Brainy Docs student discount →
AI-powered tools and apps for working with texts, homework, and research
Student discount: 20% Off for Student App Centre members. Get the AHelp student discount →
Have exactly 5 notes which enforces you to prioritize information and keep notes clean.
Student discount: 30% Off for Student App Centre members · 130+ students have claimed it. Get the FiveNotes 3 student discount →
UPDF represents an economical, efficient, pleasing, and swift PDF editor across desktop, mobile, and Cloud platforms.
Student discount: 10% Off for Student App Centre members · 60+ students have claimed it. Get the UPDF student discount →
Noty.ai, an AI-powered platform designed to transform the way students approach their studies.
Student discount: 90% Off for Student App Centre members · 300+ students have claimed it. Get the Noty.ai student discount →
PDFLiner is an online PDF editor that helps users from all over the world to ease their paperwork, allowing you to edit all kinds of PDF documents.
Student discount: 20% Off for Student App Centre members · 50+ students have claimed it. Get the PDFLiner student discount →
Note SLAYER is the ultimate note-taking and task management app.
Student discount: 35% Off for Student App Centre members · 60+ students have claimed it. Get the Note SLAYER student discount →
How we chose these apps
We picked apps from our Study & Notes category, ranked by how often students view and claim them on Student App Centre, and kept those with a current discount.
Get every discount in this guide with one membership. Try it free for 7 days.
Start your 7-day free trialFrequently asked questions
What is the best note-taking app for university?
It depends on how you work. If you mainly read and annotate PDFs, choose a PDF app; if you write lots of notes and link ideas together, a note-taking or research app suits better. The apps above are the ones students choose most.
Can I annotate lecture slides and PDFs on a Mac?
Yes. Several apps in this guide let you highlight, comment on and search PDFs, which works well for lecture slides and journal articles.
Do I need a student email address?
No. Join with any email address. Membership unlocks every discount on the site.
How much does membership cost?
The first 7 days are free, then it's US$20 / year, billed once a year. Cancel anytime from your account before the trial ends and you won't be charged.
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