The Best AI Tools for Students

Gemini Notebook is our top pick because it works the way studying should: from your own materials. Google says the tool’s advantage is being source-grounded, meaning it answers based on the documents you provide, which it says reduces the risk of AI errors and hallucinations. Upload your lecture notes, slides and readings, and you can ask questions about them, generate summaries, or have it build flashcards and quizzes for an exam. It can also create a podcast-style Audio Overview of your sources, useful for reviewing on a commute.

If you’ve used NotebookLM, nothing is lost. Google’s FAQ says NotebookLM became Gemini Notebook in July 2026, that it’s the same product, and that existing notebooks remain accessible on web and mobile.

The free Standard tier is generous for most students. Google’s help center lists 100 notebooks per user and up to 50 sources per notebook, free with a Gmail account. Google AI Plus raises that to 200 notebooks and 100 sources; Google AI Pro or a qualifying Workspace for Education license raises it to 500 notebooks and 300 sources. Google notes that these limits are subject to change.

ChatGPT’s study mode turns the chatbot into something closer to a tutor. OpenAI says it is available across ChatGPT plans globally on web, iOS and Android, and that instead of only giving a final answer it can ask questions, guide your thinking, explain ideas step by step and check your understanding. You can ask it to quiz you one question at a time, create practice questions or flashcard-style review, or explain why an answer is right or wrong.

It works with your materials, too: OpenAI lists class notes, a syllabus, worksheets, slides, textbook excerpts and photos of math or science problems as things you can upload. On the web, you turn it on by typing @study in the message box or by going to chatgpt.com/studymode. OpenAI’s help article reminds students to follow their school’s or instructor’s AI policies for graded work.

Eligible US college and graduate students can also claim OpenAI’s 2026 Back to School offer: four free monthly billing periods of ChatGPT Plus, verified through SheerID. It must be claimed by October 31, 2026, requires a payment method, and renews at $20 a month unless you cancel.

Gemini has its own tutor mode. Google’s help center says Gemini can act as a tutor using Guided Learning, visual aids and educational resources. You can add files or images, ask for practice questions with feedback and hints in multiple-choice or open-ended form, and request a diagram. Typing @OpenStax draws on OpenStax textbooks, though Google says that feature is available only in English, in the United States, and not to users under 18 or on school accounts.

Google’s US plans page lists Deep Research, image generation and Gemini Notebook on the free tier, with Google AI Plus at $4.99 a month and Google AI Pro at $19.99 a month. For eligible US college students aged 18 and older, Google’s student page offers AI Pro free for one year if redeemed by December 31, 2026. Google lists 4x higher Gemini usage limits, 5 TB of storage, personalized quizzes built from your notes, a performance tracker, study notebooks for each course and a learning plan generated from your uploaded materials.

Perplexity works like a search engine that writes answers and shows where they came from, which makes it a useful first step for research: you can open the sources, judge them and cite the ones that hold up. Perplexity’s help center says its Education Pro plan is offered to verified students and educators at a discount and includes everything in Pro, including Learn Mode, unlimited Pro Searches, file and image uploads and premium models, plus education-specific tips. Verification runs through SheerID; in the app, you choose Upgrade, switch to the Education plan and select “Verify as student.” Perplexity says Pro offers 10x as many citations per answer.

Khanmigo comes from Khan Academy, which describes itself as a donation-funded education nonprofit. Its site says that, unlike general chatbots, Khanmigo doesn’t just give answers but guides learners toward finding them, and that it can help students from elementary school through college in subjects including math, science, coding, history and the humanities.

It’s also the cheapest paid tool here: Khanmigo’s pricing page lists $4 a month or $44 a year for learners and families, before sales tax, and teacher tools are free. Parents can enable access for up to 10 children under 18 from one parent account.