Best student software 2024

Looking for digital tools to complete assignments and projects? Explore our list of the best student software and find tools to make your student’s life easier.

Technology has changed students’ education approach. Many apps can help you complete assignments, gain or retain knowledge, and improve learning outcomes. Being a student, you can’t spend much on paid subscriptions, so we have compiled a list of the best free and affordable student software for studying.

1. Office pack for students: ONLYOFFICE

Perhaps the most necessary student software is an office suite, as students deal with texts, slides, reports, tests, etc.

ONLYOFFICE is an open-source project that includes editors for texts, spreadsheets, presentations, forms and PDF files. You can create reports, accumulate databases for research, and create informative slides for your project.

It is fully compatible with MS formats like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint and supports ODF formats. That’s why ONLYOFFICE is a free alternative to the paid Microsoft Office license.

• The Document Editor is ideal for writing essays, reports, and research papers with support for .docx, .pdf, and other formats. It includes collaboration tools like track changes and comments, perfect for group work and peer reviews, along with advanced formatting for academic writing.
• The Spreadsheet Editor helps to manage data, performing calculations, and analyzing statistics. It offers powerful functions, charts, and pivot tables, making it essential for tasks like budgeting, lab reports, or data analysis, for example, in economics and science.
• With the Presentation Editor students can create professional-looking slides for class presentations and group projects. With features like animations, transitions, and media embedding, it supports dynamic and visually engaging presentations, while offering real-time collaboration for team-based work.
• The ONLYOFFICE PDF Editor enables students to view, edit, and annotate PDFs, making it ideal for reviewing academic papers, textbooks, and lecture notes. In addition, it allows users to create interactive forms for surveys or questionnaires, which can be used for collecting data for research projects.

The editors’ functionality is extended with third-party services via plugins. Users can translate texts with Google translator and DeepL, generate bibliography with Zotero or Mendeley,  insert texts from YouTube, communicate via Telegram or Jitsi and more directly in the editors’ interface. Integrated AI assistant helps to quickly solve tasks related to content generation, translation, text and word analysis, image selection, and code construction.

ONLYOFFICE editors are available as free desktop applications for Windows, Linux, and macOS, offering native desktop applications for document creation and editing without the need for an internet connection. Students also can connect their Moodle accounts and edit documents stored in your Moodle platform right from the desktop app and use the all features that are available in your desktop suite, including local plugins, fonts, print service and spellchecker. Additionally, ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors integrates with cloud storage services such as kDrive, Liferay, Nextcloud, Dropbox, ownCloud means you can sync and access your work seamlessly across different environments.

For collaboration and group-based projects, ONLYOFFICE DocSpace is a powerful feature with free storage space. It allows students to create a shared workspace where they can invite collaborators to join a document space and work together on files. It supports collaborative document editing in real time, comments, hersion history, and built-in chat. This is particularly useful for long-term projects, such as research papers or presentations, where multiple people are contributing and sharing resources.

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2. AI Writing Assistant: ChatGPT

In 2024, AI tools like ChatGPT have become invaluable for students looking to enhance their academic writing, research, and overall learning experience. ChatGPT can assist with brainstorming ideas, explaining complex concepts, generating essay outlines, or even offering feedback on drafts. Whether you’re stuck on a particular topic or need help improving the clarity of your writing, ChatGPT provides instant, helpful responses. With its ability to answer questions across various subjects, it’s an excellent tool for homework assistance, project planning, and research guidance.

However, it’s important to use it responsibly, ensuring academic integrity by combining it with your own critical thinking and research efforts.

3. Bibliography generation: Zotero

The most essential student software that saves time is the Zotero service. It is free and open-source reference management software that aims to help students collect and save sources as they work. It will make working on essays and projects easier.

Zotero creates an online library for your various projects. With one click, you can add sources such as journal articles, websites, or e-books. Zotero will then automatically add in-text citations based on what you have gathered for that project and create a bibliography.

The software is available for Mac, Windows, Linux, and iOS.

4. Spell checker: Grammarly

One of the most popular student software for academic texts in English is Grammarly. You can use Grammarly, a free online writing assistant, to check your work for errors and typos.

Grammarly is an excellent application for students that improves writing quality by identifying and correcting errors related to spelling, vocabulary, and sentence structure.

It offers apps for mobile, tablets, and browser extensions. In addition, you also get other advanced correction tools such as plagiarism detection, vocabulary enhancement, and grammar help with a paid subscription.

5. Diagram building: Draw.io

Draw.io is an open-source diagramming app for students, that allows you to create a wide variety of diagrams: flow charts, mind maps, Venn diagrams, infographics, network and architecture diagrams, UML diagrams, and more.

The application is accessible from any web browser and can be used offline on Windows and Mac-based computers.

What’s more, Draw.io is available as a plugin for ONLYOFFICE editors to insert diagrams directly into your document.

6. Cloud service: Dropbox

The list of student software should include file storage space. Dropbox allows you to sync files between your devices and your cloud account. It supports all types of documents, from texts to audio and video files. It also has collaborative features such as link sharing, file previews, and file sharing. Other features include file backup, recovery, and version history.

The free version has 2 GB of storage capacity. This might work for students who only store documents and PDFs. But if you need more memory and features, you can always upgrade to premium plans. Dropbox Plus, which starts at $11.99 a month.

The ONLYOFFICE integration app provides Dropbox users with the ability to view and edit text documents, spreadsheets, presentations and fillable forms stored in their Dropbox account.

7. Video conferencing: Zoom

Among student software, Zoom is also highly popular. Zoom is a video conferencing service that lets you participate in virtual meetings and webinars. This is the most comprehensive student software anyone can get. It allows you to organize an online class or discussion with your teammates.

It offers a variety of tools to enhance meetings, such as screen sharing, reactions, virtual backgrounds, chat, and recording.

Zoom is free for 40-minute meetings with up to 100 participants and 3 editable whiteboards. The desktop app is available for Windows and macOS, while the mobile app is available for Android and iOS.

8. Image editor: GIMP

GIMP is open-source image creation software that is a free alternative to Adobe Photoshop.

GIMP offers a huge set of editing tools, allowing you to perform both simple and complex manipulations of your photos: tools (elements, colors), decoupage, alignment, outline drawing, motifs, styles, and more.

GIMP supports many file types, including JPEG, GIF, PNG, TIFF, and more. The application is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems.

9. Digital flashcards: Quizlet

Quizlet is student software that can help you adapt your study of any subject. You can create your own flashcards with dates or terms to learn them online or print them.

You can also choose from those uploaded by other students. Quizlet is available for iPhone, iPad, and Android Quizlet machines for free, which will help you get started studying anytime.

10. Graphique design: Canva

Canva is one of the best free online design tools with useful features even in the free version.

You can create graphics of any size for various purposes such as images, banners, manuals, design projects, and much more. The program contains thousands of free resources and is the best option for those who need graphics. If you need advanced features and additional templates, go for the paid version. The price for the paid version starts at $13 per month.

11. Audio editing: Audacity

Audacity is a free and open-source audio editing tool. It is easy to use and has many advanced features with recording capabilities. Audacity allows you to duplicate, cut, mix, and blend different sounds. In addition, Audacity offers noise reduction, voice suppression, and isolation features and supports working with multiple tracks simultaneously. The program provides real-time previews of audio effects.

This tool is great for students to record and edit the soundtrack to an audio or video movie. The program can be deployed on Windows, macOS, GNU/Linux, and other operating systems.

12. 3D modeling: SketchUp

SketchUp is a web-based program that allows you to create 3D models of any object. Although it is only a free version of SketchUp Pro, its features are enough for students who study design, engineering, or other technical subjects.

SketchUp’s basic 3D modeler runs right in your web browser. You can also access models created by users and manufacturers, making your models more relevant and realistic. The program supports the import of SKP, JPG, and PNG files and the export of SKP, PNG, and STL files. What’s more, the offer is complemented by 10GB of Trimble Connect cloud storage for easy sharing of projects with your team.

13. Mind mapping: Edrawmind

Edrawmind is an easy-to-use tool for creating mind maps for students. You can create maps, insert themes, pictures, links, draw interconnectivity lines, add notes, and more. To make it easier to get started, there is an option to choose an already prepared template from the library. The app offers ready-made templates, clip art, and vector charts.

You can also parse the map into individual components and automatically create presentation slides from them, then add backgrounds and notes and export them to a PPT file.

As a bonus, there are new features that include the use of artificial intelligence. It can be used to create Mind Maps, SWOT analysis, weekly reports, brainstorming, intelligent summaries, and copywriting in one click.

14. Study planning: iStudiez Pro

iStudiez Pro is one of the most essential student software for those who want to increase their productivity and keep everything in one place. This study planning app will help you organize your assignments and keep track of all your tasks. You can enter all the details from your study schedule into the app, detailing the dates of classes and exams.

This will help you make a schedule and stay organized. You can make a list of tasks and add the due date. Sort tasks by priority and due dates so you don’t miss deadlines.

How to choose student software

Student software solves many problems in education. Choosing the right study tools will help you be productive and efficient, as well as reduce the time it takes to complete some assignments. When choosing tools, pay attention to the popularity of the software. It provides more compatibility and helps complete projects together. Students also prefer free solutions or free versions with limited features. You should consider open-source solutions for student software if you choose such options.