Best Productivity Apps For Students: The Ultimate Guide 

Students need more study material in order to study in this academic world. Due to thousands of assignments, projects, deadlines, exams, and many more, it’s easy to get lost in chaos.

Is there any platform for students to manage all this stuff? Yes absolutely! Thanks to these amazing, best productivity apps, students will get effective results.

However, these apps allow students to manage time efficiently, stay focused, and fulfill all their future goals. We’ll optimize you with many of the best productivity apps in your pocket at affordable prices, fast, user-friendly, and more advanced features.

So, Here’s a rundown of the best free productivity apps for students that’ll help manage your precious time, complete tasks, and build like a champion.

Todoist

App type: Task and Project management

Compatibility: iOS, Mac, iPad, Android, Windows

If you’re looking for the best to do list app for students, here it is! The most popular and the best app for students’ productivity is “Todoist.” The app offers instant task organization tools, which allow you to set priorities and track your overall progress.

Todoist allows a simple, easy, and user-friendly interface with unique features, making this app one of the top-rated and best productivity apps for students.

What’s unique about Todoist? Students create tasks within a minute that are as simple as sending a text. Just do these easy steps, including clicking on the “ + “ button, entering your task name, adding priorities, setting deadlines, and adding reminders.

We’ll surely say that Todoist never leaves you dissatisfied!

Key Features:

• The app also integrates with Dropbox, Google Drive, and Google Calendar.
• It allows students to add hyperlinks and format texts in different styles/ fonts, including titles.
• Provide location-based reminders

Pros and Cons of Todoist

Pros:

• It gives cross-platform availability and works on multiple platforms i.e., (Windows, ios, android)
• The app allows collaboration with other team members

Cons:

• Such advanced features are only shown in premium versions like task reminders, calendars, etc.
• Not accessible a large number of features in free versions may be a drawback for some users.

Upbase

App type: Task and Project management

Compatibility: ios, web, Android

This is yet the best free productivity app for students because of its free all-in-one project management tools. Due to its free services, the app offers a variety of advanced features that every student feels satisfied with.

Upbase is the best study productivity app, which can handle all your burdens, including notes, assignments, projects, documents, PPTs, and more. Its free version feels relaxed and stress-free.

More exciting, Upbase offers low-cost premium settings that give extra benefits to your academic life. Its perfect task management, collaboration, and data organization tools blend with creativity and productive study methods. Must try Upbase!

Key Features:

• The app allows the best Project management and collaborations and lets you organize tasks, files, docs, etc.
• The app is an all-in-one workplace with real-time collaboration tools, including assignees, comments, file sharing, etc.
• Upbase integrates with Google Docs, Google Drive, Google Slides, etc.
• Aligned tasks properly in listicle format, start and due dates, priorities, and fonts.
• It offers a notepad option, which helps to create quick notes.

Pros and Cons of Upbase

Pros:

• It has simple, aesthetic, and clean interfaces, which leads to enhanced user experiences and makes tasks enjoyable.
• Customizable filter options are also available.
• It offers affordable pricing plans with unique features.

Cons:

• This app is relatively new, so it needs advanced features compared to other apps.
• Upbase may not allow this app in multiple or mobile applications.
• It has limited user-generated resources and tutorials allowed because of its newer presence.

Evernote

App Type: Note-taking

Compatibility: Android, iOS, MacOS, windows, web browser

The next app is Evernote! This is one of the most powerful and best productivity apps for students. It is known as one of the note-taking apps that enhance various features that will allow students to make the most of their university learning.

Evernote also has some basic features, such as digital notebooks where students can recreate texts from images, create to-do lists, scan physical documents, save articles and images, etc.

We’ll say Evernote is the best choice for you! Through mobile phones, students can even search for their notes and tag them easily so they will never lose precious work that has been done before. So, the best app for MacBook students is Evernote. Go and install it now!

Key features:

• The app allows a diverse range of note-taking, including sketches, audio recordings, texts, images, and more.
• Gives access to powerful search functionality.
• It will enable easy ways to save web pages, articles, and PDFs directly to Evernote.
• Evernote has offline capabilities, especially for premium students.
• Allows multiple device sync facilities but in a limited manner.

Pros and Cons of Evernote

Pros:

• Allows strong search functionality within notes, texts, and PDFs.
• Evernote also gives collaboration capabilities in real time.

Cons:

• It offers a limited free version (limited to two devices), which could be better for students.
• Premium versions can be relatively expensive compared to competitors.
• The app works slowly, but there are better-performance apps for students.

Trello

App Type: Task and Project Management

Compatibility: Android, iOS, Web, Windows

Here is the app that gives cool and visually friendly functions, especially for those who want this type of aesthetic productivity app.

The app helps students effectively by giving them an amazing academic experience. Allows students to break down their projects and tasks into manageable pieces.

Students feel more satisfied with Trello’s board, lists, and card functions. When the projects start progressing, effortlessly move task cards from one list to another, accessing an amazing view for tracking progress.

The best part? Trello allows students to set due dates, assign tasks to someone, or attach files easily. Also, it enhances and sets up automation for repetitive tasks.

Key Features:

• The most powerful feature is Boards, lists, and cards, which organize and manage tasks visually via boards (projects), lists (stages), and cards (tasks).
• Allows customizable options, colors, fonts, labels, etc.
• Directly attach files, images, and links to cards for easy access to particular resources.
• Trello also allows cross-platform availability on the web, desktops, and smartphones.

Pros and Cons of Trello

Pros:

• Collaborate with team members by adding comments and mentioning others in card discussions.
• It also offers a power-up mode to enhance functionality with integrations and add one like calendar, slack, google Drive, and more.
• Provide automation facilities with custom rules, commands, and scheduled tasks.

Cons:

• Lack of limited advanced features like Gantt charts, time tracking, detailed reporting, etc.
• Students feel distracted because too many notifications occur.
• Expensive paid versions, as some features like butler automation are restricted to paid plans.

Google Calendar

App Type: For scheduling purposes

Compatibility: iOS, Android, Web

Do you only prefer Google products? So, yes, this platform is best for you!

Google Calendar is top-rated and has become the first choice for students and all individuals. It already integrates big functionality tools to improve students’ experiences.

It is the best productivity app for students, yet it easily accesses scheduled meetings, makes to-do lists, and stays updated. The best to-do list app for students makes them feel stress-free, satisfied, and happy.

The app allows you to create multiple calendars for different life areas, set up notifications, customize your calendar (How it looks), and, most importantly, collaborate. Go and check it out now!

Key Features:

• It’s free to use.
• Accessible for creating to-do lists and organizing meetings based on your schedule.
• Simple, clean, user-friendly interfaces let students manage events in a snap.
• This platform works professionally and provides multiple and private calendars.

Pros and Cons of Google Calendar

Pros:

• Provides customizable options like fonts, color codes, and more.
• The app also allows location-based reminders and puts up notifications.
• Google Calendar offers multiple views functionality (day, week, month, year) for flexible planning.

Cons:

• Lack of advanced features found in competitive productivity apps.
• Due to other Google products, there may be concerns about data privacy.
• The app has offline access limitations, needs proper functionality, and requires an internet connection.

Habitica

App Type: Gaming experience

Compatibility: Desktop, iOS, Android, MacOS, Linux

Habitica is the perfect option! Why? The app gives gamify experience to boost productivity.

The innovative and most effective app helps transform your to-do list into a game. Yet the best productivity android productivity apps for students.

This is one of the most fun, enjoyable, and amazing apps that can help students manage their tasks productively. I must say Habitica can’t overwhelm you!

Key features:

• It uses gaming elements to make more fun and enhance tasks in a more fun way.
• Track habits, daily tasks, and to-do lists in separate sections.
• It follows social features as well, including guilds, parties, and collaborations.
• Encourage consistency by rewarding students for optimizing regular streaks in their habits.
• Allows customization options, as users can set difficulty levels based on their tasks.

Pros and Cons of Habitica

Pros:

• The app is free to use.
• Allow various social features, guilds, and parties for social accountability and cooperative challenges.
• Rewards systems enhance consistent habit formation and task management.

Cons:

• Habitica offers an outdated interface that feels boring to some users.
• Lack of advanced features and simplistic task management.
• Non-professionals may need help understanding all learning curves and game mechanics.

Forest App

App type: Study and focus

Compatibility: iPad, Android, Web,

Did you face a lot of distractions while studying? But the problem is solved now, the forest helps you to stay on track by allowing you to plant a virtual tree.

The app is mainly for students who want to study very focused and dedicatedly. Forest apps that help you concentrate while studying and encourage you to stay off mobile phones by growing a tree that thrives the longer you concentrate.

It is one of the best productive study apps that help cultivate discipline in a more enjoyable and rewarding way. Its powerful virtual reminders allow you to stay updated.

Moreover, as you grow your virtual forest, you can plant real trees through their collaborations and partnerships. What are you waiting for? Start your virtual planting now!

Key features:

• It allows simple timer features and is easy to use for students to stay focused.
• Students also have access to earn virtual coins, which can be redeemed to plant real trees through partnerships with other institutes like Trees for the Future.
• The forest app allows deep focus mode functionality, which will enable users to lock their devices and avoid distractions.
• It also offers cross-platform syncing facilities, including iOS, Android, and Chrome.

Pros and Cons of Forest App

Pros:

• Focusing on the visual representation of productivity due to virtual trees.
• It also gives a detailed statistical tracking system.
• Have access to customizable opinions.

Cons:

• The app is paid on some platforms, and other features may require in-app purchases.
• Focus on the limited functionality.
• The lack of an integration system does not connect with other productivity tools or calendars.

Slack

App Type: Communication & Collaboration

Compatibility: iOS, Android, Macbook, Web

Slack is the best productivity app for students who prefer staying connected through messaging. The app offers clear communication and collaboration tools for project management.

Also, it allows you to make channels, shoot messages back and forth, send files, and team up on assignments/tasks.

And the best thing is that Slack isn’t just focused on communication or chatting; it also allows for a basic to-do list feature. It gives the option to create checklists, set reminders, and also have access to assign checklist items to others within messages.

Lastly, Slack integrates and connects with other productivity apps, assisting you in making it easy to stay organized, concentrated, and updated on your work.

Key Features:

• The app makes remote work easier for students who want to work at home by creating multiple channels, sending direct messages, and adding people within.
• Allows reminder settings to remember to attend important meetings and get notifications on any messages.
• The app allows voice and video calls and availability to take updates from other team members.
• The app allows you to work effectively by integrating multiple devices like Google, HubSpot, Asana, Todoist, etc.
• Slack also allows you to add a description for each channel.
• Finally, its powerful search and filtering settings are the most reliable.

Pros and Cons of Slack

Pros:

• It allows you to create different channels for specific topics, projects, or departments.
• It also has access to file-sharing systems, images, and important documents.
• The app also focuses on customization features as well.
• It offers custom emojis and reactions for more fun.

Cons:

• The constant messaging and notifications sometimes become overwhelming.
• Some advanced features are inexpensive paid versions or need more features for free.
• It has limited offline access functionality.
• The app has privacy concerns as well.

Google Drive

App Type: File Management and Cloud storage services

Compatibility: macOS, Android, iOS, Linux

Are you facing a lot of space issues? Google Drive is the perfect fit for you! The app offers essential features for students who want to save documents, collaborate on projects, and read files from anywhere.

Google Drive is one of the best productivity platforms for students. It offers project management tools and a seamless integration facility with other Google apps.

The app is free yet the best iPad Pro app for students. It allows a high range of storage facilities to save all your academic tasks and projects.

Collaboration is a breeze, too. You can easily work on any documents together in real time, creating group projects in a more versatile way.

Key features:

• Google Drive has a higher range of storage capabilities. Maximum 15 GB of free storage.
• The app is connected with other Google productivity apps, Docs, Sheets, and Slides.
• Students can easily access files starting from the cloud, and there is no need to download them first.
• It also offers a wide range of collaboration tools, including chatting with other team members.

Pros and Cons of Google Drive

Pros:

• Allows offline accessibility.
• Make personal folders
• Accessible to view, edit, or comment on the files.
• Allows file sharing with links, PDFs, docs, etc.
• Preview all important files and documents both online and offline.

Cons:

• Lack of advanced features required
• Access optimal performance requires an internet connection
• Managing a large number of files sometimes becomes stressful.

Mendeley

App Type: Reading and Research apps

Compatibility: Android, Mac, Linux, Windows

Well, Mendeley is free to use. It has stunning and most effective features for students. It offers time-saving, managing your references, and flexibility.

Secondly, Mendeley is an app that offers a wide range of cross-platform compatibility. It can fetch PDFs automatically, do the heavy lifting, and create your own based on your references.

Moreover, its exclusive features provide vibrant experiences for students, and this is another of the best student management software.

Key Features:

• Users can store, organize, and manage references and research papers.
• Students also highlight, add notes, and mark up PDFs in the app.
• The app automatically creates citations and bibliography in multiple styles.
• Allows cross-platform syncing functionalities.
• Mendeley offers exclusive search with a vast library of academic papers and articles.
• The exceptional feature is it integrates with Microsoft Word and LibreOffice.

Pros and Cons of Mendeley

Pros:

• Easy to use, user-friendly interface, and accessible for all new and professional students.
• Allows an effective collaborative environment.
• The app allows automated citation management.

Cons:

• Free storage is capped. Needing a paid subscription for more space.
• Some students need help with syncing problems between multiple devices.
• Students may worry about data privacy and sharing.

RescueTime

App Type: Time tracking software

If you want to understand how time is used, then RescueTime becomes an indispensable application.

The application tracks digital activities and gives insight into productivity patterns. It falls within one of the best applications for students who want to minimize distractions and maximize study time.

We’ll surely say it’s perfect for saving time and tracking students. Download right away!

Key features:

• It tracks time for applications, websites, and other activities without requiring any manual entry.
• Allowing students to set multiple devices supports functionality.
• It allows task-keeping features, tracks the maximum time spent on other apps, and notifies you when you spend more time on an app.
• Automatically blocking unwanted websites that might distract students, builds focus while studying.
• The app also shows weekly goals reports for viewing progress and productivity.
• Rescue time offers focus session tools to avoid distracting sites and build concentration.

Pros and Cons of RescueTime

Pros:

• Allow customization categories, and students can label different activities based on their academic goals.
• It also provides weekly summary reports to take up and stay up to date.
• The app also prefers a privacy control system.

Cons:

• The app lacks features in the free version and requires a paid subscription to grab other impressive features.
• A huge amount of data sometimes takes time to read properly.
• The excessive usage of batteries in mobile apps
• We need to manage manual categorization or adjust it.

Tide – Sleep & Meditation

App Type: Sleep, Meditation and Focus

Compatibility: Android, iOS

The Tide is a concentration app that incorporates focus timers with ambient sounds. From studying to working and then meditation, this application helps one to enhance focus on anything with a wide variety of soundscapes.

It is amongst the best productivity apps for students using Android and iOS operating systems, helping one create a cool environment for study.

Combines focus timer and meditation features in one holistic approach to productivity and well-being. A selection of natural sounds can be used to create a disinhibiting environment.

It is ideal for individuals needing to improve their focus and productivity and those needing meditation training.

Key Features:

• It has a free version with premium features included in the subscription called Tide Plus.
• Tide is an integrated productivity application that includes sleep, focus, meditation, and relaxation.
• Rain, waves, and all types of soothing sounds are included in this app.
• It helps you create a comfortable environment to keep your attention and help you relax.
• The Tides offer meditation guided and fit for any busy schedule in your morning routine, during lunch, or before bed to minimize stress and increase mindfulness.

Premium Features: Additional features include access to a bigger library of nature sounds, daily themed meditations, and more with Tide Plus.

Pros and Cons of Tide

Pros:

• Provides relaxation soundscapes and meditations that can help reduce stress and improve sleep.
• The minimalistic and nice design enriches user interaction.
• It offers a custom setting of focus and break intervals.
• Indicates focus patterns over time and changes in productivity.

Cons:

• This app contains ads that may be removed with a premium subscription.
• Free content is limited.
• There is no task management.
• It is designed strictly for timing and ambient sounds.
• Sound continuous playback may quickly drain the battery.

Conclusion: Choosing the Right Apps for Your Needs

Fundamentally, the great productivity apps for students tailor features to help one manage time effectively, keep focused, and reach academic goals. From overcoming distractions and a general lack of motivation to help with effective note-taking and collaboration, an app exists to meet your needs. These applications can help students regulate their time and habits in such a way that it will enable them to enjoy better performance in academics with a healthy work-life balance. Why not try these productivity apps and experience how they’ll make your student life easier?

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