Last updated: 22 September 2026
Free tiers only — nothing here needs a credit card to start, and nothing here is a cracked or pirated copy of a paid tool.
For research and reading
1. NotebookLM (Google) — Upload your lecture PDFs or readings and ask questions against just those documents. Free with a Google account.
2. Semantic Scholar — Search and summarise academic papers, with a “TL;DR” auto-summary on most results.
3. Elicit — Pulls and summarises findings across multiple papers for a research question. Free tier covers a reasonable number of searches a month.
For writing
4. Claude or ChatGPT free tier — Good for outlining an assignment or getting feedback on a paragraph’s clarity. Not for submitting AI-written work as your own.
5. Grammarly free tier — Catches grammar and clarity issues as you type.
6. Hemingway Editor — Flags overly complex sentences and passive voice.
For coding and technical work
7. GitHub Copilot (free for students via GitHub Student Developer Pack) — Code completion inside your editor.
8. Replit — Write and run code in the browser with no local setup.
9. Wolfram Alpha — Free step-by-step solutions to calculus, linear algebra and statistics problems.
For studying and revision
10. Quizlet (free tier) — Turn your own notes into flashcards.
11. Anki — Free, open-source spaced-repetition flashcards.
12. NotebookLM audio overview — Turns a set of readings into a short discussion-style audio summary.
Keeping track of grades too? Our free CGPA Calculator works out your semester GPA on the standard 4.0 scale — no sign-up, nothing saved.
A note on using AI for assignments
Universities differ on what counts as acceptable AI use. Check your specific course’s policy before using any of the writing tools above on graded work, and when in doubt, ask your instructor directly.
What to skip
Avoid tools that ask for your university email and password together rather than a standard login. Skip anything advertised as an “AI essay writer” promising fully original, undetectable submissions — beyond the integrity problem, most are unreliable.
Skillzmania checks free tiers periodically, but providers change pricing without notice — if something above now requires payment, tell us.