Piotr Olszewski · updated October 12, 2026If you study from your own materials (notes, lecture slides, a textbook PDF), Google's NotebookLM - now running under the Gemini Notebook name - comes out on top: it answers based on the files you upload and turns them into audio overviews, mind maps and quizzes. For understanding a new topic step by step, ChatGPT's Study mode is the best choice, because instead of handing you the answer it asks you questions. For math there's Photomath and Wolfram|Alpha, and for flashcard review, Quizlet or the free Knowt.
The most important rule in this guide: AI should help you understand, not do the work for you. At the end you'll find the mistakes that most often get students into trouble.
Quick picks
- Best overall: NotebookLM / Gemini Notebook - studying from your own materials, with answers linked back to the source.
- Best free: ChatGPT with Study mode and Knowt (free flashcards with no set limit).
- Best for long readings: Claude - explains concepts at different levels and handles whole textbook chapters.
- Cheapest paid: Khanmigo at $4 a month.
Comparison table
| Tool | Starting price | Free plan | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| NotebookLM / Gemini Notebook | $0; higher limits with Google AI plans | yes | studying from your own notes and PDFs |
| ChatGPT (Study mode) | $0 | yes | explaining topics step by step |
| Khanmigo | $4/mo | free for teachers | AI tutor for math and more |
| Quizlet | $0, paid Plus | yes | flashcards and practice tests |
| Knowt | $0, Ultra $12.99/mo billed yearly | yes | free Quizlet alternative |
| Perplexity | $0 | yes | finding sources with citations |
| Photomath | $0, Plus $9.99/mo | yes | math problems from a photo |
| Wolfram/Alpha | $0, Pro for students | yes | calculations, graphs, step by step |
| Gemini | $0, paid Google AI plans | yes | chat, working with Google files |
| Claude | $0, Pro $20/mo | yes | long texts, explaining concepts |
NotebookLM (Gemini Notebook)
NotebookLM is Google's tool for working with your own sources. You upload a lecture PDF, notes, a YouTube link or a Drive document, and the model answers only on that basis and shows which passage it took the answer from. It also creates audio overviews (two AI hosts discussing your material), video overviews, mind maps, flashcards and quizzes. The old notebooklm.google address now redirects to notebook.google, and in Google One pricing the tool appears as Gemini Notebook.
- Who it's for: students before exams, high schoolers with lots of material to review, anyone with their own notes.
- Price: the basic version is free with a Google account. Higher Gemini Notebook limits come with paid Google AI plans (AI Plus, AI Pro); prices vary by country, so check the Google One plans page for yours. Google also advertises student offers in some countries.
- Downsides: Google's paid plans require you to be 18 or older, and the exact limits of the free version (number of notebooks and sources) weren't described on the page I checked.
ChatGPT Study mode
Study mode is a ChatGPT mode in which the model doesn't give you the answer straight away - it guides you with questions, checks what you already understand and breaks the topic into pieces. OpenAI launched it in 2025, including on the free plan. You turn it on from the tools menu next to the message box. For studying, that's a huge difference: a regular chat will solve the problem for you, Study mode makes you solve it.
- Who it's for: students who want to understand a topic, not just get the answer.
- Price: the free plan is enough for Study mode. OpenAI's pricing page blocked automated reading in October 2026, so check current paid plan prices in the app.
- Downsides: the model can get calculations and facts wrong, and it's easy to forget to switch Study mode on and just get a finished answer. Always check the result.
Khanmigo
Khanmigo is an AI tutor from the nonprofit Khan Academy, connected to its library of lessons in math, science, humanities and computing. By design it doesn't give answers - it nudges you with questions. For teachers it's free (lesson plans, rubrics, check-for-understanding questions).
- Who it's for: students, parents looking for a safe tutor, and teachers.
- Price: per the pricing page, $4 a month or $44 a year for a learner or family; free for teachers.
- Downsides: content is in English and built around Khan Academy's curriculum, and the pricing page doesn't say which countries it's available in.
Quizlet
Quizlet is the classic flashcard app, now with AI features: it turns notes, a lesson recording or any text into flashcards, study guides, practice tests and games. A big advantage is the huge library of sets made by other users.
- Who it's for: anyone memorizing things - languages, definitions, dates, anatomy.
- Price: basic flashcards are free; some AI features require Quizlet Plus. The pricing page blocked automated reading in October 2026, so I haven't confirmed the price.
- Downsides: more and more study modes sit behind the paywall, and the free version has ads.
Knowt
Knowt markets itself as a free Quizlet alternative: flashcards, a learn mode, notes from lecture recordings, PDF and video summaries. On the free Basic plan the vendor lists unlimited file creation, collaboration and access to 5 million study materials.
- Who it's for: people moving from Quizlet who don't want to pay for the basics.
- Price: Basic is free; Ultra is $12.99 a month billed yearly ($149.99 upfront) or $24.99 a month.
- Downsides: the study materials and exam prep are geared toward US exams (AP, SAT, ACT).
Perplexity
Perplexity (not in the directory yet) is an AI search engine that shows sources with every answer. For studying, it helps with essays and assignments: you quickly find articles and pages that you then read and cite yourself.
- Who it's for: students writing papers, and anyone preparing a presentation.
- Price: there's a free plan; the pricing page blocked automated reading in October 2026, so I haven't confirmed Pro and Max prices.
- Downsides: a cited source doesn't always say what the summary claims. Click the citations and check.
Photomath
Photomath (owned by Google) scans a problem with your phone camera, including word problems, and shows the solution step by step, sometimes using several methods. According to the vendor, it covers everything from elementary math through algebra, geometry and trigonometry to statistics and calculus.
- Who it's for: students stuck on homework, and parents checking their kid's work.
- Price: Basic is free; Plus is $9.99 a month or $69.99 a year.
- Downsides: it's tempting to just copy the answer. Learn from the steps, then solve a similar problem yourself.
Wolfram|Alpha
Wolfram|Alpha is a computational engine, not a chatbot: it computes integrals, draws graphs, solves equations and returns scientific data. Step-by-step solutions are in the Pro version, which has separate student pricing.
- Who it's for: STEM students and high schoolers taking advanced math and physics.
- Price: the basic version is free. Student pricing depends on region - for UK visitors, the student page shows Pro at £9.99 a month or £54 a year, and Pro Premium at £11 a month or £93 a year.
- Downsides: queries need to be typed in English or in math notation.
Gemini
Gemini is Google's chatbot, with access to your Drive, Docs and Gmail. It also has a Guided Learning mode that works much like ChatGPT's Study mode. I know the details of this mode from Google's announcements; it wasn't described on the pricing page.
- Who it's for: people who keep their notes in Google Docs and want to work with them without copying.
- Price: free version; paid Google AI Plus and AI Pro plans with prices that vary by country.
- Downsides: paid plans are for adults only, and free limits on the strongest model are low.
Claude
Anthropic's Claude is good at explaining concepts at different levels ("explain it like I'm in high school", "now at exam level") and handles long texts, such as a whole textbook chapter pasted in. According to the pricing page, there's a separate Education plan for universities with a learning mode.
- Who it's for: humanities, law and economics students - anywhere there's a lot of text to understand.
- Price: Free $0, Pro $20 a month or $17 a month billed annually, Max from $100.
- Downsides: on the free version, message limits run out quickly with long files.
How to choose
- You have your own notes and slides - NotebookLM / Gemini Notebook.
- You don't understand the topic from scratch - ChatGPT Study mode or Gemini Guided Learning.
- You need to memorize lots of facts - Quizlet or Knowt (flashcard review).
- Math and physics - Photomath for school problems, Wolfram|Alpha for college.
- You're writing a paper and need sources - Perplexity, but open and read every source.
- You're under 18 - stick to free plans or a parent's account; Google's paid plans require you to be 18.
- Check your school's or university's policy - many institutions now have their own AI rules, and your instructor may require you to disclose AI use.
Common mistakes
- Submitting AI-written work as your own - that's plain cheating. Papers often go through plagiarism and AI checks, and instructors increasingly ask you to explain your work in person.
- Not fact-checking - models make up dates, quotes and sources. Check every citation against the original.
- Learning from answers instead of questions - if you only read solutions, nothing will stick for the test. Use Study mode and solve similar problems yourself.
- Uploading other people's materials without permission - don't publish an instructor's handouts or a paid textbook in public notebooks and flashcard sets.
- Using AI in an exam where it's banned - that's grounds for having the exam voided.
- Pasting in personal data - don't put grades, ID numbers or other students' details into a chatbot.
FAQ
What is the best free AI for studying?
NotebookLM (Gemini Notebook), ChatGPT with Study mode, Gemini, Claude, Knowt, basic Quizlet, Photomath Basic and the basic version of Wolfram|Alpha are all free. For high school and college, the free versions are usually enough.
Is using AI to study cheating?
Not if you use it to understand material, make flashcards or check your own solution. It's cheating to submit AI-generated text or solutions as your own, or to use AI where the rules forbid it.
What is ChatGPT Study Mode?
It's a ChatGPT mode in which the model guides you with questions and hints instead of giving the finished answer. It's available on the free plan too.
What is the best AI for math homework?
For school problems, Photomath (scan the problem and see the steps); for college, Wolfram|Alpha Pro. ChatGPT and Gemini in study modes also explain math, but double-check the calculations.
Is NotebookLM free?
Yes, the basic version is free with a Google account. Higher limits come with paid Google AI plans, whose prices depend on your country.
Can teachers tell if you used AI?
Often, yes - generic phrasing, made-up sources and work you can't explain when asked are the usual giveaways. Use AI to learn and draft ideas, then write and verify the final work yourself.
Sources
- Google One - AI plans - checked October 2026
- Google AI subscriptions - checked October 12, 2026
- NotebookLM / Gemini Notebook - plans - checked October 2026
- ChatGPT - pricing - October 2026, page blocked automated reading
- Khanmigo - pricing - checked October 2026
- Quizlet - plans - October 2026, page blocked automated reading
- Knowt - plans - checked October 2026
- Perplexity - pricing - October 2026, page blocked automated reading
- Photomath - checked October 2026
- Wolfram|Alpha Pro for Students - checked October 12, 2026
- Claude - pricing - checked October 2026