Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM)
Upload your notes or PDFs and chat with them, or turn them into a podcast-style audio summary. Renamed from NotebookLM in July 2026.
🎓 Best free AI tools for students
For reports, essays and studying. All free to start. Use them as a study buddy that explains, quizzes and gives feedback, not as a ghostwriter.
The short answer
- Study your own notes: Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM)
- Research with sources: Perplexity
- Explanations and practice questions: ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini (how they compare)
- Grammar and spelling: Grammarly
Use AI honestly
- Check your school's rules first. They differ by school, course and even assignment. If unsure, ask your teacher.
- Let AI explain, quiz and give feedback. Write the work you hand in yourself.
- Check every fact and source. AI can make up quotes, numbers and even references. Cite the original source, never the chatbot.
- Be open about it. If you used AI to brainstorm or check grammar, say so when asked.
- Keep private things private. Don't paste personal information or other people's work into a free AI tool.
Study-buddy picks
Studying your own notes and readings: Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM)
Upload your lecture notes, slides or PDFs, then ask it to quiz you, explain a tricky part, or make an audio summary to listen to on the bus. Answers are based on your sources, with citations back to them, so it is the most "on topic" study buddy.
Free plan: 100 notebooks, up to 50 sources each; 50 chat queries and 3 audio generations a day. (checked 2026-10-20)
Starting research for a report: Perplexity
Ask a question and you get an answer with numbered sources you can click. Use it to find real articles and papers, then read and cite those sources, not the AI summary.
Free plan: Basic searches practically unlimited; 3 Pro Searches a day; 1 Research query a month; 3 uploads a day. (checked 2026-10-20)
Explaining concepts and making practice questions: ChatGPT
Ask "Explain this like I am 15, then give me 5 practice questions." Paste your own answers back and ask where you went wrong.
Free plan: Unlimited everyday text chats (abuse safeguards apply); web search, file uploads, data analysis and image creation included, each with separate usage limits shown in the app. (checked 2026-10-21)
Getting feedback on your own draft: Claude
Paste an essay you wrote and ask for feedback on structure and argument, without rewriting it. It is good with long documents.
Free plan: Free usage allowance on a rolling 5-hour window (no fixed message count); web search, file creation, connectors and up to 5 Projects included; Research and Claude Code need Pro ($20/month, or $17/month billed yearly). (checked 2026-10-21)
Google Docs and Gmail users: Gemini
Sign in with the Google account you already use. Good for quick questions, research with Deep Research, and making simple diagrams or images for a presentation.
Free plan: Compute-based allowance refreshing every 5 hours up to a weekly cap; image generation and Deep Research available on free accounts. (checked 2026-10-20)
Polishing grammar and spelling: Grammarly
Install the browser extension and fix grammar, spelling and tone as you type. Keep the ideas and wording yours.
Free plan: Free grammar and spelling checks, tone detection, and 100 AI prompts a month. Full-sentence rewrites need Pro. (checked 2026-10-20)
Prompts that help you learn
- "Explain [topic] simply, then ask me 3 questions to check I understood."
- "Here is my essay plan. What is the weakest point in my argument? Don't rewrite it."
- "Make 10 flashcards from these notes." (paste your own notes)
- "What are good search terms to find sources on [topic]?"
All the tools on this page
Perplexity
An AI search engine that answers with sources you can click and check.
ChatGPT
A chat assistant that answers questions, writes, explains and brainstorms with you.
Claude
A thoughtful chat assistant that is great at writing, long documents and careful reasoning.
Gemini
Google's AI assistant, built into your Google account, good for questions, images and research.
Grammarly
Fixes grammar and tone as you type, with AI rewrites.
More: ✍️ Write better, faster 💬 Chat with an AI assistant Start with AI Best AI tools for research
Not sure which to try first? Take the quick quiz.
Questions students ask
What is the best free AI tool for students?
For studying your own notes, start with Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM): it answers from the files you upload. Free limits: 100 notebooks, up to 50 sources each; 50 chat queries and 3 audio generations a day. (checked 2026-10-20). For research with sources, use Perplexity. For explanations and practice questions, use ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini, which all have free plans.
Is it cheating to use AI for essays?
It depends on your school and your teacher. Many allow AI for brainstorming, explaining and feedback but not for writing the work you hand in. Check your course rules, ask if unsure, and say how you used AI when asked. Handing in AI-written text as your own is usually treated as academic misconduct.
Which AI is best for research and citations?
Perplexity shows numbered sources with every answer. Free limits: Basic searches practically unlimited; 3 Pro Searches a day; 1 Research query a month; 3 uploads a day. (checked 2026-10-20). Always open the source and cite the original article, not the AI answer. AI can get facts and quotes wrong.
Can AI help me study for exams?
Yes. Upload your notes to Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM) and ask it to quiz you, or ask ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini for practice questions and explanations. Testing yourself works better than re-reading AI summaries.
Is Grammarly free for students?
Grammarly has a free plan: Free grammar and spelling checks, tone detection, and 100 AI prompts a month. Full-sentence rewrites need Pro. (checked 2026-10-20).
Do I need to pay for any of these?
No. Every tool on this page has a free plan, which is enough for most students. Try the free plan for a few weeks before paying for anything.
Free-plan facts come from each tool's official pages on the date shown. Plans change often, so check before you rely on a limit.