Best and Coolest AI Tools for University Students in 2025

1. Notion AI — All-in-one productivity tool

   Notion AI is a comprehensive workspace that helps students organise projects, manage notes, and collaborate with classmates. Its built-in AI assists with task management, summarisation, and content generation.

   Key features:

   • Summarises lecture notes and articles.
   • Organises research materials and group projects.
   • AI-generated writing assistance for reports and essays.

   Pricing:

   • Free version: Limited access.
   • Pro version: $8/month.
   • Student discount: Free with academic email.

2. Grammarly — Writing and proofreading

   Grammarly is an AI-driven writing assistant that helps you write clear, grammatically correct, and engaging content—great for essays, reports, or emails to professors.

   Key features:

   • Grammar and spelling checks.
   • Tone and style suggestions.
   • Plagiarism detection.

   Pricing:

   • Free version: Basic checks.
   • Premium: $12/month for advanced features.

3. Zotero — Citation management and research organisation

   Zotero helps students collect sources, manage citations, and organise resources for essays, theses, and projects.

   Key features:

   • Citation generator in APA, MLA, and more.
   • Collects and organises research papers.
   • Integrates with Microsoft Word for easy citation insertion.

   Pricing:

   • Free version: Full functionality.
   • Premium: From $5/month for extra storage.

4. ChatGPT — Learning, summarising, and idea generation

   ChatGPT by OpenAI assists with summarising articles, generating content ideas, and explaining complex concepts.

   Key features:

   • Summarises articles and research papers.
   • Generates essay outlines or first drafts.
   • Explains difficult topics across disciplines.

   Pricing:

   • Free version: Limited monthly usage.
   • ChatGPT Plus: $20/month for faster responses.

5. Mendeley — Research paper management and collaboration

   Manage academic PDFs, annotate, create citations, and collaborate on research projects.

   Key features:

   • PDF annotation and reference management.
   • Citation tools for Word and Google Docs.
   • Collaboration and sharing.

   Pricing:

   • Free version: Basic features.
   • Premium: $5/month for more storage.

6. Canva — Presentations and infographics

   Create professional presentations, infographics, and posters with templates and AI suggestions.

   Key features:

   • Customisable templates.
   • AI design suggestions.
   • Easy collaboration for group work.

   Pricing:

   • Free version: Core templates.
   • Pro version: $12.95/month.
   • Student discount: Free Pro with academic email.

7. Jasper AI — Copywriting and content generation

   Generate text for essays, blogs, social posts, and more; helpful for brainstorming and drafting.

   Key features:

   • Multiple tones and styles.
   • Generates essays and reports.
   • SEO suggestions for marketing students.

   Pricing:

   • Starter: $29/month.
   • Boss Mode: $59/month.

8. Perplexity — Research and literature reviews

   Finds academic resources and summarises them to speed up literature reviews.

   Key features:

   • AI-powered academic search.
   • Paper and article summaries.
   • Citation suggestions.

   Pricing:

   • Free version: Core features.

9. QuillBot — Paraphrasing and summarisation

   Paraphrase text, summarise long documents, and improve clarity.

   Key features:

   • Paraphrasing to avoid plagiarism.
   • Summarises long texts.
   • Built-in grammar check.

   Pricing:

   • Free version: Basic tools.
   • Premium: $9.95/month.

10. Writefull — Academic writing enhancement

    Designed for academic style and structure in papers, theses, and essays.

    Key features:

    • Context-specific language suggestions.
    • Grammar, style, and formal tone checks.
    • Helps with citation formatting.

    Pricing:

    • Free version: Basic suggestions.
    • Premium: $5/month.

11. Scrivener — Long-form writing projects

    Organise complex projects like theses or dissertations with chapters, notes, and research panes.

    Key features:

    • Structure long projects into sections.
    • Corkboard view for ideas.
    • Formatting tools for academic standards.

    Pricing:

    • One-time purchase: $49 for students.

12. RefWorks — Advanced citation and reference management

    Automate citations, organise references, and integrate with writing tools.

    Key features:

    • Automated citation generation.
    • Organise by category or project.
    • Integrations with Word and Google Docs.

    Pricing:

    • Institution-specific pricing (check university access).

13. Otter.ai — Transcribing lectures and meetings

    Transcribe lectures or group sessions into searchable text.

    Key features:

    • Real-time transcription.
    • Collaborative note sharing.
    • Speaker recognition.

    Pricing:

    • Free: 600 minutes/month.
    • Premium: $8.33/month.

14. MindMeister — Mind mapping and brainstorming

    Create and share mind maps for essays, projects, and study plans.

    Key features:

    • Drag-and-drop map creation.
    • Real-time collaboration.
    • Templates for planning.

    Pricing:

    • Free: Basic tools.
    • Pro: $4.99/month.

15. Elicit — Academic research assistance

    Finds relevant papers from your research questions and summarises findings.

    Key features:

    • AI-based paper search.
    • Summarised findings.
    • Citation information.

    Pricing:

    • Free: Core features.

16. Hemingway Editor — Simplifying complex writing

    Improve clarity by highlighting complex sentences and suggesting simpler wording.

    Key features:

    • Highlights hard-to-read sentences.
    • Readability grading.
    • Alternative phrasing suggestions.

    Pricing:

    • Online: Free.
    • Desktop: $19.99 one-time.

FAQs about AI tools for students

Are AI tools safe to use for academic work?

Yes, AI tools like Grammarly, Zotero, and Writefull are designed to assist students in improving their academic work, not replace the learning process. Use them ethically and avoid relying on them to complete assignments.

Which AI tool is best for academic writing?

Grammarly and Writefull are excellent for academic writing. They offer grammar checks, language enhancement, and context-specific suggestions for improving formal essays and research papers.

Can AI tools help with presentations?

Absolutely. Tools like Canva and MindMeister help students create visually appealing presentations and brainstorm ideas for assignments.

Are these tools free for students?

Many offer free versions with limited features, while others provide discounts for students. Some, like Zotero and Mendeley, are fully functional in their free versions.

How do AI tools help with citations?

Tools like Zotero, Mendeley, and RefWorks automatically format and generate citations in multiple styles, saving time and improving accuracy.

What’s the best AI tool for thesis management?

For large projects like theses or dissertations, Scrivener and Notion AI help break down work into manageable sections and tasks.

AI tools have become indispensable for university students, streamlining writing, research, citations, and presentations. With tools like Notion AI, Grammarly, Zotero, and Canva, students can work more efficiently and focus on learning. Many options offer discounts or robust free versions.

Integrate these tools into your study routine to enhance productivity, organisation, and overall performance.