As we approach the annual back-to-school period, many people will be looking for the best student laptops – but it’s important to consider the software as well.
On this page, we’re covering all of the best software for students, including free software and paid services that could help you with organizing school work, learning a new language, or protecting your laptop from malware.
The software you opt to invest in will depend on what course you’re studying, as your needs may vary; however, most of the options below will be ideal for everyone.
There are plenty of free options if you’re looking to save money, and all of the paid-for options also have student subscriptions, so you don’t have to pay full price for them.
1. Microsoft 365
The Microsoft Office suite (now known as Microsoft 365) is one of the best software packages for students.
It gives you access to fundamentals like Word, Excel and PowerPoint, which are necessary tools no matter what you’re studying or what your needs might be.
On top of the essential document creation tools, you also get OneDrive, OneNote, Teams, and Outlook which are perfect for keeping yourself organised whether it comes to planning, email management or keeping in touch with your fellow students or teachers.
Whilst learning to use some of this software can be intimidating at first, they are all relatively simple with plenty of tutorials online that can help offer guidance for anything you might need to do.
2. Grammarly
Whether you opt for the free or paid version, Grammarly is one of the best pieces of software for students.
On top of the standard spell-check and grammar tool you expect it to be, it also checks for syntax and correct word usage, and it works across all of your apps.
You can use Grammarly within your own productivity software, like Microsoft 365, and also as an extension in your web browser.
When writing within your browser, like in Google Docs or when filling out forms, Grammarly will automatically scan your writing for spelling errors or Grammar issues.
3. Goodnotes
For those who use one of the best iPads, Goodnotes is one of the best software for students as it allows for digital note taking.
You can create digital notebooks to keep all your notes organized in one place and take handwritten notes, add images and diagrams, and annotate as required.
You also get the benefit of handwriting recognition meaning your handwritten notes can be turned into typed-out text. Goodnotes then allows you to search through your notes if you’re looking for a specific topic.
4. Canva
Anyone studying a more creative subject will find that Canva is one of the best pieces of software to get familiar with.
Canva is a free graphic design tool which has a massive library of templates to choose from or allows you to start from scratch, and that means whether you’re a seasoned graphic designer or a beginner, you’ll find using Canva extremely easy thanks to its simple drag and drop interface, as well as the thousands of stickers to choose from and add to your design
5. Adobe Creative Cloud
Another one for creatives is the Adobe Creative Cloud which offers you a range of different software at your disposal. With access to Photoshop, Premiere Pro and After Effects, this is some of the best software for students who are working in the photography, video or content creation space.
In total you get 26 different applications to use as well as other membership perks like 100GB of cloud storage and a range of tutorials to get you started.
While some of the software on offer here can be quite intimidating, there are plenty of user-friendly features which you can make use of from the get go. Having experience using these tools, especially Photoshop, can also be a good thing to put on your résumé.
6. Duolingo
Students who are undertaking language classes will benefit from downloading Duolingo.
This app allows you to take daily language classes which are set up in a gamified format to make them more engaging.
You can get daily notifications to remind you to take part in your classes and build up your streak. With 43 languages to choose from, no matter what language you might be learning in the classroom, it’s likely Duolingo will be able to give you a helping hand.
7. Prezi
Prezi is one of the best presentation-making tools for students, whether its for group presentations or if you just want a fancy way to revise.
You have the ability to create video presentations, infographics and your bog-standard slideshow and then convert them all to PowerPoint or a range of other formats.
For those who aren’t the most creative with their slideshows, Prezi has a range of different snazzy templates you can choose from as well as allowing you to start from scratch if that’s what you’d prefer, and you can even use AI to draft up a presentation using a prompt.
8. MalwareBytes
One of the best pieces of software for students is MalwareBytes, an anti-malware application that can regularly scan your machine and detect and remove threats from it.
If you find yourself downloading things from the internet quite often, you may have accidentally downloaded some malware which can cause your device to slow down – or worse. Having your student laptop become unusable ahead of a deadline due to malware would be devastating.
You can set up MalwareBytes to automatically scan your laptop every so often, so you don’t even have to remember to do it yourself, or you can opt to scan as and when you need if you’d prefer.
9. Evernote
Another great software pick for students is Evernote, a note taking app which you can use across all of your devices.
You can create separate notebooks and keep your files organized whether it’s for school or for personal use, with the ability to add text notes, images, websites, and audio files
You can then search through all of your notes to quickly find what you need. The app can even understand handwriting and search through your handwritten notes too.
All your notes are synced up between your phone, tablet and PC too so you don’t have to worry if you accidentally forget your laptop one day, you can just take notes on your phone.
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source: https://www.techradar.com/computing/software/9-must-have-applications-for-students-in-2025
