I Tried 5 Different Study Apps — Here's Which One Actually Saved Me Time

I spent most of junior year trying to find the perfect study app. I'd download something, use it for a few days, get distracted by a new one, and repeat. This year I decided to actually commit: I used each of five apps for at least two weeks and tracked whether my grades improved.

Here's my honest ranking, from least to most useful for me personally.

How I Tested Each App

For each app, I committed to using it as my primary tool for that function for at least two weeks. I tracked my grades during that period and kept notes on what I liked and didn't like. I also paid attention to whether I was actually using the app consistently or finding reasons to avoid it — because an app you don't use is worse than no app at all.

5. Forest (Least Useful for Me)

Forest is a focus app where you grow a virtual tree during study sessions — if you leave the app, the tree dies. It's cute. It's also not very useful if you need to use your phone for anything legitimate during a study session (looking up a word, checking a formula). I found myself resenting the app more than it helped me focus.

The deeper problem: Forest addresses the symptom (phone use) without addressing the cause (why you're reaching for your phone in the first place). If you're reaching for your phone because you're bored or anxious, a virtual tree isn't going to fix that.

That said, I know people who swear by it. The gamification works for some personalities. If you're the kind of person who's motivated by streaks and visual progress, Forest might be worth trying.

Best for: Students who are motivated by gamification and visual progress tracking.

4. Quizlet

Quizlet is basically Anki for people who don't want to make their own cards. The pre-made decks are convenient, but I found that using someone else's cards didn't help me retain things as well as making my own. The "Learn" mode is decent, and the matching games are genuinely fun. Good for quick review before a test; not great for long-term retention.

The free tier has gotten more limited over the years — some features now require a paid subscription. For most students, the free tier is still enough for basic flashcard review.

Best for: Quick review before tests, vocabulary-heavy subjects, students who don't want to make their own cards.

3. Notion

I use Notion for everything — class notes, project tracking, reading lists. It's incredibly flexible, which is both its strength and its weakness. I spent more time setting up my Notion workspace than actually studying in it. If you're a systems person who enjoys building organizational structures, you'll love it. If you just want to take notes and study, it might be overkill.

The template gallery is genuinely useful — there are hundreds of student-made templates for class notes, assignment trackers, and reading lists. Starting from a template is much faster than building from scratch.

Best for: Students who want to organize their entire academic life in one place and don't mind a learning curve.

2. Obsidian

Obsidian is like Notion but with a focus on linking ideas together. The "graph view" that shows how all your notes connect is genuinely cool and helped me see connections between topics I hadn't noticed before. The learning curve is steep — it took me about a week to set it up properly — but once I had it running, it became my main note-taking tool.

The biggest advantage over Notion: your notes are stored as plain text files on your computer. No subscription required to access your own notes, no proprietary format, and the files will be readable in any text editor forever. For a long-term note system, this matters.

The local storage (no cloud sync on the free plan) is a minor annoyance — you have to use a third-party sync service like iCloud or Dropbox if you want your notes on multiple devices.

Best for: Students who want to build a long-term knowledge base and see connections between ideas.

1. Anki (Most Useful)

I know, I know — everyone says Anki. But there's a reason. Nothing else I tried came close to Anki for actually making information stick. The spaced repetition algorithm is genuinely effective, and the stats page gives you real data on your retention. The interface is ugly and the learning curve is real, but the results are undeniable.

My one caveat: Anki is only as good as your cards. Bad cards (too long, too vague) produce bad results. Spend time learning how to make good cards before you commit to it. The r/Anki subreddit has good guides on card-making best practices.

Best for: Any subject with a lot of factual content to memorize: anatomy, pharmacology, foreign languages, history, chemistry.

The Honest Conclusion

No app will make you study if you don't want to. But if you're going to study anyway, the right tools can make that time more effective.

My current stack: Anki for memorization, Obsidian for notes and knowledge management, a physical notebook for daily task lists. I don't use Notion or Forest anymore, but I know people who love both.

The most important thing is to pick one tool for each function and actually use it consistently, rather than constantly switching between apps looking for the perfect one. The perfect app doesn't exist. A good app you use every day is infinitely better than a perfect app you use twice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is there a free alternative to Notion?

Obsidian is completely free for personal use. Apple Notes is free and surprisingly capable for basic note-taking. Google Docs works for notes if you don't need the organizational features of Notion or Obsidian.

Q: Which app is best for high school students?

For high school, I'd recommend starting simple: a physical planner for scheduling and Quizlet for flashcard review. Add Anki if you find yourself doing a lot of memorization-heavy subjects. Don't overcomplicate your system — the simpler it is, the more likely you are to use it.

Q: Can I use multiple apps at the same time?

Yes, but be intentional about it. Use each app for a specific purpose: Anki for memorization, Obsidian for notes, Google Calendar for scheduling. The problem comes when you have multiple apps doing the same thing — that's when you spend more time managing your tools than actually studying.

Q: Is Anki worth learning if I only have a few months before an exam?

Yes, but start immediately. Anki's effectiveness compounds over time — the longer you use it, the more you benefit from the spaced repetition. If you start two weeks before an exam, you won't see the full benefit. Start at the beginning of the semester for best results.