"Free AI study tools" is one of the most over-promised categories online. Half are limited demos that stop working the moment you actually need them. The other half are spam. Here's a real list — tools where the free tier is genuinely useful, not just a teaser.
For AI tutoring and Q&A
iTutor free tier — daily question allowance, full access to core subjects, no credit card. Good for regular homework help.
ChatGPT free — decent for concept explanations, writing feedback, and brainstorming. The free model is weaker than paid, but still useful for most student tasks.
Claude free — similar ballpark to ChatGPT free. Often better at long-form explanation.
For flashcards and spaced repetition
Anki — still the gold standard. Fully free on desktop and Android. iOS costs money once, but the algorithm is the best in the business.
Quizlet free tier — more limited than it used to be, but the basic flashcards and practice tests still work.
For research and sources
Elicit free tier — search academic papers, get summaries, free up to a generous monthly limit. Great for literature reviews.
Google Scholar — not AI, but indispensable. Pair it with an AI to summarize papers you can't get through.
Perplexity free — web search with sources, citations inline. The free tier is enough for most student research.
For writing
LanguageTool free — grammar and style checking. More generous free tier than Grammarly.
Hemingway Editor — highlights overly complex sentences. Not AI in the modern sense, but useful.
For lecture notes
Otter free tier — 300 minutes of transcription per month. Enough for a few lectures a week.
Google Recorder — free on Pixel phones, instant transcription with search.
What to skip
Ignore any tool that demands your email before telling you what it does. Skip AI essay writers (school detection tools will flag you). Avoid "study apps" that hide core features behind aggressive paywalls — those aren't free, they're bait.
The bottom line
A student can get remarkably far on free tools alone. A solid stack: iTutor for tutoring, Anki for flashcards, Elicit for research, LanguageTool for writing, Otter for lectures. That's zero dollars and genuinely competitive with expensive setups. Upgrade to paid only when you hit real limits, not as a reflex.