AI Study Tools — The Complete Free Toolkit for Students
19 AI study tools in one place. Turn PDFs, lectures, slides, and YouTube videos into flashcards, study notes, practice tests, podcasts, video lectures, slides, mind maps, and AI Chat help. Free to start.
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Updated July 2026 — 19 tools listed, including the new AI Agents for documents and the AI Image Playground.
The best free AI study tools in 2026 are Scholarly's AI flashcard maker, quiz generator, podcast generator, video lecture generator, slide maker, and PDF summarizer — one free account turns your own PDFs, notes, and lectures into all six. This list is current as of July 2026.
Upload a PDF, paste notes, record a lecture, or drop a YouTube link, and Scholarly's free plan generates flashcards, practice quizzes, summaries, podcasts, slides, video lectures, cheat sheets, study schedules, and searchable lecture transcripts from it — no credit card required.
Every AI study tool, in one place
Stop juggling 10 different apps. Scholarly is the one platform with every AI study tool you need — built for the way real students study.
AI Flashcard Generator
Turn PDFs, notes, slides, or YouTube videos into editable flashcards. Study with spaced repetition or export to Anki and Quizlet.
Flashcards
Scholarly Assistant (AI Chat)
Press ⌘J anywhere for instant help. Chat with PDFs, get step-by-step explanations, and solve problems on any subject.
AI Chat
AI Practice Test Generator
Generate full practice exams from your study materials with multiple choice, short answer, and essay questions plus instant feedback.
Quizzes & Exams
AI Study Notes Generator
Transform lectures, PDFs, and textbooks into organized study notes. Choose Cornell, outline, or mind-map structure.
Notes
AI Study Guide Generator
Build a complete, exam-ready study guide from any source — sections, key terms, summaries, and review questions in one document.
Notes
PDF Chat & Summarizer
Chat with PDFs, get instant summaries, and pull out the parts that actually matter. Works on textbook chapters and research papers.
AI Writing Assistant
Real-time autocomplete, rewrite, and expand for essays. Built around your own writing voice — not a generic AI tone.
Writing
YouTube to Flashcards & Notes
Turn lecture videos and online courses into flashcards, summaries, or full study notes from any YouTube URL.
Video
AI Math Solver
Solve math and physics problems step-by-step. Generate graphs, walk through derivations, and check your homework.
STEM
Mind & Concept Maps
Visualize how concepts connect with AI-generated mind maps and concept maps. Great for systems, processes, and big-picture review.
Visual
Homework Checker
Submit your work and get inline feedback before you turn it in. Catches errors, weak arguments, and suggestions to improve.
Homework
AI Meeting Notes
Record any lecture and get clean, structured notes plus a searchable transcript. Auto-generated flashcards from each section.
Lectures
AI Podcasts from PDFs
Turn dense PDFs into engaging podcast-style audio. Listen between classes, on the bus, or while reviewing with the deck open.
Audio
AI Video Lectures
Transform any topic, PDF, or set of notes into a narrated, chaptered video lecture — pick Standard, Math, Kids, Editorial, Retro, or Freestyle style plus the right video quality.
Video
AI Slide Generator
Turn a PDF, notes, or a prompt into an editable, presentation-ready slide deck with selectable visual themes.
Slides
AI Infographic Generator
Turn a PDF or a topic into a poster-style visual summary in five styles — grounded in your material and saved as a shareable PDF.
Visual summary
AI Research Assistant
Run source-grounded research that reads your uploads and the web, then returns a structured report with citations.
Research
Study Schedule Generator
Build a day-by-day study plan from your exam date, subjects, and available hours — then study it with the rest of the toolkit.
Planning
AI Document Agents
Five agents — Timeline, SOP, Flowchart, Lesson Plan, and Outline — that turn any PDF into a professionally typeset document.
Agents
AI Image Generator
Create diagrams, illustrations, and cover art from a prompt, then refine them in the AI Image Playground.
Images
Newest additions (2026)
The latest capabilities added to Scholarly, current as of July 2026.
AI Infographics — One-page visual summaries of your material in Editorial, Bold, Sketchnote, Minimal, or Freestyle style.
AI video lecture styles — Every video lecture can now be generated in Standard, Math, Kids, Editorial, Retro, or Freestyle style, with selectable 480p/720p/1080p quality — and downloaded as an MP4 on paid plans.
AI Slides visual themes — Generated slide decks now come with selectable visual themes — Vibrant, Minimal Mono, Pitch, and Freestyle — alongside the classic editorial style.
Mind maps and diagrams in AI Chat — Ask the chat to turn any source into a mind map, flowchart, or timeline, then open it in a zoomable viewer and save it to your library.
AI Research Assistant — A research agent that reads your uploaded sources and the web, then writes a structured, cited report.
Study Schedule Generator — Turn an exam date and your material into a day-by-day study plan.
Bigger free PDF flashcards — Free accounts now generate flashcards from the first 32 pages of a PDF — up from 8.
Five AI Agents for documents — AI Timeline, AI SOP, AI Flowchart, AI Lesson Plan, and AI Outline turn any PDF into a professionally typeset document with four free design themes.
AI Image Playground — Generate and refine images from a prompt, with several image models to choose from.
The core tools at a glance
What you feed each Scholarly tool, what it gives you back, and what the free plan covers.
| Tool | What you feed it | What you get | Free tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI Flashcard Maker | PDFs, notes, slides, YouTube links | Editable flashcard decks with spaced repetition | Free to try; first 32 pages of a PDF |
| Quiz & Practice Test Generator | Any study material or topic | Multiple choice, short answer, and essay exams with instant feedback | Free to try, with daily practice limits |
| AI Podcast Generator | PDFs, notes, or a topic | Two-host audio episodes you can listen to anywhere | Free to try |
| AI Video Lecture Generator | PDFs, notes, or a topic | Narrated, chaptered video lectures in six styles | Free to try; all lengths free, 1080p on paid plans |
| Study Schedule Generator | Subjects, exam dates, available hours | A day-by-day study plan | Free; no sign-up to try |
| PDF & Notes Summarizers | PDFs, textbook chapters, lecture notes | Concise summaries and organized study notes | Free to try |
Every AI study tool, organized by category
Jump straight to the AI study tool you need — flashcards, notes, slides, lecture recording, podcasts, or video. Each works from your own PDFs, notes, and lectures.
Flashcards & practice tests
Notes, summaries & study guides
Slides & presentations
Lecture recording & transcription
Podcasts & audio review
Video lectures
What makes Scholarly's AI study tools different
Other AI tools spit out generic summaries. Scholarly is built around active recall and spaced repetition — the two study methods with the strongest evidence behind them.
Active recall, by default
Every flashcard, quiz, and study session is built around testing yourself — the single most evidence-backed study method.
Spaced repetition that adapts
Cards you struggle with come back sooner. Cards you nail get pushed further out. The schedule learns from how you actually study.
Tools that talk to each other
Flashcards become quizzes. Notes become study guides. PDFs become podcasts. One source of truth, every format you need.
Scholarly vs. juggling 10 different tools
Most students cobble together Quizlet, ChatGPT, NotebookLM, Anki, Notion AI, a YouTube summarizer, an essay tool, a math solver, and a PDF reader. Scholarly replaces them all.
Using 10 different tools
10 different logins to remember
$50–100/month across multiple subscriptions
Switching between apps wastes hours every week
No integration — your flashcards live in one app, your notes in another
Inconsistent quality — some tools great, others mediocre
With Scholarly
One account for every study tool
Free plan for the core study tools you need most
Everything in one place — search across all your study material
Full integration — flashcards become quizzes, notes become podcasts
Advanced AI models (Claude Sonnet 5, GPT 5.6 Sol, Gemini) under one roof
Built for every kind of student
Med, law, nursing, CS, business, languages, high school — Scholarly's AI study tools adapt to whatever you're studying.
Medical students
Convert anatomy, physiology, and board-prep PDFs into active recall decks.
Nursing students
Turn care plans, lecture packets, and pharmacology notes into review decks.
Law students
Make cards from casebook summaries, rule statements, and outlines.
College students
Study lecture PDFs, textbook chapters, and exam guides across any subject.
Powered by advanced AI models
Scholarly runs on the latest models from Anthropic (Claude Sonnet 5), OpenAI (GPT 5.6 Sol), and Google (Gemini) — and you can switch between them on paid plans. Your study tools always run on the best AI for the job.
150,000+ students study smarter with Scholarly
From med school flashcards to law school outlines to high school SAT prep — students use Scholarly's AI study tools to turn their own materials into flashcards, quizzes, notes, and AI Chat help.
No credit card required · Works on web, iOS, and Android
Frequently asked questions
Are Scholarly's AI study tools really free?
Yes. The free plan covers the core study tools — AI flashcards, study notes, AI Chat, practice quizzes, and PDF summaries — with a limited number of AI creations included, plus daily chat and quiz-practice limits. Ultimate unlocks ongoing creation, longer PDFs, and access to additional paid models.
Which AI models do Scholarly's tools use?
Scholarly runs on advanced models like Claude Sonnet 5 from Anthropic, GPT 5.6 Sol from OpenAI, and Gemini 3.5 Flash from Google. The platform automatically picks the best model for each task, and paid users can switch models manually inside AI Chat.
Do I have to install different apps for each tool?
No. All 19 AI study tools live inside one Scholarly account. Sign up once and access everything from your browser, the iOS app, or the Android app. There's nothing to install for the web version.
What makes Scholarly's AI study tools better than ChatGPT or NotebookLM?
Scholarly is built specifically for studying, while ChatGPT and NotebookLM are general-purpose AI tools. Every Scholarly tool defaults to active recall and spaced repetition, integrates with your flashcards and study schedule, and exports cleanly to Anki and Quizlet. You also get specialized tools (math solver, AI Meeting Notes, video generator) that ChatGPT can't do.
Can I use Scholarly on my phone?
Yes. Scholarly runs on the web, iOS, and Android with full access to every AI study tool. Decks, notes, and study progress sync across devices automatically.
Can I export my flashcards and notes?
Yes. Flashcards export as Anki .apkg files or as Quizlet-compatible CSVs, and study notes export as Markdown or PDF — you own your study material. Exporting and downloading are paid features, while sharing anything with a link is free.
How accurate is the AI?
Scholarly uses advanced models that are highly accurate on academic content, but every AI tool can make mistakes. Always review AI-generated flashcards, notes, and answers — use them as a study aid alongside your textbooks and lectures, not a replacement.
What can I upload to generate study material?
PDFs, lecture slides (PPTX), Word documents, images of handwritten notes, YouTube URLs, websites, and pasted text. Free accounts include one file upload to try it out and generate flashcards from the first 32 pages of a PDF; paid plans support unlimited uploads and PDFs up to 1,000 pages.
Can Scholarly turn my notes into slides, podcasts, or a video lecture?
Yes. The same source — a PDF, your notes, or a topic — can become an editable slide deck (AI Slide Generator), a two-host audio podcast (AI Podcast Generator and PDF to Podcast), or a narrated, chaptered video lecture (Notes to Video and PDF to Video). Pick the format that fits how you want to review, and everything stays grounded in your own material.
Can Scholarly record and transcribe my lectures?
Yes. The AI Lecture Recorder captures a live class or plays back an uploaded recording, then produces a clean, searchable transcript (Lecture Transcription) plus structured notes (Audio to Notes) and auto-generated flashcards for each section — so a single lecture turns into a full study set you can review and quiz yourself on.
Keep exploring
More ways to study with Scholarly
Pair these AI tools with the rest of the Scholarly platform.
All AI Study Tools
Every Scholarly study tool grouped by what you're studying.
Scholarly Assistant
AI Chat that lives behind ⌘J on every page.
AI Flashcard Maker
Turn any source into editable flashcards.
AI Study Notes
Organized notes from lectures, PDFs, and pasted text.
Practice Test Generator
Full practice exams from your study material.
Concept Map Generator
Visualize how the concepts in your source connect.
PDF to Flashcards
Convert any lecture PDF into review cards.
YouTube to Notes
Notes and flashcards from any YouTube lecture.
AI Slide Generator
Turn a PDF or notes into an editable slide deck.
AI Lecture Recorder
Record a lecture into notes, a transcript, and flashcards.
AI Podcast Generator
Turn dense PDFs into a two-host audio podcast.
Pricing
Free and Ultimate plans for students.
Get every AI study tool in one place
Join 150,000+ students using AI to study smarter. Everything you need in one platform.
No credit card required · Works on web, iOS, and Android
Free
- 3 AI Chat messages per day
- 1 free AI creation total
- 1 free file upload total (8MB)
- 5 quiz questions per day
- 1 exam attempt per day
- 15 voice minutes per day
- 32-page PDF to flashcards
- 500 autocomplete words per day
Use it to generate flashcards, improve a deck, or create a podcast, video lecture, slides, infographic, mind map, study guide, worksheet, spreadsheet, story book, timeline, SOP, flowchart, lesson plan, or outline — or run Deep Research or turn a recording into AI Meeting Notes.
Ultimate
$144 billed yearly
Everything in Free, plus:
- Unlimited normal chat & autocomplete
- Unlimited premium model messages
- Unlimited AI creations
- Unlimited file uploads (up to 300MB)
- Unlimited study sessions
- Unlimited exams & quizzes
- 1000-page PDF to flashcards
- Export to Anki
- Priority support
Pricing in USD. Local currency available in app.
Teams
For teams that need shared AI study workflows
$45/seat/month, or $324/seat/year with annual billing. Save 40% annually.
- 3-seat minimum
- 450 weekly credits per member
- Premium models and admin controls
Every feature unlocked for everyone, frontier AI models, and per-member weekly credits. Learn more about Scholarly for Teams
Compare plans
Feature
Free
Ultimate
3/day
Unlimited
—
Unlimited
1 total
Unlimited
Uses AI creations
Unlimited
1 total (8MB)
Unlimited (300MB)
32 pages
1000 pages
5/day
Unlimited
1/day
Unlimited
15 min/day
1 hr/day
500 words/day
Unlimited
—
Included
Standard
Priority
What students say
Scholarly has been a valuable tool for my studies. The AI-generated flashcards and intuitive features make organizing and retaining information much easier.
Briana
Student
This app is great for studying for big test. Drop your PDF's in the system and it'll do the trick. You can organize it specifically for your needs.
Kelvin
Student
I am currently preparing for a test that covers a substantial amount of material, and I've found that not having to physically write out my flashcards has been incredibly beneficia...
Isabelle
Student
Scholarly is great for students. I am enrolled in online university and my classes are all PDF based. All I do is upload the PDF and it creates flashcards decks for me. The greate...
Alexandra
Student
Your questions, answered
Is Scholarly free to use?
Yes! The free plan includes core study tools with clear limits: 3 AI Chat messages per day, one free AI creation total, 1 free file upload total, quizzes, practice exams, and manual flashcard creation. Upgrade to Ultimate for unlimited AI creations and unlimited uploads.
What uses my free AI creations?
Generating flashcards, improving a flashcard deck, making a podcast, creating a video lecture or infographic, building slides, a spreadsheet, or a story book, making a mind map, study guide, or worksheet, having an AI Agent create a timeline, SOP, flowchart, lesson plan, or outline, running Deep Research, or processing a recording uses your free AI creation. It is a lifetime free credit and does not reset. AI Chat messages, quizzes, and exams still have separate daily limits; free file uploads are also lifetime credits.
Can I cancel anytime?
Absolutely. There are no contracts or commitments. You can cancel your subscription at any time from your account settings, and you'll keep access until the end of your billing period.
What payment methods do you accept?
We accept all major credit and debit cards through Stripe. Pricing is displayed in USD by default, but local currency is available in the app.
Can I use Scholarly with a class or school?
Yes. Scholarly for Teams is self-serve for up to 29 seats, so you can put a class or department on one plan yourself in minutes. For a larger rollout, contact us at hello@scholarly.so.
What happens when I hit a free plan limit?
You'll see a prompt to upgrade. Your existing work is never lost — limits only apply to new actions. Free AI creations and the free upload are lifetime credits and do not reset. Upgrading unlocks unlimited AI creations and unlimited uploads.
For Educators or Schools
Scholarly for Teams is self-serve and puts your class or department on one plan. For a larger rollout, contact us at hello@scholarly.so.