For Students

    Note Taking App for Students

    Compared on the things that matter at 9am in a lecture hall: voice capture, search, offline access and price. Luma is free to start and $2.99/month if you need more — see the full pricing, or read our Notion alternative comparison.

    Start Free - 50 Notes IncludedSee Student Templates

    Quick answer

    The best free note-taking apps for students in 2026 are Luma, Microsoft OneNote, Google Keep and Notion. Luma is the fastest for lectures (one-tap voice capture, AI summaries, 50 free notes, $2.99/month after), OneNote is best for handwriting on a tablet, Google Keep is best for quick reminders, and Notion is best if you actually want databases. Luma's $2.99/month plan costs less per year than Notion with AI.

    Study guides

    Frameworks and templates to use with your notes.

    SPACE CAT rhetorical analysis

    The full framework for analysing a text, with a worksheet you can fill in.

    Cornell notes template

    The classic two-column layout, plus printable A4 and Letter worksheets.

    Notes to flashcards

    Turn a lecture note into a study deck and revise with active recall.

    Markdown note-taking guide

    Shortcuts and structure for faster typed notes during class.

    Why Students Love Luma

    AI Study Assistant

    Summarize lectures, generate study guides, and get explanations instantly

    Quick Capture

    Voice notes during lectures, templates for different subjects

    Student Budget

    Just $2.99/month vs $8-10+ for competitors with AI add-ons. Save money for textbooks!

    Student-Specific Use Cases

    See how Luma helps throughout your academic journey

    During Lectures

    Use voice notes to quickly capture key points without interrupting your typing. Switch to text when needed. After class, ask Luma AI to summarize your notes into study guides.

    Study Sessions

    Review your timeline to see all notes from the semester. Use AI to generate practice questions, create study guides, or explain complex concepts you're struggling with.

    Research Projects

    Organize research with tags (by source, topic, or theme). Use folders for different projects. AI helps summarize articles and extract key findings.

    Assignment Tracking

    Keep track of assignments, deadlines, and project progress. Use timeline view to see what's coming up. Tag by class or priority level.

    How Does Luma Compare?

    See how Luma stacks up against other popular student apps

    Luma vs Notion

    Luma: $2.99/mo with AI
    Notion: $8/mo + $10/mo AI add-on
    Luma is cheaper with AI included

    Luma vs Evernote

    Luma: $2.99/mo, modern
    Evernote: $10.83/mo, outdated
    Save over $90/year

    Luma vs OneNote

    Luma: $2.99/mo with AI
    OneNote: Free but limited
    More AI features for a small monthly cost

    Student Pricing & Features, Side by Side

    What a full academic year actually costs — and what each app gives you for it.

    FeatureLumaNotionEvernoteOneNoteApple Notes
    Monthly price$2.99$10 (+$10 AI)$10.83Free*Free (Apple only)
    Annual cost$35.88$96–$192$130$0$0
    AI lecture summaries✓Add-onLimitedCopilot only—
    Voice captureBuilt-in—Recording onlyRecording onlyRecording only
    Cross-device sync✓✓2-device free✓Apple only
    Streaks & habit tracker✓DIY———
    Setup time~5 min2–3 weeks~30 min~20 min~2 min
    Cost per semester (4 mo)~$11.96$40–$80$43$0$0

    *OneNote is free with a Microsoft account but tied to OneDrive quotas; universities often provide 1TB. Pricing verified July 2026.

    4 Student Workflows That Actually Work

    Concrete setups you can copy, based on how students commonly use Luma’s features.

    A pre-med lecture stack

    Voice-records the last 15 minutes of every lecture (the review), types shorthand during the rest, then runs AI summary + auto-generated flashcards the same night. Uses one folder per course, one note per lecture, tagged by exam block.

    Why it works: Retention research (active recall) baked into the daily loop with almost zero manual work — pairing lecture notes with same-night flashcards is the whole trick.

    A humanities essay workflow

    Every source gets a note tagged with the essay slug. Quotes and page numbers go in the note body; her own reactions go in a separate "thinking" note linked from the source. Final essay outlines link every claim back to its source note.

    Why it works: Trivial to rebuild bibliographies and never lose a citation. Cheaper and faster than the classic Notion research database most students abandon by week 4.

    An MBA case-study setup

    One template per case: situation, players, decision, learnings, questions for class. Reuses the template weekly and tags by industry. Uses timeline view to scan every case discussed in a term before finals.

    Why it works: Templates eliminate setup friction; timeline replaces the "which case was that Amazon one?" problem.

    An ADHD survival kit

    Voice-notes everything (assignments, ideas, "don't forget to email prof"). Daily 5-minute review sorts into three folders: this week, this term, dump. Uses streaks purely for the dopamine.

    Why it works: Zero executive-function tax to capture; low-friction weekly triage. Full breakdown in our ADHD note-taking guide.

    Ready-to-Use Student Templates

    Lecture Notes
    Study Guide
    Assignment Tracker
    Research Notes
    Lab Report
    Reading Notes
    Browse All Templates

    What Luma Actually Gives Students

    Voice Capture

    One-tap voice capture during lectures, with AI cleanup so the transcript reads like notes instead of a raw recording.

    AI Summaries

    AI summaries and auto-generated flashcards to turn a lecture into a study guide in minutes.

    Student Pricing

    A free plan with 50 notes and 5 AI actions a day, and Premium at $2.99/month if you need more.

    Student FAQs

    Ready to Ace Your Classes?

    Start Free - No Credit Card Required

    50 free notes to start • $2.99/month for unlimited