12 Organization Apps in 2024 For Students To Get More Organized

If you feel overwhelmed and need some help with managing schoolwork, this article will be useful in helping you with that. You will be introduced to 12 different organization apps, including note-taking, mind mapping, and daily planning or time management.

You will also find the supported OS, pros and cons, how the app can help you stay organized, and pricing plans. You will also learn how to fully utilize and maximize the potential of these organization apps and find out about the best PDF reader and editor apps for students.

How To Be An Organized Student

Did you know? An average student spends about 17 hours a week preparing for classes. By learning various organization tips for school, there will be fewer strains in your schedule, which would help in time management. Here are some organizational tips that will help you.

• Create a routine to make you stay consistent in your tasks.
• Set rules to help you achieve your to-dos each day.
• Write down important student details, including homework assignments, test dates, essay topics, and information about submitting your assignments.
• Create your deadline at least two days ahead of the actual assignment deadline. It will allow for extra time if the assignment takes longer than expected.
• Use organization tools to help you stay organized.

The article will find the best organization apps for note-taking, mind mapping, daily planning, and time management.

Best Organization Apps for Students - Note Taking

In the past, students often took notes using the traditional pen and paper method. However, with groundbreaking achievements accomplished by software developers and engineers, the world is now going paperless, and the use of note-taking apps or digital note-taking has increased in popularity among the student population. Below are the introduction of recommended tools.

PDFelement

PDFelement is a PDF note-taking app that allows annotating, editing text, adding a text box or freehand drawing, and even sharing files.

Supported OS: Windows 11 and below, macOS 10.14 to macOS13, Android 5.0 (Lollipop), iOS 13 and above

Star features

• PDF note-taking tools that make it simple for annotation
• PDF editing:

1. Removing or adding text. You can also change font and font size, add bold or italic fonts, choose font color, and achieve text alignment.
2. Editing images in PDFs. You can also replace a picture with your own; resize, rotate, or crop images; and extract the images into your photo library.

• Watermark and password protection features where you can add or remove watermarks in your PDF, including text or image watermarks. The features offer protection against unauthorized use.
• PDF pages can be replaced, extracted, deleted and shared with ease.

How can this app help you stay organized?

• PDFelement for iOS almost perfectly mirrors the desktop version, so you can easily and conveniently use the app on the go.
• Scanning is made possible using the app to convert physical class materials into digital copies!
• You can organize different file formats along with links, attachments, and watermarks so you can view your notes in one combined PDF.

What do we not like about the app?

• Sync across devices - The app does not allow syncing across Windows or Android devices. For now, the app can only sync across Apple devices only.
• Conversion of Word documents and Microsoft PowerPoint to PDF is still impossible on the app.

Pricing

• Free for the trial version
• For both Windows and Mac: $109.99 for a 2-year plan, $79.99 for the yearly plan, or a one-time fee of $129.99 for perpetual usage for individuals
• For iOS: $6.99 for the monthly plan or $29.99 for the yearly plan, or a one-time fee of $39.99 for the perpetual usage
• For Android users, you can enjoy PDFelement for free.

OneNote

Microsoft OneNote is a free note-taking app that allows you to organize and gather your thoughts, discoveries, and ideas while engaging in multi-user collaboration.

Supported OS: Windows 10 and Windows 11, MacOS, iOS, iPadOS, and Android

Star features

• Organize data in Notebook in the form of text, image, audio, and video.
• Web clipper that allows you to extract information from a webpage to OneNote.
• Several in-built templates include decorative page backgrounds, uniform appearance, and consistent layout.
• Password security for each section in a Notebook.

How can this app help you stay organized?

• OneNote consists of notebooks, sections, and pages. You can create a notebook for each major area of your life, such as school, home, and work.
• OneNote has several built-in tags, such as Remember For Later, Website To Visit, or Idea, to help you organize your notes.

What do we not like about the app?

• Lack of collaboration features implemented on OneNote.
• The ability to search through notes is limited - searching for keywords is still possible, but not for tags, as there is a minimal tagging capability for OneNote.
• Difficulties in adding documents into notes in OneNote, even when some of these documents are made using other Microsoft products.

Pricing

• Free for Microsoft users.

Notability

Notability is a powerful yet wonderfully simple note-taking and PDF annotation tool that helps students take notes that they will want to review, revisit, and actively use.

Supported OS: iOS/iPadOS 13 or later, macOS 10.15 or later

Star features

• Combine everything - your text, files, photos, handwritten notes, and even snarky GIFs into a beautifully formatted document.
• Several templates to choose from - from basic to educational to create templates.
• Audio recordings are automatically linked to any notes you take while recording - this is super handy if you are attending a lecture, conducting an interview, or sitting in a long meeting.
• In the Notability Gallery, you can view designed and efficiently organized notes shared by other users.

How can this app help you stay organized?

• In the Notability Gallery, you can view designed and efficiently organized notes shared by other users. You can annotate anything with the Apple Pencil - PDFs, presentation slides, shopping lists, and many more.
• Notability's document management is very straightforward as it provides two essential tools - subjects and dividers. Hence, you will be able to relocate a misplaced note with ease.

What do we not like about the app?

• Lack of customization features - you can't change page templates on a page-by-page basis, as all pages inside a note are the same.
• There are only three layers of organization for your documents - dividers, subjects then notes. Hence, notes organization may be a simplified one.
• The lack of handwriting recognition on Notability's free plan cripples the app's search functionality. If you have an old note somewhere that is handwritten, it might not be easy to search for it on the app.

Pricing

• The starter subscription is free.
• Premium subscription for $8.99 for the first year and then $11.99 per year in subsequent years.

Evernote

Evernote is a note-taking app that helps you create digital notes, organizes a wide variety of file formats into individual notebooks, including text, contacts, task lists, and image files, and keeps them synced across all your devices.

Supported OS: macOS 10.14 and above, Windows 10, iOS 13 and newer, Android 10 and newer (Evernote v. 10.0+), Android 11 and newer (Chromebook), and Android 6 and newer (older versions of Evernote)

Star features

• The app's home page is a one-stop dashboard consisting of widgets designed to display your most relevant information in a simple and organized view.

How can this app help you stay organized?

• Tasksin the app allows you to move seamlessly between your to-dos and the information needed to get them done. It organizes your action items in context, manages your tasks when you add and check off tasks, and prioritizes tasks by setting due dates and adding reminders.
• Calendar integration allows you to view upcoming events, find related notes and even create new meeting notes directly for your event pre, during, and post-event.

What do we not like about the app?

• Limited free version as you can only sync data across two devices and notes can only be saved offline on your desktop.
• Your note has to be smaller than 25MB, and the new monthly storage for standard notes is only 60 MB. So it is nearly impossible to include images, audio, or video files in your notes.
• Evernote does not support real-time collaboration on notes with other users. You can only share and organize notes via different channels, such as email or social media.

Pricing

• A free subscription is available.
• The personal subscription is priced at $5.25 per month or $62.98 per year.
• The professional subscription is priced at $7.08 per month or $84.98 per year.
• A team subscription is priced at $17 per user per month.

Best Organization Applications for Students - Mind Mapping

Digital mind maps tools offer templates for students to use to create their mind maps, and all they need to do is type in the relevant information and add some pictures to beautify the mind map. Digital mind maps also offer unlimited arranging and formatting options; hence, students can organize a huge chunk of complex information into an easy-to-read mind map.

Here are the two powerful mind-mapping applications.

MindMaster

The MindMaster software is a complete-featured collaborative mind mapping and brainstorming tool available on multiple platforms, including PC, tablet, mobile, and web.

Supported OS: Windows 2000, XP, Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10; MacOS X 10 and later; Linux (Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, CentOS, Open SUSE, Mint, Knoppix, Redhat)

Star features

• There are 12 different structures, including the traditional radial map, the treemap, fishbone, timeline, sector map, circle map, and bubble map for users to choose from.
• Provides 33 different themes or styles and 700+ stylish clipart ready-made to decorate your mind maps and visualize your creative ideas.
• Built-in presentation feature so you can turn your mind maps into beautiful and dynamic slideshows within seconds.

How can this app help you stay organized?

• The app's interface is like Microsoft's software; hence it is easy to use and intuitive.
• Collaboration is enabled by simply inviting collaborators via email or generating a link in the software. You can also decide who can edit the mind map or only view it.
• There is also cloud collaboration where users can store their maps files in the cloud storage, which other team members can gain access to easily.
• Users can use MindMaster on mac, Windows, Linux, and even mobile devices.

What do we not like about the app?

• The free version has limited exporting options.
• Resolving tech issues is not user-friendly, as the tech support team can only be reached via online tickets.

Pricing

• For individuals, a lifetime plan is priced at $118, and the subscription plan is billed at $59 per year or $39 for every six months.
• An annual plan is priced at $79 per user for teams and businesses.
• For an education plan, a 2-year plan has a one-time payment of $139; an annual plan is priced at $85 per year; a semi-annual plan is billed at $62 every six months.

SimpleMind

SimpleMind is a mind-mapping software that helps users organize their fresh thoughts, summarize chunky information and generate new ideas.

Supported OS: MacOS 10.13 or later, Windows 7 or later, iOS 11 or later, Android 5 or later

Star features

• The mind maps can be customized with labels, callouts, and notes.
• Virtually unlimited page size and a number of elements.
• You can have multiple mind maps on one page.
• Different media types can be embedded in mind maps, such as file documents, pictures, videos, and audio recordings.

How can this app help you stay organized?

• The awesome brainstorming tool helps users keep their thoughts structured visually. Users can store ideas, revisit them and then make insightful connections between them by connecting topics in graphs or trees.
• A free-form layout feature allows users to design and create their mind maps in a way that makes sense to them so that they can communicate with other collaborators easily.
• The app also helps to automatically arrange topics, enabling users to minimize the clutter and mess that might happen during the ideation process and creating the mind map.

What do we not like about the app?

• The free version is only available on mobile devices.
• The trial version is only available for 30 days.
• Mind maps cannot be exported in JPEG and Word formats.
• The beautiful mind map features are only available on the pro version.

Pricing

Free trial for SimpleMind Free. And for SimpleMind Pro:

• A single user is priced at $30 for Mac and $54 for Mac and Windows bundles.
• Family/Team (4 users) is priced at $49 for Mac and $98 in Mac and Windows bundles.
• The 10-user pack is priced at $114 for Mac and $228 in Mac and Windows

Best Organization Applications for Students - Daily Planner/Time Management

A daily student planner will help students achieve organizational skills, improve overall learning, and increase productivity while freeing up their time for extracurricular activities outside school. This is where a daily planner will come in handy.

Here are the seven top daily planner or time management applications.

TickTick - Best To-Do List Application

TickTick is a task management app that helps you stay organized and has seamless cloud synchronization across all your devices.

Supported OS: macOS, Windows, iOS, and Android

Star features

• Your to-dos can be organized into folders, lists, tasks, and check items.
• The Pomo Timer allows you to practise the Pomodoro Technique in TickTick to stay productive and focus on your goals.
• Collaboration is easy as you can share your to-do list with your teammates and even assign a task to a particular team member.
• Adding habits allows you to enter anything you want to track, from exercising to reading to meditating. The habits can then be checked off on the days you do them, just like how you check each task on your to-do list.

How can this app help you stay organized?

• The smart lists and filters function allows you to view your tasks in smart lists such as "Today" or "Tomorrow," or you can create filters for your assignments.
• You can turn your emails into tasks with just a few clicks.
• Smart date parsing, where you can include the deadline or due date and time information when creating a new task. TickTick will automatically parse it into a reminder, so you will not need to worry about missing a deadline.

What do we not like about the app?

• The free version is limited.
• The white noise options sound pretty awkward.

Pricing

• Free version available
• The premium version is priced at $27.99 per year.

myHomework - Best App for Homework

myHomework student planner is a digital planning app that allows its users to organize their tasks so that they can readily access the schedule at their fingertips and keep track of classes, assignments, and assessments through this virtual planner.

Supported OS: Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Vista and MacOS 10, MacOS 11, MacOS 10.9

Star features

• The user interface is simple, clean, and practical, which makes the app very user-friendly.
• Customizing the app is simple, as users just need to enter their class details into the calendar, add homework descriptions with just the tap of a button, and set due dates, times, and even reminders.
• A simple calendar viewing is made available on the app, where you can, at a glance, find out and be reminded of the projects and assignments due that day.

How can this app help you stay organized?

• The simple user interface allows students to monitor classes, keep track of assignments and take note of important dates and deadlines effortlessly.
• The app can be synced to a variety of devices, so users will be able to view their schedules on multiple devices.

What do we not like about the app?

• The class information and assignment details will have to be manually imported or added by students if their teachers are not using the companion app, Teachers.io.
• There is not much tech support for users. The app only provides some initial text descriptions and a simple Frequently Asked Question segment.

Pricing

• myHomework Basic is free
• myHomework Premium is priced at $4.99 per year

Habitica - A Gamified Daily Planner App

Built on the principle of gamification, Habitica is a habit and productivity app that uses retro RPG elements in a role-playing game format to gamify your tasks and goals while organizing them.

Supported OS: macOS, Windows, iOS, and Android

Star features

• Tick off your Habitica tasks when you complete your real-life tasks, including the once-off targets (To Do's), routine tasks that must be completed each day (Dailies), and the habits that you are trying to do more of or stop doing (Habits).
• You will level up, gain gold, collect equipment and find pets in the app after finishing tasks.

How can this app help you stay organized?

• The task list in the app can be fully customized, and it can individualize many aspects of habits and goals.
• This motivational app helps to motivate users to achieve their goals like an adventure game with four motivational concepts: achievement, adventure and advancement, shared quests, and common-Interest groups and challenges.

What do we not like about the app?

• It is only ideal for users seeking a role-playing and gamified way to tick off tasks on to-dos, complete their daily chores and practice good habits while avoiding bad ones.
• The user experience is pretty dynamic, the number of features might be very large, and there are multiple moving parts on their user interface.
• Users might over-report the completion of tasks, success of practicing good habits, and avoiding bad habits.

Pricing

• $4.99 every month or $14.99 every three months or $29.99 every six months, or $47.99 every year

School Planner

The School Planner app is a useful app that helps students of all ages organize their daily lesson schedules and timetables, keep track of homework and assignments, and be reminded of examinations and assessments.

Supported OS: iOS and Android

Star features

• The timetable can be customized, where you can add different colors to each subject and events that are saved in the calendar.
• Your agendas can be synced across all your devices and backed up on Google Drive.
• Your teachers' contact info, including phone numbers, office hours, and email addresses, can be saved and organized in the app.

How can this app help you stay organized?

• The built-in calendar allows its users to manage timetables and schedules more easily and efficiently.
• The simple, fast and intuitive user interface allows easy viewing of the agenda for homework, assignments, examinations, and other reminders.
• You can set notifications for assignment deadlines, test dates, and other reminders.
• Lectures can be recorded or organized automatically using the app, so you can always go back to view the recorded lecture and revisit concepts learned during the lesson.
• Grades, marks, and subjects can be managed using the app so you can set a benchmark in reaching your desired goal.

What do we not like about the app?

• Ads pop up very frequently in the app.
• The grading system cannot be customized in the app.
• You can only select the date for a homework deadline or an examination date but not the time.

Pricing

• Free

My Study Life – Convenient School Planner

My Study Life is a cross-platform online student planner app that allows users to keep track of classes, homework, and assessments stored in the cloud, making it available on any device.

Supported OS: macOS, Windows 8, iOS, and Android

Star features

• Tasks like homework, assignments, reminders, and revisions can be tracked and stored easily in the cloud. You can access them anywhere and at any time.
• Classes can be managed in a user-friendly timetable or scheduler on the app.

How can this app help you stay organized?

• You can get reminders for upcoming task deadlines, examination dates, and class schedules in advance.
• Rotation timetables and traditional weekly schedules are supported on the app. So you can organize subjects and key information about lessons on the app.

What do we not like about the app?

• Users will need to manually enter the information on their own, so they will need to take ownership of their learning.
• There are no online rewards or opportunities to motivate students.

Pricing

• Free

Quizlet - Special Study Organizer APP To Improve Your Test Scores

Quizlet is a web-based app that converts important study content and information into useful study tools such as interactive flashcards, intellectual quizzes, and engaging games.

Supported OS: macOS, Windows, iOS, and Android

Star features

• Multiple and customized question sets can be created using the app, where these question sets can aid students in preparing for their upcoming assessments.
• Quizlet can be used live in a classroom setting to allow for active engagement with the lesson material and would be perfect for checking to understand and reviewing concepts.
• The Learn feature allows students to tackle increasingly difficult questions, which are distributed into four mastery categories - New, Seen, Familiar, or Mastered. Students can remember the progress made and adapt quizzes to assist their learning.
• The flashcards feature effectively eliminates the need for students to carry bulky flashcards to study and memorize them.

How can this app help you stay organized?

• The app can be downloaded so students can use the app conveniently anywhere and at any time.
• The app offers several game formats, including flashcards, quizzes, and timed games, which increase student motivation in learning.

What do we not like about the app?

• Ads on every page of the website on the free version of Quizlet.
• Students might learn incorrect information on Quizlet as sets of questions or flashcards might be created by someone else without being vetted or audited.

Pricing

• A free account is available
• Quizlet Plus subscription is free for a 7-day trial and $41.99 per year or $9.48 per month.

Pomodoro - Focus Timer

The Pomodoro Focus Timer engages the Pomodoro Technique in this app, where large and complex tasks can be broken down into smaller and manageable ones so that you can focus better and spread out your productivity levels throughout the day.

Supported OS: iPad OS

Star features

• The relaxing sound player has a huge repertoire of sound and music.
• Timer style, background image, and working intervals can be easily customized.
• Support working on backgrounds, including notifications, reminders, and scheduling.

How can this app help you stay organized?

As the working intervals can be customized, you can develop your system that best suits your needs, learning pace, and preferences.

What do we not like about the app?

• The default timer cannot be renamed from "Pomodoro."
• The statistics tab does not break down focus time by timer; additional timers can only be created with a premium account.
• In the latest update, the focus timer stops counting down if you switch apps or lock your phone.

Pricing

• A free account is available

People Also Ask

Final Thoughts

A good organizational app can interface with note-taking apps, mind-mapping tools, and document storage clouds to increase convenience and enable efficient retrieval of important documents and information. The traditional calendaring and to-dos functions of old-school and hard-copy daily planners are now converted into digital forms in these organizational apps for greater convenience.

Choosing the right organizational app for yourself can vastly impact your productivity and efficiency in tasks and goals. Here is a concluding tip: think about what takes precedence in your life now - would it be an overwhelming task you need to accomplish, an old habit you would like to kick, or a new goal you would like to achieve?