Top Digital Planner Apps for Students
~Digital planners have revolutionized how students organize their academic lives. With the right app, you can manage assignments, track deadlines, take notes, and stay on top of your schedule—all from your tablet or computer. Here's your guide to the best digital planner apps for students.
What Makes a Great Student Planner App?
Before diving into specific apps, here's what to look for:
- Cross-platform syncing - Access from any device
- Calendar integration - Sync with your existing calendar
- Note-taking capabilities - Write or type notes
- Template support - Use or import digital planner templates
- Search functionality - Find old notes quickly
- Affordable pricing - Student budgets matter
Best Apps for Handwritten Planning
GoodNotes 5/6
Best for: iPad users who love handwriting
- Excellent palm rejection and Apple Pencil support
- Beautiful hyperlinked planner templates work perfectly
- Powerful search that reads handwriting
- Shape recognition and straight line tools
- Easy organization with notebooks and folders
- Price: One-time purchase or subscription (GoodNotes 6)
Notability
Best for: Students who record lectures
- Audio recording synced to notes
- Great for reviewing lectures
- Easy sticker and image importing
- iCloud syncing across devices
- Price: Subscription model
Noteshelf
Best for: Beautiful, customizable notes
- Gorgeous built-in templates
- Excellent pen and brush variety
- Works on iPad and Android tablets
- Audio recording feature
- Price: One-time purchase
Best Apps for Typed Planning
Notion
Best for: Students who love organization systems
- Incredibly flexible database features
- Build custom dashboards for academics
- Collaborative features for group projects
- Web clipper for saving research
- Works on any device with a browser
- Price: Free for personal use
OneNote
Best for: Students in the Microsoft ecosystem
- Free with Microsoft account
- Works everywhere: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, web
- Infinite canvas for flexible layouts
- Great for typed and handwritten notes
- Easy sharing and collaboration
- Price: Free
Obsidian
Best for: Students who want connected knowledge
- Powerful linking between notes
- Visual knowledge graphs
- Works offline with local files
- Huge plugin ecosystem
- Price: Free for personal use
Specialized Student Planners
My Study Life
Best for: Tracking classes and assignments
- Designed specifically for students
- Class schedule management
- Assignment and exam tracking
- Cloud syncing across devices
- Price: Free
Todoist
Best for: Task and project management
- Natural language task entry
- Project organization with sections
- Recurring tasks for regular assignments
- Collaboration for group projects
- Price: Free tier available, premium subscription
Choosing the Right App
Consider Your Learning Style
- Visual learners - GoodNotes, Noteshelf
- Auditory learners - Notability
- Reading/writing learners - Notion, Obsidian
- Kinesthetic learners - Handwriting apps with practice features
Consider Your Devices
- iPad only - GoodNotes, Notability
- Multiple devices - Notion, OneNote
- Android tablet - Samsung Notes, Noteshelf
Make Your Planner Beautiful
Most of these apps support importing custom templates and stickers. Check out our digital stationery collection for planners and stickers that work with GoodNotes, Notability, and other popular apps!
Pro Tips for Digital Planning Success
- Set up your planner before the semester starts
- Input all syllabus deadlines immediately
- Review and plan weekly on the same day
- Back up your notes to cloud storage
- Use consistent color coding across notes
