Best Mac Apps for Students (2026)
The best Mac apps for students are Notion or Obsidian for notes, Anki for flashcards and exam revision, and LibreOffice for writing papers. They are free (or have free education plans) and install with one Homebrew command.
How we pick: apps are ranked on Homebrew availability, active maintenance, pricing, and category fit. Our methodology.
How to choose
- Notes style. Notion suits shared group projects and databases; Obsidian suits personal, local lecture notes you want to keep forever. Most students only need one primary notes app.
- What you must memorize. Anki pays off for vocab, formulas, and exam facts that need spaced repetition. If your courses are mostly essays and projects, flashcards are optional.
- School file formats. LibreOffice covers Word, Excel, and PowerPoint without a subscription; Figma matters for design courses and group prototypes. Match tools to what your professors and group chats actually send.
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Notion
FreeAn all-in-one workspace for notes, assignments, and databases, with a free education plan.
Best for: Organizing coursework and projects
brew install --cask notion - 2
Obsidian
FreeA free, local-first Markdown notes app ideal for lecture notes and linked study material.
Best for: Building linked study notes
brew install --cask obsidian - 3
Anki
FreeA free, open-source spaced-repetition flashcard app proven for memorization and exam prep.
Best for: Memorization and exam revision
brew install --cask anki - 4
LibreOffice
FreeA free, open-source office suite that opens and edits Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files.
Best for: Writing papers without paying for Office
brew install --cask libreoffice - 5
Figma
FreeA collaborative design tool with a free education plan for coursework and prototyping.
Best for: Design students and group projects
brew install --cask figma
Who should skip these
If Apple Notes, Preview, and a school Google Workspace or Office 365 login already cover lectures and assignments, installing a full student stack is busywork. These picks help when you need durable notes, serious revision, or free document editing without a paid suite.