Five years ago, the idea of an app that could take notes for you felt like pure science fiction. Probably something I'd dream about while panic-highlighting my textbook at 2 AM.

Now? It’s just how smart students roll.

Thanks to AI, you no longer have to scribble furiously during lectures or rewatch the same Zoom recording three times. These AI note takers show up, listen, and turn lectures into organized notes. You can simply be present and focus on what’s being taught, without worrying about missing out on important details. 

You could be a straight-A student or a professional procrastinator (or both!), I’ve tested and shortlisted the best AI tools for students to help you study smarter and improve productivity.

Here’s how I came up with this list: 

• I made sure either the tools have a free plan or the pricing tiers are affordable for students. 
• I tried the free versions and played around with different features—transcription accuracy, note clarity, export options, and how well they understand what’s going on in class.

• I analyzed the tool’s ease of use. Nobody wants to spend 30 minutes setting up before a 9AM lecture!
• Whether you're using Zoom, Google Meet, or good ol’ in-person classes, the tools need to be flexible.

Check out the tools and see which one works best for you!

What Are the Best AI Note-Taking Tools for Students?

• Jamie — Best for accurate transcription, organized summary, and bot-free operation
• Aiko — Best for high-accuracy AI transcription on Apple devices with offline support
• Otter — Best for real-time transcription during virtual and in-person lectures
• PLAUD AI — Best for offline recording and transcription through a wearable device
• Jamworks — Best for STEM students looking for a convenient AI note-taker
• Knowt AI — Best for explaining complex concepts and revising notes
• Mem AI — Best for connecting current notes to past meeting notes
• NotebookLM by Google — Best for compiling and summarizing research papers and materials
• Granola — Best for transcription and organized note-taking on Apple devices
• Zoom AI Companion — Best for note-taking and smart summaries during Zoom classes

1. Jamie 

Best for: Accurate transcription, organized summary, and bot-free operation

Jamie might be known as a go-to AI note-taker for meetings—but it’s not just for the boardroom. It’s just as powerful for classes, lectures, and seminars.

It quietly captures what’s being said, organizes it into smart summaries, and helps you stay focused on your classes.

See how Jamie works:

Jamie key features

a. Bot-free note-taking experience

Jamie is a bot-free AI meeting assistant. You don’t have to worry about unwanted bots joining and disrupting your classroom/seminar. It works silently in the background and captures the audio. 

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b. Accurate transcription and summary

Jamie captures your classes and transcribes your lectures accurately, even with multiple speakers involved. It picks up the nuances of human speech and different accents. You also have the option to add custom words so that Jamie catches your subject-specific terminology perfectly. 

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c. Searchable notes 

Jamie comes with a built-in assistant, the Executive Assistant Sidebar, to help you sift through piles of notes and find specific insights. Powered by Jamie’s own AI, Claude 3.5, and GPT-4, Jamie’s sidebar smartly answers your queries, both class-related and general ones. 

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d. Easy notes sharing

Want to export your notes to a Word document or Google Docs? Jamie makes it simple. You can copy the notes from Jamie and paste them wherever you need. Or you can generate a shareable URL and send the notes to your email inbox.

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e. Works online and offline

Jamie works for virtual classes as well as in-person classes, seminars, lectures, group discussions, or any other academic scenarios. You can record conversations and turn them into organized notes no matter where you are—with or without an internet connection.

Jamie pricing

Jamie offers 4 pricing tiers:

• Free: Offers 10 meetings per month, with a recording limit of 30 minutes and 20 messages/day, along with meeting transcription, speaker recognition, task and decision detection
• Standard: 24€/month per user. It unlocks 20 meetings per month, 3-hour meeting limit, 40 assistant messages/day, and priority support 
• Pro: 47€/month per user. It upgrades you to 50 meetings/month and 100 assistant messages/day
• Executive: 99€/month per user. You get unlimited meetings and unlimited assistant messages

Jamie also has a Team plan and Enterprise tier—the quotes depend on specific business requirements.

Jamie doesn't gatekeep its premium features—they're available in the free plan as well, capped at 10 meetings or classes per month.  

Jamie pros and cons

Pros

✅ Supports 20+ languages

✅ Doesn’t store recordings on the cloud—the file automatically gets deleted after processing 

✅ GDPR-compliant, EU-hosted tool that’s committed to ensuring privacy 

Cons

❌ Doesn’t support video recordings

Hard to Catch Prof's Lectures?

Jamie does it for you.

Use Jamie for Free

2. Aiko

Best for: High-accuracy AI transcription on Apple devices with offline support 

Aiko is an on-device transcription tool that quickly converts your lectures into written text. Powered by OpenAI’s Whisper model, it runs locally on your Apple devices for fast and reliable transcription. 

Aiko top features

• Supports audio in 100+ languages 
• Runs locally for fast and private speech-to-text conversion
• You can export transcriptions in multiple formats, including JSON, CSV, and subtitles

Aiko pricing 

• Free 14-day trial
• Paid plan: $22 

Aiko pros and cons

Pros

✅ Offers a limitation-free 14-day trial

✅ No learning curve 

✅ Supports any audio and video format that macOS and iOS supports, such as m4a, .wav, .mp3, .mp4, and .mov 

Cons

❌ Doesn’t work on Windows

3. Otter

Best for: Real-time transcription

Otter offers real-time captions and note-taking for both in-person and virtual lectures, classes, and meetings.

During virtual sessions, Otter captures lecture slides and adds them to your notes—making it easier to recall everything in context.

Otter features 

• Students can highlight text, add comments, and insert images directly into their notes
• After the lecture, Otter automatically generates a summary to help students review key points
• Highlighted notes appear in the takeaways panel, where students can tag others and ask questions without interrupting the class

Otter pricing 

The pricing plans are: 

• Basic: Free. offers AI meeting record, transcription, and summary, and 300 monthly transcription minutes with a limit of 30 minutes per conversation
• Pro: $16.99/user per month. You get 1200 monthly transcription minutes with 90 minutes per conversation 
• Business: $30/user per month. It makes you eligible for 6000 monthly transcription minutes with 4 hours per conversation
• Enterprise: Custom pricing. This plan offers company-wide deployment, video replay, along with advanced security and compliance controls

Otter pros and cons 

Pros

✅ Easy to use 

✅ Automatically joins and records your meetings/classes on Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet

✅ Syncs with Google Calendar, Dropbox, and Notion

Cons

❌ Sometimes the tool automatically joins meetings even when you don’t want it to

Also read: 10 Best Otter AI Alternatives & Competitors 

Worried About Bot Alerts?

Jamie stays silent and unseen.

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4. PLAUD AI

Best for: Offline recording and transcription through a wearable device 

PLAUD AI is a voice recording and transcription system designed to simplify note-taking and information management. Built using GPT-4o, o3-mini, and Claude 3.5 Sonnet, it comprises two wearable devices: the PLAUD Note and the PLAUD NotePin. Both the devices capture audio and convert it into organized and searchable notes.

PLAUD AI features 

• Seamless one-press record mechanism
• Organize your notes using professional summary templates 
• Automatically extract action items from lectures  

PLAUD AI pros and cons

Pros 

✅ Record with PLAUD devices and access your audio and notes anytime on the app, web, or desktop and get unlimited cloud storage

✅ Review your notes using easy-to-navigate mind maps

✅ Get answers related to your recordings with Plaud Intelligence

Cons 

❌ You have to purchase the physical device 

PLAUD AI pricing 

• Plaud Note: $159
• Plaud NotePin: $159

5. Jamworks

Best for: STEM students looking for a convenient AI note-taker

Jamworks captures every word of your lectures and seminars—no matter how fast your professor talks. It automatically turns those sessions into clean, organized notes, so you can stop stressing and start focusing on what’s being taught.

Jamworks features

• Automatically breaks lectures into chapters, so you can review key moments as video clips, audio highlights, or text summaries
• Understands and captures complex equations and formulas—ideal for STEM subjects
• Turns your lecture content into flashcards, helping you quickly test and reinforce your understanding

Jamworks pros and cons 

Pros 

✅ Answers questions about lectures and slides

✅ Provides personalised AI tuition

✅ Syncs with Panopto

Cons

❌ Doesn’t have a free plan

Jamworks pricing 

• Jamworks Pro: $14.99/month (14-day free trial available)

6. Knowt AI 

Best for: Explaining complex concepts and revising notes 

Knowt AI lets you record or upload your lectures, and within seconds, Kai (your AI assistant) turns them into automated notes and flashcards. Stuck with something? Just ask Kai to explain concepts or generate practice questions, instantly.

Knowt AI features 

• Customize your notes with Kai—adjust the format, depth, and tone to match your learning style
• Chat directly with your lecture to clarify concepts or generate flashcards on key terms
• Let Kai quiz you for active recall, making studying more effective than passive reading

Knowt AI pros and cons

Pros 

✅ Use the PPT summarizer to turn presentations into notes 

✅ Summarize Youtube videos with the Knowt extension

✅ Record lectures and take notes with the mobile app

Cons 

❌ The interface could’ve been simpler 

Knowt AI pricing 

• Plus: $1.99/month (billed annually)
• Ultra: $4.99/month (billed annually)

7. Mem AI

Best for: Connecting current notes to past notes 

Mem AI is a note-taking app that acts like a second brain. Mem Chat can surface hard-to-find answers, summarize scattered notes, and draft content, all by tapping into a deep understanding of your knowledge base.

Mem AI features

• Related Notes brings together everything connected to what you’re currently working on
• AI-powered Collections keep your notes organized without relying on tags or folder names you’ll forget
• Smart Search combines AI and filters to help you instantly find the exact note you’re looking for

Mem AI pricing 

Free

Mem AI pros and cons 

Pros 

✅ Collaborate with classmates by creating shared collections

✅ Sync notes in real-time across phone and desktop app 

✅ Jot down your ideas anytime you want, even when you’re offline 

Cons

❌ Retrieving notes can be a hassle at times

8. NotebookLM by Google

Best for: Compiling research materials 

Powered by Gemini 2.0’s multimodal intelligence, NotebookLM by Google is your personal research assistant. Upload anything from PDFs and Google Docs to YouTube videos and audio files, and NotebookLM will summarize them, surface smart connections between ideas, and answer your questions related to those materials.

NotebookLM features 

• Get clear citations for every response 
• Turn your sources into engaging Deep Dive discussions using the newly added Audio Overview feature
• Ask NotebookLM to explain complex concepts in simple terms and provide real-world examples for better understanding 

NotebookLM pros and cons

Pros

✅ Helps you generate AI summaries, guided lesson plans, and study guides for courses 

✅ Doesn’t use personal data for training

✅ Easy to use, even for new users 

Cons 

❌ Doesn’t yet offer features for tagging, filtering, or organizing large-scale research projects

Pricing 

Available for free with your Google account.

9. Granola 

Best for: Transcription and organized note-taking on Apple devices

Granola AI is a simple, student-friendly note taker that does more than just transcribe. After your meeting ends, it enhances the notes you've written using the latest AI models.

Granola key features 

• Transcribes your Mac’s audio directly, offering a bot-free experience
• Helps you with post-meeting action items 
• Allows easy sharing of notes 

Granola pros and cons

Pros 

✅ Similar to Apple Notes, so Apple users will find the UI familiar 

✅ Works on all meeting platforms 

✅ Comes in handy when you have back-to-back classes and too little time to review your notes

Cons 

❌ Available for Mac and iOS only 

Granola pricing 

• Free Trial: Free for up to 25 meetings
• Individual: 18/month
• Business: $14/month per user
• Enterprise: Starts at $35/month per user

10. Zoom AI Companion

Best for: Note-taking natively on Zoom 

If most of your virtual classes take place on Zoom, you might want to check out Zoom AI Companion. For students, this native Zoom tool automatically summarizes class sessions, organizes recordings into easy-to-navigate chapters, and answers questions in real time—so you can catch up faster. It also helps you write clearer chat messages and stay on top of group discussions with quick thread summaries. 

Zoom AI Companion features 

• Review cloud recordings quickly with highlights and smart chapters
• Stay on track with the discussion using live meeting summary 
• Share your preferred writing style and Zoom AI Companion can write for you in a similar tone 

Zoom AI Companion pricing 

Zoom AI Companion is available with the paid plans of Zoom Workplace for Education. The pricing tiers are:

• School and Campus: $10/month per license
• School and Campus Plus: $15/month per license
• Enterprise: Custom pricing

Zoom AI Companion pros and cons 

Pros

✅ The tool automatically detects action items from meetings, chats, emails, and docs

✅ Lets you track your action items from creation to completion in the Tasks tab

✅ Delivers accurate responses to complex questions, ensuring conversations stay smooth and feel natural

Cons

❌ Available only on paid plans

Also read: Otter AI vs Zoom AI Companion vs Jamie: Which one is better in 2025?

Let Jamie Take Notes, So You Can Focus on Learning

With the right AI note taker, you can finally just listen to your professor—and trust that everything important is being captured.

If you’re after real-time transcription during live classes, Otter has your back. Prefer something hands-free and offline? PLAUD AI’s wearable devices are surprisingly handy. For Apple users, Aiko and Granola offer clean interfaces with powerful on-device transcription. And if you need help turning messy class materials into clear explanations and flashcards, Knowt AI is a gem.

But if you’re looking for an all-rounder—one that’s accurate, distraction-free, and built to work across both Zoom calls and in-person lectures—Jamie would be the best option. It captures your classes, organizes everything into searchable summaries, and respects your privacy while doing it. No bots, no stress. Only smart notes that help you stay ahead!

Download Jamie for free to experience it yourself!

Or if you’d like to see the tool in action before making a move, book a free demo. 

On-Campus or Online Classes?

Jamie works everywhere.

Use Jamie for Free

Read More 

• The 10 Best Meeting Minutes Software in 2025
• 10 Best Speech-to-Text Software for 2025
• 10 Best Automated Meeting Notes Tools to Save You Hours in 2025
• The 10 Best AI Meeting Assistants for 2025
• 7 Best AI Note Takers in 2025 [Updated March]
• 12 Best Zoom Tips & Tricks for 2025

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