Best free study apps for kids with ADHD, compared

October is ADHD Awareness Month, and the question we hear most from parents is which app is worth the download. We looked at the free tiers of the apps people actually use for studying, read each one's own pricing or help page this week, and wrote down what you get, what you do not, and who each is best for. We make one of these (Versed), and we say where it fits and where it does not.

What to look for

ADHD makes three parts of studying harder: starting, staying on the task, and getting what was learned back out later. So the useful question is not "which app is best" but "which of those three is the problem tonight". Starting is a task-breakdown problem. Staying is a focus-and-structure problem. Remembering is a flashcard problem.

For starting: breaking the task down

• Goblin.tools (web, Android, iOS). A set of small tools; the one most parents use is Magic ToDo, which breaks a task into steps. It is described as kept free by sponsors, with a paid Pro tier and optional donations. An account is optional and only needed for things like saved history and sharing lists. Best for: a child who looks at a big task and freezes.
• Versed Tiny steps (web, free, no account). You type the scary task and it writes the steps, shows one at a time, and starts a five-minute timer. The AI that writes the steps has a daily limit, and when it runs out you get ready-made templates instead. Best for: the first five minutes of homework. Open it here.

For staying on task: focus and structure

• Forest (iOS, Android, browser extensions). A timer where a tree grows while you stay off other apps. The free version has the timer, basic trees, group focus, app blocking and one soundscape; Plus is a paid subscription. An account is required. Best for: a teenager who is motivated by a visible streak.
• Versed Study (web, free, no account). Shared study rooms with a 25-minute work, 5-minute break timer, so the child studies alongside other people quietly. Public rooms hold up to 30. Best for: children who work better when someone else is in the room (the idea behind body doubling; see our post on it).
• Todoist (task manager). The free Beginner plan allows 5 personal projects; Pro is $4 a month billed yearly. An account is needed. Best for: an older student running several subjects who wants a daily list.

For remembering: flashcards

Flashcards work because they make the child pull the answer out of memory rather than reread it. In classroom experiments, quizzing improved results on chapter and semester exams (Roediger, Agarwal, McDaniel & McDermott, Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 2011), and across two experiments testing beat restudying on delayed tests even though restudying felt more confident (Roediger & Karpicke, Psychological Science, 2006). None of those studies were on children with ADHD, so treat it as a general learning finding that these apps put into practice.

• Quizlet (web, iOS, Android). Huge library of ready-made sets. Free use includes ads and limits on some study modes; its upgrade page lists unlimited Learn rounds, practice tests and ad-free studying as paid features (Plus Unlimited showed as SGD 49.98 a year to us in Singapore; prices vary by country). Best for: finding a set someone else already made.
• Anki (computer, Android, iOS). Free and open source on desktop and Android; the iPhone and iPad app is a one-off paid purchase (US$24.99 on the US App Store). Sync through AnkiWeb is free. Very powerful and very configurable. Best for: older students and adults who will spend an evening setting it up.
• Brainscape (web, iOS, Android). The free plan lets you create and study unlimited cards of your own plus 2,500 pre-loaded cards, with spaced repetition; Pro is $7.99 a month and adds unlimited AI card generation and image and sound. Most features need an account. Best for: students who like confidence-rating each card.
• Versed Learn (iPhone, iPad and web). Free to download and use, with optional paid plans for AI-made cards and extra features. Flashcards use spaced repetition (FSRS), short sessions, a focus mode and dyslexia-friendly fonts, and parents can see progress. It works in guest mode with no account; an account is needed to sync across devices. Best for: families who want the settings already chosen. We covered the flashcard side in more depth in best flashcard app for ADHD and dyslexia.

How to choose without trying all of them

Pick the one that fits tonight's problem and use it for a week. If starting is the fight, begin with a task-breakdown tool. If it is the hour after starting, try a shared timer. If the exam is close, make a stack of cards. One app used daily beats five installed.

A caveat that matters: we know of no peer-reviewed study that tested any of these apps on children with ADHD. What there is supports the ideas behind them. A randomised trial of a human-delivered homework, organisation and planning programme for middle-schoolers with ADHD improved parent-rated planning and homework completion, though not teacher ratings (Langberg et al., School Psychology Review, 2012). An app is not that programme. It can carry some of the same habits.

References

• Roediger, H. L., Agarwal, P. K., McDaniel, M. A., & McDermott, K. B. (2011). Test-enhanced learning in the classroom: long-term improvements from quizzing. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied. PMID 22082095.
• Roediger, H. L., & Karpicke, J. D. (2006). Test-enhanced learning: taking memory tests improves long-term retention. Psychological Science. PMID 16507066.
• Langberg, J. M., Epstein, J. N., Becker, S. P., Girio-Herrera, E., & Vaughn, A. J. (2012). Evaluation of the Homework, Organization, and Planning Skills (HOPS) intervention for middle school students with ADHD. School Psychology Review. PMID 25355991.
• Pricing and free-tier details read from each product's own page on 2 October 2026: goblin.tools, forestapp.cc, todoist.com/pricing, quizlet.com/upgrade, apps.ankiweb.net, brainscape.com/pricing, and the Versed App Store listing. Prices change; check before you pay.