Best ADHD Apps for Students in 2025

Managing schoolwork with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) can feel overwhelming, but the right support tools can transform your time and success with study. 

Digital tools are one approach you can take to structure your time and find a workflow. Whether you need help staying focused during revision, remembering homework deadlines, or organising your daily schedule, there are apps specifically designed to work with ADHD rather than against it.

This comprehensive guide explores the best apps for students with ADHD. Each recommendation has been selected based on accessibility and ease of use for students with ADHD. 

This guide is specifically aimed at students and your support network. We also have tips for educators looking for guidance on effective evidence-based teaching strategies for students with ADHD.

 Key Takeaways

• We highlight the top apps across five categories: task management, time management, routine building, note-taking and alarm/reminder tools.

• These apps provide structure, motivation, and adaptive workflows, helping students work with their ADHD rather than against it.

• Start with one app, gradually building a system tailored to the individual.

Why ADHD-Friendly Apps Can Make a Big Difference

ADHD impacts many young people in the UK. NHS Digital (opens in a new tab) estimates that around 2.5 million people in England have ADHD, including those without a formal diagnosis. 

Of these, around 740,000 (nearly 30%) are estimated to be children and young people aged five to 24, affecting executive functions essential for academic success and the trials of everyday life. 

Students with ADHD often experience challenges with time management, task initiation, and sustained attention during study sessions.

The right digital tools give structure that supports your brain's natural pattern of thinking. Rather than forcing you to work against the way you think, these tools create systems that accommodate how your mind processes information and manages tasks.

It’s important to remember that using digital tools is not a shortcut or sign of weakness. These apps serve as assistive technology that levels the playing field. 

Best Task Management Apps for Students with ADHD

Effective task management forms the foundation of academic success for students with ADHD, as it does for any student. These apps break down overwhelming projects into manageable steps, whilst providing the reminders to stay on track.

Todoist

Todoist (opens in a new tab)is popular for its simple interface. This also makes it useful for helping students transform messy to-do lists into organised, actionable plans. 

Executive function (opens in a new tab) challenges often mean that those with ADHD might be paralysed by both the scale of the work, and how to prioritise its smaller parts. 

This app breaks revision topics into specific tasks, such as "Read Chapter 3 of A Level Biology textbook" or "Complete 10 Biology practice questions," making a daunting project manageable. 

The language processing feature enables you to type tasks like "Submit History essay next Friday at 9am", and automatically sets the deadline and reminder. This reduces the cognitive load of scheduling whilst ensuring nothing falls through the cracks.

Reward and motivation can be another challenge for students with ADHD, and Todoist could help with this, too. 

Organising tasks by priority levels helps you focus on what matters most during busy exam periods, while the ‘karma points’ system provides gentle motivation through gamification, without becoming distracting. 

Microsoft To Do

Microsoft To Do (opens in a new tab) has the benefit of integrating seamlessly with school email systems, making it ideal for students in schools or colleges that use Microsoft Office 365. 

Tasks can be created directly from school emails, and deadlines sync with your school calendar automatically. 

This means that you don’t have to do the bulk of the organising yourself, and you can have a plan in place for the time when you’ll be studying alone. 

The app's "My Day" feature helps combat decision paralysis (opens in a new tab) by encouraging you to select just a few priority tasks each morning. This focused approach prevents the overwhelm that occurs when facing a lengthy task list.

It’s important to note that Microsoft To Do is best for those already using Microsoft systems. Those primarily using Google integration might be better served by Google Tasks (opens in a new tab), for example.

Goblin Tools

Goblin Tools is an AI-powered task management app designed specifically for neurodivergent users.The "Magic To-Do" feature breaks complex assignments down into step-by-step instructions that feel manageable, without much management from the user. 

For example, inputting "Write English literature essay" generates a detailed breakdown including research steps, outlining, drafting, and editing phases. Each sub-task can be further broken down if needed, creating scaffolding that supports executive function difficulties.

The app includes additional tools such as the "Judge" feature for tone-checking emails to teachers and the "Estimator" for predicting how long tasks will take. These features address common challenges beyond basic task management, all of which have been tailored to neurodivergent users. 

Save My Exams also has a checker tool in the form of Smart Mark, which provides personalised feedback on your exam answers.

Best Focus & Time Management Apps

Concentrating during study sessions is arguably one of the biggest challenges for students with ADHD. These apps use proven techniques to enhance focus whilst making the process engaging rather than frustrating. 

What’s more, they might help rethink ‘focus’ as not an innate ability, but something that can be practised using a structure that aligns with you. 

Pomodoro Timer Apps

The Pomodoro Technique breaks study time into manageable time intervals separated by five-minute breaks. This structure prevents mental fatigue whilst providing regular opportunities to reset attention. 

Some individuals with ADHD (opens in a new tab) find that the Pomodoro Technique can significantly improve sustained attention. It also gives you a great starting point to help you get in the habit of studying.

Focus Keeper (opens in a new tab) is one such tool that can make incorporating this method easy. It offers customisable timer intervals and ambient sounds to maintain concentration. The app tracks completed Pomodoros, providing concrete evidence of productivity.

The technique works particularly well for exam revision, allowing students to tackle dense material in digestible chunks rather than attempting marathon study sessions that lead to procrastination or burnout. It’s important to remember that even if you’re in hyper focus, draining too much energy in one day could set you back.. Save My Exams Flashcard resources are a good method for just this.

Forest

Forest (opens in a new tab) transforms focus time into an engaging visual experience by growing virtual plants during concentrated study periods. 

Each study session plants a seed that grows into a tree, but using other apps or websites kills the tree, providing immediate feedback about attention drift. This is useful if you find digital distractions tempting when working with a tablet or computer, given there’s something potentially more engaging just a click away.

The app incorporates the Pomodoro Technique naturally, encouraging 25-minute focus blocks followed by short breaks.

Brain.fm

Brain.fm (opens in a new tab) is based on the idea that music can provide background ambience that’s both grounding and stimulating. This app provides audio tracks aimed to enhance cognitive performance without the distraction of lyrics or familiar melodies. 

This is backed by a meta-analysis from BPS (opens in a new tab), which found that those with ADHD favour background noise when working.

Many students use their favourite music as an anchor for study sessions, and there’s nothing wrong with wanting to make study more engaging. But choosing what songs to put on or directing your attention towards another device might lead to unwanted distractions. 

With a service like this, you can have music which is tailored to meditative listening rather than being the main focus.

Best Organisation & Routine Apps for Students with ADHD

Consistent routines are a great way to reduce cognitive load whilst providing the predictability that helps those with ADHD thrive. These apps create structure without rigidity, and when used right, can form a healthy routine.

Google Calendar

Similar to Microsoft 365, Google Calendar (opens in a new tab) serves as the central hub for academic organisation, integrating with many school systems and other productivity apps. The visual layout helps students see their entire week at a glance, reducing anxiety about forgotten commitments.

Colour-coding different subjects and priorities creates immediate visual organisation. For example, using red for urgent deadlines, blue for regular classes, and green for revision time helps the brain process information quickly.

The notification system provides multiple reminder options, from subtle notifications to more insistent alerts. Students can customise reminder timing based on individual needs, such as receiving homework reminders two days before deadlines.

Habitica

Habitica (opens in a new tab) encourages habit formation with a fantasy-inspired game element, where completing real-world tasks earns experience points, rewards, and virtual pets. This gamification approach leverages our reward-seeking tendencies productively.

Students can create daily habits such as "Review today's notes" or "Pack school bag the night before," alongside specific academic tasks with deadlines. The visual progress tracking provides an immediate reward structure that traditional habit tracking often lacks.

The social features allow students to join parties with friends or family members, creating accountability through shared goals and mutual support, which could be especially motivating if you find studying on your own tough. 

Check out this guide to study motivation for more tips on this. 

Alarmy

Alarmy (opens in a new tab) addresses the common ADHD challenge of morning routines and important reminders. Rather than simple snooze buttons, the app requires users to complete specific actions, such as solving maths problems or scanning a barcode.

Students can set up "mission" alarms that require walking to the bathroom and scanning their toothbrush barcode, ensuring they get out of bed and begin their morning routine. This approach combats the time blindness that often makes mornings difficult for those with ADHD.

The app also functions as a reminder system for important tasks throughout the day, using the same mission-based approach to ensure critical activities receive attention.

Best Note-Taking & Study Apps for students with ADHD

Effective note-taking and study methods accommodate different learning styles whilst providing structure that supports information retention. 

These apps offer flexibility within organised frameworks. 

Save My Exams provides high quality revision notes broken down by topics, so this is an ideal starting point. 

Notion

Sometimes a blank document or notebook can be too loose of a structure to work from. Notion (opens in a new tab) can be customised to your preference and learning style, taking the heavy-lifting of planning out of the equation. Students can create templates for different subjects, incorporating text, images, data, and calendars within a single interface.

The block-based structure allows for non-linear note-taking. Students can jump between ideas, create connections, and organise information visually rather than being constrained by traditional linear formats.

Database features enable the tracking of assignments, grades, and revision progress across all subjects. The template gallery provides pre-made academic organisers that students can customise rather than starting from scratch.

Speechify

Reading large blocks of information might not be suited to everyone, especially those who find they focus better through audio cues.

Speechify (opens in a new tab) addresses these comprehension challenges through high-quality text-to-speech functionality. Students can upload textbooks, articles, or their own notes and listen whilst following along visually. 

Note-taking features allow students to bookmark important sections and add voice annotations. This combination of auditory input and active engagement supports better information retention than passive reading alone.

Combining ADHD Apps: What Works Well Together

The best digital toolkit combines apps that address different goals without getting too complex. 

A useful way to think about this is to focus on the end goal of building a trusted and reliable routine you can stick to, even when your revision period is over. This routine will be built from the best parts of each tool. 

A successful combination might include: 

• Google Calendar for scheduling

• Todoist for task management

• Forest for focus sessions

This trio covers organisation, planning, and execution without overlapping functionality or creating confusion.

The key lies in starting gradually. Begin with one app that addresses your biggest challenge, use your tools consistently, then add complementary tools as needed.

One benefit of Save My Exams is that all subject revision guides are collated in one place, so you don’t have to jump between services for helpful tools. Want to know how early you should start revising? This GCSE-specific guide has you covered. 

Tips for Making ADHD Apps Work for You

1. Have a plan: Successfully adopting apps needs a strategy rather than downloading multiple tools simultaneously. Start with just one or two apps that address your most pressing academic challenges.

2. Optimise your alerts: Customise notification settings carefully to avoid digital overwhelm. Too many alerts can become counterproductive, whilst too few may not provide sufficient reminders. Turning off unwanted reminders might be just as important as setting them. Experiment with timing and frequency to find your optimal balance.

3. Ask for help: Consider asking a parent, teacher, or trusted friend to help set up your initial systems. Their external perspective can identify potential issues, while their support increases accountability during the habit formation period.

4. Fine-tune: Regular review and adjustment ensure your digital tools continue meeting your needs. What works during regular term time may need modification during exam periods or when transitioning between academic years.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are these ADHD apps free for students?

Many of these recommended apps offer free versions with core functionality suitable for student needs. Google Calendar, Microsoft To Do, and Forest all provide free access to essential features, though they all require some personal information to set up an account.

Premium versions typically add advanced features for a cost. Students should explore free options thoroughly before considering paid upgrades, as basic versions often meet academic requirements. Make sure to ask your support network if you’re unsure whether the service is going to be worth the money.

Some apps offer student discounts or educational pricing. Check through your school's technology department for potential savings on premium subscriptions.

How do I know which app will work best for me?

• Get personal: Individual ADHD presentations vary significantly, making personalised testing essential for finding effective tools. Start by identifying your primary challenges, whether it’s focus, organisation, or time management.

• Test, test, test: Try an app a week before making judgements. Initial difficulties often decrease as familiarity increases and new habits form.

• Think about learning styles: Consider your preferred learning style and comfort level with the tech. Visual learners might gravitate toward apps with strong graphical interfaces, whilst those who prefer simplicity may choose minimalist designs.

Can I use these apps in school during lessons?

School policies regarding device usage vary significantly. Check with individual teachers and review your school's policy before using apps during class time.

Many apps offer offline functionality or minimal interface options that support discrete usage when appropriate.

Consider discussing beneficial apps with teachers who may appreciate understanding how technology supports your learning. Some educators welcome tools that improve student engagement and organisation.

What if I get distracted by using my phone?

As mentioned above, phone-based distraction represents a legitimate concern for students with ADHD. Consider using focus apps that block other applications during study periods, or exploring computer-based alternatives when possible.

Physical separation techniques, such as keeping phones in another room during homework time, can be combined with app usage for optimal results. 

Use timers to create specific periods for checking messages or social media. When apps provide clear tasks and immediate feedback, they can channel distraction tendencies productively. 

Apps serve as useful tools rather than magic solutions for students with ADHD. The most effective approach combines suitable technology with consistent implementation and realistic expectations.

Each student's ADHD presentation is unique, making personal experimentation essential for building an effective digital toolkit. What transforms one student's academic experience may not suit another's learning style or challenges.

Start by selecting just one app that addresses your biggest academic struggle. Give it a genuine trial period, allowing time for habit formation. Success builds momentum for incorporating additional tools over time.

Remember that using assistive technology demonstrates self-awareness and proactive problem-solving rather than academic weakness. 

These tools can unlock your potential by providing the structure and support your brain needs to thrive academically. Before long, you’ll have found a structure that suits you outside the classroom, too.

Sources: 

ADHD Management Information - May 2025 - NHS England Digital (opens in a new tab)
A Guide to Executive Function & Early Childhood Development (opens in a new tab)
Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis: Do White Noise or Pink Noise Help With Task Performance in Youth With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder or With Elevated Attention Problems? (opens in a new tab)
Strategies for Coping with Time-Related and Productivity Challenges of Young People with Learning Disabilities and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder - PMC (opens in a new tab)