How this stack is chosen
Students rarely need paid plans. The free tiers of Perplexity, ChatGPT, Gamma, and Otter cover research, drafting, slides, and lecture capture. Two rules: verify every citation against the actual source before it goes in your work, and check your institution's AI policy per course — disclosure rules differ widely.
The shortlist
Perplexity
4.6/5 editorialA research-first AI search engine that keeps sources visible while answering questions.
ChatGPT
4.8/5 editorialA flexible AI assistant for drafting, analysis, brainstorming, coding help, and everyday knowledge work.
Gamma
4.3/5 editorialA fast AI presentation and document builder for turning ideas into polished decks and shareable pages.
Otter.ai
4.2/5 editorialA meeting assistant for recording, transcribing, summarizing, and extracting follow-up items.
Notion AI
4.3/5 editorialAI features inside Notion for summarizing docs, drafting pages, searching knowledge, and turning notes into plans.
Before you pay for anything
Run each finalist's trial checklist on one real task. Record time-to-result, corrections needed, and what the plan actually costs at your volume — then decide. Our free scorecard gives you the template.
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