10 Best Free and Discounted Software for Students in 2026

Being a student is expensive enough so paying full price for software is a real problem. With design tools, coding environments, writing assistants and all sorts of productivity apps the cost can quickly add up. The good news is that many of the leading software companies do offer free or heavily discounted plans to students. You just need to know about them and prove your student status.

Here are ten of the best free and discounted tools for students in 2026. These cover coding, design, writing, productivity and entertainment.

1. GitHub Student Developer Pack

If you’re doing computer science or just into coding, then the GitHub Student Developer Pack is definitely worth a look at. It gives you free access to a huge number of developer tools and services. Verified students can also use GitHub Copilot (the AI coding assistant) for free. There are also offers for domains, cloud hosting and a whole raft of learning platforms.

Best for: Programming students and anyone building projects.

2. JetBrains Educational Licenses

JetBrains offers free verified student and teacher licenses for their professional IDEs (IntelliJ IDEA, PyCharm, WebStorm, etc.), which are the very tools that professional developers use. You can of course renew the license annually as long as you remain a student.

Best for: Java, Python and web development students.

3. Microsoft 365 Education

Lots of schools and universities will allow you to use Microsoft 365 for free (Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote) if you’ve got a school email address. Check with your school or sign up via your student email on the Microsoft education site.

Best for: Assignments, presentations and note-taking.

4. Notion for Education

Notion gives the Plus plan free to students and educators with a school email address. It’s a fantastic all-in-one workspace for class notes, project planning, reading lists, and group work.

Best for: Organizing notes, study schedules and group projects.

5. Figma for Education

Figma offers free access to their Professional plan for students and educators. It’s one of the most widely used design tools around for UI/UX, wireframes and prototypes. Learning Figma as a student is a real career asset.

Best for: Design, UI/UX and product students.

6. Autodesk Education Plan

Students in Engineering, Architecture and Animation can use the Autodesk software (AutoCAD, Fusion, Maya, Revit, etc.) via the Autodesk Education Plan. Eligible students get a free one-year license, which can be renewed as long as they remain eligible.

Best for: Engineering, architecture and 3D animation students.

7. Adobe Creative Cloud Student Pricing

Adobe gives students a massive discount on Creative Cloud (which includes Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, etc.). The promotional pricing varies throughout the year, so it’s worth checking out for extended trials or first-year discounts prior to signing up.

Best for: Photography, video editing and graphic design students.

8. AI Assistants With Student Plans

AI tools are now part of the everyday studying landscape and a number of companies have student deals. Google has given students extended free access to their AI Pro plan, and OpenAI has had student promotions for ChatGPT Plus in a number of countries. A range of writing and research tools (Grammarly, QuillBot, Paperpal etc) will also frequently have student deals of 25-50%.

Best for: Research, writing and studying smarter.

9. Learning Platforms

Online learning platforms will often have deals for students and new users. Udemy, for instance, will regularly have a discount for new users, and Coursera will have financial aid and occasionally free trials. All very useful for learning some of the practical skills that your course may not cover.

Best for: Learning extra skills like coding, design or marketing.

10. Music and Video Streaming

Not all of it has to be about studying. Both Spotify Premium and YouTube Premium have student plans which cost less per month than the standard plans. If you’re already paying for streaming then switching to a student plan is a straightforward way of saving.

Best for: Entertainment on a budget.

How to Verify Your Student Status

Most student offers require verification. The common methods are:

• School email address – Signing up with your university email (often ending in .edu or .ac) is the fastest way to qualify.
• Student verification services – Some companies use third-party services that check your enrollment status.
• Proof of enrollment – You may need to upload a student ID card or an enrollment letter.

Keep a copy of your student ID handy and use your school email for sign-ups whenever possible.

Where to Find More Student Deals

Student offers change regularly — new promotions launch, older ones end, and eligibility rules shift by country. Instead of searching for each one individually, it’s easier to use a directory that collects current student software discounts in one place, along with the requirements and official links to claim them.

Whichever source you use, always confirm the final terms on the company’s official website before signing up.

Tips Before You Sign Up

1. Check what happens after graduation. Some plans end immediately when you leave school, while others offer a discounted transition period.
2. Watch for automatic renewals. Discounted trials often renew at full price. Set a reminder before the renewal date.
3. Only claim what you’ll use. Free tools are only useful if they help you study or build something.

Conclusion

Students can pick up some of the very best software out there. Professional coding tools, design software, AI assistants and streaming services are all available for free or at a very low cost. Make the most of these deals while you’re still in a position to take them. They can save you hundreds of dollars a year and give you some very useful skills which you’ll be able to use long after you’ve left university.