Best Linux Apps for Students (2026): Office, Notes, Study and Exams

A Linux laptop handles college well: LibreOffice for essays and slides, Zotero for citations, Anki for flashcards, Obsidian or Joplin for notes, Xournal++ for handwriting on PDFs, and GNU Octave for MATLAB-style math. Check two things in your first week: Microsoft Teams and Office run only in the browser, and some exam lockdown software has no Linux version.

Every app below was checked against its project's own website, release page, and packages on 25 September 2026. Where a store package is out of date or unofficial, the entry says so.

Quick Picks

Office: LibreOffice

LibreOffice is the full office suite many Linux distributions install by default: Writer for essays, Calc for spreadsheets, Impress for slides. It is free and open source, and it reads and writes Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files (DOCX, XLSX, PPTX).

• Good to know: a few newer Office chart types (box-and-whisker, funnel, Pareto, sunburst, treemap, waterfall) can't be displayed or edited yet, though LibreOffice keeps them intact when it saves. If a professor sends a spreadsheet full of those, open it in Office for the web.
• Install: usually preinstalled; otherwise your distribution's repositories, or Flathub (org.libreoffice.LibreOffice, verified by LibreOffice).

Alternative: ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors. Free and open source, with an interface closer to Microsoft Office, a strong focus on Office file compatibility, and PDF editing (text, comments, freehand drawing). Official .deb, .rpm, and AppImage downloads, a verified Flathub package, and a verified Snap. It supports 64-bit Linux only.

Notes: Obsidian or Joplin

Obsidian keeps notes as plain Markdown files in a folder on your computer, so they work offline and are never locked in. Thousands of community plugins and themes extend it, and Canvas gives you an infinite board for diagrams and brainstorming. It is not open source, but it is free for any use, with no account needed. Sync between devices costs $4 a month (billed yearly), and students get 40% off Sync and Publish.

• Install: AppImage, .deb, or Snap from obsidian.md. The Flathub package is verified by the Obsidian team but not officially supported.

Joplin is the open-source option: notes in Markdown, a web clipper for Chrome and Firefox, and sync through Nextcloud, Dropbox, OneDrive, WebDAV, S3, or its own paid Joplin Cloud. It supports end-to-end encryption, which you switch on yourself (it is off by default, and the master password can't be recovered).

• Install: the official install script or AppImage from joplinapp.org. The Flatpak and Snap versions are community builds that Joplin doesn't officially support.

Handwriting and PDFs: Xournal++

If you have a laptop with a pen or a drawing tablet, Xournal++ is the reason to keep it. It supports pressure-sensitive styluses (Wacom, Huion, XP-Pen, and others), handwritten notes, annotation on top of PDF slides, a built-in LaTeX editor for equations, and audio recording while you write.

• Good to know: your annotations are saved in a separate .xopp file that remembers where the PDF was. Move the PDF or the .xopp file and the link breaks, so keep both in the same course folder from the start.
• Install: your distribution's repositories (xournalpp) or Flathub (com.github.xournalpp.xournalpp, verified). Older Ubuntu LTS releases carry older versions; the project's installation page lists newer options.

Reading PDFs: Okular

KDE's document viewer is the best reading tool for dense PDFs: highlight, underline, add pop-up and inline notes, draw freehand, and save annotations directly into the PDF. It also signs PDFs and checks digital signatures.

• Install: preinstalled on KDE Plasma; available in every major distribution's repositories and on Flathub. The Flathub build sometimes trails KDE's latest release by a version.

Flashcards: Anki

Anki is a flashcard app built around spaced review. You rate how well you remembered each card, and Anki schedules the next review for when you're about to forget it. Cards can hold images, audio, video, and scientific notation, and add-ons extend it further. For why this works: How to Use Sticky Notes to Study.

• Price: free on Linux, Windows, and Mac, with free sync through AnkiWeb. AnkiDroid on Android is free; AnkiMobile on iPhone is paid ($24.99 in the US App Store) and funds development.
• Install: the official download from apps.ankiweb.net, or Flathub (net.ankiweb.Anki). Avoid your distribution's package: Ubuntu 24.04's is years out of date.
• Good to know: Anki's native Wayland mode is off by default, so on a Wayland desktop it runs through XWayland; its manual lists the known issues if you switch Wayland on.

Citations: Zotero

Zotero saves a source with one click from its browser connector (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Safari), keeps your PDFs and notes with it, and writes citations and bibliographies in any style. Syncing your library is free and unlimited; file storage is free up to 300 MB, with paid plans above that.

• Good to know: the Word plugin is for Windows and Mac only. On Linux, Zotero plugs into LibreOffice (5.2 or later, with Java) and Google Docs.
• Install: the official download from zotero.org. Zotero warns that third-party packages may be sandboxed in ways that break features, and the Flathub and Snap packages are not official.

Math and Engineering: GNU Octave

GNU Octave runs many MATLAB scripts unchanged and includes 2D and 3D plotting, which covers a lot of first- and second-year engineering and math coursework for free.

• Install: Flathub (org.octave.Octave, verified) for the current version. The Snap is several years out of date, and distribution versions vary.
• MATLAB itself also supports Linux (Ubuntu and Debian among the officially supported distributions), so if your school has a campus license, you can install the real thing.

Math software that doesn't: GeoGebra has no supported current desktop app for Linux. Its only official Linux download is the older Classic 5 bundle, marked unsupported. Use the GeoGebra web app in your browser instead.

Focus: Focus Timer

Focus Timer (formerly GNOME Pomodoro) runs timed work sessions with breaks, covers the screen during breaks so you actually take them, and keeps daily, weekly, and monthly statistics. It is free, open source, and actively maintained.

• Install: Flathub (io.github.focustimerhq.FocusTimer, verified) or your distribution's repositories. The Snap called focus-timer is an unrelated app.

Screenshots: Built In, or Flameshot

Lecture slides move fast, so a screenshot shortcut is essential. GNOME takes a screenshot when you press Print Screen, and KDE Plasma's Spectacle captures the whole desktop, one monitor, a window, or a region. Flameshot adds arrows, highlights, blurring, and numbered markers before you save.

• Install: Flathub (org.flameshot.Flameshot, verified) or your distribution's repositories. Flameshot's own documentation says it isn't currently on Snap, and the old Snap is years out of date. On Wayland it captures through the desktop portal, so GNOME may ask you to confirm sharing the screen for each capture.

Passwords: KeePassXC

Between the school portal, the library, the learning platform, and every course site, a password manager pays off in the first week. KeePassXC keeps an encrypted database on your computer, with no cloud or subscription, and can fill in passwords for you.

• Install: AppImage, Flathub (org.keepassxc.KeePassXC, verified), or your distribution's repositories.

Deadlines on Screen: BetterStickies

BetterStickies, the app this blog belongs to, puts sticky notes on your Linux desktop: a "This week" note with a checklist of deadlines, a reminder that fires a notification before an exam, a pasted screenshot of the slide you need to remember, or a code snippet as a formatted code block. It is tested on the KDE Plasma, GNOME, and Cinnamon desktops, across Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian, Arch, Mint, and Zorin, and also runs on Windows and Mac.

• Price: free for 4 notes (each extra tab inside a note counts as one); a one-time Premium unlock, currently $7.99, removes the limit.
• Install: the AppImage from betterstickies.com needs no installation, or sudo snap install betterstickies.
• Weak spots: it is not open source, it has no sync or phone app, and system-wide shortcuts need a one-time setup in your desktop's settings (they aren't available in the Snap build).

Prefer a free, open-source sticky notes app? Linux Mint's Sticky, Sticky Notes by vixalien, and Xpad are compared in Best Sticky Notes Apps for Linux.

Video Calls: Zoom and Discord

Zoom publishes official Linux packages (.deb, .rpm, and more) on its download page and supports Ubuntu, Mint, Fedora, Debian, Arch, and other distributions. Discord offers official .deb, .rpm, and .tar.gz downloads, and its Flathub package is verified. Use the official downloads: Zoom's Flathub package is unofficial and trails the current version.

What Doesn't Run on Linux (Check Before Your First Exam)

Microsoft Teams and Office: browser only. Microsoft says Teams is no longer supported on Linux as a desktop app. Teams works in Edge, Chrome, and Firefox on Linux, without a few desktop features such as pop-out chat windows. Microsoft's free Office 365 A1 plan for students gives you Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for the web (its only desktop extras are the Windows versions of Publisher and Access), so the web apps are what most students get anyway.

Exam lockdown and proctoring: ask early. This is the one that can really hurt:

In week one, ask each course which exam tool it uses. If one needs Windows or macOS, plan ahead: a library or lab computer, a borrowed laptop, or a dual-boot setup.

Zotero's Word plugin is Windows and Mac only (LibreOffice and Google Docs work). GeoGebra's desktop app has no supported Linux version (the web app works).

Flathub, Snap, or Your Distribution?

The same app can be current in one store and years old in another. From this check:

• Prefer the channel the project itself recommends. Anki, Zotero, and Joplin all point to their own downloads first.
• On Flathub, look for the verified checkmark. It means the developer publishes or approves the package. Zotero's, Joplin's, and Zoom's Flathub packages aren't verified.
• Check the version before trusting a Snap. The Octave and Flameshot Snaps date from 2022.
• LTS repositories freeze versions. Ubuntu 24.04's Anki is years behind the current release.

FAQ

Is Linux good for college students?

Yes, for most majors. Essays, slides, citations, flashcards, note-taking, programming, and video calls all have good Linux options. Check early whether your courses require Microsoft desktop apps or an exam lockdown browser that has no Linux version.

Can I use Microsoft Office on Linux?

Only in a browser. Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote for the web work in Chrome, Edge, or Firefox, and those web apps are what the free Office 365 A1 plan for students includes anyway. LibreOffice and ONLYOFFICE open and save Office files offline.

Does Microsoft Teams work on Linux?

In a browser. Microsoft no longer offers a Teams desktop app for Linux; Teams for the web works in Edge, Chrome, and Firefox, with a few features missing, such as pop-out chat windows.

Can I take proctored exams on Linux?

It depends on the tool. Respondus LockDown Browser and Proctorio's desktop app don't run on Linux, and Honorlock doesn't list it. Proctorio's browser extension supports Ubuntu 18.04 or newer in Chrome, Edge, Brave, or Opera. Ask each course which tool it uses before exam week.

What is the best note-taking app for students on Linux?

Obsidian for Markdown notes with plugins (free, not open source), Joplin for open-source notes with flexible sync, and Xournal++ for handwritten notes and annotating slides with a stylus.

Is there a MATLAB alternative for Linux?

GNU Octave is free, open source, and runs many MATLAB scripts unchanged. MATLAB itself also runs on Linux, including Ubuntu and Debian, if your school provides a license.