Are you a student? How many software applications have you installed on your laptop? In 2022, most school stipulates applications that learners need to install on their PCs before the semester starts. I urge you to buy a PC with good specifications as some software might require high storage space.
We will talk about the fundamental educational software apps you might need. We will cover each of these apps in detail to learn about their features, pros, and cons.
What is an Educational Software?
Educational software refers to a program that learners use for academic-related projects. It includes simple academic work software and student information systems (SIS). Some platforms, such as Moodle, can hold the entire course module. Therefore, students can learn a course on it from whichever location they are.
Why Should a Learner Use an Educational Software?
Possibly you do not see the essence of using an educational software app. Take it easy the following are reasons students install learning software on their devices.
- To access assignments: some institutions only allow learners to issue homework online. Therefore, a learner must have the respective software app to get the exercise. Both learners and the teacher must create an account to communicate with each other.
- To access instructor’s notes: some institutions, especially colleges, encourage e-notes. Therefore, students should install the software to get all the required tutorials.
- To communicate with teachers: instructors can post feedback after marking all assignments. Thus, students can communicate with their instructors directly on this learning management system.
10+ Most Affordable Educational Software for Learners
As you will realize shortly, these apps accomplish a distinct purpose for each learner. For example, Microsoft Excel is for creating graphs, charts, and data entry. The following are the top 10 budget-friendly educational software applications in 2022.
- Polaris Office
Polaris Office is a premium tool students use to edit PPT and Word documents. This Office Suite runs on Android, macOS, and iOS devices like smartphones. This software automatically updates all synched files to the corresponding version.
Surprisingly, Polaris Office provides high-quality cloud-storage services, including OneDrive and Google Drive. Interestingly, this Office Suite supports over ten different languages.
Features of Polaris Office
- It supports PDF, doc, and Txt file formats
- Polaris Office renders cloud-based services.
- It can convert a file to different formats
- Polaris Office supports offline access
- It has a file filter bar.
- Polaris Office supports document sharing.
Pros
- Learners can enjoy the free trial
- The basic plan is free
- It has all the file-editing features
- Affordable pricing plans
Cons
- Polarize is quite slow
- GeoGebra
GeoGebra is the best software application for learning difficult mathematical concepts. All learners study complex mathematics topics such as algebra, statistics, and calculus.
GeoGebra allows any student download this learning tool on their Android or Apple devices
for learning purposes.Similarly, you can install it on your Windows or macOS laptop and start learning.
On top of that, this platform offers tests to students.
Do not hesitate to click ‘notes’ and the tutorial section to get additional learning materials.
A learner can study multiple topics, including:
- Geometry
- Probability
- Calculus
- Algebra
- Trigonometry
Features of GeoGebra
- Free spreadsheet
- 2-dimension (2D) and 3-dimension (3D) geometry learning environment
- Free CAS
- Calculus learning tools
- Free tutorials
Pros
- Free games
- Free exercises for students
- It covers multiple mathematics topics
- Free online calculator
Cons
- Quite expensive
- WPS Office
WPS Office is a software learners use to view or edit Word and PowerPoint files. Kingsoft released this Office Suite in 1988 to help students and other professionals. WPS Office has three integrations such as WPS spreadsheet and WPS Presentation.
This student tool supports international languages such as:
- Russian
- German
- French
- Spanish
- English
- Italian
In 2022, over 400 million people use this Office Suite each month. This software can run on any OS, like Android, iOS, or Windows.
Features of WPS Office
- It supports table formatting
- WPS Office has a text editor.
- A user can add comments to files
- It can convert a PDF file to a Word document
- It has in-built functions
Pros
- Highly responsive
- It supports document format conversion
- Compatible with all devices
- It has a free option
Cons
- A document recovery plan is too pricey
- PDFelement
PDFelement is a reliable software for creating, editing, and password-protecting PDF files. Over 2 million people (including learners) worldwide rely on this tool to create PDF documents. Students can use it to make academic-related PDF files or resume at no charge.
Both smartphone and laptop owners can install PDFelement on their devices for use. Feel free to visit www.pdf.wondershare.net to download the latest version for installation.
Features of PDFelement
- It supports PDF editing
- Password Protection
- Allows addition of comments to files
- PDF Software can compress PDF files
- File merging
Pros
- It can reduce PDF file size
- It can split documents
- PDFelement makes it easy to create a new PDF file
- PDFelement supports document sharing
Cons
- Subscription plans are unaffordable
- Google Drive
Google Drive is a free file storage service that began in 2012. Over one billion Gmail account holders enjoy these services monthly. The beauty of Google Drive is that it can work well offline. Mostly, each Gmail user automatically gets free 15 GB file storage space.
Features of Google Drive
- It can upload files and videos
- Search bar
- It allows sharing of files
- Google Drive supports file syncing
- It has an offline browser extension
- Free 15 GB storage
Pros
- It can convert a PDF to a Google doc
- Remote access to uploaded files
- It can translate a document into different languages
- Google Drive supports document renaming
Cons
- It has a daily limit
- Microsoft 365 Online
Microsoft 365 Online is a cloud-based platform established by Microsoft. It runs on popular operating systems such as Android, iOS, Windows, and macOS.Each user must sign up with Microsoft 365 online and pay a subscription to begin enjoying these services.
It allows you to store different types of files there, such as PDF, PPT, and OneNote, to ward off unauthorized persons. However, you must know that Microsoft 365 Online is strictly online-based.
Features of Microsoft 365 Online
- One terabyte of cloud storage
- Updates itself automatically
- It is compatible with macOS and Windows operating systems
- It includes Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, and Word
Pros
- Easy to access
- Remote access to files
- It has advanced protective security mechanisms
- It updates itself automatically
Cons
- The subscription fee is too high
- WordPerfect
WordPerfect is a relatively popular word processor that WordPerfect Corporation released in 1979. However, WordPerfect is solely compatible with Windows 7 and newer versions. Learners can rely on WordPerfect to make academic-related documents, resumes, and letters.
Feel free to visit www.wordperfect.com and download the latest WordPerfect version. This tool offers new users a free trial. Learners can enjoy multiple WordPerfect tools, such as:
- PDF Fusion tool
- WordPerfect Standard 2021
- WordPerfect Office Professional
Features of WordPerfect
- WordPerfect supports close to 60 document formats.
- It supports the creation of slideshows and demos.
- WordPerfect is compatible with Microsoft files
- It gives a free character count of your document
Pros
- WordPerfect allows a user to import a PDF file
- Easy to edit documents
- It has a quick word counter
- WordPerfect offers a free trial
- WordPerfect gives line count statistics
Cons
- The pricing fee is too high
- LibreOffice
LibreOffice is an open-source software developed by ‘The Document Foundation’ in 2011. This organization wrote this software in XML, Java, and C++. Surprisingly, LibreOffice supports over 100 different languages. Unlike Microsoft Word, LibreOffice is available for free.
Features of LibreOffice
- It is compatible with all operating systems.
- LibreOffice is an offline software.
- It has Impress and Math.
- Libre features Charts for creating and editing graphs
Pros
- It works in hundreds of languages
- LibreOffice’s user interface is friendly.
- It is available for free
- A free grammar checker
Cons
- Has no mobile App
- OfficeSuite
OfficeSuite is available for download to devices such as Android and iOS. This tool provides different plans such as Home and Business 2021, Personal and a Family. A Personal subscription plan will cost you $40 (yearly), whereas a Family plan is $60.
OfficeSuite has multiple integrations, such as:
- DropBox
- OpenPeak
- Google Drive
- iCloud
- Citrix
OfficeSuite supports different languages like:
- French
- Italian
- Spanish
- Portuguese
- Dutch
- English
Features of OfficeSuite
- Family and Personal plans have a storage space of 50GB
- It supports printing
- OfficeSuite allows a user to create and edit PPT files
- It supports editing hyperlinks
- OfficeSuite is excellent for creating and editing word documents.
Pros
- Free trial period
- It supports the conversion of word documents to PDFs
- A user can add comments to a document.
- OfficeSuite supports many file formats.
- Password-protects all documents
Cons
- Short free trial period
- Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Excel is a licensed software (spreadsheet) written in C++ by Microsoft. The developer released this spreadsheet in 1985 and has been releasing newer versions over time. Today, Microsoft Excel 2019 is the most recent version available for users.
Unfortunately, Microsoft is a premium spreadsheet. Hence a user should be willing to buy a pricing plan to use this international platform. More often, Microsoft Excel’s minimum subscription plan is $6 monthly.
Features of Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Excel has a page layout.
- It has a home section with font size, font color, and background color options.
- It allows a user to add a footer and a header
- Microsoft has password protection capabilities.
- It has a ‘Find’ command
- Microsoft Excel has multiple math functions
Pros
- It can compute complex calculations
- Microsoft Excel stores user data.
- Free data analysis tools
- Users give free templates
- It supports the direct printing of excel reports
Cons
- Prone to error
- It is a premium software
- Google Classroom
This is a student learning platform Google started in 2014 to enhance blended learning. It is compatible with operating systems such as Android and iOS. Instructors use it to create, share and grade homework for their students.
Apart from that, teachers can share educational materials with their learners. Over 100 million people use this platform for academic purposes.
Features of Google Classroom
- It has a feedback section
- Google Classroom is compatible with Google Drive
- It allows a user to send invites to parents and students.
- It sends urgent announcements to parents and guardians.
- Admin can schedule a class and post a timetable.
Pros
- It has a student-friendly interface
- Easy to share Google documents
- Reduces the need for manual grading on paper
- Enhances learning
Cons
- Google Classroom has few integrations
- Moodle
Moodle is a powerful learning management system (LMS) that benefits instructors and students. Instructors can add online courses to this e-learning platform to help learners access notes and tests remotely.
Today, hundreds of universities offer courses on this 4-star e-learning tool. Additionally, these institutions of higher learning use Moodle to monitor the student’s academic progress. The beauty of Moodle is that it is compatible with Linux, Windows, and macOS operating systems.
Features of Moodle
- Drag and drop feature
- Free text editor
- Notifications section
- Authentication capabilities
- It supports multiple languages
- An individualized dashboard
Pros
- An open-source tool
- It can work offline
- Friendly interface
- It has updated eLearning integrations.
Cons
- Moodle charges some hidden fees
My Conclusion
It is not in doubt that all learners will require each of this educational software at some point. The best part is that some of this essential software has a free trial. Therefore, you can use them for a while before you spend a dime on the subscription fee. I encourage all learners to make the most of these learning tools to improve their grades.
