AI Fluency & Co-working with AI
Top free assistants, courses on prompt design, and the literacy you need to think with AI rather than against it.
Anthropic's flagship assistant — a generous free tier covers writing, code and research with strong reasoning.
claude.aiOpenAI's ChatGPT — free tier covers GPT-4o mini, voice mode, image understanding and basic data analysis.
chatgpt.comGoogle's multimodal assistant with deep integration into Docs, Drive and Gmail — strong free tier with image and code support.
gemini.google.comFree Copilot with GPT-4-class reasoning, image generation and Microsoft 365 integration — included free with any Microsoft account.
copilot.microsoft.comAI search engine that cites every claim — perfect when you need verifiable sources rather than hallucinated answers.
perplexity.aiUpload your own notes and PDFs — Google's AI answers strictly from your sources, with citations and audio summaries.
notebooklm.google.comRun thousands of open-source AI models in your browser — text, vision, speech, agents — and host your own free Spaces.
huggingface.coFree 1-hour courses by Andrew Ng on prompting, RAG, agents and fine-tuning — taught with leading AI labs.
deeplearning.aiFree open-source course teaching the four core competencies of working with AI — delegation, description, discernment, diligence.
anthropic.comUniversity of Helsinki's free MOOC — 30 hours covering AI fundamentals, ethics and limits, taken by a million learners.
elementsofai.comFree Google curriculum on generative AI basics, prompt design and responsible use — no prior experience required.
grow.googleOpen-source community guide to prompting — techniques, examples and research papers, all free and frequently updated.
promptingguide.aiCoding & Data Literacy
Learn to code, practise with real datasets, and build a portfolio — free courses, sandboxes and certifications.
Harvard's legendary intro to CS — free videos, problem sets and a free certificate via edX audit. Still the best first CS course online.
cs50.harvard.eduThousands of hours of hands-on coding lessons and free certifications — web dev, data analysis and machine learning.
freecodecamp.orgFree, full-stack web development curriculum used by self-taught devs landing real jobs — community-driven and battle-tested.
theodinproject.comInteractive browser-based coding lessons — Python, JS, SQL, HTML/CSS — with a solid free tier covering all the foundations.
codecademy.comShort, hands-on data-science and ML micro-courses — plus thousands of real datasets and competitions to practise on.
kaggle.comFree Jupyter notebooks in the browser with free GPU — perfect for ML, data science and research prototyping with no setup.
colab.research.google.comPractical Deep Learning for Coders — a free top-down course that turns coders into deep-learning practitioners in seven weeks.
fast.aiFree first chapters of every course — solid intro to Python, R, SQL and data visualisation with browser-based exercises.
datacamp.comThe clearest free SQL tutorial online — analytics-focused, with real datasets and a built-in editor in the browser.
mode.comCode in 50+ languages directly in your browser — no setup, free hosting, instant collaboration and AI-assisted coding.
replit.comFree practice exercises in 70+ languages with mentor feedback — sharpen syntax and idioms beyond what tutorials cover.
exercism.orgMIT's introduction to computer science using Python — free lectures, problem sets and exams from the campus course.
ocw.mit.eduCybersecurity & Digital Privacy
Protect your accounts, data and identity online — and learn the security skills nobody else is teaching you.
Open-source password manager with a generous free tier — unlimited devices, passwords and end-to-end encryption.
bitwarden.comFree check whether your email or password has been exposed in a data breach — by security researcher Troy Hunt.
haveibeenpwned.comFree end-to-end encrypted messenger — gold standard for private chats, voice and video. Used by journalists worldwide.
signal.orgFree open-source two-factor authentication app — far safer than SMS codes and protects your accounts even if passwords leak.
2fas.comFree anonymity browser that routes traffic through volunteer relays — essential for journalists, activists and high-risk users.
torproject.orgMozilla's free buyer's guide grading the privacy of consumer tech — phones, smart speakers, mental-health apps. Easy to scan before you buy.
foundation.mozilla.orgElectronic Frontier Foundation's free guide to digital security — practical playbooks for students, activists and everyday users.
ssd.eff.orgGamified cybersecurity training — free rooms cover networking, Linux and web security; the most beginner-friendly hacking platform.
tryhackme.comFree intro courses on cybersecurity fundamentals, ethical hacking and CompTIA Security+ exam preparation.
cybrary.itFree cybersecurity guidance from the US Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency — practical for individuals and small orgs.
cisa.govOpen Worldwide Application Security Project — free top-10 lists, cheatsheets and frameworks every web developer should know.
owasp.orgStanford's Computer and Network Security course — free lecture slides, notes and reading lists from a flagship program.
cs155.stanford.eduCritical Thinking & Information Literacy
Evaluate evidence, recognise bias and reason clearly under uncertainty — the WEF's #1 skill of the next decade.
Free University of Washington course on spotting BS in numbers, charts and stories — every video and reading openly online.
callingbullshit.orgFree, complete intro to statistics and probability — the literacy you need to question any chart you see in the news.
khanacademy.orgShows news headlines from left, centre and right side-by-side — calibrate your media diet and spot bias daily.
allsides.comCompares how the same story is covered across the political spectrum — free tier highlights blind spots and bias.
ground.newsThe original fact-checking site — free, transparent verdicts on viral claims, urban legends and political rumours.
snopes.comTim Harford's free BBC podcast and articles unpicking the numbers behind the headlines — the most readable training in statistical thinking.
bbc.co.ukRichard Nisbett's free audit of the most useful concepts in psychology and statistics for everyday reasoning.
coursera.orgFree book-length intro to rationality — cognitive biases, probabilistic thinking, scientific reasoning and decision-making.
readthesequences.comFree interactive guide to 24 common logical fallacies — bookmark-worthy for spotting bad arguments online and offline.
yourlogicalfallacyis.comFree encyclopaedia of cognitive biases and behavioural science — clear, well-illustrated explanations of how we think wrong.
thedecisionlab.comFree media-literacy courses for teens and adults from the Poynter Institute — practical fact-checking with real-world examples.
poynter.orgBen Goldacre's free articles dismantling bad statistics in medicine and journalism — the canonical antidote to dodgy headlines.
badscience.netOpen Courseware & Lifelong Learning
Full courses from MIT, Harvard, Stanford, Yale and other top universities — free to audit, learn anything from anywhere.
2,500+ MIT courses free — lecture notes, problem sets, exams, and often full video lectures from the world's top engineering school.
ocw.mit.eduAudit most courses from Stanford, Yale, Michigan and more for free — videos and readings included on the no-cost track.
coursera.orgHarvard, MIT, Berkeley courses — free to audit, with optional paid certificates and MicroMasters programs for credit.
edx.orgCurated free courses from Stanford faculty — AI, engineering, medicine, education and entrepreneurship.
online.stanford.eduComplete Yale undergraduate lectures — philosophy, economics, astronomy, literature — full video and reading lists.
oyc.yale.eduFree courses from The Open University — 1,000+ topics with statements of participation available at no charge.
open.eduSelf-paced college courses with free certificates — some credit-eligible through ACE partnerships, no degree-fee required.
saylor.orgResearch-backed adaptive courses from Carnegie Mellon — statistics, psychology, biology and logic.
oli.cmu.eduFoundational courses with mastery tracking — calculus, linear algebra, physics, economics and exam prep, fully free.
khanacademy.orgShort free courses from European and Commonwealth universities — discussion-based learning with peers worldwide.
futurelearn.comFree search engine for 200,000+ MOOCs — the easiest way to find the best free version of any course on the web.
classcentral.comThe most-popular MOOC ever — free auditable course on meta-learning, focused practice and beating procrastination.
coursera.orgResearch, Citation & Open Knowledge
Discover peer-reviewed papers, manage citations, and read free open textbooks — everything for your thesis or paper, free.
The largest free academic search engine — papers, citations, and often direct links to free PDFs across every discipline.
scholar.google.comFree, open-source reference manager — capture any source with one click and auto-format bibliographies in any style.
zotero.orgAI-powered academic search from the Allen Institute — surfaces influential citations and related work for any paper.
semanticscholar.orgVisual graph of papers related to any key article — a literature-review game changer for thesis and review work.
connectedpapers.comWorld's largest aggregator of open-access research — 300 million papers across 11,000 repositories, fully searchable.
core.ac.ukFree NIH database of 35M+ biomedical citations — essential for life sciences, medicine and psychology.
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govDirectory of Open Access Journals — 20,000+ vetted peer-reviewed journals with free full text, no paywalls.
doaj.orgRice University's free peer-reviewed textbooks — biology, physics, economics, sociology and calculus, fully downloadable.
openstax.orgThe largest open-textbook library — chemistry, engineering, humanities and medicine, freely remixable for educators.
libretexts.orgFree preprint server for physics, math, CS and quantitative biology — see new research months before formal publication.
arxiv.org75,000+ free classic books in the public domain — ideal for literature, history and philosophy courses.
gutenberg.orgMillions of free books, academic papers and historic documents — including the Open Library lending service.
archive.orgWriting, Communication & Public Speaking
Write cleaner essays, present with confidence, and translate clearly — the human complement to AI assistance.
Real-time grammar, spelling and clarity checks in your browser or Word — the free tier covers all the daily-use essentials.
grammarly.comHighlights convoluted sentences, passive voice and adverbs — makes academic and professional writing dramatically clearer.
hemingwayapp.comOpen-source grammar checker supporting 30+ languages — strong free tier, ideal for essays in German, French and Spanish.
languagetool.orgOnline LaTeX editor — collaborative thesis and paper writing with live preview and journal templates, free tier covers most students.
overleaf.comModern open-source alternative to LaTeX — faster compile, cleaner syntax, still produces beautiful PDFs for academic work.
typst.appThe web's most-used free writing reference — APA/MLA/Chicago style guides, grammar tips and academic-writing playbooks.
owl.purdue.eduFree TED-Ed lessons on public speaking, storytelling and presentation — taught by people who actually deliver TED talks.
ed.ted.comWorld's largest public-speaking community — many local clubs let you visit free, with structured pathways for growth.
toastmasters.orgFree-to-audit specialisation by Patrick Barry on writing and editing for persuasion — practical for essays, applications and pitches.
coursera.orgFree AI speech coach — practise presentations on video and get feedback on filler words, pace, clarity and confidence.
yoodli.aiFree collaborative word processor with real-time editing, comments, version history and voice typing — universal for student work.
docs.google.comFree AI writing assistant from DeepL — rewrites for tone and clarity in English, German and other major languages.
deepl.comProductivity, Focus & Deep Work
Note systems, task managers and focus tools to win back your attention — the prerequisite for everything else.
Free Plus plan for students with .edu email — notes, databases, task lists and wikis all in one workspace.
notion.soLocal-first markdown note-taking with back-links — the best free tool for building a personal academic knowledge graph.
obsidian.mdFree open-source spaced-repetition flashcards — used by med students and language learners worldwide; the proven memory tool.
apps.ankiweb.netClean task manager that handles recurring assignments and deadlines across all your devices — free tier handles most workflows.
todoist.comGamified focus timer — plant a virtual tree that dies if you leave the app. Free web version reliably blocks distractions.
forestapp.ccSimple free Pomodoro timer — start focused 25-minute sessions in your browser with no signup or setup.
pomofocus.ioFree site and app blocker that's actually hard to bypass — schedule deep-work blocks that even you can't override.
getcoldturkey.comFree essays, podcasts and guides from the author of Deep Work — practical playbooks for sustained, distraction-free focus.
calnewport.comOpen-source local-first knowledge graph — daily notes, outlines and back-links; a free, privacy-respecting Roam alternative.
logseq.comFree Kanban-style project boards — visual task management for group projects, theses and side projects.
trello.comFree time-blocking calendar with shared events and natural-language input — the backbone of any deep-work practice.
calendar.google.comFree time-tracking app with one-click timers — see where your study hours actually go and design better routines.
toggl.comMental Health & Resilience
Sleep, stress, anxiety and mood — free, evidence-based resources to support the most important asset you have.
Yale's most-popular course ever — free to audit, taught by Laurie Santos, covering the psychology of happiness with daily practices.
coursera.orgFree Headspace Plus for students at over 1,000 universities — guided meditations, sleep stories and stress courses.
headspace.comFree guided meditations, breathing exercises and sleep stories — the basics of mindfulness without the paywall.
calm.comFree CBT-based program from Australian National University — proven to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety.
moodgym.com.auFree chatbot-based mental-health support — uses CBT techniques to help with mood, anxiety and stressful thinking.
woebothealth.comFree UK National Health Service mental-health hub — practical advice for anxiety, sleep, low mood and stress.
nhs.ukKristin Neff's free meditations and exercises — research-backed self-compassion practices proven to build resilience.
self-compassion.orgThe largest free meditation app — 200,000+ free guided meditations, talks and music from teachers worldwide.
insighttimer.comFree emotional support from trained listeners — 24/7 anonymous chats, plus low-cost online therapy if you need more.
7cups.comFree 24/7 crisis support by text — confidential, trained counsellors in the US, UK, Ireland and Canada.
crisistextline.orgFree Harvard Medical School educational resource on sleep biology, hygiene and disorders — clear, evidence-based and accessible.
healthysleep.med.harvard.eduFree monthly calendars of evidence-based daily actions — small, sustainable habits proven to lift mood and resilience.
actionforhappiness.orgPersonal Finance & Economic Literacy
Budgeting, taxes, compound interest and investing basics — the financial skills schools rarely teach but you need by 25.
Free, complete personal-finance course — taxes, credit, investing, retirement and real estate, taught at high-school clarity.
khanacademy.orgFree encyclopaedia of finance and investing — 30,000+ articles plus a free simulator for paper-trading stocks risk-free.
investopedia.comFree guides comparing credit cards, student loans, savings accounts and investment platforms — vendor-independent advice.
nerdwallet.comFree community wiki on low-cost index investing — based on John Bogle's principles, the gold standard for passive investors.
bogleheads.orgFree tools and guides from the US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — student loans, credit, scams and money basics.
consumerfinance.govFree Australian government finance hub — calculators, guides and budget tools usable internationally.
moneysmart.gov.auRobert Shiller's Nobel-laureate free course — auditable on Coursera, covers risk, behavioural finance and modern markets.
coursera.orgMIT Sloan's intro to finance theory — free lectures and problem sets covering valuation, portfolios and capital markets.
ocw.mit.eduFree practical money videos for young adults — budgeting, investing, salary negotiation and lifestyle inflation, all jargon-free.
youtube.comFree 15+ years of accessible personal-finance writing by JD Roth — debt payoff, savings, investing and mindful spending.
getrichslowly.orgFree essays on financial independence and frugality — the founding text of the FIRE movement, opinionated but practical.
mrmoneymustache.comFree 12-month YNAB subscription for university students — the most-loved budgeting method, with classes included.
youneedabudget.comCareer, Networking & Entrepreneurship
Land internships, switch careers, freelance, or start a company — the practical skills for portfolio-career life.
Free 10-week course from the world's top accelerator — 1M+ founders trained, with library of YC essays and talks.
startupschool.orgMany public libraries grant free LinkedIn Learning access — thousands of courses on careers, tools and soft skills.
linkedin.comFree AI resume and LinkedIn profile feedback — built by ex-recruiters, scores your CV against real hiring rubrics.
resumeworded.comFree downloadable CV templates and writing guides — practical for first jobs, internships and career switchers.
standout-cv.comFree archive of career articles — interview prep, salary negotiation, navigating workplace politics and switching careers.
themuse.comFree salary data crowdsourced from real offers — see what tech, finance and consulting roles actually pay before you negotiate.
levels.fyiFree reviews, salary ranges and interview questions for thousands of companies — the standard read before any interview.
glassdoor.comFree career advice focused on doing the most good with your work — research-driven guides on impactful career paths.
80000hours.orgFree Stanford CS183B taught by Sam Altman and Y Combinator partners — 20 free lectures on building a startup from zero.
startupclass.samaltman.comFree community of bootstrapped founders — interviews, podcasts and forum threads on building profitable side businesses.
indiehackers.comFree certifications in marketing, sales, content and SEO — recognised by employers, completed online in a few hours each.
academy.hubspot.comFree-to-audit Google certificates in IT support, data analytics, UX and project management — recognised by 150+ employers.
coursera.orgCivic, Media & Climate Literacy
Big-picture citizenship — understand democracy, evaluate media, grasp climate science and the ethics of technology.
Free, openly licensed data visualisations on the world's biggest issues — climate, poverty and health — built by Oxford researchers.
ourworldindata.orgFree MIT-curated explainers on climate change — the science, the solutions, the policy — accessible and rigorously sourced.
climate.mit.eduFree, ranked list of the most effective climate solutions — searchable database with deep technical analyses for each.
drawdown.orgFree daily climate journalism from Yale — accurate, accessible reporting on climate science, impacts and solutions.
yaleclimateconnections.orgFree, complete intro to US civics — Constitution, branches, elections — useful even for non-US students learning democracy basics.
khanacademy.orgFree games and lessons on democratic participation — built by Justice O'Connor, used in 50,000+ classrooms.
icivics.orgSanta Clara University's free ethics resource hub — frameworks for thinking through tech, business, AI and biomedical ethics.
scu.eduFree reports, primers and policy briefs from Stanford's Human-Centered AI Institute — the leading source on AI's societal impact.
hai.stanford.eduFree open-source-investigation playbook — verify videos, geolocate photos and fact-check viral claims like the pros.
bellingcat.comFree archive of evidence-based reporting on what's working — antidote to doom-scrolling, focuses on responses to social problems.
solutionsjournalism.orgElectronic Frontier Foundation's free guides on free speech, surveillance and digital rights — the leading digital civil liberties group.
eff.orgFree courses on the UN Sustainable Development Goals — climate, equality, poverty and governance, taught by UN agencies and partners.
unsdglearn.org