There were 1,394 votes in the 19th annual tools survey from which the Top 100 Tools for Learning 2024 was generated. Here are 5 observations on this year’s list
1 – Little change in the Top 10
YouTube has been No 1 on the list for 10 years now, but how long will it remain so? Most of the other tools in the Top 10 have also been there for many years too. But this year one tool has moved up the list into 10th place (and has pushed out Wikipedia) – see next point for more on this.
2 – AI is becoming well established
ChatGPT jumped onto the list in 4th place in 2023 and moved up to 2nd place in 2024. It is now just a few votes away from the leader (YouTube). Will it move into the lead in 2026? Google’s Gemini (that entered the list last year at #53) has now moved up to #10. In fact, all the other generative AI tools have moved up the list too – and this year they are joined by Google’s “AI research partner” NotebookLM – in at #30, and Grok – in at #76. Other AI-supporting tools have also joined the list – e.g. ElevenLabs (AI voice generator, in at #50) and Mindsmith (AI-supported learning authoring tool, in at #66). Having said that, most tools now seem to claim they incorporate AI in some form or another.
3 – Video is still key
Video is still a very important tool for learning, which explains why YouTube has maintained its No 1 spot for so many years, and there are now quite a few tools on the list supporting easy video creation and editing. New tools on the list this year in this category include CapCut (in at #55) and ClipChamp (in at #56).
4 – Resurgence of social networks
Although in 2024 it appeared that social networks were on decline, they have bounced back this year. LinkedIn still maintains its strong position in 8th place and all the other social networks have regained their lost ground. TikTok and Facebook are back in the Top 20, and X has jumped back up 43 places to #23 – having dropped to #66 in 2024.
5 – Personal tools dominate
This year more tools have been chosen for their personal use – i.e. for productivity or learning – rather than as tools for training or education. With that in mind, both online course libraries as well as traditional authoring course tools have moved down (if not off) the list this year. This may well be due to the fact that generative AI tools now offer so much more to individuals looking for immediate answers.
Jane Hart
1 September 2025
