An honest, one-tool-per-job guide for parents: BBC Bitesize, Seneca, Cognito, Physics & Maths Tutor, Save My Exams, Medly and Revise Right, with what each costs.
There isn't one best app. Most GCSE students do well with one free course site such as BBC Bitesize, Seneca or Cognito, plus past papers from the exam board or Physics & Maths Tutor. Pay only for a gap the free tools leave, such as marked exam answers or an AI tutor. Start free, watch what your child actually uses for two weeks, then decide.
We make Revise Right. Nobody paid to be on this page. Ask three questions. Does it match your child's exam board? Will they open it without being asked? And does it make them answer questions, not just read? Testing yourself works better than rereading, so an app that quizzes your child is worth more than one that only shows notes. Free tools cover most of GCSE revision. Before you pay, let your child try the free version for a fortnight.
Prices are from each provider's own website, checked 29 October 2026. They change, so check before you buy.
| Tool | Best for | Free to use? | Paid plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| BBC Bitesize | Clear explanations and videos, every subject | Yes, all of it | None |
| Seneca | Short, exam-board courses with quizzes | Yes, over 600 free courses | Premium packages; the price shows after you choose a package on Seneca |
| Cognito | Science and maths videos with quizzes | Free to start | Pro subscription; price on Cognito's site |
| Physics & Maths Tutor | Past papers and topic questions by board | Yes, all resources | None for the resources |
| Save My Exams | Revision notes and exam questions by board | Past papers and mark schemes | Subscription paid upfront, with a free trial; price on its site |
| Medly | AI tutor and AI marking | Free to start; free Medly Mocks | £24.99 a month or £180 a year |
| Revise Right | Free timed mock rounds with an estimated grade | Mocks, revision notes, past papers | Pro: £14.99 a month or £119.88 a year |
Free, with no account, and it covers every GCSE subject by exam board. Good when your child doesn't understand a topic and needs it explained simply. It has fewer exam-style questions than the specialist sites.
Seneca says anyone can sign up free and that it has over 600 free exam-board courses. The lessons are short, with questions as you go. Premium adds tools such as AI-marked exam questions; Seneca shows the price after you choose a package.
Video lessons with quizzes, covering GCSE and A-Level biology, chemistry, physics, maths and English. It's free to start, with a paid Pro subscription.
PMT says all its revision resources are completely free, with no account. It collects past papers, mark schemes and topic questions by board. It's the place to go once your child knows the content and needs exam practice.
Revision notes and exam questions written for each board. Past papers and mark schemes are free to download. The full site is a subscription, paid upfront and renewing automatically, with a free trial.
Medly is free to start. Its paid plan, listed at £24.99 a month or £180 a year, unlocks AI marking and unlimited use. It also runs free Medly Mocks.
Revise Right mocks are free timed papers that run in rounds; the next is 7–20 December. Your child needs a free account. About a week later they get a percentage, an estimated grade and a topic-by-topic breakdown, which tells you what to work on. Revision notes by exam board and past papers are free too. Verifying the account starts a 5-day Pro trial automatically, with no card and no automatic charge. The AI tools (notes, flashcards, quizzes, mind maps and the AI tutor) are part of Pro, so they are free only during that trial. Pro costs £14.99 a month or £119.88 a year. What we don't do as well: we cover fewer subjects than BBC Bitesize or Seneca, and mocks are only open during a round.
Only if the free tools leave a gap your child will actually use. Paid plans mostly add marking of written answers, AI help and tracking. If your child already uses a free app most days, a paid plan may help. If they don't open the free one, a paid one rarely changes that. Check how the plan renews and how to cancel before you pay. Several are paid upfront for a season or a year.
BBC Bitesize: GCSE subjects: Free GCSE revision guides, videos and quizzes from the BBC, by subject and exam board. Seneca help centre: do I need to pay?: Seneca says anyone can sign up free, with over 600 free exam-board courses, and that Premium packages add tools such as AI-marked exam questions. Checked 29 Oct 2026. Seneca help centre: how much is Premium?: Says Premium comes in three packages with monthly, seasonal and annual prices, shown after you choose a package. No price is printed on the page. Checked 29 Oct 2026. Cognito: FAQ: Cognito's FAQ: free to start, with a paid Pro subscription; GCSE and A-Level science, maths and English. Checked 29 Oct 2026. PMT Education: Physics & Maths Tutor resources: States that all the revision resources on Physics & Maths Tutor are completely free, with no account needed. Checked 29 Oct 2026. Save My Exams: join: Says past papers and mark schemes are free to download, the paid subscription is taken upfront and renews automatically, and a free trial is offered. Checked 29 Oct 2026. Medly: AI tutor and pricing (UK): Lists the paid plan at £24.99 a month or £180 a year, says it is free to start, and describes free Medly Mocks. Checked 29 Oct 2026.
BBC Bitesize, Seneca's free courses and Cognito's free tier cover most subjects. Add free past papers from the exam board or Physics & Maths Tutor for exam practice.
Yes. Seneca says anyone can sign up free and that it has over 600 free exam-board courses. Premium adds extra tools such as AI-marked exam questions, at a price shown after you choose a package.
Check the age rules and the privacy policy. Revise Right is for students aged 13 and over; 13 to 17-year-olds need permission from a parent or guardian, or their school. We don't sell student data or use it for advertising. Look for the same promises from any app.
Many are free. Of the paid plans we checked on 29 October 2026, Medly lists £24.99 a month and Revise Right Pro is £14.99 a month. Seneca, Save My Exams and Cognito show their prices on their own sites.
Usually one course site plus past papers is enough. More apps mean more time choosing and less time revising.
Not fully. An app is good for regular practice; a tutor is better when your child needs someone to explain things live and keep them going. Our tutor or app guide covers prices and the research.