Since 2007 we have been building an annual Top 100 Tools for Learning list based on the contributions of learning professionals worldwide. Here is an alphabetical list of all the tools that have appeared on the Top 100 Tools list over the last six years. The list shows the 6 year rankings of the tools 2011-2007. Note “-” means the tool did not appear on the list that year.
| TOOL | 6th 2012 |
5th 2011 |
4th 2010 |
3rd 2009 |
2nd 2008 |
1st 2007 |
|
| Access | database software | - | - | - | - | - | 72= |
| Adium (discontinued) | instant messenger | - | - | - | - | - | 57= |
| Adobe Acrobat Pro | PDF software | - | - | - | - | 88= | 72= |
| Adobe Captivate | demo/scenario tool | 43 | 48 | 38 | 22= | 30= | 17= |
| Adobe Connect | web conferencing tool | 32 | 59 | 61 | 41= | 66= | 72= |
| Adobe Dreamweaver | web authoring tool | - | - | - | 53= | 44= | 36= |
| Adobe Fireworks | image editor | - | - | - | 88= | - | 57= |
| Adobe Flash | animation authoring | - | 90= | 81= | 38= | 38= | 43= |
| Adobe Photoshop | photo editing tool | 53 | - | 35 | 59= | 50= | |
| Adobe Presenter | presentation software | - | - | - | - | 83= | 72= |
| Adobe Reader | PDF reader | - | - | - | - | 80= | 72= |
| Amazon | online book store | - | - | - | - | - | 72= |
| Amplify (discontinued) | content sharing platform | - | - | 51= | - | - | - |
| Android phones and tables | devices using Google mobile operating system | 94 | 90 | 85 | - | - | - |
| Animoto | videos from images | 39 | 27 | 28 | 31= | - | - |
| Articulate | e-learning software | 37 | 46 | 43 | 24 | 25 | 22= |
| Audacity | sound editor/recorder | 29 | 29 | 24 | 9= | 12 | 11 |
| Aviary | media creation tools | - | - | 75= | - | - | - |
| Basecamp | project management tool | - | - | - | 90= | 71= | 66= |
| BigBlueButton | web conferencing | - | - | 74= | - | - | - |
| Bing | web search engine | 62 | - | - | - | - | |
| bitly | URL shortener | - | - | 75= | - | - | - |
| Blackboard | course management system | 95 | 89 | 68 | - | - | - |
| Blackboard Collaborate (previously Elluminate) |
web conferencing | 50 | 60 | 35 | 43= | 50= | 50= |
| Blogger/Blogspot | blogging tool | 15 | 12 | 14 | 14= | 10 | 9 |
| Bloglines | RSS reader | - | - | - | 12= | 30= | 86= |
| Bubblus | mindmapping tool | - | 90 | 89= | 55= | 83 | - |
| Buddypress | social networking software | 85 | 90= | - | - | - | - |
| Camtasia | screencasting tool | 28 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 26= | 50= |
| Cirip | micro-blogging tool | - | - | - | 67= | - | = |
| Cmap | mind- mapping tool | - | - | - | - | - | 72= |
| Composica | collaborative e-learning authoring system | - | 90= | - | - | - | - |
| CourseLab | course authoring tool | - | - | - | - | 88= | - |
| Delicious | social bookmarking tool | 48 | 24 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Diigo | social annotation tool | 18 | 13 | 15 | 22= | 35= | 72= |
| Dimdim (no longer available) | web conferencing tool | - | - | 54= | 43= | - | - |
| Doodle | event scheduling | 92 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Dropbox | file synching software | 6 | 6 | 13 | 71= | - | - |
| drop.io (discontinued) | file sharing | - | - | 75= | - | - | - |
| Drupal | content management system | - | - | - | - | 54= | 72= |
| Edmodo | edu social networking site | 22 | 22 | 46 | 88 | - | - |
| Edublogs | edu blogging platform | 77 | 74= | 48= | 49 | 59= | 72= |
| (Edu)Glogster | interactive poster tool | 21 | 10 | 25 | 55= | - | - |
| eFront | course management system | 86 | 58 | - | - | - | - |
| Elgg | social platform | - | - | 90= | 53= | - | 40= |
| Eudora | email client | - | - | - | - | - | 72= |
| Evernote | note-taking tool | 12 | 17 | 23 | 27 | - | - |
| Excel | spreadsheet software | 81 | 81 | - | - | 50= | 27 |
| Exe | course authoring tool | - | - | - | - | 44= | 72= |
| Explode (discontinued) | community site | - | - | - | - | - | 57= |
| social network | 9 | 14 | 9 | 31= | 24 | 17= | |
| Firefox + addons | web browser | 65 | - | 29 | 9= | 2 | 1 |
| flickr | photo sharing site | 60 | 36 | 20 | 18 | 15 | 16 |
| Flip (discontinued) | digital camcorder | - | - | 73= | 71= | - | - |
| social magazine for iPad etc | 61 | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Flock (discontinued) | social web browser | - | - | - | - | - | 72= |
| Freemind | mindmapping tool | - | - | 85 | 71= | 54= | 50= |
| Friendfeed | social aggregator | - | - | - | 86= | - | - |
| Fuze meeting | web conferencing | - | 90= | - | - | - | - |
| Garageband | personal recording studio | - | - | - | 55= | 59= | - |
| Geogebra | maths software for schools | - | 50 | - | - | - | - |
| GIMP | image editor | - | - | - | - | 83= | 43= |
| Gliffy | diagramming tool | - | - | - | - | - | 72= |
| Gmail | web-based email service | 27 | 20 | 31 | 21 | 14 | 7= |
| Google+ / Hangouts | social network/video meetings | 17 | 26 | - | - | - | - |
| Google Alerts | web monitoring service | - | - | - | 88= | 33 | 57= |
| Google Apps | branded application suite | 55 | 35 | 34 | 38= | 68= | - |
| Google Calendar | online calendar | - | 82= | 53 | 50= | 29 | 36= |
| Google Chrome | web browser | 35 | 45 | 44 | 55= | - | - |
| Google Desktop (discontinued) | desktop organiser | - | - | - | - | - | 40= |
| Google Docs/Drive | collaboration suite | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 14 |
| Google Earth | virtual globe | - | 32 | 41 | 43= | 40= | 40= |
| Google Groups | group spaces | - | - | - | - | - | 57= |
| Google Maps | online maps | 38 | 38 | 58 | 67 | 34 | 36= |
| Google Notebook (discontinued) | online notebook | - | - | - | - | - | 50= |
| Google Page Creator (discontinued) | webpage tool | - | - | - | - | - | 57= |
| Google Reader | RSS reader | 16 | 16 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 7= |
| Google Scholar | scholarly search | 52 | - | 66= | - | 42= | 36= |
| Google Search | web search engine | 4 | 15 | 11 | 8 | 6 | 3 |
| Google Sites | wiki/website tool | 33 | 43 | 39= | 71= | 59= | - |
| Google Talk | instant messenger | - | - | - | - | - | 57= |
| Google Translate | online translater | 57 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Google Wave (discontinued) | real-time conversation | - | - | 54= | - | - | - |
| GoToMeeting | web conferencing tool | - | - | - | 71= | - | - |
| Hootsuite | social media dashboard | 41 | 73 | 75= | - | - | - |
| Internet Explorer | web browser | - | - | - | - | 83= | 31= |
| iGoogle | personalised start page | - | 74= | 44 | 16 | 17 | 17= |
| iMovie | video editing software | 100 | 74= | 95 | 88= | 66= | - |
| Inspiration | visual thinking tool | - | - | - | - | - | 72= |
| Instapaper | read it later apps | 66 | - | - | - | - | |
| iPad and apps | Apple tablet and apps | 34 | 44 | - | - | - | - |
| ipadio | phonecast live | - | - | 95= | - | - | - |
| iPhone and apps | Apple smartphone and apps | 74 | 55 | 39 | 31= | 50= | 43= |
| iTunes and iTunesU | music/podcast player/learning site | 47 | 66 | 51 | 41= | 28 | 26= |
| Jaiku (discontinued) | mobile application | - | - | - | - | - | 72= |
| Jing | screen capture tool | 26 | 18 | 17 | 20 | 26= | - |
| Joomla | content management system | - | - | - | - | 66= | - |
| Jott (discontinued) | voice to text | - | - | - | - | 83= | - |
| Keynote | presentation software | 93 | - | 90= | 48 | 65 | 72= |
| Khan Academy | video learning platform | 56 | 74= | - | - | - | - |
| Kindle | ebook reader | 70 | 82= | - | - | - | - |
| Knol (discontinued) | share what you think | - | 63 | - | - | - | - |
| Learnist | pinboard learning images | 89 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Lectora | course authoring tool | - | - | - | 64 | - | - |
| LibraryThing | library catalogue | - | - | - | - | 83= | - |
| professional social network | 23 | 21 | 30 | 38= | 30= | 31= | |
| Lino | online stickies | 83 | 68 | - | - | - | - |
| LiveBinders | 3-ring binder for the web | 44 | 64 | 61 | - | - | - |
| Mahara | e-portfolio platform | 91 | 67 | - | - | - | - |
| MediaWiki | wiki tool | - | - | - | - | 83= | 36= |
| MentorMob | organize learning playlists | 90 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Mindjet (previously MindManager) | mindmapping tool | 69 | - | - | - | - | 17= |
| Mindmeister | mindmapping tool | 46 | 52 | 73= | 55= | 42= | - |
| Moodle | course management system | 11 | 8 | 10 | 14= | 9 | 12= |
| MovieMaker | make home movies | 68 | - | - | 83= | 83= | - |
| Netvibes | personal start page | - | 90= | 61 | 55 | 37 | 26= |
| Ning | private social networking platform | 63 | 57 | 31 | 11= | 16 | 31 |
| Notepad | text editor | - | - | - | - | 66= | 72= |
| Notepad ++ | enhanced text editor | - | - | - | - | - | 72= |
| Nvu (now available as Kompozer) | web authoring tool | - | - | - | - | 80= | 72= |
| Omnigraffle | diagramming software | - | - | - | - | - | 72= |
| OneNote | note-taking software | 71 | 100 | 85= | - | 66= | - |
| OpenOffice | office suite | 87 | 61 | 61 | 71= | 41= | 31= |
| Opera | web browser | - | - | - | - | 66= | - |
| Outlook | email client | 49 | 69= | 95= | 67= | 38= | 17= |
| Pageflakes (discontinued) | personal dashboard | - | - | - | 88= | 40= | - |
| Paint.NET | paint software | - | - | - | 88= | 83= | - |
| Paintshop Pro | image editing software | - | - | - | 88= | - | 72= |
| Paper.li | daily newspaper (of tweets) | 82 | 90= | - | - | - | - |
| Parallels | run Windows on a Mac | - | - | - | - | - | 57= |
| PBWorks | wiki tool | 88 | 34 | 33 | 34 | 35= | 43= |
| Photopeach | free slideshows | - | - | 81= | - | - | - |
| Photostory | bring photos to life | - | - | 81= | - | - | - |
| Picasa | photo organiser | - | 53 | 46 | 63 | - | 57= |
| Picnik (discontinued) | photo editing tool | - | - | 90= | 71= | - | - |
| virtual pinboard | 36 | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Pocket (previously Read in Later) | save pages for later | 76 | 90= | - | - | - | - |
| Polldaddy | polling and survey software | - | - | - | - | 66= | - |
| Poll Everywhere | instant audience feedback | 75 | 82= | - | - | - | - |
| Popplet | a place for your ideas | 99 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Posterous | blogging software | - | 69= | 36 | 55= | - | - |
| PowerPoint | presentation software | 8 | 19 | 21 | 13 | 8 | 5 |
| Prezi | presentation software | 14 | 7 | 12 | 28 | - | - |
| Quicksilver | unified interface for Mac | - | - | - | - | - | 72= |
| Quizlet | flash card and study games website | 58 | 82= | - | - | - | - |
| Quora | Q&A website | 97 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Remember the milk | task management tool | - | - | - | - | 54= | - |
| Safari | web browser | - | - | - | - | 83= | 72= |
| Scoopit | curation software | 24 | 33 | - | - | - | - |
| Screencast-O-matic | screencasting tool | - | 82= | - | - | - | - |
| Screenr | screencasting tool | 64 | 51 | 58 | 55= | - | - |
| Screentoaster | screencasting tool | - | - | - | 71= | - | - |
| Scribd | document sharing tool | 59 | 56 | 54 | 71= | 83= | 50= |
| SecondLife | virtual world | - | - | 81= | 71= | 54= | - |
| Sharepoint | intranet platform | 45 | 65 | 75= | 50= | - | - |
| Skydrive | cloud storage | 98 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Skype | instant messaging/VoIP tool | 7 | 4 | 6 | 11= | 4 | 3= |
| Slideshare | presentation sharing site | 13 | 9 | 5 | 7 | 20 | 31= |
| SMARTBoard software | software for the SMART interactive whiteboard | - | - | - | - | 83= | - |
| Snagit | screen capture tool | 42 | 47 | 42 | 25 | 21 | 26= |
| Storybird | edu collaborative storytelling | - | 62 | 71 | - | - | - |
| Storify | makes stories using social media | - | 69= | - | - | - | - |
| Stumbleupon | serendipitous browsing tool | - | - | - | - | - | 66= |
| Subversion | version control software | - | - | - | - | - | 72= |
| SurveyMonkey | survey tool | 51 | 74 | 48= | 88= | 54= | - |
| Symbaloo (and Edu version) | web portal/dashboard | 80 | 41 | - | - | - | - |
| TeacherTube | edu video sharing site | - | 82= | 90 | 64= | 80= | 57= |
| Technorati | blog searching | - | - | - | - | - | 57= |
| TED Talks /Ed | inspirational videos and lessons | 25 | 30 | - | - | - | - |
| Thunderbird | email client | - | - | - | - | 50= | 22= |
| Tiddlywiki | wiki notebook | - | - | - | - | 83= | 72= |
| Toondoo | comic strip | - | - | 95= | - | - | - |
| Tumblr | blogging tool | 96 | - | - | - | 83= | 72= |
| Tweetdeck | Twitter client | 40 | 37 | 37 | 43= | - | - |
| Twhirl | Twitter client | - | - | - | 88= | 83= | - |
| micro-blogging/social network | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 43= | |
| Typepad | blogging tool | - | - | 95= | 88= | 44= | 57= |
| Udutu | collaborative course authoring tool | 67 | 69= | 95 | 64= | - | - |
| Ustream | broadcast yourself | - | - | - | 66= | - | - |
| Vimeo | video sharing site | 78 | 49 | 70 | - | - | - |
| Voicethread | collab slideshows | 31 | 25 | 19 | 19 | 23 | - |
| Voki | speaking avatar creator | 84 | 40 | 75 | - | - | - |
| Voxopop | voice-based e-learning tool | - | 95= | - | - | - | |
| Wallwisher | online noticeboard | 72 | 54 | 26 | - | - | - |
| Web developer plugin | Firefox plugin | - | - | - | - | - | 72= |
| WebEx | web conferencing tool | 54 | - | 85= | 67= | - | - |
| Weebly | website/blog software | - | 90= | - | - | - | - |
| Wetpaint | wiki tool | - | - | 95= | 50= | 44= | - |
| Wikipedia | collaborative encyclopaedia | 10 | 11 | 16 | 17 | 13 | 26= |
| Wikispaces | wiki tool | 30 | 23 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 15 |
| Windows Live Messenger /MSN | instant messenger | - | - | - | - | - | 57= |
| Windows Live Writer | desktop blogging tool | - | - | - | - | 66= | - |
| Wink | screencasting tool | - | - | - | - | 83= | - |
| Word | word processing software | 19 | 42 | 60 | 36= | 22 | 10 |
| Wordle | word cloud generator | 79 | 39 | 22 | 30 | - | - |
| WordPress | blogging platform (with 3rd party plugins) | 5 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 6 |
| xtranormal | movie making software | - | - | 71= | - | - | - |
| Yahoo Groups | group spaces | - | - | - | - | - | 50= |
| Yahoo Mail | web mail | - | - | - | - | - | 57= |
| Yammer | private social networking platform | 20 | 31 | 68 | 71= | - | - |
| YouTube | video hosting and sharing platform | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 18 | 22= |
| Yugma | web meeting tool | - | - | - | - | 66= | 72= |
| Zamzar | file conversion tool | - | - | - | - | 83= | - |
| Zite | news reader | 73 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Zoho | online office suite | - | - | - | - | 44= | 57= |
| Zotero | collect and manage research | - | 82= | 57 | - | 66= | 72= |
A Practical Guide to the Top 100 Tools for Learning
Find out how to use the Top 100 Tools for personal learning and productivity, for professional development, in educational and training and for workforce collaboration
The Guide provides essential information about each of the tools and includes curated links to other excellent and useful resources. Find out more here.
