TL;DR
What's the best NotebookLM alternative?
First, NotebookLM is now Gemini Notebook, and it still has a free plan. If you want something else, Perplexity and Claude are the closest swaps, and both are free to start. For academic papers, try Elicit or Consensus. To chat with PDFs, try ChatPDF or Humata. For your own notes, use Notion or Obsidian.
What happened to NotebookLM?
Google renamed NotebookLM to Gemini Notebook in July 2026. Google's own FAQ puts it plainly: "NotebookLM is now Gemini Notebook as of July 2026." Google's Workspace Updates blog dates the change to July 16, 2026.
What that means for you:
- The new home is notebook.google. The old notebooklm.google address now shows the Gemini Notebook page.
- Your existing notebooks and shared links keep working.
- It's still a standalone web and mobile app, and it still has a free plan.
So if you came here because you thought NotebookLM was shut down, you may not need an alternative at all.
What does Gemini Notebook cost now?
Prices in US$, before tax, as of November 2, 2026.
| Plan | Price | Sources per notebook | What changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Up to 50 | Standard limits for chat, Slides, Audio Overviews and other outputs |
| Google AI Plus | US$4.99/month | 100 | Double the usage limits, early access to new features |
| Google AI Pro | US$19.99/month | 300 | 4x the usage limits |
| Google AI Ultra | US$99.99 or US$199.99/month | Up to 600 | 5 to 20x the Pro limits |
Usage limits are now based on compute. Google says they reset every 5 hours and also have weekly caps. Google's help pages also list notebook and Audio Overview counts per plan (for example, 100 notebooks and 3 Audio Overviews a day on Free), but we only saw those in search previews, so check the help page for your plan.
Student deal: US college students can get 12 months of Google AI Pro free if they redeem by December 31, 2026.
How do the NotebookLM alternatives compare?
Prices in US$, before tax. Claude and Gemini Notebook were checked November 2, 2026; the rest come from our price records (see Sources).
| Tool | Best for | Free plan | Cheapest paid (monthly) | Billed yearly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gemini Notebook | Notebooks from your own sources, Audio Overviews | Yes, up to 50 sources per notebook | Google AI Plus US$4.99 | Not shown |
| Perplexity | Web research with saved Spaces | Yes: basic search, 3 Pro Searches a day, 1 Research query a month | Pro US$20 | US$200/year (about US$17/month) |
| Claude | Long documents in Projects | Yes, up to 5 Projects (no Research) | Pro US$20 | US$200/year (about US$17/month) |
| ChatGPT | Everyday chat with Projects | Yes | Go US$8 | Monthly only |
| Notion | Notes and docs with AI built in | Yes | Plus US$12/member | US$10/month (US$120/year) |
| Elicit | Academic papers | Yes: unlimited paper search and summaries, limited Research Agent | Pro US$75 | US$49/month (US$588/year) |
| Consensus | Quick answers from studies | Not confirmed | Pro US$20 | US$12/month (US$144/year) |
| SciSpace | Reading research papers | Not confirmed | Premium US$20 | US$12/month (US$144/year) |
| ChatPDF | Chatting with a PDF | Yes, 2 documents a day | Plus US$19.99 | US$139.99/year (about US$11.67/month) |
| Humata | Long PDFs | Yes, up to 60 pages | Expert US$9.99 | Monthly only |
| AskYourPDF | Quick PDF questions | Yes, 1 document and 50 questions a day | Premium US$14.99 | US$11.99/month |
| Obsidian | Private notes on your own device | Yes, the app is free | Sync add-on US$5 | US$4/month (US$48/year) |
Best all-round alternatives
Perplexity (Spaces)
Perplexity is the pick if your notebook usually starts with a web search. Spaces is its closest feature to a NotebookLM notebook: a place to keep a research topic together. The free plan gives you basic search, 3 Pro Searches a day and 1 Research query a month. Pro is US$20 a month or US$200 a year (about US$17 a month), and there's a Max plan at US$200 a month for heavy users.
Claude (Projects)
Claude's Projects let you keep files and chats together in one place, which is close to how a notebook works. The free plan allows up to 5 Projects, with limits that reset every 5 hours plus a weekly cap, but no Research. Pro is US$20 a month or US$200 a year (about US$17 a month). The bigger plans are Max at US$100 and Ultra at US$200 a month. Already paying for Claude? Compare Claude Pro alternatives too.
ChatGPT (Projects)
ChatGPT has a free plan and Projects for grouping chats and files. The cheapest paid plan is ChatGPT Go at US$8 a month, and Plus is US$20. Both are monthly only. Not sure which tier you need? See ChatGPT Go vs Plus.
Best for studying and academic research
Elicit
Elicit is built for research papers. Its free Basic plan includes unlimited paper search and summaries, with limited use of its Research Agent. Pro is US$75 a month, or US$49 a month billed yearly (US$588 a year). It's the priciest pick here, so try the free plan first.
Consensus
Consensus gives answers drawn from published studies. Pro is US$20 a month, or US$12 a month billed yearly (US$144 a year). We couldn't confirm its free plan details, so check the site before you rely on it.
SciSpace
SciSpace helps you read and understand papers. Premium is US$20 a month, or US$12 a month billed yearly (US$144 a year). As with Consensus, we couldn't confirm what the free plan includes.
Best for chatting with PDFs
If all you ever did in NotebookLM was upload a PDF and ask it questions, a PDF tool may be enough.
- ChatPDF: free for 2 documents a day. Plus is US$19.99 a month or US$139.99 a year (about US$11.67 a month).
- Humata: free for up to 60 pages. Expert is US$9.99 a month, monthly only.
- AskYourPDF: free for 1 document and 50 questions a day. Premium is US$14.99 a month, or US$11.99 a month billed yearly.
Best for your own notes
- Notion: a free plan with AI features in the same place as your notes and docs. Plus is US$12 per member a month, or US$10 a month billed yearly (US$120 a year).
- Obsidian: the app itself is free. The Sync add-on is US$5 a month, or US$4 a month billed yearly (US$48 a year).
Which one should you pick?
- You liked NotebookLM and just want it back: use Gemini Notebook. Same product, new name, still free.
- You research on the web: Perplexity.
- You work with long documents and want one assistant for everything: Claude or ChatGPT.
- You're a student or researcher reading papers: Elicit first, then Consensus or SciSpace.
- You only need answers from a PDF: ChatPDF or Humata.
- You want notes you keep for years: Notion or Obsidian.
FAQ
Is NotebookLM shut down?
No. Google renamed it Gemini Notebook in July 2026. It now lives at notebook.google, and existing notebooks and shared links keep working.
Is Gemini Notebook still free?
Yes. The free plan includes up to 50 sources per notebook with standard limits. Paid Google AI plans start at US$4.99 a month (as of November 2, 2026).
What's the best free NotebookLM alternative?
For general research, Perplexity and Claude both have free plans. For PDFs, ChatPDF (2 documents a day) and Humata (up to 60 pages) are free to start.
What's the best NotebookLM alternative for studying?
Elicit is built for academic papers and has a free Basic plan. Consensus and SciSpace are also made for research, from US$12 a month billed yearly.
How many sources can I add to a Gemini Notebook?
Up to 50 per notebook on Free, 100 on Google AI Plus, 300 on Google AI Pro and up to 600 on Google AI Ultra.
Sources
- Gemini Notebook plans: plans, sources per notebook and usage limits.
- Gemini Notebook (former NotebookLM site): FAQ confirming the rename.
- Gemini Notebook Help: per-plan limits.
- Google blog: NotebookLM is now Gemini Notebook: the rename and compute-based limits.
- Google AI plans: US prices for Google AI Plus, Pro and Ultra.
- Claude pricing: Free, Pro, Max and Ultra.
- Perplexity Help Center: Free, Pro and Max plans.
- ChatGPT, Notion, Elicit, Consensus, SciSpace, ChatPDF, Humata, AskYourPDF and Obsidian prices are from each vendor's pricing page as stored in our price records.