VerlumoAIAI search assistant that answers questions with cited sources.
View detailsNotebookLM
Google's source-grounded research assistant — ask your documents, get cited answers.
NotebookLM is Google's AI research assistant. Upload your own sources — PDFs, Google Docs, websites, YouTube links, or audio files — and it answers questions using only those sources, with citations to the exact passage. It can also turn your sources into study guides, timelines, FAQs, and an Audio Overview: a podcast-style conversation between two AI hosts discussing your material.
Key Features
- Ask questions answered only from your uploaded sources
- Citations linked to the exact passage in your documents
- Audio Overviews: podcast-style discussion of your sources
- Study guides, timelines, FAQs, and mind maps from sources
- Video Overviews and slide decks from your material
- Works with PDFs, Docs, websites, YouTube, and audio
Pricing
| Plan | Price | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 100 notebooks, 50 sources per notebook, and a limited number of Audio Overviews. |
| Google AI Plus | $4.99/mo | 200 notebooks, 100 sources per notebook, and 2x usage limits. Includes Gemini and 200 GB storage. |
| Google AI Pro | $19.99/mo | 500 notebooks, 300 sources per notebook, and 4x usage limits. Includes Gemini Advanced and 2 TB storage. |
| Google AI Ultra | $99.99/mo | 500-600 sources per notebook and the highest limits, plus Gemini Ultra features. |
Prices as listed in 2026 research. Always check the official site for the latest price — plans change. Free plan: Yes — it has a free plan.
Best for: students and researchers who study from documents and want cited, source-based answers.
Popular with: Students, Teachers, Writers
Popular with: Students, Teachers, Writers
How it works
The key difference from a chatbot is grounding. NotebookLM does not answer from general knowledge; it answers from your documents, so it is far less likely to invent facts. That makes it popular with students, researchers, and professionals who need to trust the answer. The Audio Overview feature has become its signature: upload lecture notes and listen to a discussion of them on the way to class.
Status note: Google renamed NotebookLM to Gemini Notebook in July 2026 — it is the same product with a new name. The free version comes with any Google account (100 notebooks, 50 sources per notebook). Higher limits come through Google AI plans: Google AI Plus at $4.99 a month, Google AI Pro at $19.99 a month, and Ultra plans from $99.99 a month. The old NotebookLM Plus name is no longer used.
Pros and Cons
✓ Pros
- Answers are grounded in your own sources, with citations
- Audio Overviews make studying feel effortless
- Free plan is generous for most students
- Built by Google, no extra account needed
✗ Cons
- Only as good as the sources you upload
- Audio Overviews are capped on the free plan
- Paid tiers are bundled with Google AI plans, not sold separately
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View detailsLast reviewed: November 2026