The Gemini Notebook Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Gemini Notebook in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Gemini Notebook
The Insider’s Guide
Google's AI research assistant that answers from your own sources
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among AI assistants, read from Gemini Notebook’s own pages.
Made by Google · checked Oct 4, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Gemini Notebook’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Gemini Notebook’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 4, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
3.4
GPA, above 53 of the 57 other AI assistants we grade
Gemini Notebook, formerly NotebookLM, is Google's AI research assistant. You add sources such as PDFs, Google Docs, websites, YouTube videos and audio files, then chat with the notebook and get answers with in-line citations back to those sources. It also turns sources into audio and video overviews, mind maps, reports, flashcards and quizzes.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Gemini Notebook, taken from its own pages and our grades.
On a phone you can share a web page, PDF or YouTube video from another app straight into a notebook.
- 1
Best for answers drawn from your own documents
It's a research tool, not an everyday chatbot.
- 2
Paid plans start at $4.99 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $4.99 per month (Google AI Plus).
- 3
There is a free plan
Standard tier, free with a Google account: 100 notebooks, 50 sources per notebook and standard usage limits that refresh every 5 hours up to a weekly cap.
- 4
It runs on 3 platforms
Web, iOS and Android.
- 5
Grounded chat with citations
Chat with a notebook to get answers based on the sources you added, with in-line citations that point back to them.
- 6
Many source types
Add PDFs, Google Docs, Slides and Sheets, Word and PowerPoint files, web URLs, public YouTube videos, audio files and images. A source can hold up to 500,000 words or 200 MB.
- 7
Audio and Video Overviews
Turns a notebook's sources into an Audio Overview or a Video Overview. In the mobile app, Audio Overviews can be downloaded for offline listening.
- 8
A 3.4 GPA, above 53 of 57
That is against the other AI assistants we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Gemini Notebook you would be making an AI model, which you can rent by the request but not make. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Gemini Notebook at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $4.99 per month (Google AI Plus)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web, iOS, Android
- Made by
- Category
- AI Assistants
- Our grade
- 3.4 GPA, very good
- Store rating
- 4.9 on the App Store, 62,132 ratings
The report card
Best for answers drawn from your own documents
Gemini Notebook, which used to be NotebookLM, answers from the sources you give it, such as PDFs, Docs, web pages and YouTube videos, and every answer points back to the passage it came from. It's a research tool, not an everyday chatbot. Usage refreshes every 5 hours up to a weekly cap, more room means buying a Google AI plan, and the phone app can't show notes, mind maps or reports.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | More room comes with Google AI Plus at $4.99 a month, the low end of this category's prices: 200 notebooks, 100 sources in each and double the usage limits. It isn't sold on its own, though. You're buying a Google AI plan, and the next one up is $19.99. |
| Free plan and trial | A | Free with a Google account: 100 notebooks with 50 sources in each, and a source can hold up to 500,000 words. No normal person reaches that. Usage is metered, mind, with a quota that refreshes every 5 hours up to a weekly cap. |
| Features | C | It does one job in full: answers grounded in your own sources, with in-line citations, turned into audio overviews, mind maps, flashcards and quizzes. That's a smaller job than a general assistant, and the phone app can't yet show notes, mind maps or reports. |
| Ease of use | A | 4.9 from about 62,100 App Store ratings. Drop in your sources and start asking. On a phone you can share a web page, PDF or YouTube video from another app straight into a notebook. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web, plus iPhone, iPad and Android phones and tablets, and it pulls in Google Docs, Slides, Sheets, YouTube and Play Books. There's no desktop app, and the mobile app can't yet generate or view notes, mind maps or reports. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Gemini Notebook is for
- Fits if you're a student or researcher working from your own pile of documents
- Works for people who want every answer to cite the passage it came from
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you want a general chatbot, because it answers from the sources you add
- Not for you if you work mostly on your phone, as the app can't yet show notes, mind maps, reports or data tables
- Tight if you want more room without a Google AI plan, since the paid tiers aren't sold on their own
- Watch out: usage is metered by compute, with a quota that refreshes every 5 hours until a weekly limit
- Skip it if you want a desktop app, as it's web, iPhone and Android only
Good to know
Good for
- Students and researchers working from a set of their own documents
- Turning long documents or lecture material into audio summaries
- Answers that cite the source passage they came from
Worth knowing
- Paid tiers are not sold on their own: higher limits come with a Google AI Plus, Pro or Ultra subscription.
- The free Standard tier allows 100 notebooks and 50 sources per notebook.
- Usage limits are compute-based. The quota refreshes every 5 hours until a weekly limit is reached.
- The mobile app cannot yet generate or view notes, mind maps, reports or data tables.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$4.99
A month to start. There is a free plan too
Gemini Notebook has a free plan. Paid plans start at $4.99 per month (Google AI Plus).
Standard
$0
Free with a Google account: 100 notebooks, 50 sources per notebook and standard usage limits.
Plus
$4.99
per month, with Google AI Plus
200 notebooks, 100 sources per notebook and usage limits two times higher than standard.
Pro
$19.99
per month, with Google AI Pro
500 notebooks, 300 sources per notebook and usage limits four times higher than standard.
Ultra
From $99.99
per month, with Google AI Ultra
500 notebooks, 500 or 600 sources per notebook depending on the Ultra tier, and usage limits 5x or 20x higher than AI Pro.
The free plan
Standard tier, free with a Google account: 100 notebooks, 50 sources per notebook and standard usage limits that refresh every 5 hours up to a weekly cap.
Read from gemini.google on Oct 4, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Education
Free Pro plan for college students for a year
Google's US subscriptions page says college students get a free Google AI Pro plan for one year. Google AI Pro provides the Pro tier of Gemini Notebook.
Stated on gemini.google
How its prices have moved
- Jul 25, 2026Plus: $7.99 per month → $4.99 per monthThe archived copy of 25 July 2026 gives Google AI Plus, the plan behind the Notebook Plus tier, at $4.99 a month; the copy before it, of 5 June 2026, gives $7.99. The price came down between the two.
- Jun 5, 2026Ultra: $249.99 per month → From $99.99 per monthThe archived copy of 5 June 2026 prices Google AI Ultra from $99.99 a month, with a $199.99 step above it; the copy before it, of 15 May 2026, shows one price of $249.99 a month. The price changed between the two.
- Feb 2, 2026Plus: new, $7.99 per monthThe archived copy of 2 February 2026 adds Google AI Plus at $7.99 a month; the copy of 7 October 2025 lists only the free tier, AI Pro and AI Ultra. The plan arrived between the two.
What the app costs elsewhere
Each country’s App Store price for “Google AI Plus (400 GB)”, against $4.99 in the United States, in dollars at the day’s rate. The four cheapest and the four dearest of 11.
| Country | Price there | In dollars | Against the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey | ₺199,99 | $4.07 | 18% less |
| India | ₹ 399 | $4.12 | 17% less |
| Indonesia | Rp 75ribu | $4.19 | 16% less |
| Philippines | ₱ 285.00 | $4.54 | 9% less |
| Australia | $7.99 | $5.58 | 12% more |
| Germany | 4,99 € | $5.59 | 12% more |
| United Kingdom | £4.49 | $5.94 | 19% more |
| South Africa | R104.99 | $6.35 | 27% more |
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
3
Places it runs: Web, iOS and Android
Google's AI research assistant that answers from your own sources. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: AI features, chat assistant, AI search, notes.
That's a smaller job than a general assistant, and the phone app can't yet show notes, mind maps or reports.
- Grounded chat with citations
- Chat with a notebook to get answers based on the sources you added, with in-line citations that point back to them.
- Many source types
- Add PDFs, Google Docs, Slides and Sheets, Word and PowerPoint files, web URLs, public YouTube videos, audio files and images. A source can hold up to 500,000 words or 200 MB.
- Audio and Video Overviews
- Turns a notebook's sources into an Audio Overview or a Video Overview. In the mobile app, Audio Overviews can be downloaded for offline listening.
- Study and presentation outputs
- Generates mind maps, reports, flashcards, quizzes, infographics and slide decks from your sources.
- Deep Research
- An agentic feature that browses up to hundreds of websites, writes a multi-page report and lets you import the results and sources into a notebook.
- Mobile apps
- Apps for Android phones and tablets, iPhone and iPad. Share a website, PDF or YouTube video from another app straight into a notebook.
Where it runs
- Web
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- Google Docs
- Google Slides
- Google Sheets
- YouTube
- Google Play Books
Gemini Notebook is made by Google.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
53/57
Other AI assistants it is graded above
Gemini Notebook's GPA of 3.4 is higher than 53 of the 57 other AI assistants we grade, and level with 3.
It stands best on ease of use (A, above 44 of 57) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $4.99 a month, against a middle price of $10 for the category: 5 of the 38 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.0 out of 4. 1 tool scores higher and costs less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 58 AI assistants we grade, cut by the letter each got. Gemini Notebook’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 38 of 57
- AFree plan and trialAbove 43 of 57
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 57
- AEase of useAbove 44 of 57
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 23 of 57
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 45 AI assistants. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Gemini Notebook is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Gemini Notebook you would be making an AI model, which you can rent by the request but not make. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.4 is higher than 53 of the 57 other AI assistants we grade. It costs $59.88 a year.
What you could make
- Notes: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- An AI model, which you can rent by the request but not make.
- A search engine with an AI model behind it.
- A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
- It plugs into other products, Google Docs, Google Slides and Google Sheets among them.
- Sharing with other people, which means accounts and invitations.
What this rests on. Gemini Notebook’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Perplexity
The 4 tools Gemini Notebook is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 3.4GPA
ChatGPT
Free plan · from $8/mo
OpenAI's general-purpose AI assistant for chat, images and voice.
- Only ChatGPT lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps.
- Gemini Notebook also covers notes.
- 3.0GPA
Claude
Free plan · from $17/mo
Anthropic's AI assistant for writing, analysis and coding.
- Only Claude lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps.
- Only Claude lists a browser extension.
- Gemini Notebook also covers notes.
- 3.8GPA
Gemini
Free plan · from $4.99/mo
Google's AI assistant, tied into Gmail, Docs and other Google apps.
- Only Gemini lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Gemini Notebook also covers notes.
- 2.8GPA
Perplexity
Free plan · from $17/mo
AI search assistant that answers questions with cited sources.
- Only Perplexity lists a browser extension.
- Gemini Notebook also covers notes.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
15
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Gemini Notebook free?
Gemini Notebook has a free plan. Standard tier, free with a Google account: 100 notebooks, 50 sources per notebook and standard usage limits that refresh every 5 hours up to a weekly cap.
How much does Gemini Notebook cost?
Gemini Notebook lists 4 plans. Standard: $0.
What platforms does Gemini Notebook work on?
Gemini Notebook is available on Web, iOS and Android.
Does Gemini Notebook offer any discounts?
Gemini Notebook publicly lists the following: Free Pro plan for college students for a year.
How is Gemini Notebook rated?
Gemini Notebook's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.9 out of 5 from 62,132 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 5, 2026.
Does Gemini Notebook have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 4, 2026. Gemini Notebook is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Does Gemini Notebook have a macOS app?
No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 4, 2026. Gemini Notebook is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Is Gemini Notebook open source?
Gemini Notebook is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 4, 2026.
What does Gemini Notebook integrate with?
Gemini Notebook's listing names Google Docs, Google Slides, Google Sheets, YouTube and Google Play Books.
Does Gemini Notebook have a student discount?
Free Pro plan for college students for a year. Google's US subscriptions page says college students get a free Google AI Pro plan for one year.
Who makes Gemini Notebook?
Gemini Notebook is made by Google.
What are the alternatives to Gemini Notebook?
The closest alternatives to Gemini Notebook in our directory are ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Perplexity.
How does Gemini Notebook compare with other AI assistants?
Gemini Notebook's GPA of 3.4 is higher than 53 of the 57 other AI assistants we grade, and level with 3.
Is Gemini Notebook good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Gemini Notebook A for value for money. Its paid plans start at $4.99 a month, against a middle price of $10 for the category: 5 of the 38 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Gemini Notebook?
To replace Gemini Notebook you would be making an AI model, which you can rent by the request but not make.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Gemini Notebook’s own pages on Oct 4, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Google's own pages on 4 October 2026, and its App Store rating. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-05-24.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Google. Prices change, so check notebook.google before you buy.
- notebook.google/
- support.google.com/notebooklm/?hl=en
- support.google.com/gemininotebook/answer/16164461?hl=en
- support.google.com/gemininotebook/answer/16213268?hl=en
- support.google.com/gemininotebook/answer/17670842?hl=en
- support.google.com/gemininotebook/answer/16215270?hl=en
- support.google.com/gemininotebook/answer/16296687?hl=en
- gemini.google/us/subscriptions/?hl=en
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Gemini Notebook, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/notebooklm
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Gemini Notebook: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 4, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/notebooklm
Know someone choosing between AI assistants?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/notebooklm/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded AI assistants after Gemini Notebook, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- AI Assistants Insider's GuideEvery one of the 58 AI assistants we grade, compared
- Gemini Insider's GuideGoogle's AI assistant, tied into Gmail, Docs and other Google apps3.8 GPA
- Chatbox Insider's GuideAI chat client for your own API keys or a hosted model plan3.4 GPA
- ChatGPT Insider's GuideOpenAI's general-purpose AI assistant for chat, images and voice3.4 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Gemini Notebook’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Gemini Notebook is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Google. Prices and plans change: check notebook.google before you buy.