Google NotebookLM Review: The Best AI Study Tool? (2025)
Google NotebookLM Review: The Best AI Study Tool?
Google NotebookLM lets you upload documents and have AI conversations about them. It is one of the most underrated AI tools available. Here is a detailed review.
TL;DR: NotebookLM is the best free AI tool for studying from specific materials. Upload your textbooks, lectures, or research papers and get answers grounded in YOUR sources. The Audio Overview feature that turns documents into podcast-style discussions is uniquely useful.
Key Features
- Source-Grounded AI: Upload PDFs, Google Docs, websites, or YouTube videos. AI only answers from your sources, reducing hallucination.
- Audio Overview: Converts your documents into a podcast-style discussion between two AI hosts. Great for learning on the go.
- Citation Linking: Every answer links back to the exact source passage.
- Multi-Source: Upload up to 50 sources per notebook and query across all of them.
- Free: Completely free to use with a Google account.
Best Use Cases
- Students: Upload textbook chapters and lecture slides, then quiz yourself
- Researchers: Upload multiple papers and find connections between them
- Professionals: Upload company docs and get instant answers about policies
- Writers: Upload research materials and have AI help organize themes
NotebookLM vs Alternatives
| Feature | NotebookLM | ChatGPT | Claude |
|---|---|---|---|
| Source grounding | Best | Good | Good |
| Audio overview | Unique | No | No |
| Multi-source | 50 sources | File upload | Projects |
| Price | Free | $20/mo | $20/mo |
| General chat | No | Yes | Yes |
Students: AI for students. Research: Perplexity review. Free: Best free AI tools.
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