# The best AI tools for summarizing textbooks

Canonical URL: https://notedly.ai/best/ai-tools-for-summarizing-textbooks

> Notedly is our top pick for turning textbook chapters into study notes in standard, Cornell or outline format. Gemini Notebook is best for studying a whole textbook alongside your other sources, and AskYourPDF suits asking questions of a long PDF with page citations.

| Tool | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Notedly | Turning textbook chapters into study notes (standard, Cornell or outline), alongside your lectures | Paste text free: 1 summary with no account, then 10,000 words/month. PDF upload on Premium, $9.99/month or $49.99/year |
| [Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM)](https://notebooklm.google/) | Studying a whole textbook alongside your other class sources in one notebook | Free. Up to 50 sources per notebook, each up to 500,000 words or 200 MB [1, 2] |
| [AskYourPDF](https://askyourpdf.com/solutions/textbook-study) | Asking questions of a long textbook PDF, with answers cited to the page | Free: 1 document a day, up to 100 pages. Premium from $11.99/month billed yearly (2,500 pages) [3, 4] |
| [Quizgecko](https://quizgecko.com/textbook-summarizer) | Quizzes, flashcards and a mind map from the same chapter PDF | Limited free plan. Plus $16/month or $108/year [5, 6] |
| [Genspark](https://www.genspark.ai/tools/pdf-summarizer) | Long PDFs, including scanned ones, summarized in one go | Free credits to start, no credit card needed [7] |
| [Samuraize](https://samuraize.ai/) | One free summary a day at a chosen level of detail | Free: 1 summary a day, PDFs up to 100 pages. Paid plans listed as coming soon [8] |
| [StudyFetch](https://www.studyfetch.com/) | An AI tutor and flashcards built from your uploaded course files | Free to start. Premium $19.99/month or $96/year (US App Store) [9, 10] |

## Why Notedly is our top pick
- **Notes, not just a summary.** Standard, Cornell or outline notes, in the format your class uses.
- **Chapter by chapter.** Paste a chapter on any plan, or upload the PDF on Premium, and keep each chapter's notes in one place for the exam.
- **The whole course in one account.** The same account summarizes web readings and YouTube lectures, and takes live lecture notes on [Premium Plus](/pricing).
- **Free to try.** One summary with no account, then 10,000 words a month free. Premium is $9.99 a month or $49.99 a year.

## How to summarize a textbook chapter
1. Copy the chapter's text, or have the PDF ready if you're on Premium.
2. Paste it into [Notedly](/), or upload the PDF, and pick a note style.
3. Read your notes, then go back to the textbook for figures, examples and anything you'll be tested on in detail.

## Sources

1. [Gemini Notebook plans](https://notebooklm.google/plans)
2. [Gemini Notebook Help, Add or discover new sources](https://support.google.com/notebooklm/answer/16215270?hl=en)
3. [AskYourPDF, AI Textbook Helper](https://askyourpdf.com/solutions/textbook-study)
4. [AskYourPDF pricing](https://askyourpdf.com/pricing)
5. [Quizgecko Textbook Summarizer](https://quizgecko.com/textbook-summarizer)
6. [Quizgecko plans](https://quizgecko.com/plans)
7. [Genspark AI PDF Summarizer](https://www.genspark.ai/tools/pdf-summarizer)
8. [Samuraize homepage and plans](https://samuraize.ai/pricing)
9. [StudyFetch homepage](https://www.studyfetch.com/)
10. [StudyFetch on the US App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/studyfetch-make-learning-easy/id6663574866)

## Frequently asked questions

**What is the best AI tool for summarizing a textbook?**

For turning chapters into notes you can study from, we recommend Notedly: paste a chapter or upload the PDF on Premium and get standard, Cornell or outline notes. To study a whole book alongside your other class sources, Gemini Notebook is a strong free option.

**Can I summarize a textbook for free?**

Yes, a chapter at a time. Notedly's first summary needs no account, and a free account includes 10,000 words a month of pasted text, which is about one long chapter. Several other tools have daily free limits, listed above.

**Can AI summarize a textbook PDF?**

Yes. On Notedly Premium ($9.99 a month or $49.99 a year) you can upload PDFs and get notes from them, with 500,000 words a month. On the free plan, paste the chapter's text instead.

**Can I use the Notedly Chrome extension on a textbook?**

The extension is for quick reads. It summarizes the text you highlight or the part of the page on your screen, and the first part of a PDF, up to about 1,300 words at a time. For a full chapter, paste it into notedly.ai or upload the PDF on Premium.