# The best NotebookLM (Gemini Notebook) alternatives for students

Canonical URL: https://notedly.ai/best/notebooklm-alternatives

> Notedly is our top NotebookLM alternative for students because it turns each reading, YouTube lecture and, on Premium Plus, live lecture into study notes in standard, Cornell or outline format, with practice quizzes on Premium. ChatGPT study mode is a free step-by-step tutor, AskYourPDF suits chatting with one long textbook PDF, and Knowt and Quizlet suit flashcard drilling.

## Quick picks

| If you need | Pick | Free plan | Paid plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ready-to-study notes from readings, YouTube and live lectures | Notedly | 1 summary with no account, then 10,000 words/month | Premium $9.99/month or $49.99/year. Live lecture notes on Premium Plus, $24.99/month |
| A step-by-step tutor for problems | ChatGPT study mode | Study mode is on the free plan | Not needed for study mode [1, 2] |
| An AI tutor and study plan from your course files | StudyFetch | Free to start | Premium $19.99/month or $96/year (US App Store) [3, 4] |
| Free flashcards and practice tests | Knowt | Basic plan is free | Ultra $24.99/month or $95.99/year [5, 6] |
| Flashcard sets and adaptive practice | Quizlet | Free download with in-app purchases | Quizlet Plus from $9.99 (US App Store) [7] |
| Cited answers from one long textbook PDF | AskYourPDF | 1 document a day, up to 100 pages | Premium $11.99/month billed yearly [8, 9] |
| Flashcards and quizzes from any upload | Mindgrasp | 3-day free trial | Basic $71.88/year [10, 11] |

| Tool | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Notedly | Study notes from each reading, YouTube lecture and live lecture, in standard, Cornell or outline format, plus practice quizzes | Free: 1 summary with no account, then 10,000 words/month. Premium $9.99/month or $49.99/year. Live lecture notes on Premium Plus, $24.99/month or $129.99/year |
| [ChatGPT study mode](https://chatgpt.com/features/study-mode/) | A tutor that teaches through questions, hints and step-by-step explanations instead of quick answers | Study mode is included on ChatGPT's free plan [1, 2] |
| [StudyFetch](https://www.studyfetch.com/) | A study plan, an AI tutor and flashcards built from the PDFs, PowerPoints and videos you upload | Free to start. Premium $19.99/month or $96/year (US App Store) [3, 4] |
| [Knowt](https://knowt.com/) | Free flashcards with learn mode, spaced repetition and practice tests, with Quizlet sets imported in a couple of clicks | Basic free. Ultra $24.99/month, or $95.99/year billed upfront [5, 6] |
| [Quizlet](https://quizlet.com/) | Flashcards, adaptive Learn practice, practice tests and spaced repetition from notes you type, paste or upload | Free download with in-app purchases. Quizlet Plus from $9.99 (US App Store) [7] |
| [AskYourPDF](https://askyourpdf.com/solutions/textbook-study) | Asking questions about one long textbook PDF, with answers that cite the page, plus study guides and quizzes | Free: 1 document a day, up to 100 pages. Premium $11.99/month billed yearly, up to 2,500 pages [8, 9] |
| [Mindgrasp](https://www.mindgrasp.ai/) | Notes, flashcards, quizzes and an AI tutor from files and links you upload, in 20+ languages | 3-day free trial. Basic $71.88/year (works out to $5.99/month) [10, 11] |

## Why Notedly is our top pick
- **Notes, not just answers.** Gemini Notebook is built around asking questions across your sources. Notedly hands you a finished set of notes for each reading or lecture, in the format your class uses.
- **Your whole course in one account.** Chapters and articles as pasted text or links, YouTube lectures, and PDF, image and audio uploads on Premium.
- **Live lectures, on Premium Plus.** Record in your browser and your notes build while your professor talks. See [live lecture notes](/live-lecture-notes).
- **Test yourself.** Turn your notes into practice quizzes on Premium, and ask follow-up questions about any summary on every plan.

## When to keep using Gemini Notebook
If your main job is asking questions across a big stack of sources at once, such as a literature review, Gemini Notebook is built for that, and it's free with up to 50 sources per notebook. Plenty of students use both: Notedly for the weekly notes, Gemini Notebook for cross-source questions.

## How to switch from NotebookLM to Notedly
1. **Start with this week's reading.** Paste the chapter or article into [Notedly](/), or drop in a link, and pick standard, Cornell or outline notes. The [textbook summarizer](/tools/textbook-summarizer) works the same way.
2. **Add your lectures.** Paste a YouTube lecture link into the [YouTube summarizer](/tools/youtube-summarizer), or take [live lecture notes](/live-lecture-notes) on Premium Plus.
3. **Test yourself.** On Premium, turn your notes into a practice quiz. If you also drill with flashcards, copy the key terms from your Cornell notes into a flashcard app.

Building your whole study routine? See [the best AI study tools for students](/best/ai-study-tools-for-students).

## Sources

1. [ChatGPT study mode](https://chatgpt.com/features/study-mode/)
2. [ChatGPT plans and pricing](https://chatgpt.com/pricing)
3. [StudyFetch homepage](https://www.studyfetch.com/)
4. [StudyFetch on the US App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/studyfetch-ai-tutor/id6663574866)
5. [Knowt pricing](https://knowt.com/plans)
6. [Knowt homepage FAQ](https://knowt.com/)
7. [Quizlet on the US App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/quizlet-more-than-flashcards/id546473125)
8. [AskYourPDF textbook study](https://askyourpdf.com/solutions/textbook-study)
9. [AskYourPDF pricing](https://askyourpdf.com/pricing)
10. [Mindgrasp homepage](https://www.mindgrasp.ai/)
11. [Mindgrasp plans](https://app.mindgrasp.ai/choose-plan)
12. [Gemini Notebook plans](https://notebooklm.google/plans)
13. [Gemini Notebook Help, Add or discover new sources](https://support.google.com/notebooklm/answer/16215270?hl=en)

## Frequently asked questions

**What is the best NotebookLM alternative for students?**

We recommend Notedly when you want notes you can study from rather than a chat: paste a chapter, an article or a YouTube link and get standard, Cornell or outline notes, take practice quizzes on Premium, and take live lecture notes on Premium Plus.

**Is there a free NotebookLM alternative?**

Yes. Notedly's first summary needs no account, and a free account includes 10,000 words a month for readings and YouTube lectures. ChatGPT includes study mode on its free plan, Knowt has a free Basic plan, and AskYourPDF's free plan reads one document a day of up to 100 pages.

**Which NotebookLM alternative takes notes during a live lecture?**

Notedly does, on Premium Plus ($24.99 a month or $129.99 a year). Open live lecture notes in your browser, pick a note style and start recording, and your notes build while the lecture is happening, next to your reading and YouTube notes.

**Can Notedly summarize YouTube videos without captions?**

Short ones, yes: Notedly transcribes short videos without captions with AI. Long videos work when they have captions. Gemini Notebook's help center says it only imports public YouTube videos with captions.