Short answer
For studying from your own material, such as textbooks, papers and lecture notes, use Gemini Notebook, which you may still know as NotebookLM. For questions beyond your sources, writing from scratch, brainstorming or code, use ChatGPT. Google renamed NotebookLM to Gemini Notebook in July 2026. It's the same product, and your existing notebooks and sources carry over.
Two names, one product
Searches turn up both NotebookLM and Gemini Notebook. Google's official blog describes it as the same standalone product, now connected more deeply to the rest of Google's tools. You can also create and open notebooks from the Gemini app, and they sync with the standalone screen.
The announcement doesn't say how long the old name will stay around, so you may see either one in the app. This article uses both names so people searching for either can find it.
The differences in one table
Menu names and features change often. The list of outputs follows the Studio panel described in Google's help pages.
How it works
- Gemini Notebook (NotebookLM)
- You add sources to a notebook and chat with answers grounded in them
- ChatGPT
- General conversation. You can upload files too
Outputs
- Gemini Notebook (NotebookLM)
- Notes, Audio Overview, Video Overview, mind maps, reports, data tables, flashcards and quizzes, slides, infographics
- ChatGPT
- Text, tables, code, images and more
Organizing sources
- Gemini Notebook (NotebookLM)
- Automatic labels once a notebook has five or more sources
- ChatGPT
- I could not confirm an equivalent feature in official documentation
Sharing
- Gemini Notebook (NotebookLM)
- Private or public sharing, with view or edit access
- ChatGPT
- Mostly shared conversation links
Price
- Gemini Notebook (NotebookLM)
- Limits and plans weren’t confirmed in official announcements, so none are listed
- ChatGPT
- Check the official pricing page
Three weeks before the exam, five textbook PDFs
This is where a notebook tool fits. You put the textbooks and lecture notes into one notebook and ask for the five concepts people most often get wrong in chapter 3. The answer comes from what you uploaded. Quizzes, flashcards and audio summaries come out of the same place.
ChatGPT can take files too, but in a long chat it can lose track of earlier material and sometimes continues with plausible text that isn't in your sources. Mixing in outside knowledge is a strength in many jobs. When the exam covers only your textbook, it becomes a risk.
A notebook isn't magic either. If a source is wrong, the answers will be wrong. If your PDF is a scanned image, check that the text is readable first. And Google's help pages say the output is AI-generated and not a basis for medical, legal or financial decisions.
When ChatGPT is the better pick
- You have no sources yet and need to find a topic first.
- You're writing from zero: a cover letter, an email, a first draft of a report.
- You have a code or spreadsheet formula question.
- You want something explained a different way, such as “explain this to a middle schooler,” which needs knowledge beyond your files.
Ways to spend less
Whether you can start free on each one depends on the current policy of each service. I didn't list limits without an official source.
A common study routine: sources, quizzes and summaries in the notebook, and ChatGPT when a concept won't click and you want it explained simply. If you only pay for one, choose by whether your work is mostly about sources or mostly about conversation.
What to know before sharing
A publicly shared notebook can be viewed by anyone with a Google account. Google's help pages note that even if you hide the chat, people may still reach the sources and outputs. Remove files covered by copyright, or containing students' names, grades or other personal data, before sharing.
If you allow copying, the sources and Studio outputs are copied. Chat history and notes are not.
A workflow for organizing material
Keep one subject per notebook. A law textbook and a cookbook in the same notebook will blur the answers. Notebooks work independently, so make one per course.
Start by scanning the source list and removing duplicates. With five or more sources you get automatic labels, and you can edit them if they're off.
Then generate outputs such as a report or a data table. Reports and data tables can be exported to Google Docs and Google Sheets, but edits to the exported files don't flow back into the notebook. Treat the exported copy as the final version.
Finally, check what the AI wrote against the originals, especially numbers, dates and quotations. Skipping this step gives you the same risk with either tool.
The same rule applies in ChatGPT. Paste your material and add a line such as “use only what is in this text.” It cuts down on outside content creeping in.
A prompt to compare them yourself
Using only the material below, write 5 exam questions: 3 multiple choice and 2 short essay. For each, give the correct answer and quote the sentence from the material that supports it. Don't write questions about anything that isn't in the material. [Paste your material or attach a file]
Check whether the quoted sentences really exist in your material. That shows the difference between the two tools right away.
FAQ
Was NotebookLM really renamed?
Yes. Google's official blog says NotebookLM is now Gemini Notebook. It's the same product and your existing work continues.
Does it only talk about what is in my sources?
It's designed to answer from your sources, but it can still be wrong. Check important claims against the originals.
Can't I just upload a PDF to ChatGPT and study from that?
You can. The difference is that a notebook bundles many sources together and can produce study outputs like quizzes and mind maps directly.
How much does it cost?
The official material I checked didn't list limits or plan prices for it, so I didn't include any. Check Google's plan pages.
Keep going
Checked against sources on 2026-11-05. Sources: Google blog: NotebookLM is now Gemini Notebook, Google Help: create and manage notebooks. How we write