---
title: "NotebookLM Reviews 2026: Ratings and Top Complaints | Zemith"
description: "NotebookLM rates 4.4 on G2 from 60+ reviews, but 48% of Trustpilot reviews give 1 star (2.5/5). The top complaints, quoted, and what Zemith does."
url: "https://www.zemith.com/en/learn/notebooklm-review"
datePublished: "2026-10-19"
dateModified: "2026-10-19"
content_type: "text/markdown"
---

[Learn](https://www.zemith.com/en/learn) / NotebookLM reviews

# NotebookLM scores 4.4 on G2, but 48% of its Trustpilot reviews give it one star.

By Kevin · Every rating read on 19 October 2026

We read NotebookLM's reviews on 19 October 2026. G2 rates it 4.4 out of 5 from 60+ reviews, while Trustpilot scores notebooklm.google 2.5 out of 5 from 35+ reviews. On Trustpilot, 48% of reviewers give it one star, and user complaints center on strict Gemini-only lock-in without open web search, missing Office file deliverables, and daily Audio Overview caps on the free tier.

## Zemith Plus includes a 50-source Study Library with podcasts, quizzes, and multi-model chat for $15.99/mo.

- Upload up to 50 PDFs, docs, spreadsheets, or YouTube links into Library to generate two-host audio podcasts, interactive quizzes, flashcards, mind maps, and cited study guides.
- Query your sources with GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, and DeepSeek, or switch seamlessly to live web search and Deep Research when your notes lack context.
- Export real, formatted Word (.docx), PowerPoint (.pptx), Excel (.xlsx), and PDF files directly from the cloud sandbox with live document preview.
- 1.5M transparent monthly credits on Plus ($15.99/mo) and 3M on Professional ($29.99/mo), with full Creative Studio image and video tools included.

- **NotebookLM via Google AI Pro:** $19.99/mo (_Google AI Pro ($19.99/mo) or Ultra ($99.99–$199.99/mo) · Gemini only · No Office exports_)
- **Zemith Plus:** $15.99/mo (_50-source Library + GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok + Creative Studio + .docx/.pptx/.xlsx exports_)

[Start free on Zemith](https://www.zemith.com/app) (Free plan · $0 today · Cancel anytime)

## Here is how NotebookLM is rated on the two biggest review sites.

### G2: 4.4/5 (60+ reviews, read 19 Oct 2026)

Source: [G2](https://www.g2.com/products/google-notebooklm/reviews)

G2's verified reviewers praise NotebookLM's two-host Audio Overviews and precise source grounding, while noting strict source-only boundaries, inability to query other LLMs, and lack of document export formatting:

- 5 stars: 68%
- 4 stars: 22%
- 3 stars: 6%
- 2 stars: 2%
- 1 star: 2%

### Trustpilot: 2.5/5 (35+ reviews, read 19 Oct 2026)

Source: [Trustpilot](https://www.trustpilot.com/review/notebooklm.google)

Trustpilot reviewers praise the initial podcast generation novelty, but express frustration over strict daily Audio Overview caps, inability to query anything outside uploaded files, and frequent hallucinations when sources contradict each other:

- 5 stars: 34%
- 4 stars: 6%
- 3 stars: 6%
- 2 stars: 6%
- 1 star: 48%

Google's separate company profile on Trustpilot covers broad consumer services, while notebooklm.google specifically captures reviews for Google's AI notebook tool as read on 19 October 2026.

## These are the three complaints NotebookLM reviewers repeat most.

### Strictly locked to uploaded sources and Gemini only, with no open web search.

> “NotebookLM is neat for summarizing my PDFs, but if a document is missing a key background fact, it completely refuses to search the web or provide outside context. Being stuck only with Gemini means I can't check what Claude or GPT would say on the same material.” — [Trustpilot](https://www.trustpilot.com/review/notebooklm.google), 1 star, 12 Oct 2026

> “I love the concept, but the source boundary is too rigid. When my research crosses into current market data, I have to copy text into another tool to perform live search or consult other AI models.” — [G2](https://www.g2.com/products/google-notebooklm/reviews), 3 stars, 14 Oct 2026

**On Zemith:** You are never trapped in a single model or closed source container. Zemith's Study Library supports up to 50 sources per project and lets you switch between GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, and DeepSeek in the same chat. When your documents don't have the full answer, turn on live web search or run multi-step cited Deep Research (reading up to 24 web pages per run) to fill the gaps.

### No finished Office file deliverables or creative media generation studio.

> “After NotebookLM digests 20 research papers, I still can't export a slide presentation, a clean Word report, or an Excel table. You're left copying plain markdown into Google Docs and reformatting everything by hand. And there is zero image generation.” — [Trustpilot](https://www.trustpilot.com/review/notebooklm.google), 1 star, 15 Oct 2026

**On Zemith:** Every paid Zemith plan includes Computer, a cloud sandbox that writes and compiles genuine Word (.docx), PowerPoint (.pptx), Excel (.xlsx), and PDF files with live preview and one-click download. Plus, Creative Studio gives you text-to-image and video generation (Nano Banana, Flux 2, Veo 3.1, Kling) to illustrate your findings.

### Daily Audio Overview caps on Free, with Plus hidden behind a $19.99/mo Google AI Pro subscription.

> “Generated two audio overviews for my class notes and immediately hit a daily limit. To get more Audio Overviews you have to subscribe to Google AI Pro for $20 a month or Ultra for even more, which is way too steep just to listen to study notes.” — [Trustpilot](https://www.trustpilot.com/review/notebooklm.google), 1 star, 17 Oct 2026

**On Zemith:** Zemith Plus costs $15.99/mo ($179.88/yr, or $14.99/mo) and gives you 1.5M monthly credits with transparent per-generation usage. Generate 2-speaker audio podcasts, interactive quizzes, flashcards, and mind maps without hitting opaque daily blockades, and purchase flexible $10 top-ups (800k credits) whenever finals or research deadlines demand heavy usage.

## This is what NotebookLM reviewers like, and Zemith does it too.

### Engaging two-host Audio Overviews generated from uploaded PDFs and notes.

> “The Audio Overview podcast feature is incredible. Having two AI voices banter back and forth about my dense technical PDFs makes reviewing complex research during my commute genuinely enjoyable.” — [G2](https://www.g2.com/products/google-notebooklm/reviews), 5 stars, 16 Oct 2026

**On Zemith too:** Zemith Library creates dynamic 2-speaker AI audio podcasts directly from your uploaded documents, YouTube videos, and web links, complete with timestamped playback, transcripts, and interactive Q&A where you can interrupt and interrogate the source material.

### Inline source citations that point back to exact passages in uploaded documents.

> “The best part of NotebookLM is the citations. Clicking a footnote takes you straight to the exact page and paragraph in the original PDF, which eliminates guessing where a fact came from.” — [Trustpilot](https://www.trustpilot.com/review/notebooklm.google), 4 stars, 17 Oct 2026

**On Zemith too:** Zemith's Library anchors every claim to precise source citations with clickable passage highlights, alongside auto-generated flashcards with spaced repetition, interactive multiple-choice quizzes, and visual mind maps.

## How NotebookLM compares with Zemith on study tools, models and file exports.

Public US monthly prices and included capabilities, checked 19 October 2026.

| Capability | NotebookLM Free | NotebookLM Plus (Google AI Pro) | Zemith Plus | Zemith Professional |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **Monthly price (USD)** (Billed monthly / yearly) | $0/mo | $19.99/mo ($239.88/yr) or Ultra $99.99–$199.99/mo | $15.99/mo ($179.88/yr — $14.99/mo) | $29.99/mo ($299.88/yr — $24.99/mo) |
| **AI model families** (Switch mid-chat) | Google Gemini only | Google Gemini only (expanded limits) | GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Kimi, Qwen, GLM, MiniMax, Mistral, Sonar | All Plus models + Claude Opus, GPT 6 Sol & Astra, Gemini 4 Argon, Sonar Pro |
| **Mid-chat model switching & routing** (Compare providers in one thread) | Single vendor only (Gemini) | Single vendor only (Gemini) | Switch between GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok & DeepSeek inside the same conversation | Switch mid-chat across every flagship reasoning model + custom default model |
| **Monthly usage & credit transparency** (Predictable allowance) | Strict daily Audio Overview limits | Higher daily Audio Overview caps | 1.5M credits/mo + visible per-model credit cost + optional top-ups | 3M credits/mo + Max Mode + visible per-model cost + optional top-ups |
| **Web search & Deep Research** (Multi-step cited reports) | None (locked strictly to uploaded sources) | None (locked strictly to uploaded sources) | Built-in live web search + multi-step cited Deep Research reports + Perplexity Sonar | Built-in live web search + Deep Research + Perplexity Sonar Pro |
| **Image generation & editing studio** (Text-to-image, inpaint & upscale) | Not included | Not included | Creative Studio: Nano Banana, GPT Image, Flux 2, Seedream + bg removal, 4x upscale, generative fill, object swap | Full Creative Studio + highest-tier image models & batch editing |
| **AI video generation** (Text-to-video & image-to-video) | Not included | Not included | Veo 3.1, Kling, Wan, Seedance 2.5 in Creative Studio | Veo 3.1, Kling, Wan, Seedance 2.5 + Motion control workflow node |
| **Finished Office file deliverables** (Real downloadable files) | Copy text or export to Google Docs | Copy text or export to Google Docs | Word (.docx), PowerPoint (.pptx), Excel (.xlsx) & PDF built in cloud sandbox with live preview | Word (.docx), PowerPoint (.pptx), Excel (.xlsx) & PDF built in cloud sandbox with live preview |
| **Document Library & Study Studio** (Up to 50 sources per notebook) | 50 sources; 2-speaker Audio Overviews, study guides, FAQ | Expanded sources; 2-speaker Audio Overviews with customization | 50 sources; 2-speaker AI podcasts, interactive quizzes, flashcards, mind maps, infographics, slide decks & phone call with sources | 50 sources; 2-speaker AI podcasts, interactive quizzes, flashcards, mind maps, infographics, slide decks & phone call with sources |
| **Background & scheduled Cloud agents** (Runs with the app closed) | Not included | Not included | Interactive chat + visual workflows | Zemith Cloud: up to 35 recurring cron schedules, 3 concurrent background tasks, email & push alerts |
| **Connected app plugins with approval** (Human-in-the-loop actions) | Google Drive source import only | Google Drive source import only | Notion, Linear, Canva, Airtable, Google Calendar, Gmail & Drive — asks approval before any write | Notion, Linear, Canva, Airtable, Google Calendar, Gmail & Drive — works in chat & Cloud agents |
| **Live Voice with camera & screen sharing** (Real-time multimodal voice) | Not included (audio podcast playback only) | Not included (audio podcast playback only) | Real-time voice conversation that sees your live camera or shared screen | Real-time voice conversation that sees your live camera or shared screen |
| **Speech Studio (STT, TTS & Voice Cloning)** (Audio transcription & synthesis) | Pre-generated audio overviews only | Pre-generated audio overviews only | Timestamped speaker-diarized Speech-to-Text + multi-speaker Text-to-Speech + custom voice cloning | Timestamped speaker-diarized Speech-to-Text + multi-speaker Text-to-Speech + custom voice cloning |
| **Visual Workflow Builder** (Node-based automation canvas) | Not included | Not included | Chain prompts, web search, image gen, cutout & video nodes into reusable workflows | Full Workflow Studio including Motion video transfer nodes |
| **AI Notes, Whiteboard & FocusOS** (Side-by-side workspace apps) | Basic written notes panel | Basic written notes panel | Rich-text AI Notes, infinite canvas Whiteboard, and FocusOS split-screen tabs | Rich-text AI Notes, infinite canvas Whiteboard, and FocusOS split-screen tabs |
| **Projects, memory, teams & 50+ quick tools** (Web, iOS & Android) | Notebooks only (Web app only, no dedicated mobile app) | Notebooks only (Google Workspace / Google One integration) | Projects, editable memory, shared team threads, 50+ AI tools (humanizer, rewriter, YouTube to blog) on Web, iOS & Android | Projects, editable memory, shared team threads, 50+ AI tools on Web, iOS & Android |

## Our verdict: NotebookLM excels at audio overviews, but strict Gemini lock-in and zero file exports hold it back.

- G2 rates NotebookLM 4.4 out of 5 across 60+ reviews for its conversational podcasts and source grounding, while Trustpilot rates notebooklm.google 2.5 out of 5 across 35+ reviews (with 48% one-star ratings).
- The most repeated complaints are strict source confinement without live web search, inability to use Claude or GPT on uploaded materials, and having to pay $19.99 to $199.99 a month for Google AI tiers just to increase audio generation caps.
- Zemith Plus costs $15.99/mo and combines a 50-source Study Library (audio podcasts, quizzes, flashcards, mind maps) with GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, live Deep Research, and downloadable Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and PDF files.
- If you want to compare how Zemith handles uploaded documents, read [Chat with PDF & Document Analysis](https://www.zemith.com/en/features/chat-with-pdf), or check our complete breakdown of NotebookLM pricing and plans below.

## These are the questions people ask about NotebookLM reviews.

### Is NotebookLM free to use in 2026?

NotebookLM offers a $0 Free tier that lets you upload up to 50 sources per notebook. However, Free tier users face strict daily limits on generating Audio Overviews, and increasing those limits requires subscribing to Google AI Pro ($19.99/mo) or Google AI Ultra ($99.99–$199.99/mo).

### Can I switch AI models or use Claude in NotebookLM?

No. NotebookLM is strictly limited to Google's Gemini models. You cannot test your uploaded documents against Anthropic Claude, OpenAI GPT, xAI Grok, or DeepSeek within NotebookLM. Zemith's Study Library allows you to query your uploaded sources with any top model.

### How does Zemith Study Library compare to NotebookLM Audio Overviews?

Both create two-speaker conversational audio podcasts from uploaded sources. However, Zemith's Study Library also creates interactive spaced-repetition flashcards, multiple-choice quizzes, visual mind maps, and cited study guides from up to 50 sources, and supports live web search and multi-model chat.

### Can NotebookLM export Word, PowerPoint, or Excel files?

No. NotebookLM only lets you copy text or export notes to a Google Doc. It cannot build genuine, styled Word (.docx) documents, PowerPoint (.pptx) decks, or Excel (.xlsx) spreadsheets. Zemith includes a cloud sandbox that generates all four file formats directly in chat.

### What do reviewers complain about most in NotebookLM reviews?

Reviewers on G2 and Trustpilot most frequently complain about strict daily Audio Overview caps on the free tier, lack of open live web search when documents lack context, absence of finished Office file exports, and inability to query Claude or GPT models.

## Try Zemith free, with a 50-source Study Library, multi-model chat and Creative Studio.

[Start free on Zemith](https://www.zemith.com/app)

## Read these next to compare the other tools.

- [NotebookLM pricing, plans and the real monthly cost](https://www.zemith.com/en/learn/notebooklm-pricing)
- [The best NotebookLM alternatives in 2026, ranked](https://www.zemith.com/en/learn/notebooklm-alternatives)
- [Chat with PDF & document analysis in Zemith](https://www.zemith.com/en/features/chat-with-pdf)
- [Zemith vs Gemini, feature by feature](https://www.zemith.com/en/products/zemith-vs-gemini)
- [Zemith vs ChatGPT, feature by feature](https://www.zemith.com/en/products/zemith-vs-chatgpt)
- [Zemith vs Claude, feature by feature](https://www.zemith.com/en/products/zemith-vs-claude)
- [Zemith vs Perplexity for deep research](https://www.zemith.com/en/products/zemith-vs-perplexity)
- [Zemith vs Poe: multi-model chat compared](https://www.zemith.com/en/products/zemith-vs-poe)