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

Door KevinEvery rating read on 19 October 2026

We read NotebookLM's reviews on 19 October 2026 (Google now calls the product Gemini Notebook). 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 Gemini-only lock-in, limited file deliverables, and daily Audio Overview caps on the free tier.

ZemithOur pick

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

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

4.4

G2, 60+ reviews · geraadpleegd op 19 Oct 2026

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 stars68%
4 stars22%
3 stars6%
2 stars2%
1 star2%
2.5

Trustpilot, 35+ reviews · geraadpleegd op 19 Oct 2026

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 stars34%
4 stars6%
3 stars6%
2 stars6%
1 star48%

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.

Turn up to 50 PDFs, docs, videos or web links into 2-speaker audio podcasts, interactive quizzes, flashcards, mind maps and cited study guides.

Alle workspace-tools inbegrepen in één abonnement.

Generate real Word documents, PowerPoint presentations, Excel spreadsheets and PDFs, or create visual media with Flux 2 and Veo 3.1.

Maak afbeeldingen en video's.

De beste beeld- en videomodellen, in één studio.

Krijg kant-en-klaar werk, niet alleen antwoorden.

Vraag het één keer en krijg documenten, presentaties, spreadsheets en pdf's die klaar zijn om te versturen.

Besteed het saaie werk uit.

Cloudtaken blijven doorwerken terwijl je weg bent, desgewenst volgens een schema.

Leer van elk bestand.

Maak van pdf's, links en YouTube-video's podcasts, quizzen, flashcards en mindmaps.

Blijf in de flow.

Houd chats, notities en whiteboards naast elkaar open in FocusOS en wissel zonder de draad kwijt te raken.

Werkt met de apps die je al gebruikt.

Notion, Linear, Canva, Airtable en meer. Zemith vraagt het eerst voordat het iets aanmaakt of wijzigt.

Praat ermee. Laat je scherm zien.

Realtime spraak die je camera of scherm kan zien.

Bouw het één keer. Gebruik het altijd.

Koppel modellen en tools op een visueel canvas, van één prompt tot een kant-en-klare promovideo.

Zet routinewerk op de automatische piloot.

Briefings, rapporten en herinneringen draaien volgens schema en staan klaar wanneer je ze nodig hebt.

Maak van elke opname notities.

Upload een vergadering of college en krijg een transcript met tijdstempels dat je met één klik samenvat.

Luister onderweg.

Zet documenten en notities om in natuurlijk klinkende audio, met veel stemmen of je eigen stem.

Gebruik voor elke klus het beste model.

GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek en meer in één chat. Wissel wanneer je wilt.

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

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

CapabilityNotebookLM FreeGemini Notebook (Google AI Pro)Zemith PlusZemith 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 onlyGoogle Gemini only (expanded limits)GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Kimi, Qwen, GLM, MiniMax, Mistral, SonarAll 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 conversationSwitch mid-chat across every flagship reasoning model + custom default model
Monthly usage & credit transparency
Predictable allowance
Strict daily Audio Overview limitsHigher daily Audio Overview caps1.5M credits/mo + visible per-model credit cost + optional top-ups3M credits/mo + Max Mode + visible per-model cost + optional top-ups
Web search & Deep Research
Multi-step cited reports
Source Discovery and Deep Research can add web sources; answers stay grounded in your sourcesSource Discovery and Deep Research can add web sources; answers stay grounded in your sourcesBuilt-in live web search + multi-step cited Deep Research reports + Perplexity SonarBuilt-in live web search + Deep Research + Perplexity Sonar Pro
Image generation & editing studio
Text-to-image, inpaint & upscale
Not includedNot includedCreative Studio: Nano Banana, GPT Image, Flux 2, Seedream + bg removal, 4x upscale, generative fill, object swapFull Creative Studio + highest-tier image models & batch editing
AI video generation
Text-to-video & image-to-video
Not includedNot includedVeo 3.1, Kling, Wan, Seedance 2.5 in Creative StudioVeo 3.1, Kling, Wan, Seedance 2.5 + Motion control workflow node
Finished Office file deliverables
Real downloadable files
Export reports to Google Docs, tables to Sheets, slides to PPTXExport reports to Google Docs, tables to Sheets, slides to PPTXWord (.docx), PowerPoint (.pptx), Excel (.xlsx) & PDF built in cloud sandbox with live previewWord (.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, FAQExpanded sources; 2-speaker Audio Overviews with customization50 sources; 2-speaker AI podcasts, interactive quizzes, flashcards, mind maps, infographics, slide decks & phone call with sources50 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 includedNot includedInteractive chat + visual workflowsZemith 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 onlyGoogle Drive source import onlyNotion, Linear, Canva, Airtable, Google Calendar, Gmail & Drive: asks approval before any writeNotion, 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 screenReal-time voice conversation that sees your live camera or shared screen
Speech Studio (STT, TTS & Voice Cloning)
Audio transcription & synthesis
Pre-generated audio overviews onlyPre-generated audio overviews onlyTimestamped speaker-diarized Speech-to-Text + multi-speaker Text-to-Speech + custom voice cloningTimestamped speaker-diarized Speech-to-Text + multi-speaker Text-to-Speech + custom voice cloning
Visual Workflow Builder
Node-based automation canvas
Not includedNot includedChain prompts, web search, image gen, cutout & video nodes into reusable workflowsFull Workflow Studio including Motion video transfer nodes
AI Notes, Whiteboard & FocusOS
Side-by-side workspace apps
Basic written notes panelBasic written notes panelRich-text AI Notes, infinite canvas Whiteboard, and FocusOS split-screen tabsRich-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 & AndroidProjects, editable memory, shared team threads, 50+ AI tools on Web, iOS & Android

Our verdict: NotebookLM excels at audio overviews, but Gemini-only lock-in and limited 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 Gemini-only answers, inability to use Claude or GPT on uploaded materials, and having to pay $4.99 to $199.99 a month for Google AI tiers just to raise usage 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, 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?

Partly. Gemini Notebook exports reports and notes to Google Docs, data tables to Google Sheets, and slide decks to PowerPoint (.pptx), but we found no way to export finished Word (.docx) or Excel (.xlsx) files directly. 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, Gemini-only answers when documents lack context, limited 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.

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Artikel door Kevin · Founder at Zemith

Founder of Zemith, the all-in-one AI workspace built for people who use GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok and Creative Studio every day.

I spend my weeks testing model releases, pricing structures and real document, research and creative workflows across Web, iOS and Android.