Breef vs NotebookLM
NotebookLM, now called Gemini Notebook, is Google’s research assistant: add sources and ask about them. Breef is where what you learn stays: your own notes, linked, brought back for review at the right time, and quizzed on.
Breef and NotebookLM, side by side
| Feature | Breef | NotebookLM |
|---|---|---|
| Where it starts | YesYour own notes, written, recorded or imported | YesSources you add: PDFs, Google Docs and Slides, websites, YouTube |
| Answers with sources | YesAsk your notes: answers from them alone, each claim citing its note | YesAnswers from your sources, with citations |
| Spaced review | YesEvery note comes back after 1, 3, 7, 21, 60 and 120 days | In partFlashcards and quizzes made from your sources when you ask |
| Exam dates | YesReviews come closer together until the day, the last the day before | NoNot built in |
| Links between notes | YesLinks both ways, and a map of every note and link | In partMind maps of a notebook’s sources |
| Lecture recording | YesRecords a lecture and writes it up into a note | NoNot built in |
| Listening and watching | NoNo audio or video summaries | YesAudio Overviews and Video Overviews of your sources |
| Apps | In partIn the browser on any computer or phone, and installable as an app | YesWeb, Android and iOS |
| Price | YesFree to start; Pro is €6 a month or €48 a year | YesFree with a Google account; more with Google’s AI plans |
What’s said here about other apps comes from their own websites, as of October 2026, and may have changed since.
Which one is for you
Choose NotebookLM if
- You want to explore a pile of sources quickly.
- You like listening to audio summaries of what you read.
- You work in Google Docs and Slides already.
Choose Breef if
- You need to remember it for an exam, not just understand it today.
- You want your own notes, linked into one map of the subject.
- You want lectures recorded and written up into notes.
Moving from NotebookLM
NotebookLM works from your sources; Breef works from your notes. Drop the same PDFs into Breef and it writes each one up as linked notes, an overview and a note per topic, that then come back for review. Many people keep NotebookLM for exploring sources and Breef for what they need to remember.
Questions
Is NotebookLM the same as Gemini Notebook?
Yes. Google renamed NotebookLM to Gemini Notebook in July 2026; it’s the same product.
Can Breef answer questions from my notes?
Yes. Ask your notes in your own words: Breef answers from your notes alone and shows which ones it used. 10 questions a month are free.
Can I use both?
Yes. Plenty of students explore sources in NotebookLM, then write what matters into Breef, where it comes back for review.
Are my notes used to train AI?
No. Your notes are never sold, used for advertising or used to train AI models, and they’re stored in the EU.
More comparisons
Start with one note.
Free to start, nothing to install. Your notes are never sold, used for ads or used to train AI.