Head to head

NotebookLM vs Perplexity

NotebookLM

No reviews yet

1 wins

Perplexity

No reviews yet

2 wins

Our verdict

In our side-by-side, Perplexity edges it — it comes out on top in 2 of the 7 things we checked.

Money-wise, NotebookLM is the friendlier option (free vs $20).

Go with NotebookLM if you’re watching the budget.
Go with Perplexity if you hop between devices and you prefer the crowd favourite.

NotebookLM vs Perplexity: side by side

Criteria	NotebookLM	Perplexity
Pricing model	Free	Freemium
Starting price	free ✓	$20
Free plan	Yes	Yes
User rating	—	—
Reviews	0	0
API	No	No
Platforms	web, browser-extension	web, ios, android ✓
Popularity	85k pts	90k pts ✓

NotebookLM features

✓ Answers grounded in your uploaded sources
✓ Inline citations back to source passages
✓ Audio Overviews in a podcast format
✓ Auto-generated study guides and briefings

Best for

• Summarizing a stack of research papers
• Studying for exams from lecture notes
• Listening to a report as a podcast-style recap

Try NotebookLM ↗

Perplexity features

✓ Conversational answers with cited sources
✓ Pro Search for multi-step queries
✓ Spaces for organizing research by topic
✓ File uploads and choice of AI models on Pro

Best for

• Researching a topic without opening dozens of tabs
• Getting quick, sourced answers to factual questions
• Comparing products before a purchase

Try Perplexity ↗

FAQ

Should I use NotebookLM or Perplexity?+

We lean towards Perplexity — it wins more of our checks. That said, NotebookLM is the better fit for students and researchers working from their own documents.

Is NotebookLM cheaper than Perplexity?+

Yes — NotebookLM starts at free, Perplexity at $20.

Do NotebookLM and Perplexity have free plans?+

NotebookLM: Free. Perplexity: Free · Pro $20/mo.