Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM) vs Grok (2026): Which AI Tool Is Better?

Both are popular AI chat assistants. Here is how Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM) and Grok stack up on price, strengths and weaknesses, and which one we would pick.

Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM)

Google's source-grounded notebook that turns documents into audio and video overviews

8.4 /10

Pricing: Free plan, paid from $4.99/mo

Pros

Answers stay grounded in the sources you upload
Generous free plan: 100 notebooks, 50 sources each, 3 audio and 3 video overviews a day
Audio Overviews, Video Overviews, slide decks, infographics, mind maps and reports
Syncs with the Gemini app; code execution on higher tiers

Cons

Output styles are fixed and hard to brand or edit
Cinematic video overviews and the highest limits need AI Pro or Ultra
Renamed in July 2026, and plan limits changed again in September
Only as good as the sources you feed it

Visit Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM) ↗

Grok

xAI's assistant with Grok Imagine image and video generation

7.2 /10

Pricing: Freemium

Pros

Image and video generation (Grok Imagine) inside the chat app
Imagine Video 1.5 adds image and voice references and native 1080p
Real-time access to posts on X for trend research
Public API for text, image and video models

Cons

Low-res (480p, 6-second) video on the cheapest tier
Top tiers are expensive ($100-$300 per month)
xAI's pricing and terms pages blocked automated reading for this check
Content moderation and brand-safety controversies around Grok

Visit Grok ↗

Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM) vs Grok at a glance

	Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM)	Grok
Editor score	8.4 / 10	7.2 / 10
Pricing model	Freemium	Freemium
Starting price	$4.99/mo	Free
Reader upvotes	0	0
Best for	research, google, audio-overviews	chatbot, xai, image-generation
Model choice	No	No
Commercial use	Yes	No
No watermark (free)	No	No
API	No	Yes
Official MCP server	No	No
MCP client	No	No
Agent Skills	No	No
Brand kit	No	No
Teams	Yes	No
Content Credentials	No	No
Mobile app	No	Yes
20+ languages	No	No
Makes	Podcasts, YouTube & long video, Presentations & docs, Blog posts & articles	Social media posts, Images & illustrations, Short-form video, Ad & marketing copy
AI models inside	1	1

Our pick

Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM) edges it with a score of 8.4 versus 7.2. Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM) is the better fit if you value: answers stay grounded in the sources you upload, generous free plan: 100 notebooks, 50 sources each, 3 audio and 3 video overviews a day. Choose Grok instead if you need: image and video generation (grok imagine) inside the chat app, imagine video 1.5 adds image and voice references and native 1080p.