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

Both are popular AI chat assistants. Here is how Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM) and Perplexity 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) ↗

Perplexity

Answer engine that cites sources, with a choice of GPT, Claude, Gemini and Grok

8.1 /10

Pricing: Freemium

Pros

Every answer links to its sources, which speeds up fact-checking
Pro lets you switch between GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok and Perplexity's Sonar
Short Veo video clips on Pro and Max
Separate Sonar API for building research into your own tools

Cons

Research-first: long-form drafting is weaker than in dedicated writing apps
Video credits are small (5 per month on Pro, 15 on Max)
Top models (GPT-5.6 Sol, Claude Opus 5) need the $200 Max plan
Vendor pricing pages could not be read for this check

Visit Perplexity ↗

Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM) vs Perplexity at a glance

	Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM)	Perplexity
Editor score	8.4 / 10	8.1 / 10
Pricing model	Freemium	Freemium
Starting price	$4.99/mo	Free
Reader upvotes	0	0
Best for	research, google, audio-overviews	research, search, citations
Model choice	No	Yes
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	Yes
Content Credentials	No	No
Mobile app	No	Yes
20+ languages	No	No
Makes	Podcasts, YouTube & long video, Presentations & docs, Blog posts & articles	Blog posts & articles, SEO content, Images & illustrations, Short-form video
AI models inside	1	6

Our pick

Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM) edges it with a score of 8.4 versus 8.1. 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 Perplexity instead if you need: every answer links to its sources, which speeds up fact-checking, pro lets you switch between gpt, claude, gemini, grok and perplexity's sonar.