Pick NotebookLM if
students and analysts who will upload sources and stay inside a notebook.
Read the NotebookLM pageNotebookLM vs SciSummary
Our take
Pick NotebookLM if students and analysts who will upload sources and stay inside a notebook. Pick SciSummary if students and lab members who want a structured skim, then will pay Pro when the trial ends.
Best for
NotebookLM Ask a notebook you filled
SciSummary Skim one paper into modes (section / key points / ELI5)
Free plan
NotebookLM $0 · sign up with a Gmail account (Help). 100 notebooks; 50 sources; 50 chats/day
SciSummary $0 · for the first month with code STUDENT26 (homepage)
Lowest paid
NotebookLM Google AI Plus $4.99/mo
SciSummary Pro (annual) $4/mo
Next step up
NotebookLM Google AI Pro $19.99/mo
SciSummary Pro (monthly) $7/mo
Watch out
NotebookLM Standard is 50 sources and 50 chats/day
SciSummary Trial is 7 days
Last checked
NotebookLM 2026-10-22 · one.google.com/about/google-ai-plans
SciSummary 2026-10-22 · scisummary.com
Which one, then?
Pick SciSummary if
students and lab members who want a structured skim, then will pay Pro when the trial ends.
Read the SciSummary page