NotebookLM — renamed Gemini Notebook in July 2026 — is Google's source-grounded research notebook: add your sources and it answers with inline citations, and it can make Audio Overviews, flashcards and quizzes. ClassMinds (classminds.app) is a coming-soon AI study app built around college classes: it records your lectures, turns them into flashcards and quizzes with spaced repetition, answers from your own notes and cites the note it used, and adds class chat, shared notes and deadline tracking for each course.
Feature-by-feature
| Feature | ClassMinds | NotebookLM |
|---|---|---|
| Grounded answers with citations | AI tutor answers from your notes and cites the note it used | Answers only from your sources, with inline citations2 |
| In-app lecture recording | Record in the app — transcript, summary, flashcards & quizzes | Audio recorder in the mobile app (added September 2026)3 |
| Flashcards & quizzes | Built in, generated from each lecture | Generated from your sources, editable3,4 |
| Spaced repetition | Built in | Mark Got it / Missed it and re-practice missed cards; no review schedule described4 |
| Audio & video overviews | No | Audio & Video Overviews, infographics3,5 |
| Shared class notes | Classmates study notes shared to the class (transcripts stay private) | Share a notebook as Viewer / Editor or by public link; not organized by class7 |
| Class chat | Join with a class code or invite link | Not offered |
| Deadlines | Assignments detected from your syllabus, with reminders | Not offered |
| Schedule import (PDF → classes) | Upload your school's schedule PDF — AI builds your classes | Not offered |
| Platforms | Launching first on iPhone (iOS 17+); Android and a web version in development | Web, iOS (17+) & Android apps, plus inside the Gemini app1,6 |
| Price | Free plan; Pro $9.99/month | Free plan; higher limits with Google AI Plus, Pro & Ultra5 |
| Status | Coming soon — join the waitlist | Live since 2023; renamed Gemini Notebook in July 20261 |
✓ Yes / ~ Partial / ✗ No, based on Google's public docs and help pages, checked September 2026. “Not offered” means we found no such feature in Google's public docs. Numbers link to the sources below.
Sources
- Google — NotebookLM is now Gemini Notebook (July 2026)
- Gemini Notebook Help — Use chat (citations; answers from your sources)
- Google — Sharpen your study routine with new Gemini Notebook tools (September 2026)
- Gemini Notebook Help — Generate flashcards or quizzes
- Gemini Notebook Help — Upgrade (plan limits for Free, Google AI Plus, Pro and Ultra)
- Gemini Notebook Help — Get started with the mobile app (iPhone & iPad)
- Gemini Notebook Help — Create a notebook (sharing)
You're researching across lots of sources (papers, long PDFs, readings) for a project, you learn well by listening to Audio Overviews, or you want something free today on the web, iOS and Android.
You want each class organized for you: lectures recorded and turned into flashcards and quizzes with spaced repetition, an AI tutor that cites your notes, classmates' shared notes, class chat, and deadlines from your syllabus.
NotebookLM is a research notebook for any set of sources. ClassMinds is a study app for your semester. They overlap on cited answers and flashcards; the rest is different.
Where NotebookLM is better
Big research projects. A free notebook holds up to 50 sources, and paid Google AI plans raise that. For a thesis or a literature review across dozens of papers, that's hard to beat.
Listening and watching. Audio and Video Overviews turn your sources into a podcast-style discussion or a short video. ClassMinds doesn't do that.
It's here today. NotebookLM is live on the web, iOS and Android. ClassMinds is coming soon, launching first on iPhone.
Where ClassMinds is better: it's organized around your classes. Every recording and upload lands in its class, flashcards come back on a spaced-repetition schedule, and the same class has a chat, classmates' shared notes and your deadlines. NotebookLM leaves that structure to you.
Frequently asked
Is NotebookLM the same as Gemini Notebook?
Yes. Google renamed NotebookLM to Gemini Notebook in July 2026. It's the same product, and existing notebooks and links keep working.
Does NotebookLM cite its sources?
Yes. Chat answers in NotebookLM use only the sources you add, with inline citations you can click to see the quote in context. ClassMinds' AI tutor also answers from your own class material and cites the note it used.
Can NotebookLM record lectures?
Its mobile app added an audio recorder for capturing lectures in September 2026. ClassMinds records lectures in the app and turns each one into a transcript, summary, flashcards and quizzes inside the class it belongs to.
Does NotebookLM have spaced repetition?
NotebookLM's flashcards let you mark cards Got it or Missed it and practice the ones you missed again; Google's help docs don't describe a spaced review schedule. ClassMinds has spaced repetition built in.
How much do NotebookLM and ClassMinds cost?
NotebookLM has a free plan, with higher limits on Google AI Plus, Pro and Ultra plans; check Google's site for current pricing. Google is also offering eligible college students a free year of a Google AI plan (redeem by December 31, 2026). ClassMinds: Coming soon. Free plan; Pro is $9.99/month. Join the waitlist.
What platforms does ClassMinds support?
Launching first on iPhone (iOS 17+); Android and a web version are in development. NotebookLM is on the web, iOS and Android, and inside the Gemini app.
Can I use both?
Yes. NotebookLM is great for research projects across lots of sources; ClassMinds is built for day-to-day class work: lectures, flashcards, deadlines and classmates.
ClassMinds is coming soon
Free plan; Pro is $9.99/month. Launching first on iPhone (iOS 17+); Android and a web version are in development.
Other comparisons
Studying for a specific major? See ClassMinds for STEM, pre-med, law and business students.