NotebookLM (Gemini Notebook) vs ChatGPT study mode
Use NotebookLM, renamed Gemini Notebook in July 2026, to revise from your own notes: it answers only from your sources and makes study guides, flashcards and quizzes. Use ChatGPT study mode when you're stuck on a problem and want guiding questions. Both are free.
Ask Poppy is voice-first homework help for kids around 7 to 10, and teens and adults too: it asks what you have tried and gives one hint at a time, so you learn how to find the answer. Free with 30 messages a day, then $3.99/week or $9.99/month (US App Store) · iPhone, iPad, Mac
Disclosure: this page is written by the Ask Poppy team, and Ask Poppy is one of the options. Competitor facts come from each company's own pages or its US App Store listing (checked Oct 2026) and are linked so you can verify them. We haven't run a controlled test of any of these tools, ours included.
They do different jobs
NotebookLM, now called Gemini Notebook, is a research and revision tool grounded in what you give it (Google: NotebookLM is now Gemini Notebook (16 Jul 2026)). ChatGPT study mode is a way of chatting that asks questions instead of giving answers (OpenAI: study mode). One organises material you already have; the other helps you think through something you don't get yet.
| NotebookLM (Gemini Notebook) | ChatGPT study mode | Ask Poppy | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it works from | Only the sources you upload | Its general knowledge, plus your uploads | Conversation, plus web lookup |
| How it teaches | Answers questions about your sources with citations; makes study guides, flashcards, quizzes, mind maps, audio and video overviews | Asks guiding questions, gives hints, checks understanding | Voice-first, asks what you know first, one hint at a time |
| Best for | Revising a course from your own materials | Working through a problem you're stuck on | Talking it through out loud, younger learners |
| Ages | 13+ (or local minimum); all ages on school accounts | 13+ with parental consent under 18 | App Store 4+, parent-managed child profiles |
| Price | Free | Free on all plans | Free with 30 messages a day, then $3.99/week or $9.99/month |
Who should pick which
You have a pile of notes and an exam
NotebookLM. Upload the materials and generate a study guide, flashcards and a quiz from them (Gemini Notebook Help: create a notebook). Answers stay tied to your sources.
You're stuck on a maths problem or a concept
ChatGPT study mode. It works through it with you rather than reading from a source.
You learn best by talking
Ask Poppy, or ChatGPT's voice mode. Poppy is built voice-first and asks what you already know before it hints.
Where Ask Poppy is weaker
Ask Poppy can't ingest a folder of your notes or make flashcards and quizzes from them, which is NotebookLM's main strength. It runs only on Apple devices, while both others work in any browser.
Sources (checked Oct 2026): Google: NotebookLM is now Gemini Notebook (16 Jul 2026) · Gemini Notebook Help: create a notebook · Gemini Notebook Help: availability · Google: NotebookLM for younger users (Aug 2025) · Google for Education: Gemini Notebook · OpenAI: study mode · OpenAI terms · Ask Poppy on the App Store. Ask Poppy facts are from the current app (version 1.8.3) and its App Store listing. US prices; they vary by country and platform. Spot something out of date? Email [email protected].
Want to talk it through instead? Ask Poppy is voice-first homework help, built first for kids around 7 to 10 and their parents. Your child talks the question through, and Poppy asks what they've tried and gives one hint at a time instead of handing over the answer, so they learn how to find it. Parents set up each child's profile and can see their conversations, and memory can be turned off per child. Teens and adults use it too. A one-button, screen-free Poppy device is in development.
Free with 30 messages a day, then $3.99/week or $9.99/month (US App Store prices) on iPhone, iPad and Mac. (Disclosure: this site is made by the Ask Poppy team.)
Questions
Is NotebookLM still called NotebookLM?
No. Google renamed NotebookLM to Gemini Notebook on 16 July 2026. Google says it is the same standalone product, now also reachable inside the Gemini app and Google Search.
Which is better for studying, NotebookLM or ChatGPT study mode?
For revising from your own notes, slides and readings, NotebookLM (Gemini Notebook) is better: it answers from the sources you upload and can turn them into study guides, flashcards, quizzes, mind maps and audio overviews. For working through a problem step by step with questions, ChatGPT study mode is better.
Can teenagers use NotebookLM?
Yes. Google opened it to users 13 and over (or the minimum age in their country) in August 2025, with stricter content policies for under-18s. With a school Workspace for Education account it is available at all ages if the school turns it on.
Is NotebookLM free?
Yes, it is free to use, with higher limits and extra features on paid Google AI plans, and free for Workspace for Education users.
Can I use both?
Yes, and many students do: NotebookLM to turn class materials into flashcards and quizzes, and a tutor that asks questions when you don't understand something yet.
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