NotebookLM might have seemed like the ideal digital notepad, but its shortcomings can sometimes lead to extra work and lost time. If you’ve faced these challenges, it might be the right time to explore alternatives that make note-taking more efficient and hassle-free.
To help you find the perfect fit, we’ve curated the top NotebookLM alternatives—from popular note apps to advanced AI-powered tools—to enhance your workflow and creativity. ✅
Summarize this article for me please⏰ 60-Second Summary
Top 10 NotebookLM alternatives to improve your productivity
- ClickUp (Best for AI-powered note-taking and doc management)
- Notion (Best for structured text notes and organization)
- Evernote (Best for cross-device accessibility)
- Obsidian (Best for Markdown notes and linking ideas)
- Roam Research (Best for networked note-taking)
- Afforai (Best for intuitive AI note-taking)
- Tana (Best for advanced knowledge structuring)
- Mem.ai (Best for dynamic AI-assisted notes)
- RemNote (Best for learners and knowledge retention)
- Microsoft OneNote (Best for free-form note-taking)
Top 10 Notebook LM Alternatives for Note Taking
- What Should You Look for in NotebookLM Alternative?
- The 10 Best NotebookLM Alternatives
- 1. ClickUp (Best for AI-powered note-taking and doc management)
- 2. Notion (Best for structured text notes and organization)
- 3. Evernote (Best for cross-device accessibility)
- 4. Obsidian (Best for Markdown notes and linking ideas)
- 5. Roam Research (Best for networked note-taking)
- 6. Afforai (Best for intuitive AI note-taking)
- 7. Tana (Best for advanced knowledge structuring)
- 8. Mem.ai (Best for dynamic AI-assisted notes)
- 9. RemNote (Best for learners and knowledge retention)
- 10. Microsoft OneNote (Best for free-form note-taking)
Summarize this article for me pleaseWhat Should You Look for in NotebookLM Alternative?
When selecting a note-taking software alternative to NotebookLM, you need to consider several factors that’ll help improve your productivity and organize notes better. These features include:
✅ Ease of use: Select a note-taking software that has an easy-to-use and intuitive interface so you spend limited time getting used to it and easily jot down anything, from office work to your mom’s apple pie recipe
✅ Ease of organizing: Choose a NotebookLM alternative that includes options for organizing notes, such as tagging, labeling, and folder options
✅ Collaboration capabilities: Pick a note-taking app with features that make it your go-to knowledge management system. This includes the ability to collaborate with team members, sync notes with others, and share documents
✅ Integration with other apps: Prioritize a NotebookLM alternative that syncs perfectly with your devices and other platforms, such as document management software or a productivity app for you to import notes and all your ideas
✅ AI and automation: Go for a NotebookLM alternative that is powered by AI and simplifies processes like summarizing sticky notes, generating action items, or even converting voice notes into text
🔎 Did You Know? The first note-taking application built for computers was the Windows Notepad, introduced by Microsoft in 1983 for the MS-DOS operating system.
Summarize this article for me pleaseThe 10 Best NotebookLM Alternatives
Using the perfect note-taking strategies helps you improve your productivity, organize meetings efficiently, and ensure that your ideas are always acted upon.
To help you with this, we have curated a list of the best note-taking apps that easily replace NotebookLM and take it one step further with advanced AI features to protect sensitive notes and create searchable notes.
The above video offers a quick comparison of all the tools, while you’ll find in-depth reviews below. Read on!
1. ClickUp (Best for AI-powered note-taking and doc management)
ClickUp is truly the everything app for work, and it goes far beyond simple note-taking. Its AI capabilities enhance project management, task automation, and team collaboration, making it a centralized hub for tasks, projects, and collaboration.
ClickUp’s AI Notetaker, for instance, automatically transcribes and summarizes all your virtual meetings for you. Even better? It helps you turn them into immediately actionable tasks, so you never need to painstakingly draft meeting minutes or follow up on action items.
ClickUp’s project management features, coupled with AI’s automation and analytics, allow you to coordinate document management efforts efficiently. In contrast, NotebookLM’s note-centric focus may fall short for collaborative projects.
ClickUp’s advanced AI assistant, ClickUp Brain takes things a step further. You can use it to transcribe voice notes, sort your exam preparation notes, create summaries for your research notes, and even transform handwritten notes or sticky notes into rich notes. Further, you can use it to combine multiple notes, create actionable tasks, and even write high-quality content for emails, task explanations, or documents.
With ClickUp’s advanced sharing and permission options like task assignments, comments, and real-time updates, team can quickly review, comment on, and update documents in real time.
Unlike NotebookLM’s potentially siloed approach, ClickUp integrates seamlessly into your workflow. ClickUp Notepad is a personal scratchpad for capturing ideas, which easily connects to tasks, projects and documents.
Moreover, with its integration capabilities, ClickUp connects with many third-party apps and provides flexible collaboration options, making it easy for teams to manage files, share resources, and add comments all in one centralized workspace.
While NotebookLM focuses on research within a single dataset, ClickUp Brain MAX, your desktop AI companion, gives you connected search across ClickUp, Google Drive, Dropbox, SharePoint, GitHub, and the web—so your “notebook” covers your entire digital workspace.
Add Talk to Text, and you can instantly dictate notes, meeting takeaways, or brainstormed ideas, which Brain MAX then transcribes, organizes, and links to the right tasks or docs. The result? A single AI workspace where every file, note, and spoken idea is instantly searchable, context-aware, and ready to act on—without switching tools.
For organizations looking to streamline workflows and enhance collaboration, ClickUp presents a compelling choice. The best solution should really do it all, from jotting down notes to executing projects seamlessly. That’s where ClickUp shines! It’s a versatile platform that combines powerful analytics, easy note-taking, and eye-catching visualizations, all supercharged by AI.
.
ClickUp best features
- Summarize notes, transcribe audio, create action items, and even generate content using the tool’s advanced AI-powered features
- Draft, format, and share notes or documents in a collaborative workspace using ClickUp Docs, so that no note or information ever gets lost
- Keep your notes and ideas organized using ClickUp Task Tags, allowing you to custom tag folders, documents, and wikis with even nested structures for ultimate flexibility
- Access your notes on any device with seamless sync using the mobile app or in-browser option
- Integrate with 1000+ productivity tools and platforms to ensure that every action, from notes to completion, is tracked seamlessly
ClickUp limitations
- Might be overwhelming for first-time users due to its extensive features
ClickUp pricing
free forever
Best for individual users
Free Free
Key Features:
60MB Storage
Unlimited Tasks
Unlimited Free Plan Members
unlimited
Best for small teams
$7 $10
Everything in Free Forever plus:
Unlimited Storage
Unlimited Folders and Spaces
Unlimited Integrations
business
Best for mid-sized teams
$12 $19
Everything in Unlimited, plus:
Google SSO
Unlimited Message History
Unlimited Mind Maps
enterprise
Best for many large teams
Get a custom demo and see how ClickUp aligns with your goals.
Everything in Business, plus:
White Labeling
Conditional Logic in Forms
Subtasks in Multiple Lists
* Prices when billed annually
The world's most complete work AI, starting at $9 per month
ClickUp Brain is a no Brainer. One AI to manage your work, at a fraction of the cost.
ClickUp ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.7/5 (9,000+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.6/5 (4,000+ reviews)
📮ClickUp Insight: Only 10% of our survey respondents use voice assistants (4%) or automated agents (6%) for AI applications, while 62% prefer conversational AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude. The lower adoption of assistants and agents could be because these tools are often optimized for specific tasks, like hands-free operation or specific workflows.
ClickUp brings you the best of both worlds. ClickUp Brain serves as a conversational AI assistant that can help you with a wide range of use cases. On the other hand, AI-powered agents within ClickUp Chat channels can answer questions, triage issues, or even handle specific tasks!
2. Notion (Best for structured text notes and organization)
Notion is a powerful note-taking app that supports a wide range of content, including text, images, videos, code, and bookmarks. Its intuitive design lets you effortlessly drag and drop elements into your notes or use slash commands to streamline your workflow.
Whether organizing meeting notes, building a team wiki, or managing projects, Notion provides a high degree of customization to fit personal and professional needs. The platform is top-rated among teams needing collaboration tools, offering real-time editing, commenting, and shared workspaces for seamless communication.
It also has a strong community to help you get note-taking templates for all your needs—sort your notes, create mood boards, or even manage all your documents in one place seamlessly.
Notion best features
- Design and personalize workspaces for notes, tasks, and projects with a highly intuitive UI and detailed instructions
- Add and organize diverse content types, including text, images, code, and bookmarks
- Minimize distractions with an immersive writing experience, powerful digital note cards, and an advanced AI assistant
Notion limitations
- While it offers incredible flexibility, the organizational structure sometimes feels overwhelming
- Limited offline functionality compared to competitors
Notion pricing
- Free: $0
- Plus: $10/month per seat
- Business: $15/month per seat
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
Notion ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.7/5 (5,500+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (2,000+reviews)
3. Evernote (Best for cross-device accessibility)
Another great tool for writing notes and syncing them so you have everything in one place, Evernote has long been a favorite for individuals looking to optimize their notes and knowledge management.
From creating detailed project outlines to drafting content strategies, Evernote’s organizational tools and advanced search features help optimize your workflow. This decreases the time spent hunting for information and increases the time spent acting on it.
Beyond its core features, Evernote’s integration capabilities make it a great alternative to NotebookLM. It supports various third-party apps and offers flexible collaboration options, enabling teams to manage files, share resources, and add comments within a single, centralized workspace.
Evernote best features
- Organize your notes into notebooks and stacks to categorize and tag them for quick access and better organization
- Search handwritten notes and images easily using its advanced search functionality, which even includes photos and sketches
- Save or clip web pages and articles to read later, including the ability to capture or import research articles or documents
Evernote limitations
- The free version only allows syncing across two devices
- Evernote lacks advanced AI-powered features like content summarization or auto-organizing
Evernote pricing
- Free: $0
- Personal: $14.99/month
- Professional: $17.99/month
- Teams: $24.99/month per user
Evernote ratings and reviews:
- G2: 4.4/5 (2,000+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.4/5 (8,000+ reviews)
➡️Read More: Best Evernote Alternatives & Competitors
4. Obsidian (Best for Markdown notes and linking ideas)
Obsidian is a note-taking platform designed around local storage and markdown files, giving professionals total control over their knowledge repositories.
Instead of relying solely on cloud infrastructure and proprietary interfaces, Obsidian lets you build a customized, offline-first workspace that grows and evolves with your projects. Whether you’re mapping out complex ideas, managing research, or planning product launches, the platform’s flexibility and local-first mindset ensure long-term stability and peace of mind.
For those who find NotebookLM’s environment restrictive, Obsidian offers an intuitive framework where ideas and information aren’t just stored but interconnected. This framework lets you visualize and understand the relationships between your notes at a glance.
Obsidian best features
- Use the power of advanced bidirectional linking to connect related notes and build a web of interconnected ideas
- Format your notes using Markdown for easy structuring and customization
- Customize Obsidian’s functionality with a wide range of community plugins provided by a dedicated community of developers
Obsidian limitations
- Obsidian isn’t built with collaboration in mind, making it less suitable for team-based work
- Exporting notes into more conventional formats (like PDF or Word) is challenging
Obsidian pricing
- Personal: Free
- Commercial: $50/year per user
- Sync: $5/month per user
- Publish: $10/month per site
Obsidian ratings and reviews
- G2: Not enough reviews
- Capterra: 4.8/5 (30+ reviews)
5. Roam Research (Best for networked note-taking)
Roam Research is a powerful note-taking tool that has gained a loyal following among knowledge workers, researchers, and writers. Instead of categorizing information into static folders or notebooks, it offers a dynamic, interconnected approach to note-taking that prioritizes relationships between ideas.
The tool takes a unique approach by focusing on networked thinking, where users create notes that link seamlessly to one another. This note-taking method is particularly popular for users who prefer a non-linear, interconnected approach.
Thus, as an alternative to NotebookLM, Roam allows for a more dynamic and exploratory note-taking style that evolves with your thinking and workflows rather than confining them.
Roam best features
- Embed content from other notes without duplication by using inline references
- Generate daily notes and add them to your existing framework to keep track of your progress and ideas
- Quickly narrow down large graphs of interconnected ideas after you create multiple sections within child notes with filters
Roam limitations
- Roam’s unique structure and interface is not as intuitive as some alternatives
- Roam primarily works in the cloud, and offline access is somewhat limited
Roam pricing
- Pro: $15/month per user
- Believer: $500 for five years
Roam ratings and reviews
- G2: Not enough reviews
- Capterra: Not enough reviews
➡️Read More: Best Roam Research Alternatives & Competitors
6. Afforai (Best for intuitive AI note-taking)
Afforai is a note-taking app that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance your note-taking and knowledge management experience. The platform’s AI capabilities offer smart features like automated note summaries, text extraction from multimedia content, and context-aware suggestions.
What sets Afforai apart is how it learns from your habits and adapts to the ebb and flow of your projects. The AI meeting note taker even helps you to prepare notes, link notes, and generate human-accurate minutes, making it ideal for your meetings or brainstorming sessions.
By embracing Afforai as an alternative to NotebookLM, professionals gain a forward-thinking solution that aligns with how modern teams gather knowledge and make decisions.
Afforai best features
- Integration with popular project management tools for seamless workflow alignment
- Extract and analyze information from images, voice notes, and videos with AI-assisted features
- Keep your notes up-to-date and accessible across multiple devices
Afforai limitations
- Heavier reliance on AI tools may occasionally produce less accurate categorizations
- Advanced AI features may require a learning curve for first-time users using it to write notes
Afforai pricing
- Starter: Free
- Student: $4.99/month
- Professional: $9.99/month
- Unlimited: $19.99/month
Afforai ratings and reviews:
- G2: 4.7/5 (120+reviews)
- Capterra: 4.8/5 (50+reviews)
7. Tana (Best for advanced knowledge structuring)
Touted as the super-notes app, Tana is a next-generation note-taking app with a fresh perspective on how professionals capture, connect, and classify their knowledge.
Tana acts as a flexible information ecosystem that you shape to match the complexity and nuance of your projects. Its distinctive approach, grounded in data-driven structures, makes it a compelling alternative to NotebookLM for those who need more than just a place to store and sync sticky notes.
One key feature based on the approach is its ability to visualize data relationships using an innovative combined system of ‘blocks’ and ‘nodes.’ This makes it perfect for people who need to handle complex information—such as researchers, content creators, and project managers—by providing an intuitive, almost mind-mapping style of organization.
Tana best features
- Organize content into flexible, filterable tables and lists for rapid insight with structured databases
- Create complex systems of knowledge and manage your information with Supertags
- Adapt Tana to your specific needs by tailoring templates, tags, and note structures
Tana limitations
- New users might find it challenging to get the hang of the flexible structure and advanced features
- Fewer integration options with third-party tools, limiting its utility in certain professional settings
Tana pricing
- Free: $0
- Core: $1/month
- Teams: Custom
Tana ratings and reviews
- G2: Not enough reviews
- Capterra: Not enough reviews
💡 Pro Tip: Beginning to work on a research project may often end with the overwhelming feeling of a blank page holding you back. Research plan templates do away with this problem by guiding your work from the start and turning what once felt overwhelming into an orderly, confident beginning.
8. Mem.ai (Best for dynamic AI-assisted notes)
Mem.ai is an innovative note-taking app that blends the simplicity of traditional note-taking with powerful AI capabilities, making it one of the most advanced tools in this space. Designed with the modern user in mind, its key feature automatically organizes and categorizes your notes, reducing the friction of manual tagging and folder management.
Relying on AI algorithms, this tool identifies patterns, resurfaces key insights, and presents them when they become relevant. Moreover, it doesn’t just store your notes—it anticipates your needs. Mem.ai quietly refines its understanding of your interests, tasks, and priorities as you work.
Mem.ai best features
- Get notes stored in a more structured manner using AI-powered features categorizing your notes based on usage patterns, reducing the need for manual tagging
- Swiftly share notes and ideas with colleagues, keeping everyone on the same page without heavy administrative overhead.
- Integrate seamlessly with various tools such as Google Drive, Slack, and others to centralize all your information
Mem.ai limitations
- Mem.ai’s adaptive system might be unconventional for those who favor folders and linear outlines
- As a newer app, Mem.ai lacks some polished experience and features found in long-established note-taking apps
Mem.ai pricing
- Mem: $14.99/month
- Mem Teams: Custom Pricing
Mem.ai ratings and reviews
- G2: Not enough reviews
- Capterra: Not enough reviews
9. RemNote (Best for learners and knowledge retention)
RemNote distinguishes itself by transforming the note-taking process into a long-term knowledge-building system rather than mere information storage. By uniting note-taking with spaced repetition and flashcards, RemNote ensures that crucial information doesn’t fade into obscurity. Thus, it encourages you to develop a living repository of ideas that evolve with your thinking.
Unlike NotebookLM, RemNote embraces an approach grounded in concept linking, hierarchical organization, and built-in learning techniques. As you add new ideas, highlight key points, or refine your understanding of complex concepts, RemNote’s various features ensure everything remains accessible and contextualized.
Whether you’re outlining a research project, synthesizing reading materials, or mapping out a strategic plan, RemNote helps professionals stay organized and continuously build and reinforce their understanding.
RemNote best features
- Turn your notes into flashcards using the auto-coaching notes feature for active learning and spaced repetition
- Get a hierarchical structure for your notes in a nested format, making it easier to manage and reference related concepts
- Sync all your notes and flashcards across all devices to study and access your notes anywhere
RemNote limitations
- Mastering RemNote’s unique note-taking app ecosystem requires time
- RemNote offers limited integrations with third-party apps, which could be a drawback for users who rely on a broader tech ecosystem
RemNote pricing
- Free: $0
- Pro: $10/month per user
- Pro with AI: $20/month per user
RemNote ratings and reviews
- G2: Not enough reviews
- Capterra: Not enough reviews
10. Microsoft OneNote (Best for free-form note-taking)
Microsoft OneNote is a solid alternative to NotebookLM for those embedded in the Microsoft ecosystem. As a part of the Office 365 suite, OneNote effortlessly integrates with other Microsoft applications like Word, Excel, and Outlook, creating an environment where notes naturally complement your existing workflows.
Rather than reinventing note-taking from the ground up, OneNote refines what professionals already find effective: hierarchical sections, intuitive notebooks, and page-based organization that feels approachable and flexible.
One of OneNote’s standout features is its flexibility in note creation. Whether you prefer typing, handwriting, or embedding documents, the adaptable canvas accommodates various input methods without imposing strict formats or conceptual frameworks. The ability to draw or annotate notes on touch-enabled devices adds an extra layer of convenience for users who prefer to sketch out their ideas or use stylus-based input.
Microsoft OneNote best features
- Sync all your notes across Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android, ensuring you access your notes from any device
- Organize notes into notebooks, sections, and pages for clear structure and easy navigation
- Search all embedded visuals as OneNote extracts text from images for quick retrieval
Microsoft OneNote limitations
- OneNote lacks the AI-driven insights some newer tools provide
- OneNote’s collaboration features aren’t as robust or intuitive as those found in other note-taking tools
Microsoft OneNote pricing
- Included in Microsoft 365 subscription, starting at $69.99/year
Microsoft OneNote ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.5/5 (1,800+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.6/5 (1,700+ reviews)
➡️Read More: Best OneNote Alternatives & Competitors
Summarize this article for me pleaseThe Best NotebookLM Alternative? It’s ClickUp!
When it comes to note-taking, everyone has their unique preferences—some want simplicity, while others need advanced collaboration and organization tools.
The explored apps bring in value, from customizable workspaces to AI-powered note transcription. But if you’re looking for the ultimate combination of note-taking, task management, and team collaboration, ClickUp stands out as the everything app for work. ✅
ClickUp isn’t just about taking notes; it’s about taking your productivity to the next level. With Docs, Notepad, Brain, and extensive project management tools, ClickUp brings all your notes, tasks, and projects together in one seamless experience.
Ready to make your note-taking smarter?
Try ClickUp today and see how it can transform and bring your notes, tasks, and projects—all in one place! 🌻
Everything you need to stay organized and get work done.
