Free alternative to NotebookLM (now Gemini Notebook)
Home › Guides · Last checked 2026-11-03 · Facts verified from each project's docs unless marked tested
The closest free alternative to NotebookLM is Open Notebook, a free and open-source (MIT) research notebook you host yourself. You add PDFs, web pages, audio, video and Office files, then chat with answers that cite your sources, take AI-assisted notes and generate podcasts with 1 to 4 speakers. It works with 20+ AI providers or fully local models through Ollama or LM Studio. Google renamed NotebookLM to Gemini Notebook in July 2026. It's still free with up to 50 sources per notebook, and higher limits come with Google AI Plus at $9.99 a month or Google AI Pro at $19.99 a month. The catch: Open Notebook is a Docker app you run and secure yourself, and cloud models still bill you per use unless you go local.
| Gemini Notebook (NotebookLM) | Open Notebook | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free; more with Google AI Plus $9.99/mo or AI Pro $19.99/mo (Google One plans page) | $0, MIT |
| Sources per notebook | 50 free, 100 Plus, 300 Pro, up to 600 Ultra (Gemini Notebook plans page) | No limit stated in the README |
| AI models | Google's Gemini models | 20+ providers (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Mistral, OpenRouter and more) or local via Ollama or LM Studio |
| Audio | Audio Overviews | Podcasts with 1 to 4 speakers, using the TTS provider you pick |
| Other outputs | Reports, flashcards, slide decks, infographics, video overviews | Notes, content transformations, search, REST API, MCP |
| Where your files go | Google's cloud | Your computer or server |
Get started free in 5 steps
- Install Docker Desktop on Windows or Mac, or Docker Engine with the Compose plugin on Linux.
- Make a folder and download the official compose file:
curl -o docker-compose.yml https://raw.githubusercontent.com/lfnovo/open-notebook/main/docker-compose.yml(on Windows PowerShell usecurl.exe). - Edit the file and replace
change-me-to-a-secret-stringwith your own long random secret, for example fromopenssl rand -hex 32. If other devices can reach your computer, bind ports 8502 and 5055 to 127.0.0.1 or add a password first. - Run
docker compose up -d, wait about 30 seconds and openhttp://localhost:8502. - Under Models, add a provider (an API key, or an Ollama base URL for $0), add one Language and one Embedding model, click Auto-assign Defaults and create your first notebook (Open Notebook local quick start).
The catches
- You run a server: it's two Docker containers (the app and a SurrealDB database), and you handle updates and backups.
- Not locked down by default: no password and ports open on all interfaces unless you change them.
- API bills or hardware: cloud models charge per use, and local ones want 8 GB of RAM or more and run slower on a CPU.
- Podcasts need a voice provider: Ollama has no text-to-speech, so local audio means running a separate speech server.
- Fewer ready-made formats: the README doesn't list Google's video overviews, slide decks or flashcards.
When Gemini Notebook is still worth it
If you want polished Audio Overviews, slides and flashcards in a browser tab with nothing to install, the free plan covers most people and $9.99 a month buys double the limits. Open Notebook wins when your files shouldn't leave your machine, when you want a model other than Gemini, or when you need an API to automate it.
Related: Free ChatPDF alternative (AnythingLLM) · Ollama vs LM Studio · Free Notion AI alternative · All free chat tools
Sources: Open Notebook README and GitHub license (MIT), Open Notebook releases (v1.15.0, October 5, 2026), Open Notebook local quick start (RAM, models and Ollama setup), Gemini Notebook home and FAQ (rename to Gemini Notebook in July 2026), Gemini Notebook plans page (plan limits, read in a rendered browser), Gemini Notebook Help: plans (notebook and source limits, watermark), Google One plans page (Google AI Plus and Pro prices) (all checked 2026-11-03). We have no affiliate link with either.
FAQ
Is NotebookLM still free?
Yes. Google says NotebookLM is now Gemini Notebook as of July 2026, with existing notebooks still there. The free standard plan (checked 2026-11-03) allows 100 notebooks per user and up to 50 sources per notebook, with standard limits on chat and on Audio Overviews, slides and other generated items.
How much does Gemini Notebook cost to upgrade?
Higher limits come with Google's AI plans. Google One's plans page (checked 2026-11-03, US prices) lists Google AI Plus with 2 TB at $9.99 a month and Google AI Pro with 5 TB at $19.99 a month. Plus raises the cap to 100 sources per notebook and Pro to 300. Google's help page says watermark removal on generated items comes with Pro and Ultra, not the free plan or Plus. We didn't find an Ultra price on the page we checked.
Is Open Notebook really free?
The code is MIT-licensed and free to self-host, with no account or subscription. You pay only for the AI providers you connect, or nothing if you run local models through Ollama or LM Studio.
Can Open Notebook run fully offline?
Its local quick start (checked 2026-11-03) runs Ollama next to Open Notebook in Docker, with a chat model such as qwen3 (about 5 GB) and the nomic-embed-text embedding model. It asks for 8 GB of RAM or more and warns that small models on a CPU are noticeably slower than cloud ones. Ollama only covers chat and embeddings, so local podcasts and transcription need a separate local speech server.
Does Open Notebook make podcasts like Audio Overviews?
Yes. Its README lists multi-speaker podcast generation with 1 to 4 speakers and custom episode profiles. You need a text-to-speech provider for the voices, such as OpenAI, Google, ElevenLabs or a local TTS server.
Is it safe to run on my home network?
Be careful. The README says the shipped setup publishes the web UI on port 8502 and the API on port 5055 on all network interfaces with no password by default. If other devices can reach your computer, bind those ports to 127.0.0.1 or set OPEN_NOTEBOOK_PASSWORD before you start it.