Artificial intelligence has transformed the note-taking landscape, making it smarter, quicker, and more intuitive. Two leading contenders in this arena are Notion and NotebookLM, both equipped with cutting-edge AI features aimed at boosting your productivity. But when it comes to choosing the best option, which one truly stands out?
NotebookLM relies on Google Gemini as its large language model, and although it was still in beta at the time of this writing, its potential is significant. Gemini can be utilized in various other applications, and I’ve tested its performance in Google Sheets to determine if it offers more than just surface-level benefits.
In contrast, Notion claims to utilize a variety of large language models (LLMs) hosted internally and through organizations like Anthropic and OpenAI. This diverse foundation equips Notion AI with extensive knowledge, adding to its functionality.
While both platforms feature impressive AI, Notion takes the lead for its broader integration of AI capabilities, though it doesn’t diminish the strengths of Google Gemini, which remains a powerful tool within the Google ecosystem.
Winner: Notion
I was drawn to Notion initially for its ease of use, and my opinion has only solidified after three years. I’ve experienced challenges with other note-taking apps across different devices, but my usage of Notion has been seamless on mobile, desktop, and tablet. The web application also performs well across most browsers.
Conversely, NotebookLM was adequate after I got accustomed to it, but I initially found its navigation frustrating. This might be an unfair comparison since Notion feels more polished, while NotebookLM is still in its beta phase and has room for improvement. The sidebar navigation could benefit from more streamlining, and the settings menu’s responsiveness needs enhancement.
Winner: Notion
NotebookLM efficiently summarized documents, providing clear and concise overviews. However, when I sought additional insights through various questions, the app fell short, requiring more comprehensive documents for detailed summaries.
What impressed me about NotebookLM is how clearly it identified the essential topics within my documents, presenting them well in the toolbar for easy note-taking. It also quickly condensed my documents into summaries.
On the other hand, Notion AI’s summarization tool left me disappointed due to its sluggish performance. It took longer than expected to load summaries on various platforms. Though Notion AI’s layout was more organized—the ability to see points and expandable sections was a plus—it still lagged behind NotebookLM in terms of stability.
Winner: NotebookLM
When it comes to customizing notes, NotebookLM and Notion are worlds apart. While I could change the titles of my notes in NotebookLM, further adjustments were minimal.
In contrast, Notion is one of the best apps for note customization. You can add comments, highlight text, and format your notes in a variety of ways—like creating tables or embedding external documents. Notion also simplifies collaboration by allowing you to mention others in your notes.
Another bonus is the ability to choose from different fonts for your notes. Overall, Notion excels in customization, not just for notes but also for tailoring your entire workspace.
Winner: Notion
Notion boasts numerous integrations with apps like Google Drive, Asana, and GitHub. If you prefer not to pay for Notion AI (for unlimited access), you can connect with several AI tools, including Nightfall AI and Cloudeagle.ai.
One of the features I appreciate about Notion is how effortlessly you can access integrated apps. For instance, embedding a Google Doc is instantaneous. Notion can also be integrated with tools like Miro, ClickUp, and Trello, enhancing your note-taking experience.
NotebookLM, on the other hand, mainly integrates with Google Workspace tools. If you’re already using Google Workspace, you might find NotebookLM useful. However, it lacks the ability to integrate with non-Google applications. For broader integration needs, Notion is the clear choice.
Winner: Notion
Notion and NotebookLM significantly differ in their non-AI offerings. NotebookLM focuses solely on AI functions, which can lead to frustration if you’re looking to perform other tasks, as the app requires you to upload a source document, website, or other material to function.
In contrast, Notion isn’t solely built around its AI feature, which was introduced in early 2023. The app offers a wealth of non-AI functionalities that I have found invaluable over the years, including the ability to create notes from scratch, multiple workspaces, templates, Gantt charts, calendars, and much more. Notion’s versatility here solidifies its strength.
Winner: Notion
While Notion takes the overall win, NotebookLM is still a valuable tool. Notion’s breadth of use cases makes it the ideal choice for those who want to create detailed notes and then summarize them using NotebookLM.
I recommend Notion if you need to collaborate with others, as its commenting, highlighting, and mentioning features facilitate teamwork in both work and academic settings. Notion’s extensive integration options surpass those of NotebookLM, making it the better choice for users outside of the Google Workspace ecosystem.
If your primary need is summarizing notes efficiently, then NotebookLM is a solid option. It performs faster and is similar to Notion in summarization features, but just ensure you provide it with sufficient content to work with!
