Key Takeaways
- Notion is the winner thanks to better user-friendliness, note customization, third-party integrations, and non-AI features.
- NotebookLM excels in summarization capabilities compared to Notion, providing clear essential topics and quick summaries.
- Notion offers extensive customization options, integrations, and non-AI features, giving it an edge over NotebookLM.
AI has revolutionized note-taking, making it smarter, faster, and more intuitive than ever before. Two standout contenders in this space are Notion and NotebookLM—both packed with advanced AI features designed to elevate your productivity. But when it comes down to it, which one is truly the best?
AI Power
NotebookLM uses Google Gemini as its large language model, and although still in beta at the time of writing, its potential is massive. You can use Gemini in numerous other apps, and we’ve already tested to see whether Gemini in Google Sheets is more than just a gimmick.
Notion claims that it currently utilizes various large language models (LLMs) hosted by Notion as well as by organizations such as Anthropic and OpenAI. This variety gives Notion AI access to a wealth of knowledge, making it quite robust in functionality.
While both tools offer impressive AI, Notion gets the point for its broader AI integration, without undermining the power of Google Gemini—which, in the Google ecosystem, still shines.
Winner: Notion
User Experience
User-friendliness was one of the reasons I was initially attracted to Notion. Almost three years later, my thoughts have only strengthened in that regard. While I’ve encountered issues using other note-taking apps on different devices, my experience with Notion has been seamless on mobile, desktop, and tablet. The web app also works very well in most browsers.
NotebookLM was okay once I got used to it, but to be honest, I found navigating the app an initial challenge. This is perhaps an unfair comparison because Notion is more of a finished product and NotebookLM is in beta with a long way to go. Still, the sidebar navigation could be streamlined, and responsiveness—particularly in the settings menu—needs improvement.
Winner: Notion
Summarization Capabilities
NotebookLM had no problems summarizing documents somewhat accurately. I tried asking different questions hoping I’d receive some extra tips, but unfortunately, the app didn’t provide me with these. So, if you want detailed summaries, you’ll have to give the software a more comprehensive document to feed from.
One thing I did like was that NotebookLM made it very clear what the most essential topics in my document were. It summarized these well and made them clear to see in the toolbar, allowing me to jot some notes if needed. Another thing I liked was that NotebookLM quickly summarized my documents.
Notion AI’s summarization tool disappointed me with how buggy it was. The software took longer than necessary to load the summary, regardless of which medium I tried it on. It did redeem itself (somewhat) in how everything was laid out. I liked that Notion AI not only gave me a list of points but also showed me some expandables. So, it is easy to see what my next steps and whatnot should be.
While I liked Notion AI’s summarization, NotebookLM also did well here. And since the app was more stable, it had to get the point.
Winner: NotebookLM
Note Customization
NotebookLM and Notion differed significantly in note customization. While I could change the name of my NotebookLM notes, I was unable to make any further adjustments.
Notion, on the other hand, is one of the best note-taking apps full-stop for customization. You can add comments, highlight text, include multiple elements, and format your notes however you want in Notion—such as tables and embedding external documents. Notion also makes it easy to mention other people in your notes if you need to collaborate with them.
Another nice thing about Notion is that you can customize notes by choosing between a handful of fonts. I could go on, but I think you get the picture. Notion is by far the most impressive app out of the two in this respect. Aside from the notes themselves, you can also use Notion more effectively by customizing your entire workspace.
Winner: Notion
Third-Party Integrations
Notion integrates with numerous apps, including Google Drive, Asana, and GitHub. If you don’t want to pay for Notion AI (and subsequently get unlimited access to the feature), you can integrate numerous AI tools as well. These include Nightfall AI and cloudeagle.ai.
What I particularly like about Notion is how easy it is to access apps you’ve already integrated. For example, when I embed a Google Doc, it appears on my pages in an instant. To supplement your note-taking, you can also integrate Notion with Miro, ClickUp, Trello, and other collaborative tools.
NotebookLM integrates with other Google Workspace tools. So, if you already use Google Workspace, using NotebookLM might make sense. However, it lacks integration with non-Google apps. Notion is the absolute go-to if you want to use those, and for that reason, it gets another point.
Winner: Notion
Non-AI Features
Notion and NotebookLM also differ significantly in their non-AI features. NotebookLM is entirely geared around AI features, and as such, you’ll be frustrated if you’re trying to do anything else. You also have to upload a source, whether that’s a document, website, or something different; without this, you can’t use the app.
Notion, on the other hand, is not built entirely around Notion AI. The feature itself is a relatively new addition (it arrived in early 2023). As such, the app has plenty of non-AI features that I’ve used for multiple years and thoroughly enjoyed.
When using Notion, you can start notes from scratch and create multiple workspaces. You also have the option to use Notion templates and build Gantt charts, calendars, and much more. Once again, Notion’s versatility makes it the stronger contender here.
Winner: Notion
Final Verdict: Which Tool Is Right for You?
While Notion takes the win overall, NotebookLM is still a great tool. Notion, however, has several more use cases; if you’re planning to write notes from scratch, you should use this tool and then summarize them in NotebookLM.
I also suggest using Notion if you have to collaborate with others. With features like commenting, highlighting, and mentions, it’s much easier to work as part of a team for your work or studies. Moreover, Notion’s comprehensive list of integrations is far superior compared to NotebookLM—especially if you don’t use Google Workspace.
If you just need to summarize notes, I recommend NotebookLM over Notion. It doesn’t lag anywhere near as much, and they’re quite similar in their summarization features. Just make sure to give it enough information to work with!
