A NotebookLM Alternative Built for Studying
Updated · By the Revizly team
NotebookLM, renamed Gemini Notebook by Google in July 2026, is excellent for researching and asking questions across a pile of sources. Revizly does something narrower: it turns one class at a time into a study guide, flashcards scheduled with spaced repetition and a practice quiz, and tracks what you still need to review.
Real example
Personality Psychology
What went in: A PDF of lecture slides from an intro psychology class, uploaded by a student.
Part of the study guide and the first flashcards Revizly made from that lecture. Formatting is simplified for this page.
The study guide
1. Personality and the Big Five
Personality: an individual’s unique set of consistent behavioural traits.
Must-know: High Openness is associated with curiosity, flexibility, creativity, artistic interests, and openness to new ideas, whereas low Openness is associated with resistance to new information, limited artistic interest, and dislike of change.
Must-know: High Neuroticism involves anxiety, stress, depression, emotional pain, and mood swings, whereas low Neuroticism involves calmness, stress tolerance, less worry, and emotional stability.
Memory hook: OCEAN: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism
- Openness to experience
- Conscientiousness
- Extraversion
- Agreeableness
- Neuroticism
The flashcards
When NotebookLM is the better choice
If you’re writing a research paper, comparing many readings or want to ask open questions across your sources, NotebookLM is very good at that and has a generous free plan. Use it.
It’s also the right pick if you learn well from listening: its Audio Overviews turn your sources into a podcast-style conversation you can play on a walk, and Google has added short video summaries too.
When Revizly is the better choice
If you have an exam coming and want to know you’ve learned the material, Revizly fits better. Each class becomes a study guide, a deck of flashcards on a review schedule and a practice quiz, without writing prompts.
- You want the same study guide layout for every class: outline, key terms, must-know points, memory hooks and summary tables.
- You want flashcards that come back on a spaced repetition schedule, so ten minutes a day covers the whole deck.
- You want multiple-choice practice with an explanation for every answer, like most college exams.
- You want to study on your phone with an app built around reviewing, not chatting.
Using both
Plenty of students use both: NotebookLM to explore the readings and understand a topic, Revizly to turn the lecture slides into something they can drill every day until the exam.
They don’t compete for the same moment. Exploring and asking questions comes first. Memorizing and testing yourself comes after, and that’s the part Revizly is built for.
What Revizly costs
Revizly has a free plan with 2 classes a month, and your first class is made in full. Essential costs $6.99 a month and Premium $9.99 a month, with yearly plans at $39.99 and $59.99.
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 2 classes a month, a preview of each (first class in full) |
| Essential | $6.99 a month or $39.99 a year | 20 classes a month, full guides, cards and quizzes |
| Premium | $9.99 a month or $59.99 a year | Unlimited classes, Anki export, fresh flashcard decks on demand |
NotebookLM (Gemini Notebook) vs. Revizly at a glance
| NotebookLM (Gemini Notebook) | Revizly | |
|---|---|---|
| What it’s built for | Research and questions across many sources | Studying one class at a time for an exam |
| Ask questions about your sources | Yes, it’s the core feature | No chat; the output is a study guide, cards and a quiz |
| Study guide | Reports and learning overviews you generate | Generated automatically for every class, same layout every time |
| Flashcards | Yes, from the Studio panel | Yes, written for every topic of the class |
| Review schedule for flashcards | Not described in Google’s help pages | Spaced repetition (FSRS) on every deck |
| Quizzes | Yes, including short answer and fill in the blank | Multiple-choice with an explanation for each answer |
| Audio and video summaries | Yes, Audio and Video Overviews | No |
| Free plan | 100 notebooks, up to 50 sources each | 2 classes a month, first class in full |
Try Revizly on your next class
Upload your slides, notes or a PDF and get a study guide, flashcards and a practice quiz in about 30 seconds. The free plan covers 2 classes a month.
PDF, photos, Word, PowerPoint or a YouTube linkYou can upload right after you sign inFrequently asked questions
Is NotebookLM the same as Gemini Notebook?
Yes. Google renamed NotebookLM to Gemini Notebook on July 16, 2026. It’s the same product.
Is NotebookLM free?
It has a free plan. Google’s help page lists 100 notebooks per user and up to 50 sources per notebook, with higher limits on Google AI Plus, Pro and Ultra.
Does NotebookLM make flashcards?
Yes, from its Studio panel. Google’s help pages don’t describe a spaced repetition schedule for them. Revizly schedules every card with spaced repetition.
Can Revizly answer questions about my notes like a chatbot?
No. Revizly doesn’t have a chat. It turns your material into a study guide, flashcards and a quiz instead.
Which one is better for exams?
For memorizing and testing yourself before an exam, Revizly. For research and understanding many sources, NotebookLM. Many students use both.