10 Powerful Alternatives to NotebookLM for Every Note-Taker in 2025
- Olivia Johnson
- 1 day ago
- 11 min read

Are you searching for NotebookLM alternatives to make note-taking better in 2025? There are many options that help you keep notes, learn more, and write meeting notes easily. Here are the top 10 NotebookLM alternatives: Notion, Obsidian, remio, Microsoft OneNote, Mem, Roam Research, Evernote,Tana, Logseq, and ClickUp.
Each of these note-taking tools has something unique. Some focus on AI note-taking apps that give quick summaries. Others are great for personal knowledge management or help you take clear meeting notes. You can find the best AI note-taking apps that fit your style and help you organize notes better.
Key Takeaways
Many note-taking apps have AI tools like smart summarization and transcription. These tools help you save time and make fewer mistakes.
Pick a note-taking tool that matches what you need. Think about how easy it is to use, what features it has, if it uses AI, what devices it works on, and how much it costs.
Some apps are best for personal knowledge management. Others are better for meeting notes or saving web and video content.
Cross-device sync lets you keep your notes neat and easy to find. You can get to your notes on your phone, tablet, or computer.
Good note-taking habits and using AI tools can help you get more done. They also help you stay organized every day.
Selection Criteria
When you look for the best note-taking software, you need to think about several important factors. These criteria help you find the right tool for your notes, whether you want to boost productivity or improve accuracy.
Usability
You want note-taking software that feels easy to use. The interface should be simple. You should find your notes quickly. Good usability means you can focus on your notes, not on learning how to use the tool. If you can organize your notes without trouble, you will save time and avoid mistakes.
Features
Different note-taking software offers different features. Some tools let you add images or links to your notes. Others help you search your notes fast. You may want ai-powered features that help you summarize or organize your notes. Look for features that match your note-taking style. The right features can help you keep your notes clear and accurate.
AI Integration
Many people now use ai note-taking apps. These tools use ai-powered note-taking to help you write, sort, and search your notes. AI can check the accuracy of your notes and even suggest changes. If you want to save time, ai-powered features can help you find important notes in seconds. AI integration makes note-taking smarter and faster.
Tip: AI note-taking apps can help you keep your notes up to date and improve accuracy.
Platform Support
You may use more than one device for note-taking. Good note-taking software should offer cross-device sync. This means your notes stay the same on your phone, tablet, and computer. If you switch devices, you will not lose your notes. Platform support helps you keep your notes organized everywhere.
Pricing
You should check the price before you choose a note-taking tool. Some note-taking software is free. Others cost money each month. Think about your budget and the value you get. Paid tools may offer more ai-powered note-taking or better accuracy. Free tools can still help you manage your notes well.
Remember: The best productivity tools help you keep your notes safe, accurate, and easy to find.
Best NotebookLM Alternatives
1.Notion

Notion gives you a workspace for all your notes. You can make pages, databases, and templates. It lets you add text, images, and code blocks. Notion uses AI for smart summarization and quick search. You can write meeting notes and organize tasks. You can also manage projects.
Key Features:
AI-powered note-taking and smart summarization
Custom templates for notes and meeting notes
Easy note organization with drag-and-drop
Cross-device sync
Pros:You can change your workspace to fit your needs. The AI helps you find notes fast. There are many templates for different uses.
Cons:The interface may seem hard to use at first.
Best Use Case:Pick Notion if you want one place for notes, tasks, and projects.
Comparison to NotebookLM:Notion lets you change more things and use more templates. Both tools use AI for smart summarization and note-taking.
2.Obsidian

Obsidian is a strong note-taking app for your own knowledge base. You use plain text files and link your notes together. Obsidian has plugins for AI-powered features and smart summarization.
Key Features:
Local storage for privacy and accuracy
Graph view for visual note connections
AI plugins for transcription and summarization
Pros:You control your own data. You can see how your notes connect. The AI plugins help with transcription and smart summarization.
Cons:You must set up plugins to use AI features.
Best Use Case:Pick Obsidian if you want a private knowledge base.
Comparison to NotebookLM:Obsidian gives you more control over your notes. NotebookLM is more about AI note-taking apps and cloud features.
3.remio

remio is an powerful AI assistant based on your personal knowledge management. With remio, it will auto capture the web content while you are browsing without any manual click. The AI copilot helps you capture the infos, search, and summarize notes. You can highlight important parts of web pages and save them. remio uses AI to suggest categories and organize your notes. Also, remio gives you daily summaries of what you read and write. You can keep a diary for your ideas.
Key Features:
Info capture automatically while browsing, never lose any information again
Web content and YouTube video summary with just one click
AI copilot for writing, searching, and organizing notes
Automatic note categorization for better accuracy
Daily AI summaries of your notes and activities
Pros:Unlike the traditional web clippler, remio saves the web content without any manual click. Also easy to summarize info from the web and videos. The AI copilot helps you work faster and more accurately. Also, all the content captured would be saved in privacy and control.
Cons:remio is mostly for personal knowledge management, not good for collaboration.
Best Use Case:Use remio if you want a second brain to manage learning, save web content seamlessly, and get AI-powered note-taking.
Comparison to NotebookLM:remio gives you advanced web and video capture with AI. NotebookLM is more for general AI note-taking apps for meeting notes and transcription.
4.Microsoft OneNote

Microsoft OneNote is a digital notebook for all your notes. You can type, draw, and record audio. The tool uses AI for transcription and smart summarization. You can organize your notes into sections and pages.
Key Features:
Audio recording and transcription
AI-powered smart summarization
Cross-device sync for notes and meeting notes
Pros:You can record and transcribe meeting notes. The AI helps you summarize long notes. OneNote works on many devices.
Cons:The interface may not look modern.
Best Use Case:Pick OneNote if you want a classic digital notebook with strong transcription.
Comparison to NotebookLM:OneNote is good for audio transcription and note organization. NotebookLM has more advanced AI note-taking apps.
5.Mem

Mem uses AI to help you take and organize notes fast. The tool learns from your writing and suggests smart summarization. You can use Mem for meeting notes and daily tasks. The AI helps you find info quickly.
Key Features:
AI-powered note-taking and smart summarization
Automatic note linking and suggestions
Fast search for accuracy
Pros:You get quick smart summarization and note suggestions. The AI helps keep your notes accurate.
Cons:You may need time to learn all the features.
Best Use Case:Use Mem if you want fast, AI-powered note-taking for meeting notes and daily ideas.
Comparison to NotebookLM:Mem is about AI suggestions and smart summarization. NotebookLM is more for general AI note-taking apps.
6.Roam Research

Roam Research lets you make linked notes for deep thinking. You can connect ideas and see how your notes relate. Roam has AI plugins for transcription and smart summarization.
Key Features:
Linked notes for knowledge building
AI plugins for transcription and summarization
Daily notes for meeting notes and ideas
Pros:You can connect your notes easily. The AI plugins help with transcription and smart summarization.
Cons:The interface may feel different from other tools.
Best Use Case:Pick Roam if you want to build a network of ideas and use AI for transcription.
Comparison to NotebookLM:Roam is about linked notes and deep thinking. NotebookLM is more for general AI note-taking apps.
7.Evernote

Evernote is a simple way to take notes and save web pages. You can organize meeting notes and use AI for transcription and smart summarization. You can add images, audio, and files to your notes.
Key Features:
Web clipping for saving content
AI-powered transcription and smart summarization
Tags and notebooks for note organization
Pros:You can save anything as a note. The AI helps with transcription and accuracy. Evernote works on many devices.
Cons:You may need to pay for advanced features such as cloud storage.
Best Use Case:Use Evernote if you want to save web content and use AI for transcription and smart summarization.
Comparison to NotebookLM:Evernote is about web clipping and transcription. NotebookLM has more advanced AI note-taking apps.
8.Tana

Tana uses AI to help you organize notes and tasks. The tool supports transcription and smart summarization. You can make structured notes for meeting notes and projects.
Key Features:
AI-powered note-taking and smart summarization
Structured notes for projects and meeting notes
Fast search for accuracy
Pros:You get structured notes and smart summarization. The AI helps keep your notes accurate.
Cons:You may need time to learn the structure.
Best Use Case:Pick Tana if you want structured notes and AI-powered features for meeting notes.
Comparison to NotebookLM:Tana is about structured notes and smart summarization. NotebookLM is more for general AI note-taking apps.
9.Logseq

Logseq is a privacy-focused note-taking app. You can write daily notes, link ideas, and use AI plugins for transcription and smart summarization. The tool works offline for better accuracy.
Key Features:
Local storage for privacy and accuracy
Linked notes and daily journals
AI plugins for transcription and summarization
Pros:You control your data. The AI plugins help with transcription and smart summarization.
Cons:You must set up plugins to use AI features.
Best Use Case:Use Logseq if you want privacy and AI-powered note-taking for meeting notes.
Comparison to NotebookLM:Logseq is about privacy and linked notes. NotebookLM is more for general AI note-taking apps.
10.ClickUp

ClickUp puts note-taking, tasks, and project management together. You can use AI for transcription and smart summarization. The tool helps you keep meeting notes and organize your work.
Key Features:
AI-powered transcription and smart summarization
Notes, tasks, and project management in one place
Templates for meeting notes
Pros:You get everything in one tool. The AI helps with transcription and accuracy.
Cons:There may be too many features if you only want note-taking.
Best Use Case:Pick ClickUp if you want to manage notes, tasks, and projects together.
Comparison to NotebookLM:ClickUp has project management with AI note-taking apps. NotebookLM is more about AI-powered note-taking and smart summarization.
Comparison Table of These Best AI Note-Taking Apps

Feature Comparison
It is important to pick the right note-taking tool. The table below shows what each tool can do. You can see which ones help you organize notes, use AI for summaries, and save things from the web. Some tools let you use AI for note-taking. Others help you manage your knowledge or capture web content.
Tool | AI Note-Taking | Web Capture | Video Capture | Knowledge Management | Meeting Notes | Daily Summaries |
Notion | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
Obsidian | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
remio | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Microsoft OneNote | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
Mem | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Roam Research | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Evernote | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
Tana | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Logseq | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
ClickUp | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
Tip: Use this table to see which app matches your needs. Some tools are best for daily notes. Others are better for meeting notes with AI help.
Pricing
You should also think about how much each tool costs. Some apps are free. Others need a paid plan for more features. The table below shows the price for each tool.
Tool | Free Plan | Paid Plan (Starting) |
Notion | ✅ | $10/month |
Obsidian | ✅ | $8/month |
remio | ✅ | $8/month |
Microsoft OneNote | ✅ | $7/month (Microsoft 365) |
Mem | ✅ | $10/month |
Roam Research | ❌ | $15/month |
Evernote | ✅ | $15/month |
Tana | ✅ | $10/month |
Logseq | ✅ | $8/month |
ClickUp | ✅ | $7/month |
Note: Free plans may not give you all the features. Some limit AI note-taking or how many notes you can save. Check what each plan gives you before you choose.
Choosing the Right AI Note-Taking App
Matching Features to Needs
You want a note-taking app that fits your daily routine. Start by listing what you need most. Some people want fast transcription. Others need smart summarization or easy ways to organize notes. If you read web articles or watch videos, look for tools that capture content and add it to your notes. Many apps now offer real-time transcription, which helps you keep up during busy days. You can also use smart summarization to turn long articles into short, clear notes. Make sure your app supports the devices you use. If you switch between phone and computer, cross-device sync keeps your notes safe.
Tip: Write down your top three needs before you choose a note-taking tool.
Meeting Notes Use Cases
Meeting notes help you remember what happened in every meeting. You can use note-taking apps with live meeting transcription to capture every word. Real-time transcription lets you focus on the discussion instead of typing everything. After the meeting, smart summarization creates meeting summaries you can share with your team. Some apps let you add action items or tag important points in your notes. You can also search your notes later to find key decisions or tasks. Meeting notes with transcription save time and improve accuracy.
Workflow Tips
You can boost your productivity with the right note-taking workflow. Try these steps:
Start each day by reviewing your notes from yesterday.
Use transcription to capture ideas during calls or lectures.
Highlight important points for smart summarization.
Organize your notes by topic or project.
Use meeting notes templates for faster setup.
Set reminders to review meeting summaries.
Try real-time transcription for live events.
Share your notes with classmates or coworkers.
Use daily summaries to track your progress.
Back up your notes often to avoid losing information.
Remember: Good note-taking habits help you learn more and stay organized.
There are lots of note-taking tools besides NotebookLM. Each one helps you organize notes in a special way. Some apps let you use transcription for your notes. You can manage your knowledge with these tools. Many apps help with meeting notes and daily summaries. Some let you quickly transcribe what you hear. A few tools let you save notes from websites or videos. Others make note-taking and transcription simple. These apps help you keep your notes neat and easy to find. Try out different tools to see what works best for you. Share your best note-taking tips in the comments. Your ideas can help others pick the right app.
FAQ
1.What makes notebooklm alternatives better for meeting notes?
NotebookLM alternatives give you more ways to take notes. Many tools can write down what people say during meetings. Some tools also make short summaries of meetings. These features help you remember everything that was said. You can keep your meeting notes neat and easy to check later.
2.How do ai note-taking apps improve note organization?
AI note-taking apps use special features to sort your notes. You can find what you need very fast. Some apps tell you which tags or categories to use. This keeps your notes tidy and simple to look through. You save time and get more done.
3.Can I use note-taking software on different devices?
Yes, many note-taking tools work on phones and computers. You can start a note on one device and finish it on another. This keeps your notes the same everywhere. You will not lose your work when you change devices.
4.Why is real-time transcription important for productivity tools?
Real-time transcription turns spoken words into text right away. You can listen and join the talk without typing everything. This makes your notes more correct and helps you finish meeting summaries faster. Many tools now have this feature to help you work better.
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