AskYourPDFFree plan
Paid from
$14.99 a month
View plans and limitsUpdated 4 September 2026 · Independent comparison
AskYourPDF vs Gemini Notebook:
which should you use?
AskYourPDF and Gemini Notebook, side by side. Find the one that fits what you need to do.
Find your best fitThe 30-second answer
AskYourPDF straightforward document chat with citation back to the page, and it handles long PDFs without the usual truncation.
Gemini Notebook is built for search, research & academics.
Pricing, simplified
Start free. Upgrade when you need more.
Gemini NotebookFree plan
Paid from
$4.99 a month
View plans and limitsThe 30-second comparison
If you only read one section, make it this one. Rows where both sides say the same thing are left out — the point is where they differ. Where each row came from is listed underneath.
| Category | AskYourPDF | Gemini Notebook | Better fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it's built for | Straightforward document chat with citation back to the page, and it handles long PDFs without the usual truncation. | You upload the sources and it answers only from them, linking every sentence to the passage it came from. The strongest verification pattern here. | Gemini Notebook |
| Fit for search, research & academics | Strong fit | Built for this | Gemini Notebook |
| Free plan | Yes. Free, but tightly capped: 1 document a day, 100 pages per document and a 15MB upload limit | Yes. Free, and the core product is not gated: what a paid plan buys is headroom — a bigger notebook, more sources per notebook and higher limits on Audio and Video Overviews and Slides | Tie |
| Cheapest way to pay | $14.99 a month. | $4.99 a month. | Gemini Notebook |
| What the paid tiers cost |
|
| Tie |
| What to watch out for | A thin layer over a general model, so it inherits that model’s habits. Little here that a general assistant with file upload does not also do. The free tier allows one document a day, so it is a taster rather than a working allowance. | Deliberately limited — it will not answer what your documents do not cover, and cannot tell you whether they are any good. Paid headroom comes from a Google AI subscription rather than a plan of its own. It was called NotebookLM until Google renamed it in July 2026, and notebooklm.google.com is still where it opens. | Tie |
| Sources you can check | Answers arrive without sources attached. | Answers carry sources you can open and check. | Gemini Notebook |
| What it asks of you | Expects some technical comfort to get going. | No setup — it works in a browser. | Tie |
| Made by | ProtonLabs Technology — Birmingham, GB. | Google DeepMind — London, GB. | Tie |
Gemini Notebook is ahead on 4 of the 9 rows compared, 3 of them about how well it does the job itself. That is a clear lead rather than a tiebreaker.
Gemini Notebook
You upload the sources and it answers only from them, linking every sentence to the passage it came from.
✓ The job is mainly search, research & academics
✓ You upload the sources and it answers only from them, linking every sentence to the passage it came from.
✓ You want the cheaper paid plan, $4.99 against $14.99
✓ You need sources you can open and check
Straightforward document chat with citation back to the page, and it handles long PDFs without the usual truncation.
AskYourPDF is the better answer when the job is what it was built for rather than what the pick above does broadly.
✓ Straightforward document chat with citation back to the page, and it handles long PDFs without the usual truncation.
✓ Free, but tightly capped: 1 document a day, 100 pages per document and a 15MB upload limit
✓ It is aimed at students, working professionals, researchers
✓ Paid plans start at $14.99 a month
How we know
Every row that separated these two, and where it came from. Nothing here is a hands-on test — if a line rests on a vendor’s own pricing page, it says so and links it.
| Row | Favours | Weight | Where it came from |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it's built for | Gemini Notebook | How well it does the job | From this site’s own catalogue record for each product — compiled by hand, not imported. How a product gets listed |
| Fit for search, research & academics | Gemini Notebook | How well it does the job | Both products are listed under search, research & academics in the catalogue, and this is the fit recorded against each listing. Everything listed under search, research & academics |
| Cheapest way to pay | Gemini Notebook | Everything else | From each vendor’s own pricing page. Dates and pages are listed below. |
| Sources you can check | Gemini Notebook | How well it does the job | From this site’s own catalogue record for each product — compiled by hand, not imported. How a product gets listed |
The prices
AskYourPDF. Read by hand off askyourpdf.com on 4 September 2026. It is not on the monthly re-check, so confirm there before paying. askyourpdf.com/pricing
Gemini Notebook. Read by hand off one.google.com on 4 September 2026. It is not on the monthly re-check, so confirm there before paying. one.google.com/ai
The ratings
The category these two share. Search, Research & Academics — both are listed there in the catalogue, and the fit recorded against each listing is a judgement made here, by hand.
The nine-category grid below. Derived from what each product is listed for, by one script, once per build — so the same pair always reads the same. It is a derivation, not a review.
What this is not
Neither product was run side by side to produce this page. Nobody was paid to appear on it and nothing here is ranked by commission.
To put the same question to both and read the answers yourself, run them side by side — that is a live test, and this is not.
Choose based on what you’re doing
All ten categories, including the ones where neither of these is the answer. These ratings are derived from what each product is listed for, not from running it — a rating here is a reading of the record, and the record is linked.
01
General-Purpose AI Assistants
Questions, brainstorming, explanations, everyday tasks, decision-making, general advice.
AskYourPDF
Not a good fitGemini Notebook
Bad fitBest choice: Neither
02
Search, Research & Academics
Web research, deep research, books, academic papers, citations, news, fact-checking.
AskYourPDF
Good fitGemini Notebook
Bad fitBest choice: AskYourPDF
03
Writing, Communication & Language
Emails, reports, essays, editing, summarizing, translation, presentations.
AskYourPDF
Not a good fitGemini Notebook
Bad fitBest choice: Neither
04
Coding, Data & Technical Work
Programming, debugging, data analysis, spreadsheets, math, engineering, technical research.
AskYourPDF
Bad fitGemini Notebook
Bad fitBest choice: Neither
05
Business, Finance & Professional Work
Business strategy, investing, market research, legal, sales, HR, accounting, consulting.
AskYourPDF
Not a good fitGemini Notebook
Bad fitBest choice: Neither
06
Image & Design
Image generation, photo editing, logos, graphics, product design, advertising creatives.
AskYourPDF
Bad fitGemini Notebook
Bad fitBest choice: Neither
07
Video
Video generation and editing, clipping, subtitles, avatars, animation and motion capture.
AskYourPDF
Bad fitGemini Notebook
Bad fitBest choice: Neither
08
Audio, Voice & Music
Voice generation, transcription, music, dubbing, sound cleanup and podcast production.
AskYourPDF
Bad fitGemini Notebook
Bad fitBest choice: Neither
09
Marketing & Content Creation
Social media, SEO, advertising, copywriting, content ideas, scripts, brand development.
AskYourPDF
Bad fitGemini Notebook
Bad fitBest choice: Neither
10
Productivity, Automation & Personal Life
AI agents, workflows, scheduling, meetings, organization, shopping, travel, personal finance.
AskYourPDF
Not a good fitGemini Notebook
Bad fitBest choice: Neither
Straightforward document chat with citation back to the page, and it handles long PDFs without the usual truncation.
by ProtonLabs TechnologyStraightforward document chat with citation back to the page, and it handles long PDFs without the usual truncation.
Free, but tightly capped: 1 document a day, 100 pages per document and a 15MB upload limit
It is aimed at students, working professionals, researchers
Paid plans start at $14.99 a month
You upload the sources and it answers only from them, linking every sentence to the passage it came from.
by Google DeepMindThe job is mainly search, research & academics
You upload the sources and it answers only from them, linking every sentence to the passage it came from.
You want the cheaper paid plan, $4.99 against $14.99
You need sources you can open and check
Pricing, simplified
The plans people actually compare, read from each vendor’s own page.
PricingSimple, up-to-date plan overview.
AskYourPDFby ProtonLabs Technology
Gemini Notebookby Google DeepMindFree version
AskYourPDF
Yes — Free plan availableFree, but tightly capped: 1 document a day, 100 pages per document and a 15MB upload limit
Gemini Notebook
Yes — Free plan availableFree, and the core product is not gated: what a paid plan buys is headroom — a bigger notebook
Individual plans
AskYourPDF
Premium
$14.99 / month$11.99 / month (annual)
Pro
$19.99 / month$14.99 / month (annual)
Gemini Notebook
Google AI Plus
$4.99 / month$4.17 / month (annual)
Google AI Pro
$19.99 / month$16.67 / month (annual)
Google AI Ultra
From $99.99 / month
Business plans
AskYourPDFNot sold to teams
Gemini NotebookNot sold to teams
Enterprise
AskYourPDF
Custom pricing
Gemini NotebookNot published
Tell us what you use AI for
Pick your main job and the verdict below changes to match. Every answer is on the page already, so this works as a reader, not a lookup.
The verdict for that job
Gemini Notebook
Gemini Notebook. It is built for search, research & academics; AskYourPDF does it well without it being its focus; both have a free plan you can start on; Gemini Notebook is cheaper to start paying for, $4.99 against $14.99.
9 rows compared
Frequently asked questions
Is AskYourPDF or Gemini Notebook better?
Gemini Notebook is ahead on 4 of the 9 rows compared, 3 of them about how well it does the job itself. That is a clear lead rather than a tiebreaker. Gemini Notebook is built for search, research & academics; AskYourPDF does it well without it being its focus; both have a free plan you can start on; Gemini Notebook is cheaper to start paying for, $4.99 against $14.99. AskYourPDF: Straightforward document chat with citation back to the page, and it handles long PDFs without the usual truncation. Gemini Notebook: You upload the sources and it answers only from them, linking every sentence to the passage it came from. The strongest verification pattern here.
Is AskYourPDF or Gemini Notebook cheaper?
Gemini Notebook — paid plans start at $4.99 a month against $14.99 a month.
Do AskYourPDF and Gemini Notebook both have free plans?
Yes. AskYourPDF: Free, but tightly capped: 1 document a day, 100 pages per document and a 15MB upload limit. Gemini Notebook: Free, and the core product is not gated: what a paid plan buys is headroom — a bigger notebook, more sources per notebook and higher limits on Audio and Video Overviews and Slides.
What should I watch out for?
AskYourPDF: A thin layer over a general model, so it inherits that model’s habits. Little here that a general assistant with file upload does not also do. The free tier allows one document a day, so it is a taster rather than a working allowance. Gemini Notebook: Deliberately limited — it will not answer what your documents do not cover, and cannot tell you whether they are any good. Paid headroom comes from a Google AI subscription rather than a plan of its own. It was called NotebookLM until Google renamed it in July 2026, and notebooklm.google.com is still where it opens.
Read more
AskYourPDF
What it is for, who makes it, what it costs and what to use instead.
Gemini Notebook
What it is for, who makes it, what it costs and what to use instead.
Best AI for Research
Web research, deep research, books, academic papers, citations, news, fact-checking.