NotebookLM vs Perplexity
A side-by-side look at pricing, free plans, platforms and features, for tools that both cover research.
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| Feature |  NotebookLM |  Perplexity |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Freemium | Freemium |
| Free to start | Yes | Yes |
| Best for | Research, Learning | AI search, Chatbots, Research |
| Who uses it | Consultants, Students, Researchers | Consultants, Marketers, Students, Researchers |
| Works on | Web | Web |
| About | NotebookLM answers questions using only the documents, links and videos you upload, with citations back to each source. It can also create study guides, mind maps and podcast-style audio overviews. | Perplexity searches the web and replies with a written answer that cites its sources, so you can check every claim. It suits quick research, market questions and follow-up digging, and offers a free tier plus a Pro plan with more advanced models and file analysis. |
NotebookLM vs Perplexity: privacy and safety
From each vendor’s public policies, as scored by SafeScore.
| NotebookLM | Perplexity | |
|---|---|---|
| SafeScore | 95 | 80 |
| Trains on your data | No (by default) | No (by default) |
| GDPR / DPA | Yes | Yes |
| SOC 2 / ISO 27001 | Yes | Yes |
| HIPAA BAA | Not found | Not found |
| Data deletion | Yes | Yes |
| SSO & admin controls | Yes | Yes |
| Full report | Is NotebookLM safe? | Is Perplexity safe? |
Which one should you pick?
Both are described from their official websites; try each with a real task from your own work before you commit, since quality depends heavily on the job.
