Comparison
Sidenote vs NotebookLM
Both turn documents into answers you can trust. The difference is where you work. NotebookLM is a research workspace you upload sources into. Sidenote is a browser extension that reads the page you already have open — and cites it. Here is an honest, feature-by-feature comparison.
The short answer
Should you use Sidenote or NotebookLM?
Plenty of people use both. They solve different halves of the same problem.
Compared honestly
Sidenote vs NotebookLM: feature by feature
CapabilitySidenoteNotebookLM
Installs as a browser extensionSidenoteYesNotebookLMNo
Reads the page you already have openSidenoteYesNotebookLMNo
Works on private Confluence & intranet pagesSidenoteYesNotebookLMNo
Upload your own PDFs & documentsSidenoteYesNotebookLMYes
Inline citations on every answerSidenoteYesNotebookLMYes
Citations scroll & highlight the live source tabSidenoteYesNotebookLMNo
Ask a question across many documents at onceSidenoteYesNotebookLMYes
One-click glossary of jargon & acronymsSidenoteYesNotebookLMNo
Audio Overviews (podcast-style)SidenoteNoNotebookLMYes
Video Overviews & mind mapsSidenoteNoNotebookLMYes
Per-document Store / Discard retention controlSidenoteYesNotebookLMNo
Free tierSidenoteYesNotebookLMYes
Two rows go to NotebookLM, and we are not pretending otherwise — see Where NotebookLM is the better tool below. The cross-document chat row above is powered by Sidenote Collections.
The core difference
A workspace you visit, or a reader that rides along.
NotebookLM is a destination. You open it, create a notebook, and upload or link the sources you want to study. Everything happens inside that workspace. It is a genuinely good research desk — but it is a place you go to, separate from the documents themselves.
Sidenote never asks you to leave. It sits in the side panel of every tab, reads the page you are already on, and answers questions about it in place. Click a citation and Sidenote scrolls the real document and highlights the exact passage — in the tab you were already reading.
The difference in one exampleTake a private Confluence runbook. NotebookLM fetches URLs on Google’s servers — it cannot sign in as you, so a page behind your company login is invisible to it. Sidenote runs in your browser, on your session, so it reads exactly what is on your screen.
Giving credit
Where NotebookLM is the better tool.
We are not going to build a worse version of these. If they are what you need, use NotebookLM:
- Audio & Video OverviewsTurn a stack of sources into a podcast-style discussion or a narrated deep-dive video. Sidenote has nothing like it.
- A broad study toolkitMind maps, briefing docs, timelines and Deep Research reports — NotebookLM is built for working a topic from every angle.
- A very generous free tierGoogle’s free plan covers a lot of notebooks and sources before you reach a paywall.
FAQ
Sidenote vs NotebookLM — common questions
Is Sidenote a good NotebookLM alternative?
It depends what you need. If you want answers about a document you already have open — a Confluence runbook, a PDF, an arXiv paper — without uploading it into a separate workspace, Sidenote is the better fit: it rides along in your browser and cites the exact passage. If you are running a deep research project across dozens of sources and want Audio Overviews, NotebookLM is excellent at that.
Can NotebookLM read my private Confluence wiki?
Not private pages. NotebookLM fetches web URLs on Google’s servers, so it can only see pages that are public — anything behind your company login is invisible to it. Sidenote runs inside your browser on your own session, so it reads exactly what is on your screen, including private Confluence pages and intranets.
Does Sidenote have Audio Overviews like NotebookLM?
No. Audio Overviews and Video Overviews are NotebookLM’s signature features and it does them well. Sidenote is deliberately narrower: it focuses on citation-grounded reading — summaries, chat, plain-language explanations and glossaries, each answer linked to the source passage.
Which is more private?
Both Google and Sidenote state they do not train AI models on your content. Sidenote adds a per-document choice: Store mode keeps a document indexed for as long as your account is open, Discard mode purges it within 24 hours. Sidenote’s data sits in a UK (eu-west-2) region with row-level security isolating every account.
Can I use Sidenote and NotebookLM together?
Yes, and plenty of people do. They solve different halves of the same problem: NotebookLM is a research desk you bring sources to; Sidenote is a reader that travels with you across every tab. Use NotebookLM for a focused research project and Sidenote for everyday reading.
How much does Sidenote cost compared to NotebookLM?
Both have a free tier. Sidenote is free to install with a 7-day Pro trial (no card required); paid plans start at £10/month. NotebookLM has a generous free plan and several paid tiers bundled with Google’s AI subscriptions.
Try it on the page you are on
Read anything. With citations.
Add Sidenote to Chrome and ask the document in front of you a question. No upload, no workspace — just the answer, and the passage that proves it.
7-day Pro trial · No card required · Free tier forever