What is NotebookLM? More Than Just a Notebook
Before diving into costs, let’s first clarify what NotebookLM really is. It’s not just another note-taking app—it’s an AI-powered research and writing assistant trained on the materials you provide.
You can upload PDFs, Google Docs, website links, YouTube videos (it pulls transcripts), or even paste copied text. Then NotebookLM helps you:
- Generate summaries: Quickly digest long documents or hours of video.
- Create study guides: Transform complex materials into Q&A sets, outlines, or simplified guides.
- Find accurate citations: When you ask questions, NotebookLM cites directly from your sources with references.
- Produce audio overviews: Convert AI-generated summaries or conversations into audio files for easier learning.
- Generate video summaries: Automatically create slides with narration, pulling images, charts, and quotes from your sources.
In short, NotebookLM is your personalized, trustworthy AI research partner, built to help you understand and work with your data.
NotebookLM Pricing and Plans
NotebookLM currently offers a free version with no subscription required, making it accessible for light users who need everyday research and document analysis.
Free vs. Paid: Key Limits and Permissions
Understanding the differences between the Free Plan and NotebookLM Plus (Paid Plan) is crucial:
| Feature | Free Plan | Paid Plan (NotebookLM Plus) |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly Notebook Limit | 100 notebooks | 500 notebooks |
| Sources per Notebook | Up to 50 sources per notebook | Up to 300 sources per notebook |
| Daily Conversation Queries | 50 queries | 500 queries |
| Daily Conversation Queries | 3 times | 20 times |
| Source Character Limit | Up to 500,000 characters per source | Up to 500,000 characters per source |
| Notebook Sharing | Yes (with sharing limitations) | Yes (can share notebooks for “conversation only”) |
| Analytics | Not available | Available (provides notebook analytics to help understand data usage) |
From the table above, it’s clear that the Free Plan is more than enough for students writing reports or office workers managing a small number of documents. However, if you’re a researcher dealing with large volumes of academic papers, an analyst reviewing multiple market reports, or a heavy knowledge worker, then the Paid Plan’s higher limits become a necessary investment.
NotebookLM with Google One (For Individual Users)
For individual users, NotebookLM isn’t sold as a standalone product—it comes bundled within Google One’s AI subscription plans. To access NotebookLM, you’ll need to subscribe to either Google AI Pro or Google AI Ultra. These plans unlock NotebookLM features such as 5x more voice summaries and notebook capacity in the Pro tier. On top of that, you also get access to the Gemini apps, extra cloud storage, and AI-powered enhancements across other Google services—making it a convenient choice for personal users who want the full benefits of Google’s AI ecosystem.
NotebookLM with Google Cloud (For Enterprise Licensing)
對For enterprises or organizations that need a more professional and independently deployed version of NotebookLM, Google Cloud offers a dedicated licensing plan. This enterprise-grade edition is built with advanced capabilities, including 5x higher limits for voice summaries, notebooks, and data sources. It also allows customization of notebook responses in terms of tone and length, the creation of expert guides, shared organizational notebooks, and most importantly, enterprise-level security features such as VPC-SC and IAM access controls. Pricing is set at $9 per license per month, with discounts available for annual subscriptions.
NotebookLM with Google Workspace (For Business Plans)
NotebookLM is also deeply integrated into the Google Workspace productivity suite, where it’s offered to business users under the name “AI Research Assistant (NotebookLM Plus).” This means that if you’re already using Google Workspace—or considering subscribing—NotebookLM is included as part of the package.
Starting from the Google Workspace Standardhttps://workspace.google.com/pricing plan ($14 per user/month), you’ll get access to NotebookLM Plus. Higher-tier plans, such as Plus and Enterprise Plus, also include this feature. With this integration, companies can leverage NotebookLM to boost team research and collaboration, while enjoying seamless compatibility with Gmail, Google Docs, Meet, and other Workspace tools.
Pricing and Plan Comparison
| User Type | Subscription Path | Starting Price (Taiwan) | Key Features & Limitations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual Users | Google One | NT$542/month* | Includes NotebookLM Pro, 2TB cloud storage, Gemini Advanced features |
| Business Use | Google Workspace | NT$420/month* | Includes Gmail, Meet, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drive, and NotebookLM |
| Enterprise | Google Cloud | NT$270/month* | Enterprises can access NotebookLM Enterprise through Google Cloud |
| Students | Google Workspace for Education | Varies by plan | Educational institutions can access NotebookLM Pro through Workspace for Education |
*Prices marked with an asterisk are based on annual billing, shown as the average monthly cost per user. Actual billing methods and rates are subject to the official announcements of each service provider.
Final Thoughts: Start Free, Upgrade When Needed
Google’s 2025 NotebookLM strategy is clear:
The Free Plan is powerful enough to transform how most people learn and research.
The Paid Plans are designed for professionals and enterprises that need higher usage limits, advanced features, and enterprise-level control.
The smartest approach? Start with the Free Plan. Use it to experience firsthand how NotebookLM saves you time and extracts insights.
Once you start hitting daily limits or find the source capacity too small for your projects, that’s the signal—it’s time to upgrade. At that point, moving to NotebookLM Pro will be a natural and high-ROI decision.
Elite Cloud provides custom NotebookLM deployment solutions for enterprises—helping you get started quickly, integrate deeply, and apply NotebookLM effectively in real-world scenarios.
