NotebookLM alternative for Mac and Windows
A NotebookLM alternative that keeps your documents on your computer.
NotebookLM works on sources you upload to Google. Elephas answers questions from your own contracts, client files, and reports while they stay stored on your computer, and every answer cites your files.
Free for 7 days. No card needed. Also for Windows
Free for 7 days. No card needed. Also for Mac
Elephas runs on Mac and Windows. We will send you the link once.
For Mac and Windows. Free for 7 days.
macOS 14 or later on Apple Silicon. Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit.
Why people look for a NotebookLM alternative
NotebookLM is a good research tool. These are the reasons it stops fitting, most often once the documents belong to a client.
The files have to be uploaded
Every source goes to Google's servers. For a contract under NDA or a client file, that is a decision you may not be allowed to make. With Elephas, your documents stay stored on your computer.
Source limits per notebook
The free plan allows 50 sources per notebook, and paid plans raise that. A Brain in Elephas can hold up to 25,000 files, up to 200 MB each, and you can add a whole folder at once.
No desktop app
NotebookLM runs in a browser and on phones. Elephas is a desktop app for Mac and Windows that works directly with the files already on your computer.
What you get with Elephas
Your documents stay stored on your computer
Add files, a whole folder, or a web page to a Brain. Elephas reads and indexes them on your computer. Search is built on your computer.
Sources that show the quoted passage and its page
Every answer cites your files. Open a source to see the quoted passage and the page, slide, sheet, or paragraph it came from. Not another chatbot answering from the internet.
Personal details are hidden first
Before a question leaves your computer, Elephas hides personal details such as names, email addresses, and phone numbers, then puts them back in the answer. You can see what was hidden under every answer.
You decide where answers are generated
Use Elephas AI, your own API key, or a model on your computer. With the on-computer model, answers are generated on your computer. Nothing is sent anywhere.
Share a Brain with your team
Invite teammates by email and choose who can manage, add to, or only read each Brain. Sync is end-to-end encrypted. Our servers hold only encrypted data that we cannot read. Private AI for teams
The formats you already have
PDFs, including scanned ones, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Markdown, text, CSV, HTML, EPUB, and images of text.
See how Elephas protects your documents
Free for 7 days. No card needed. Also for Windows
Free for 7 days. No card needed. Also for Mac
Elephas runs on Mac and Windows. We will send you the link once.
For Mac and Windows. Free for 7 days.
Elephas vs NotebookLM
| What matters | Elephas | NotebookLM now Gemini Notebook |
|---|---|---|
| Where your files are stored | On your computer | Uploaded to Google |
| Personal details hidden before the model sees them | Yes, and you can see what was hidden | Not a documented feature |
| Where answers are generated | Your choice: Elephas AI, your own API key, or a model on your computer | Google's cloud |
| Sources in answers | Yes, with the page, slide, or sheet | Yes, citations open the quoted passage |
| How much you can add | Up to 25,000 files per Brain, up to 200 MB each | 50 sources per notebook on the free plan, more on paid plans |
| Team sharing | Shared Brains, end-to-end encrypted | Share notebooks by email or link, not end-to-end encrypted |
| Desktop app | Mac and Windows | No. Web and mobile apps |
| Audio overviews | No | Yes |
| Price | From $19 a month. Free for 7 days | Free plan. Paid through Google AI plans |
NotebookLM details from Google's public help pages, checked October 2026. Google changes plans and limits often, so check the current ones.
When NotebookLM is the better choice
- You want audio overviews of your sources. Elephas does not do audio overviews.
- You want a free plan. Elephas has a free 7-day trial, then a paid plan.
- You work on a phone or in a browser. Elephas is a desktop app.
- Your sources are public or not sensitive, so uploading them is not a concern.
When Elephas is the better choice
- Your documents belong to clients, or are confidential by default.
- You need to decide where answers are generated, including on your computer.
- You have more files than a notebook allows.
- Your team needs a shared knowledge base that is end-to-end encrypted.
Questions about switching
Is NotebookLM now called Gemini Notebook?
Is Elephas a private alternative to NotebookLM?
Is there a NotebookLM alternative for Windows?
Does Elephas have source limits?
Does Elephas make audio overviews?
Is Elephas free?
Can my team use it together?
Ask your documents. Keep them on your computer.
Free for 7 days. No card needed. Also for Windows
Free for 7 days. No card needed. Also for Mac
Elephas runs on Mac and Windows. We will send you the link once.
For Mac and Windows. Free for 7 days.