Switching from NotebookLM?

The Best NotebookLM Alternative for Mac

NotebookLM, But Without the Limits

Looking for a NotebookLM alternative? Elephas lets you chat with unlimited PDFs, docs, and notes. Works across your entire Mac, in any app, anytime!

500+ documents per Brain

Works in any Mac app

Choose your AI model

Download Free for Mac

No credit card required · Cancel anytime · Mac, iPhone & iPad

4.6/5 on Capterra

The Problem

Great Tool. Frustrating Limits.

NotebookLM is impressive, but these pain points keep coming up:

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"I hit the 50-source limit halfway through my research project"

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"I'm constantly tab-switching between NotebookLM and the app I'm actually working in"

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"I want to use Claude or GPT-4, not just Gemini"

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"I don't want to upload confidential docs to Google"

Elephas removes those limits.

Side-by-Side Comparison

See how Elephas stacks up against NotebookLM

Feature	NotebookLM	Elephas
Document limit	50 sources per notebook	500+ per Brain
Works in any app
AI model choice	Gemini only	GPT-4, Claude, Gemini, Ollama
Offline mode
Native Mac app	Web only	Mac, iPhone, iPad
Data privacy	Stored on Google	Local-first, your control
Write directly into apps
Source citations

Why Professionals Switch

The key reasons users choose Elephas over NotebookLM

📚

500+ Documents Per Brain

No artificial limits. Add 500+ documents to a single Brain (vs NotebookLM's 50). Your entire research library, accessible instantly. This NotebookLM alternative scales with your needs.

⚡

Works Across Your Mac

No more tab-switching. Access your knowledge base from any app—write emails, draft documents, or research without leaving your workflow.

🧠

Your AI, Your Models

Choose GPT-4, Claude, Gemini, or run locally with Ollama. Use the AI that works best for your needs—or switch between them freely.

Works With Everything You Use

Unlike NotebookLM, Elephas connects to your existing tools

Documents & Files

PDFs

Word & Pages

Excel & CSV

Markdown

Note-Taking Apps

Apple Notes

Auto-sync

Notion

Auto-sync

Obsidian

Auto-sync

Media & Web

Zoom Meetings

YouTube

Voice Notes

Web Pages

NotebookLM Can't Do This

One Shortcut. Every App.

NotebookLM lives in a browser tab. Elephas lives everywhere—press one key combo and your AI assistant appears in any Mac app.

⌘ + Space anywhere on your Mac

Mail

Re: Partnership Proposal

Thanks for sending over the terms. I've reviewed...

Safari — Research

Markets Rally on Fed News

Stocks surged Wednesday as investors...

Slack — #strategy

@team Can someone summarize yesterday's meeting notes?

Notes

Q4 Planning

Key priorities: launch new...

Super Command

What would you like to do?|

✍️ Reply professionally

📋 Summarize this

🧠 Save to Brain

✨ Improve writing

Mail

Safari

Slack

Notes

Docs

+ any Mac app

Try Super Command Free

Privacy-First — Unlike NotebookLM

Your Data Stays Yours. Period.

NotebookLM uploads everything to Google. With Elephas, your documents stay on your Mac—and you can even run 100% offline.

Local Storage

All data stays on your Mac

Offline Mode

Works without internet

Choose Your AI

GPT-4, Claude, Gemini, Ollama

No Training

Your data is never used

Learn More About Privacy

Native Mac + iOS App

Your Knowledge Goes Where You Go

NotebookLM just added a basic iOS app. Elephas has native Mac, iPhone, and iPad apps that sync seamlessly—reference everything during client meetings, prep for calls on the commute.

Works standalone or synced

Use iOS app alone, or sync with Mac via iCloud

AI keyboard system-wide

Write better in any iOS app with smart suggestions

Seamless continuity

Start on Mac, continue on iPhone, pick up on iPad

Download on App Store Download for Mac

From Knowledge to Deliverables

NotebookLM helps you find answers. Elephas helps you turn them into polished outputs in seconds.

Q3 Market Analysis.docx

Reports & Documents

Generate Word docs and PDFs from your research, with citations included.

Overview

Key Metrics

Next Steps

Presentations

Create slide decks from your knowledge in minutes, ready for Keynote.

Pricing Market Fit Research

Product
Strategy

Competitors Go-to-Market Roadmap

Visuals

Generate mind maps, diagrams, and images from your ideas.

To: Sarah Chen

Re: Partnership Proposal Follow-up

Hi Sarah,

Following up on our discussion about the Q2 partnership terms. Based on the board's feedback, we can move forward with the revenue share model you proposed...

Emails & Drafts

Write emails, briefs, and summaries grounded in your actual files.

Start Creating Deliverables

Built for Serious Work

How professionals use Elephas every day

Researchers

Upload entire paper libraries. Ask questions across hundreds of sources. Get cited answers with page references.

Consultants

Create client-specific Brains. Access project context from any app. Generate reports and proposals grounded in real data.

Founders & Executives

Query board decks, strategy docs, and meeting notes instantly. Make decisions backed by your complete organizational memory.

Join 3,000+ Professionals Who Switched This Month

Here's what users say about choosing Elephas as their NotebookLM alternative

"Elephas has been a game-changer. It's like having an intelligent assistant always one keyboard shortcut away. The Super Brain feature is amazing for working with my documents."

Gabriel Entrepreneur, Brazil

"The Super Brain function is brilliant. It's my daily driver. It can export results directly into Keynote—if you have a template ready, you can be set in 5 minutes."

Kamil Consultant, Poland

"Elephas is the best at bringing AI to my fingertips. The killer feature is the close integration with my OS. I have AI superpowers every time I need them."

Luca Technology Leader, Italy

"Great in-line AI and RAG Tool! In-line use of AI and use of 'Super Brains' to allow query of your own content."

Scott United States

"This software has become an essential tool for automating various tasks. The developers are quick to address issues and provide updates based on user feedback."

Michele Germany

"The capability to handle more contact, deal with more emails and refine my content has been a real help as I set up my new company. It is intuitive and learns as it goes."

Sean Ireland

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions from NotebookLM users

While there's no direct import, you can easily add the same source documents to Elephas. Export your PDFs, docs, and notes from NotebookLM and drag them into an Elephas Brain. Most users complete the switch in under 30 minutes.
Elephas is currently Mac, iPhone, and iPad only. We've built deep integrations with macOS and iOS that wouldn't be possible on other platforms. If you're on Windows, NotebookLM or other web-based tools might be a better fit for now.
Yes. Your documents stay on your device by default. When you query your Brain, only the relevant snippets are sent to the AI—never your entire document library. For maximum privacy, you can run 100% offline using Ollama with local AI models.
That's exactly what Elephas is built for. Unlike NotebookLM's 50-source limit, Elephas handles hundreds or thousands of documents per Brain. Our vector search technology ensures fast, accurate retrieval no matter the size of your knowledge base.
Yes! Elephas integrates with Ollama, letting you run powerful AI models entirely on your Mac. No internet required, complete privacy, and no per-query costs. Perfect for confidential work or when you're traveling.
ChatGPT and Claude are general-purpose AI chatbots. Elephas is a knowledge management system built specifically for your documents. It creates a searchable Brain from your files, provides cited answers, and works natively across your Mac. Think of it as NotebookLM's functionality plus native Mac integration.
NotebookLM is free but limited to 50 sources per notebook and Gemini only. Elephas offers a free tier to get started, with paid plans starting at $4.99/month for full features including 500+ documents per Brain, multiple AI models, and native Mac integration. Most users find the productivity gains far outweigh the cost.
Yes! Elephas offers a free tier with core features so you can experience the app before committing. No credit card required to download. If you upgrade, you can cancel anytime—no questions asked.
Most users are up and running in under 5 minutes. Download the app, create your first Brain, and drag in your documents. Elephas indexes them automatically. You can start querying your knowledge base immediately while more documents process in the background.

Great Tool. Frustrating Limits.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Why Professionals Switch

500+ Documents Per Brain

Works Across Your Mac

Your AI, Your Models

Works With Everything You Use

Documents & Files

Note-Taking Apps

Media & Web

One Shortcut. Every App.

Your Data Stays Yours. Period.

Local Storage

Offline Mode

Choose Your AI

No Training

Your Knowledge Goes Where You Go

Works standalone or synced

AI keyboard system-wide

Seamless continuity

From Knowledge to Deliverables

Reports & Documents

Presentations

Visuals

Emails & Drafts

Built for Serious Work

Researchers

Consultants

Founders & Executives

Join 3,000+ Professionals Who Switched This Month

Frequently Asked Questions

Ready to Break Free from NotebookLM's Limits?