Gemini Notebook (NotebookLM) vs ChatGPT Projects vs Claude Projects
For a thesis reading pack, Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM) is the most source-bound: Google says it answers from your uploaded sources and won't answer if the information isn't there. ChatGPT and Claude Projects use your files as context but document no source-only mode. On personal plans, training depends on settings and feedback. Checked 16 October 2026.
First: NotebookLM is now Gemini Notebook
Google renamed NotebookLM to Gemini Notebook on 16 July 2026: “It remains a standalone product focused on being your premier research tool.” Help pages still sit under support.google.com/notebooklm. Our dossier keeps the /tools/notebooklm address.
What the help pages say, side by side
We compared three things a thesis writer cares about: whether answers stay inside your files, how much you can upload, and what happens to the files. The rows quote the vendors; we have not run our own grounding test.
| Question | Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM) | ChatGPT Projects | Claude Projects |
|---|---|---|---|
| Answers only from your files?Source 1Source 2Source 3 | Yes, per Google: “If the answer isn't in the source material, it won't provide a response.” | No such mode documented. Files add context (“ChatGPT can use what you add to provide more informed answers”); project chats can also search the web. | No such mode documented. Files form a knowledge base “which Claude will use to better understand the context”. |
| Upload limitsSource 1Source 2Source 3Source 4 | “500,000 words per source or up to 200MB for local uploads.” No page limit. Sources per notebook vary by plan; see dossier. | Files per project: Free 5; Go, Plus 25; Edu, Pro, Business, Enterprise 40. Only 10 files at a time. | 30MB per file; number of files “Unlimited, but total content must fit within Claude's context window”. Paid plans can “expand capacity by up to 10x”. |
| Training on personal plansSource 1Source 2Source 3 | Content “will not be used to directly train our foundational AI models, unless you choose to provide feedback.” Reviewed feedback kept up to 3 years. | Free, Plus, Pro: OpenAI “may use information accessed from projects to train our models if your ‘Improve the model for everyone’ setting is on”. | Chats are used if “You choose to allow us”; feedback kept up to 5 years; Incognito chats are not used. The default setting is not verified here. |
| University or work accountsSource 1Source 2 | Workspace and Workspace for Education: not human-reviewed, even with feedback, and “will not be used to train AI models.” | “By default, OpenAI does not use data from ChatGPT Business, Enterprise, Edu, or ChatGPT for Healthcare workspaces to train its models.” | Commercial terms (Claude for Work, API) not read for this page. |
Pick by scenario (our reading)
Answers must come only from your PDFs: Gemini Notebook, the only one of the three that documents refusing when the sources lack the answer. Drafting and rewriting with your notes: ChatGPT or Claude Projects, and check your faculty's AI rules first. Many files: ChatGPT caps a project at 5 to 40 files by plan; Claude has no file count but must fit the context window.
Unpublished chapters: use a Workspace, Edu or Business account if your university provides one, and on a personal plan check the training setting and avoid rating answers before you upload.
Questions this guide answers
Every answer below is assembled from the dated fields on this page. Nothing is written separately for search.
Is NotebookLM the same as Gemini Notebook?
Yes. Google renamed NotebookLM to Gemini Notebook on 16 July 2026; it remains a standalone product.
Does Gemini Notebook train on my uploads?
On personal accounts, Google says content is not used to directly train its foundational models unless you give feedback. On Workspace and Workspace for Education accounts, it is not human-reviewed or used for training.
Does ChatGPT train on project files?
On Free, Plus and Pro, it may if “Improve the model for everyone” is on. Business, Enterprise and Edu workspace data is not used for training by default.
How many files can I upload?
ChatGPT: 5 to 40 per project by plan. Claude: no fixed count, 30MB per file, within the context window. Gemini Notebook: up to 500,000 words or 200MB per source; sources per notebook depend on plan. Limits change; check the date.
Which is best for a thesis?
For questions over a fixed reading pack, Gemini Notebook stays closest to your sources. For drafting, ChatGPT or Claude Projects. Either way, open the cited passage before you use it.