Kortex vs NotebookLM Tools for Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM)
Kortex vs NotebookLM Tools: free plans, bulk import, Studio tools, exports, automation and price side by side, and where each one wins. Checked Nov 4, 2026.
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Short answer: Kortex vs NotebookLM Tools is a choice between two big toolkits for Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM). NotebookLM Tools works inside Gemini Notebook’s own pages, keeps 35+ features free and sells Pro as a one-time payment from $29 a year. Kortex also reaches your AI chats and the web, and adds automations and Kortex MCP with Pro.
NotebookLM Tools is a browser extension. It adds bulk import, source folders, Studio batches and study modes inside Gemini Notebook’s own pages. Kortex is a Chrome extension. It brings research in from AI chats and the web, organizes it, exports it and automates it. They overlap more than most extensions do. The differences are where they work, what is free and how you pay. We built Kortex and publish this blog. Every claim about NotebookLM Tools below links to its Chrome Web Store listing or its own site, and we checked each one on November 4, 2026. “Not listed” means its pages do not mention a feature. That does not prove it is missing. Below: who should pick which, a 17-row feature table, where each one wins, and prices side by side.
Which should you pick: Kortex or NotebookLM Tools?
Pick NotebookLM Tools if your work happens inside Gemini Notebook and you want the most for free; pick Kortex if your research starts in AI chats and on the web. NotebookLM Tools says it “works exclusively with NotebookLM (Gemini Notebook)” (Chrome Web Store, Nov 4, 2026). Kortex works on 13 sites, from ChatGPT to YouTube.
NotebookLM Tools fits you if:
- You want the most for free. Its pricing page says 35+ features work without a license.
- You generate lots of Studio items, and want to take quizzes and study flashcards inline or send them to Anki.
- You use Firefox, or want Gemini Notebook’s own Collections and source labels managed for you.
Kortex fits you if:
- Your research starts in ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Perplexity, or on web pages and social posts.
- You want chats exported, rules that file new sources, or a podcast feed of your Audio Overviews (Pro).
- You want an AI assistant working in your notebooks through Kortex MCP (Pro).
Kortex vs NotebookLM Tools: how do they compare?
Both have 100,000 users or more on the Chrome Web Store, and both bulk-import, organize and export. The table puts 17 features side by side. NotebookLM Tools goes deeper inside Gemini Notebook; Kortex reaches outside it. Features marked (Pro) need a paid Kortex plan.
| Feature | Kortex | NotebookLM Tools |
|---|---|---|
| Best at | Getting chats and pages in, organizing, exporting and automating | Bulk work and Studio tools inside Gemini Notebook |
| Chrome Web Store users | 100,000+ | 100,000 |
| Chrome Web Store rating | 4.5 from 410 ratings | 4.6 from 114 ratings |
| Save AI chats | A save button inside ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, Grok and more | Not listed; its listing says it works only with Gemini Notebook |
| Web pages | Import the page you’re on, or send highlighted text | Add all open tabs, or every link on a page, in bulk |
| Bulk import | Link lists, open tabs, CSV, RSS feeds and a site crawl (Pro) | URL lists, YouTube playlists, RSS feeds, sitemaps, open tabs and ZIP files |
| Notebook groups | Kortex collections with subfolders, plus tags and smart collections | Gemini Notebook’s own Collections, plus tags kept in your browser |
| Sources | Source folders, source tags, highlights and saved views | Up to 50 source folders per notebook, native source labels, duplicate finder |
| Generate Studio items | Every artifact type at once, then preview and edit before download (Pro) | Nine item types; several at once and across up to 20 notebooks with Pro |
| Export | Sources, chats and Studio outputs as PDF, Markdown, text or ZIP | Sources as JSON or ZIP, Studio items as a ZIP, print to PDF, Anki-ready CSV |
| Export a chat | Markdown, text, PDF or JSON, with only the replies you pick | Not listed |
| Podcast | Private RSS feed for podcast apps, 1,000 minutes (Pro) | Built-in player and MP3 downloads |
| Automation rules | 8 triggers and 11 actions (Pro) | Not listed |
| MCP server for AI assistants | Kortex MCP, 145+ tools (Pro) | Not listed |
| Sync across computers | Collections and tags backed up and synced across devices (Pro) | Collections and labels sync through Google; tags, prompts and folders stay in the browser, with a backup |
| Browsers | Chrome, Edge, Brave and other Chromium browsers | Chrome and Firefox, plus Edge, Brave, Arc and Opera |
| Price | Free plan; Pro $9.99 a month, $108 a year, or $199 once | Free; Pro $7 for 30 days, $29 for a year or $59 for life, all one-time |
NotebookLM Tools facts come from its Chrome Web Store listing, pricing page and site summary, checked on November 4, 2026. Kortex facts come from the features page and the pricing section, and its store figures date from November 6, 2026.
Where does NotebookLM Tools win?
NotebookLM Tools wins on free features, one-time pricing and depth inside Gemini Notebook. Its pricing page says 35+ features work free, and a year of Pro is $29 with no renewal (Nov 4, 2026). It also manages Gemini Notebook’s native Collections and installs on Firefox.
More of it is free. Its pricing page lists what Pro adds: batch generation, a clean workspace without the NLMTools.com badge, and early access to new features. Everything else works free, with an occasional reminder to buy a license. Kortex has daily limits on its free plan, and bulk import, automations and the podcast feed need Pro.
Lower prices that never renew. $29 buys a year and $59 buys lifetime, as one-time payments with a 14-day money-back guarantee. Kortex Pro is $108 a year and renews, or $199 once for Lifetime.
Deeper Studio tools. It generates nine Studio item types, runs several at once and across up to 20 notebooks with Pro, and supports 60-second Short Video Overviews. You can take quizzes with scoring and study flashcards inline, then export flashcards as an Anki-ready CSV. Our flashcards guide covers the native Anki route.
Gemini Notebook’s own Collections. It manages native Collections and source labels, which live in your Google account and stay if you remove the extension.
Firefox. Its pricing page links a Firefox add-on, and its site lists Edge, Brave, Arc and Opera too. Kortex runs on Chrome and other Chromium browsers.
Where does Kortex win?
Kortex wins wherever research starts outside Gemini Notebook or has to run without you, which is the case we built it for. NotebookLM Tools’ listing says it works only with Gemini Notebook, and its pages list no chat export, automation rules or MCP server (Nov 4, 2026). Kortex has all four, with automations and MCP on Pro.
Your AI chats. Kortex puts a save button in ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, Grok and more, and labels each prompt and reply in the source.
Chat export. Export a Gemini Notebook chat as Markdown, text, PDF or JSON, pick the replies you want, and keep or drop your own questions. See every export format.
Automations (Pro). Rules start on 8 triggers, such as a new tag or a finished Audio Overview, and take 11 actions, from filing a notebook to generating a study guide. Our automation guide has recipes.
A real podcast feed (Pro). Your Audio Overviews become a private RSS feed for Spotify, Apple Podcasts or any app that takes a URL.
Your assistant, in your notebooks (Pro). Kortex MCP is a server that gives Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor and other MCP clients 145+ notebook tools, including native Collections.
Organizing is the job both tools fight over. When we analyzed the Kortex MCP waitlist survey (776 respondents, Sep-Oct 2026), tidying and organizing the library was the second most common ask, from 121 people, and half of them were on Pro.
Bring your AI chats into your notebooks
Kortex saves chats from ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Perplexity into Gemini Notebook, then files and exports them. Pro adds automations and Kortex MCP. Free on Chrome.
How much do Kortex and NotebookLM Tools cost?
NotebookLM Tools is cheaper and never renews: $29 once for a year against Kortex’s $108 a year, and $59 for life against $199. Its refund window is 14 days, against Kortex’s 7. Kortex’s free plan has daily limits; NotebookLM Tools’ free version has a badge and reminders instead. So what does Kortex Pro add for the higher price? It removes the daily import and export limits and adds bulk import, automations, Google Docs sync, sync across devices, a podcast feed with 1,000 minutes and Kortex MCP. NotebookLM Tools’ Pro adds batch Studio generation, removes the badge and gives early access to new features, according to its pricing page (Nov 4, 2026). Both install free from the Chrome Web Store, so you can try each one before paying.
| Plan | Kortex | NotebookLM Tools |
|---|---|---|
| Free | 10 imports and 10 exports a day, 10 saved prompts | 35+ features, with a small badge and occasional reminders |
| One month | $9.99, renews monthly | $7 for 30 days, one-time |
| One year | $108, renews yearly | $29 for 12 months, one-time |
| Lifetime | $199 once | $59 once |
| Refunds | 7-day money-back guarantee | 14-day money-back guarantee |
NotebookLM Tools prices are from its pricing page, where every plan is a one-time payment, checked on November 4, 2026. Kortex prices are on the pricing section; many countries see a lower Kortex price at checkout.
Can you switch from NotebookLM Tools to Kortex, or run both?
Yes. Your notebooks, and NotebookLM Tools’ Collections and source labels, live in Gemini Notebook and stay put whichever extension you use. Its tags, prompts and folders sit in its own browser storage, so back them up before you uninstall it; in Kortex you would set those up again. Both add buttons to notebook pages, so running both means two sets. For example, keep NotebookLM Tools for Studio batches, quizzes and flashcards, and use Kortex’s free plan for saving AI chats and exporting them. Do you need both paid plans? Only if you want NotebookLM Tools’ batch generation and Kortex Pro’s automations, podcast feed or Kortex MCP at the same time. Your notebooks themselves never move, so switching back later is just as easy.
Still deciding between extensions? Our best Gemini Notebook Chrome extensions roundup sorts nine by job, and Kortex vs NotebookLM Ultra Exporter covers the free export specialist.
Research from every AI chat, in one organized library
Kortex brings chats and pages into Gemini Notebook, keeps them in collections and folders, and exports them as PDF or Markdown. Free on Chrome.
Frequently asked questions
Is NotebookLM Tools free?
Mostly. Its pricing page says 35+ features work free, and Pro adds batch Studio generation, hides the NLMTools.com badge on Gemini Notebook pages and gives early access to new features. Pro is a one-time payment: $7 for 30 days, $29 for a year or $59 for life, checked on November 4, 2026.
Does NotebookLM Tools import ChatGPT or Claude chats?
Not that its pages say. Its Chrome Web Store listing says it works exclusively with Gemini Notebook, and neither the listing nor its pricing page mentions saving chats from other AI apps, as of November 4, 2026. Kortex adds a save button inside ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity and other chat apps.
Which one works with Gemini Notebook’s own Collections?
NotebookLM Tools manages native Collections directly from its interface. Kortex has its own collections with subfolders and smart rules, and with Pro, Kortex MCP can create native Collections, add notebooks to them and move Kortex folders into them.
Which is cheaper, Kortex or NotebookLM Tools?
NotebookLM Tools. A year of Pro is $29 once, against $108 a year for Kortex Pro, and lifetime is $59 against $199 for Kortex Lifetime. Its plans never renew. Kortex Pro also includes automations, a podcast feed, synced collections and tags, and Kortex MCP.
Can I use NotebookLM Tools and Kortex together?
Yes, though both add buttons to Gemini Notebook pages, so you’ll see two sets. A sensible split is NotebookLM Tools for Studio batches, quizzes and flashcards, and Kortex for chats coming in, exports and automations. Your notebooks, native Collections and source labels stay in Google either way.
Editorial note: fact-checked against the official help pages and docs linked above on November 4, 2026. Spotted something out of date? Contact us and we will fix it, or read more about Kortex.
