While NotebookLM offers many features for free, it’s important to understand what that means — your data becomes part of the product. As a Google-owned tool, user data may be leveraged to train and refine their systems.
More importantly, NotebookLM isn’t built for students specifically. It’s a general-purpose document assistant, not a learning platform. It lacks the structure, personalization, and academic focus that students need to succeed.
| Feature | Maeve 🧠 (Built for Students) | NotebookLM (General Document Tool) |
|---|---|---|
| 🎯 Target Audience | Students in higher education | General users, not education-specific |
| 📚 Purpose | Personalized learning, exam prep, feedback | Summarizing & navigating documents |
| 🧠 Learning Features | Exercises, summaries, feedback, progress tracking | Basic Q&A, no structured learning support |
| 👨🏫 Teacher Support | Designed to integrate with classrooms | No classroom or teacher features |
| 🔒 Data Usage | Student-first, privacy-focused | Google product — user data may be leveraged |
| 💸 Pricing | Free + student-friendly paid plans | Free (but data is the cost) |
| 🛠️ Customization | Upload your own course materials, personalize | No education-focused personalization |
| 📈 Progress Tracking | Built-in insights & feedback per topic | Not available |
| 📌 Built for Education? | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |