# DeepSeek vs Gemini Notebook

> DeepSeek: Free AI chat app and low-cost API running DeepSeek's open-weights V4 models
> Gemini Notebook: Google's Gemini Notebook, formerly NotebookLM, answers questions and builds summaries from your own sources

- DeepSeek profile: https://finderatlas.com/tools/deepseek
- Gemini Notebook profile: https://finderatlas.com/tools/notebooklm
- Comparison page: https://finderatlas.com/compare/deepseek-vs-notebooklm
- Last reviewed: November 2026

## Verdict

DeepSeek and Gemini Notebook are both AI Assistants tools. Both have a free plan or trial. Only DeepSeek is available on Windows and macOS and offers an API.

### Choose DeepSeek if

- You want a tool built for Low-cost API integration.
- Web chat and mobile apps are free.
- API output costs from $0.60 per 1M tokens (Flash, off-peak), well below most frontier providers.

### Choose Gemini Notebook if

- You want a tool built for summarizing and questioning your own documents.
- Answers cite the uploaded sources, so claims can be checked against the original text.
- Free Standard tier with 100 notebooks and 50 sources per notebook.

## Pricing

| | DeepSeek | Gemini Notebook |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium |
| Free plan or trial | Yes | Yes |
| Starting price | $0 | $0 |

## Features

| Feature | DeepSeek | Gemini Notebook |
| --- | --- | --- |
| V4 model family | Yes | Not listed |
| Thinking mode | Yes | Not listed |
| Open weights | Yes | Not listed |
| OpenAI and Anthropic compatible API | Yes | Not listed |
| Tool calls and JSON output | Yes | Not listed |
| Search and Fetch APIs | Yes | Not listed |
| Agent tool integrations | Yes | Not listed |
| DeepSeek Harness | Yes | Not listed |
| Vision on Flash | Yes | Not listed |
| Source-grounded chat | Not listed | Yes |
| Audio Overviews | Not listed | Yes |
| Video Overviews | Not listed | Yes |
| Study tools | Not listed | Yes |
| Reports, slide decks and infographics | Not listed | Yes |
| Multiple source types | Not listed | Yes |
| Cloud computer | Not listed | Yes |
| Gemini app sync | Not listed | Yes |
| Sharing and public notebooks | Not listed | Yes |

## Platforms

| Platform | DeepSeek | Gemini Notebook |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | No |
| macOS | Yes | No |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | No |
| Browser Extension | No | No |

## DeepSeek strengths

- Web chat and mobile apps are free
- API output costs from $0.60 per 1M tokens (Flash, off-peak), well below most frontier providers
- Open weights for V4 and earlier models on Hugging Face
- 1M-token context and 384K max output on both API models
- API works with both OpenAI and Anthropic SDKs and several coding agents

## DeepSeek limitations

- Peak-hour API rates are double the off-peak rates on weekday mornings UTC
- deepseek-v4-pro does not support vision input
- No image generation
- Data is processed by a company based in China, which some organizations cannot accept

## Gemini Notebook strengths

- Answers cite the uploaded sources, so claims can be checked against the original text
- Free Standard tier with 100 notebooks and 50 sources per notebook
- Wide range of outputs, including Audio Overviews, Video Overviews, mind maps, flashcards, quizzes and slide decks
- Accepts PDFs, websites, YouTube videos, audio files, Google Docs and Google Slides
- Available on web, iOS and Android, and synced with the Gemini app

## Gemini Notebook limitations

- Works from the sources you add and is not built for live web news search
- Higher limits require a Google AI subscription; Ultra starts at $99.99 per month
- The cloud computer for code execution started with Ultra and Workspace AI Ultra Access customers, with Pro rollout still described as upcoming
- No public API for the consumer product, and the renamed brand can make older guides and app listings confusing

## FAQ

**Is DeepSeek better than Gemini Notebook?**

It depends on your workflow. DeepSeek is built for Low-cost API integration. Gemini Notebook is built for summarizing and questioning your own documents.

**What are the key feature differences between DeepSeek and Gemini Notebook?**

DeepSeek: Free AI chat app and low-cost API running DeepSeek's open-weights V4 models. Gemini Notebook: Google's Gemini Notebook, formerly NotebookLM, answers questions and builds summaries from your own sources.

**Does DeepSeek or Gemini Notebook have a free plan?**

Yes, both do. DeepSeek is freemium and Gemini Notebook is freemium, and each has a free plan or trial.

**Which is cheaper, DeepSeek or Gemini Notebook?**

Both can be used for free. Paid plans differ in limits and features, so compare the tiers in the pricing table above.