Comparison
Khanmigo vs NotebookLM
Khanmigo: Khan Academy's AI tutor, which guides instead of giving the answer. NotebookLM: Google's AI that studies your documents and creates summaries and podcasts.
| Khanmigo | NotebookLM | |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.5 | 4.7 |
| Price | Paid $4/month or $44/year for families (up to 10 child accounts). Free for teachers in over 44 countries. Schools: around $15/student/year. | Freemium Very complete free plan (100 notebooks, 50 sources/notebook). Plus from $7.99/month. |
| Free plan | ||
| API available | ||
| Open source | ||
| In Spanish | ||
| No watermark | — | — |
| Platforms | Web · iOS · Android | Web · iOS · Android |
Khanmigo or NotebookLM?
Khanmigo teaches; NotebookLM organises. Khanmigo is a tutor that guides you with questions through Khan Academy's curriculum and is designed for school and high-school students. NotebookLM works on the notes you upload and turns them into summaries, outlines and quizzes, which fits university and professional exams better.
Choose Khanmigo if…
It is for a school or high-school student who needs guidance while they learn.
Choose NotebookLM if…
You have your own material — notes, PDFs, a syllabus — and need to study it on your own.
Khanmigo
- Socratic method: it does not give the answer, it walks you to it
- Free for teachers in more than 44 countries
- Very cheap for families: $4/month for up to 10 accounts
- The AI tutor is not included in the free Khan Academy
- Less powerful than ChatGPT if what you want is a direct answer
NotebookLM
- Answers by citing YOUR sources: it barely makes things up
- Audio Overviews: turns your notes into a two-voice podcast
- Very generous free plan for students
- No public API for developers
- Paid tiers are sold inside Google subscriptions (AI Pro/Ultra)
The differences that actually matter
A tutor with a syllabus versus an assistant on your notes
Khanmigo teaches following Khan Academy's material and guides you with questions. NotebookLM teaches nothing on its own: it works on the documents you upload. If you already have class notes, the second adapts to your subject; the first gives you structure if you have none.
Guiding versus answering
Khanmigo avoids giving you the solution so that you get there yourself. NotebookLM answers directly, though citing where it comes from. For memorising and understanding your own material, answering is fine; for acquiring a skill, Khanmigo's resistance teaches more.
Language and fit with the education system
Khan Academy's material is deeper in English and its curriculum follows the US system, though there is Spanish content. NotebookLM works with whatever you give it, so it adapts to your school or university syllabus without friction.
Frequently asked questions
Which suits exam preparation?
NotebookLM, if you have the notes and syllabus: it generates questions and study guides from your exact material, which is what will come up. Khanmigo fits better when what you are missing is the underlying concept and you need someone to teach it from the start.
Are they suitable for a primary school child?
Khanmigo is designed for that, with family and teacher oversight built in. NotebookLM is a study tool for someone already handling documents and has no such protective framework for minors.