Is there a NotebookLM app for PC?

Not an official one, as of October 14, 2026. NotebookLM was renamed Gemini Notebook on July 16, 2026 and runs in the browser at notebook.google.com on Windows, macOS and Linux; Google ships mobile apps but no Windows or Mac desktop installer. The 'NotebookLM for Windows' downloads on GitHub and download sites are unofficial Electron wrappers around the web app. For a real desktop program that keeps documents on your PC, use SurfSense or AnythingLLM Desktop; for a self-hosted NotebookLM clone with podcasts, use Open Notebook.

What is the best local NotebookLM alternative for Windows?

SurfSense if you want a native Windows installer that keeps the index on your disk and can also edit documents (v2.2.0, October 9, 2026). Open Notebook if you want the closest NotebookLM feature match, including 1 to 4 speaker podcast generation and a REST API, and can run Docker Desktop (v1.15.0, October 4, 2026, MIT). AnythingLLM Desktop if you want document chat plus agents with any local or cloud model (v1.18.0, October 13, 2026, MIT).

Can I use NotebookLM offline with a local model?

Not Gemini Notebook itself: it needs Google's cloud and Gemini models. Open Notebook, AnythingLLM and SurfSense can all run against a local model served by Ollama or LM Studio, so documents and prompts never leave the PC; quality then depends on the model your GPU can run.

Quick Answer

NotebookLM for PC: Windows Options and Local Alternatives

Published: October 14, 2026

The short answer

There is no official NotebookLM desktop app for PC: Google’s tool, renamed Gemini Notebook on July 16, 2026, runs in the browser on Windows, and its only native apps are for mobile. If “NotebookLM for PC” means “a desktop program that does what NotebookLM does with files on my computer”, three open-source tools fit, as of October 14, 2026:

Tool	What it is	Windows install	Models	Licence / latest	Pick it when
Gemini Notebook (ex-NotebookLM)	Google’s hosted research notebook	Browser (notebook.google.com); install as a PWA from Chrome or Edge	Gemini only	Proprietary, free tier + Google AI plans	You are fine with Google’s cloud and want Audio Overviews
SurfSense	Desktop “air-gapped NotebookLM alternative” with an agent that researches and edits documents	Native `SurfSense-Setup.exe` (x64)	Local or cloud	Open source · v2.2.0 (Oct 9, 2026)	Documents you cannot upload; you also want to edit Word/PDF files
Open Notebook	Self-hosted NotebookLM clone	Docker Desktop + `docker-compose.yml`	20+ providers incl. Ollama, LM Studio	MIT · v1.15.0 (Oct 4, 2026)	Closest feature match, including multi-speaker podcasts and an API
AnythingLLM Desktop	All-in-one document chat and agent app	Native installer (Windows, macOS, Linux)	Any local (llama.cpp) or cloud model	MIT · v1.18.0 (Oct 13, 2026)	Chat with folders of documents plus agents, MCP and scheduled tasks

Why there is no NotebookLM.exe

Google has kept NotebookLM a web product through its rename. Google’s July 16, 2026 announcement calls Gemini Notebook “the same standalone product”, now also reachable inside the Gemini app and Google Search, and adds a secure cloud computer that lets notebooks run code (first for Google AI Ultra users and some Workspace customers). The help centre documents a mobile app, not a desktop one. Sources can be up to 500,000 words or 200 MB per local upload.

The GitHub projects and download-site listings called “NotebookLM for Windows” are third-party Electron wrappers around the web app. They add hotkeys and split view but still send your documents to Google — and installing an unofficial wrapper means trusting a stranger with your Google session. A Chrome or Edge “Install app” shortcut gives you a separate window with none of that risk.

Picks by situation

You just want NotebookLM in its own window: use the browser PWA. Open notebook.google.com in Chrome or Edge and choose “Install”. You keep every Gemini Notebook feature, including Audio Overviews.

Your documents cannot go to Google: SurfSense. It installs like a normal Windows program, keeps the index on your disk, answers with citations (including scanned PDF pages) and can create or edit copies of Word and PDF files — filling forms, adding tracked changes, merging and splitting. If you used SurfSense’s hosted web app, export your workspaces before it shuts down on October 18, 2026.

You want the NotebookLM feature set, self-hosted: Open Notebook. It mirrors notebooks, sources and cited chat, adds podcast generation with 1–4 custom speakers (NotebookLM uses two), full-text and vector search, and a REST API. It runs via Docker Desktop on Windows and talks to OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Mistral, Ollama or any OpenAI-compatible server.

You want documents plus agents: AnythingLLM Desktop. It is closer to a private ChatGPT than to NotebookLM — workspaces of documents, agents with web browsing, MCP tools, scheduled tasks and model routing — and it installs natively on Windows.

Running it fully offline

All three open-source options can use a local model. Install Ollama or LM Studio, pull a model your GPU can hold, and point the app at http://localhost:11434 (Ollama) or LM Studio’s local server. See how to run local LLMs on Windows for model sizes by GPU, and Open WebUI vs AnythingLLM vs LibreChat if you mainly want a chat front end. For hosted research tools, compare NotebookLM vs Perplexity vs ChatGPT for research.

Last verified: October 14, 2026.