Directory / AI for a task / Chatting with PDFs
The best AI to chat with a PDF
Gemini Notebook, the product formerly called NotebookLM, is the pick: it answers only from the files you upload and links every claim to the exact passage, so you can check it. It is free for up to 50 sources per notebook and 50 questions a day. For one long contract or report that has to be reasoned through end to end, Claude holds the whole document without drifting.
- 01 Gemini Notebook: Deep work over your own documents and sources
- 02 Claude: Long documents, thoughtful writing, and complex reasoning
- 03 ChatGPT: Everyday questions, brainstorming, and quick drafts
- 04 SciSpace: Getting through a paper outside your field
Top pick
Gemini Notebook
Free · Plus with Google One AI
Grounded strictly in your sources, with citations to the passage. Takes PDFs, Docs, slides, URLs and YouTube links, and can turn them into an Audio Overview. Free: 100 notebooks, 50 sources each, 50 chat queries a day; Google AI Plus ($4.99/mo) roughly doubles the caps.
- Free tier
- No account purchase needed. 100 notebooks, up to 50 sources/notebook (each up to ~500,000 words), 50 chat queries/day, 3 Audio Overviews/day, 3 Video Overviews/day, 10 reports/day, 10 Deep Research sessions/month
- Entry plan
- Google AI Plus, $4.99/month (US), bundles NotebookLM Plus (roughly double the free caps: ~100 sources/notebook, 200 notebooks, 200 daily chat queries, 6 Audio/Video Overviews/day) plus 400GB storage and wider Gemini app access
Pick 02
Claude
Free · Pro from $20/mo
Best at a single long document read in one pass, like a contract or a report, and Projects keep the files available across chats. Free to start; Pro is $20/mo.
- Free tier
- Chat on web, iOS, Android, and desktop, plus code generation, content creation, web search, memory, file creation, and connector integration, with a limited session-based message allowance
- Entry plan
- Claude Pro, $20/mo billed monthly, or $17/mo billed annually ($200/yr)
Pick 03
ChatGPT
Free · Plus from $20/mo
Analyzes uploaded PDFs, spreadsheets and images, and pulls files straight from a connected Google Drive. The easy choice if you already use it, though file uploads are capped on the free tier. Plus is $20/mo.
- Free tier
- Unlimited everyday text chats (abuse safeguards apply); GPT-5 access capped around 10 messages per 5 hours, then falls back to a mini model
- Entry plan
- ChatGPT Plus, $20/month: everything in Free plus full GPT-5 access, expanded messaging/uploads, faster image generation, and advanced research/memory/task tools
Pick 04
SciSpace
Free · from $12/mo (annual) / $20/mo (monthly)
For research papers specifically: highlight any passage and it explains it in context, which helps when the maths is above your level. Free for about 5 PDF chats a month; Premium is $12/mo billed annually.
- Free tier
- Basic, $0, capped usage - roughly 5 lit-review searches, 5 PDF chats, 10 writer actions, 20 citations/month
- Entry plan
- $12/mo billed annually or $20/mo billed monthly (Premium) - unlimited lit-review searches, higher-quality model, unlimited PDF chat/writing/citations, exports to RIS/CSV/BIB/Excel/XML
Skip if
Skip Gemini Notebook when the answer is not in your files: by design it will not go and search the open web.
The free option
Gemini Notebook's free tier (50 sources per notebook, 50 questions a day) is the most generous free way to question your own documents on this list. Gemini Notebook profile.
Prices side by side
| Tool | Free plan | Pricing |
|---|---|---|
| Gemini Notebook | Yes | Free · Plus with Google One AI |
| Claude | Yes | Free · Pro from $20/mo |
| ChatGPT | Yes | Free · Plus from $20/mo |
| SciSpace | Yes | Free · from $12/mo (annual) / $20/mo (monthly) |
Is there a free AI to chat with a PDF?
Gemini Notebook's free tier (50 sources per notebook, 50 questions a day) is the most generous free way to question your own documents on this list.
When is Gemini Notebook the wrong choice?
Open-web questions. It will not go and look.
Deciding between these
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