A NotebookLM alternative built for exam prep
NotebookLM is a strong research notebook. CruxDoc starts from a different question: after the reading, will you pass the exam? Every answer carries a page citation that is verified against the source. And the same documents feed quizzes, blurting, and spaced-repetition flashcards.
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PDF, Word, PowerPoint, text, images, audio or video. Up to 20 MB and 50 pages. No account needed for your first one.
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Where CruxDoc differs
Citations are verified, not just shown. The server string-matches every quoted citation against your document before rendering it. An unverifiable quote is never dressed up as a citation.
The study layer is the point. Exam-mode quizzes, blurting graded against the document, and flashcards with built-in spaced repetition, generated from the same uploaded material you chat with.
Anki export and no Google account. Decks leave as real .apkg files, you can start with no account at all, and lecture recordings get answers cited to the exact timestamp.
An honest note
NotebookLM is free, polished, and deeply integrated with Google's ecosystem. If that is where your work lives and summaries are what you need, it may serve you well.
The reason to choose CruxDoc is concrete: verified citations you can stake an exam answer on, a reader that opens the cited page, and a study loop that ends in retrieval practice instead of another summary.
Frequently asked questions
Q.01What is the best free NotebookLM alternative for students?
It depends on what you study for. If you mainly want summaries and a research chat, NotebookLM is genuinely good. If you want the reading to end in exam performance, quizzes sat under exam conditions, blurting graded against the source, flashcards you can export to Anki, that study layer is what CruxDoc is built around, free.
Q.02Do I need a Google account for CruxDoc?
No. Your first document needs no account at all, and a free account is just an email, your documents are not tied to a Google identity.
Q.03How do CruxDoc citations differ?
Both tools cite sources. CruxDoc additionally verifies each quoted citation against the document text on the server before showing it. A quote that does not exist in your source is not rendered as a citation. Clicking one opens the exact page with the passage highlighted.
Q.04What file types does CruxDoc support?
PDF, Word, PowerPoint, text and Markdown, images (with OCR), and audio or video recordings with timestamped citations.
Q.05Can I export my study materials?
Yes, flashcard decks export as real Anki .apkg files or CSV, so your work is never locked in.
Try CruxDoc with your own material
Drop a document to get started
PDF, Word, PowerPoint, text, images, audio or video. Up to 20 MB and 50 pages. Free. No account needed for your first one.
Processing continues if you close the tab.
No account needed for your first document.