According to XDA-Developers, a tool called Gistr is emerging as a notable alternative to Google’s NotebookLM, particularly for users who learn from YouTube courses. The platform, described as an AI smart notebook, uses a RAG framework to analyze uploaded documents, web links, and YouTube videos. It differentiates itself with YouTube-specific tools like auto-generated chapter navigation, a Timestamp marker, a Highlight feature that pulls transcript text into notes, and a “Moments” tool that creates playable video clips within the chat. The article details a workflow where a user leverages these features, plus a browser extension, to “speedrun” through video-based courses by creating structured, interactive study guides. While the author notes NotebookLM may have a stronger retrieval engine, Gistr’s video-first design offers more practical structure for this specific use case.
The YouTube-first advantage
Here’s the thing: most AI note-taking tools treat video as a second-class citizen. They ingest the transcript and that’s basically it. You’re left interacting with a wall of text. Gistr’s approach of baking the video player and its controls directly into the interface, and then building features on top of that, is a smart pivot. It acknowledges that learning from a video isn’t the same as learning from a PDF. The ability to highlight a transcript snippet and instantly have it as a note? That’s a friction-killer. And the “Moments” feature—creating those self-contained, playable video blocks you can annotate and query—feels like it could actually change how you review material. Instead of hunting through a 45-minute video for that one 2-minute explanation, you’ve got it right there, isolated and ready.
Where Gistr might stumble
But let’s not get carried away. The article hints at some rough edges, like a browser extension that’s “not the smoothest” and can’t handle YouTube playlists in bulk. That’s a red flag for anyone trying to build a course from a whole playlist. Manually adding dozens of videos sounds like a chore that would kill momentum before you even start. Also, the author concedes that Gistr’s AI outputs feel “a little lighter” compared to NotebookLM’s. That’s a big deal. If the core AI isn’t as robust at understanding and synthesizing the context of your sources, then all the slick video features are just a pretty shell. The lack of a “Custom Mode” like NotebookLM has also means less personalization in how the AI responds to you over time.
The bigger picture for AI tools
This is part of a really interesting trend we’re seeing: the specialization of AI assistants. NotebookLM is a fantastic generalist for your documents. But Gistr seems to be asking, “What if we double down on one of the most common content sources people actually use?” It’s a bet on vertical integration. The risk, of course, is that it becomes a one-trick pony. If your learning shifts away from YouTube to academic papers or internal company docs, does Gistr feel as useful? Probably not. And that’s the eternal trade-off. Do you want a Swiss Army knife or a really, really good scalpel? For dedicated YouTube learners, the scalpel might be the right call—at least until the big players like Google fully bridge that gap and make video a native, deeply integrated experience rather than an upload option.
Should you try it?
So, is it worth switching from NotebookLM? Look, if your learning diet is 80% YouTube courses, tutorials, and lectures, then absolutely give Gistr a spin. The features it’s built specifically for that workflow are compelling and could save you a ton of time. It makes the process active rather than passive. But if your sources are a mixed bag of articles, PDFs, and the occasional video, you might find its limitations frustrating. NotebookLM’s strength is its flexibility across formats, even if its video handling is less tailored. In the end, it’s a great sign for the market. Competition is pushing these tools to specialize and improve, and that means better options for all of us trying to make sense of the information flood.
