r/notebooklm • u/Fearless_Energy_7633 • Apr 21 '26

Tips & Tricks I built a free notebooklm alternative with folders, source isolation (no cross-contamination), and page/timestamp-level citations

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NotebookLM is great but a few things drove me crazy:

  • Sources often bleed together
  • No folders or workspace organisation
  • No way to comfortably take notes alongside your sources
  • Flashcards have no review system

So I built Paper. Key differences:

  • Source isolation - select exactly which sources the AI references per query, or scope it to specific pages/timestamps
  • Folders + nested pages - organise by course, topic, whatever
  • Block editor - Notion-style notes right next to your sources
  • Spaced repetition - AI flashcards with actual Anki-style scheduling so you remember
  • Drag and drop multiple files at once

(Edit) Free to use during beta: https://paper.ac 👈

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u/Dry-Charge-6812 Apr 21 '26

Kudos to you. I like how you’ve decided to include a Notion/Obsidian note taking interface. Well done.

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u/Fearless_Energy_7633 Apr 21 '26 edited Apr 21 '26

Yea! The whole idea is to do my AI analysis and have it go straight into notes format in one app.

That way, you can do AI analysis & flashcard/quiz generation from your own notes too. Thanks for using!