The private alternative for recordings you can't upload.
NotebookLM, now called Gemini Notebook, is great. But it needs your files on Google's servers. Ratproof never takes them.
What Google says
Your content will not be used to directly train our foundational AI models, unless
you choose to provide feedback
. On a personal account, staff may read that feedback, with
your details removed. On work and school accounts, no one reads it. That is a fair policy.
What a policy can't fix
Your files still sit on Google's servers. A policy can change. Data can leak. A court can ask for it. An account can be lost. That is true of any company holding your files. Ratproof never gets the file, so none of it applies.
Content-Security-Policy: connect-src 'self'
This line tells your browser to block the page's own code from connecting to any other server. Press F12, transcribe something, and check.
Side by side
| Feature | Gemini Notebook | Ratproof |
|---|---|---|
| Your files | Uploaded to Google | Stay on your computer |
| Kept private by | A policy | Your browser. Check it in 30 seconds |
| Account | Google account | None |
| Works offline | No | Yes, after the first visit |
| Recordings to text | Yes, after upload | Yes, on your computer |
| Cost | Free, with paid plans | Free, unlimited transcription, with Pro for more |
| Search across your transcripts | Yes | Yes |
| Ask questions across your recordings | Yes, and well | No |
| Publishes its error rate | No | Yes |
Which one to use
Gemini Notebook for anything you would happily email: papers, public reports, articles. It is better at answering questions, and it is free.
Ratproof when the file can't leave your computer: a client call, a patient session, an HR interview, a source you promised to protect.
Today Ratproof turns recordings into text, in English, Spanish, Italian or Swedish, and searches the transcripts you keep.
Questions
Is there a NotebookLM alternative that works without uploading files?
Yes. Ratproof is one. It turns recordings into text on your own computer and keeps them there. Your browser blocks the page's code from connecting to any other server, and you can check that yourself.
Does NotebookLM train on my documents?
Google says content in Gemini Notebook is not used to directly train its AI models unless you give feedback. On a personal account, staff may read that feedback, with your details removed. On work and school accounts, no one reads it. The files still sit on Google servers.
Why does uploading matter if the policy is good?
A policy is a promise about data someone else holds. It can change, leak, or be handed to a court. If the file never leaves your computer, none of that applies. For public documents, the policy is fine. For a client session, uploading it at all is the problem.
What is NotebookLM called now?
Google renamed NotebookLM to Gemini Notebook. Same product.
What does Gemini Notebook do better?
It answers questions across many documents, and it does it well. It reads more file types and it is faster. If your files can be uploaded, use it.