Comparison
Étoiles or a notebook-style AI tool?
Notebook-style AI tools let you gather a set of sources into a project and work with them. Étoiles keeps a standing library you can ask at any time, with the passage cited. They overlap, but they are not the same tool.
Third-party products change often. This page describes each kind of tool in general terms as of November 10, 2026; it is not a review of one product, and you should check a provider's current terms and features before you decide.
At a glance
| Notebook-style AI tools | Étoiles | |
|---|---|---|
| Shape | Usually a project or notebook: you choose a set of sources and work within it | A standing library searched as a whole; collections group documents in Étoiles Cloud |
| What you can do | Often more than Q&A, such as summaries and other generated material, depending on the product | Search and cited answers to questions. It does not draft or generate other content |
| Check an answer | Many show where an answer came from; it depends on the product | Every answer carries numbered citations that open the passage |
| When the answer is missing | Varies | Built to say the documents do not contain it |
| Run on your device | Typically a hosted service | The free iPhone and iPad app runs entirely on the device |
| Teams | Depends on the product | Business plans for up to 5, 50 or 200 people, with a Reader role and a second sign-in step |
| Sources | Often several formats and links | Cloud: PDF, plain text and Markdown. App: files and PDFs, photos, scans, calendar, reminders and contacts |
Where a notebook-style tool is the better choice
- You are building something from a defined set of sources, such as a study guide or a briefing, and want more than answers.
- You want to bring in several kinds of source beyond PDF, text and Markdown.
- You prefer working in a project that groups sources for one piece of work.
Where Étoiles is the better choice
- You want one library you can ask at any time, without setting up a project first.
- You want the free, on-device option, with no upload and no account.
- You want cited answers and an honest "not in your documents" more than a wider set of outputs.
- Your team needs roles and a plan with clear prices.
A fair test
Put the same ten questions to each tool, using the same documents, and open every citation. Count how often the passage really supports the answer. Our guide to checking an AI answer against its source shows how.
Ask your library, with the source beside the answer
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