Best 10 AI Summary Generators You Should Try

There's no storage of tools purpose-built for generating summaries (literally hundreds of them), and they range from beginner-friendly to highly advanced. They also range from somewhat basic and unhelpful to super valuable. 

When done right, the best AI summary generator tools help you read more blogs, articles, books, and videos — they make it easier to understand the main idea and key highlights faster. After years of working with AI tools, I've seen the best (and the most annoying) of them — and I know how important it is to choose the best summary generator. 

To help you, I considered over 50 tools with an option to summarize articles, books, and even videos. After a week of in-depth testing, here are the 10 best (free and paid) AI summarizers, including the all-around apps and tools built for more specific use cases. 

What Makes a Good AI Summary Generator? 

The features that make a good AI summary generator are pretty straightforward: accuracy, a great user interface, import and export options, automatic transcription, and detailed summaries. While testing the AI summary generator apps, I looked primarily at the factors (mentioned below) to determine which apps made it to this list. 

• Collaboration and Sharing Features: The best AI summary generators included here make it easy to share the summary with team members with a link or download a PDF, TXT, or DOCX file. 

• Integrations: A great summarizer should fit seamlessly into the rest of your workflow, so I've included the AI tools that integrate with other popular platforms like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, Webex, Salesforce, Notion, and more. 

• Free Plan: Most of the summary generators I chose come with a free plan that lets you summarize some — or all — text, videos, books, or articles for free. 

• Customization Options: This is where things get a little limited. There are not many bespoke tools with which you can adjust the summary output length and tone, but the ones I've picked here offer some form of customization. 

• Import and Export Features: My goal here was to shortlist the tools with different import and export options so everyone can find the tool that meets their specific needs or use case. 

List of the Best AI Summary Generators

To find the best AI summary generators, I tested each tool by asking it to summarize an article, book, or video. After spending hours on testing, here is how these 10 AI summarizers stand against each other. 

#1 Notta: Best For Transcribing and Summarizing Audio & Video Files 

When it comes to AI note-taking and summarizing tools, Notta is the industry standard for a reason. It's the most powerful full-featured summarizer app around — that's also beginner-friendly. For example, Notta AI Summary Generator feature enables you to create summaries with action items, chapters, and even highlights of the media files. 

Another feature that sets Notta apart from other apps on this list is real-time transcription: it allows you to generate automatic transcripts of audio and videos with 98.86% accuracy. Since Notta is one of the apps with a generous free plan and many affordable paid plans, it's better geared for beginners and professionals. 

Key Features 

• Transcription Option: Unlike most other AI summarizers in this list, Notta also comes with a speech-to-text feature — which helps you automatically transcribe voice from audio or video into text. 

• Detailed Summaries: Once you have the transcript ready, the Notta Web App summarizes it to extract important information like action items, chapters, and a quick overview. 

• Upload Direct URLs: With Notta Web App, you can transcribe and summarize files directly from Dropbox, Google Drive, and even YouTube — using nothing but a URL. 

• New AI Templates: Simply select the template that best fits your needs, and watch as Notta transforms your raw notes into polished, concise summaries.

Pros 

• There's a handy Chrome extension that lets you transcribe the audio from any webpage. 

• It's a simple and powerful AI summarizer that lets you generate a short summary with action items, chapters, and an overview. 

• Notta does a great job at sharing transcripts and summaries in many formats, including TXT, DOCX, PDF, SRT, Word, and even EXCEL. 

Cons 

• The free Notta plan has certain limitations and may not cover all the features. 

• You need a paid Pro plan to use the Notta AI Summary Generator feature. 

• You cannot summarize online blogs or articles — though it's a great audio and video summarizer. 

Pricing 

• Free Forever Plan 

• Pro Plan: $14.99 per user per month 

• Business Plan: $27.99 per user per month 

• Enterprise Plan: Contact Sales 

System Compatibility 

• Windows 

• macOS 

• Android 

• iOS 

• Chrome Extension 

#2 Glasp: Best For Summarizing Long YouTube Videos 

If you are looking for a Chrome or Safari extension rather than an application, Glasp is one of the best tools out there. It's completely free, so you never have to worry about any limits or expensive upgrades. 

Glasp AI summary generator includes two main features: one is the free extension that summarizes YouTube videos, and the other is the web and PDF highlighter with multiple colors (red, yellow, green, and blue). 

Key Features 

• Personalized Summaries: One impressive feature of the Glasp Chrome extension is its ability to generate AI-powered summaries based on annotations. 

• Export Options: All the generated summaries can be seamlessly exported in Markdown format. 

• Free Extension: It's absolutely free to install the extension on Chrome and Safari. 

Pros 

• With the Glasp AI summary generator, you can highlight and annotate YouTube videos — which can then be summarized into shorter text.

• The YouTube Summary with ChatGPT and Claude extension is completely free to install on Chrome or Safari. 

• Glasp can summarize everything from YouTube videos to web articles and even lengthy PDF documents. 

Cons 

• The AI video summary generator is limited to YouTube content. 

• There's no Android or iOS mobile app available. 

• While summarizing, the Glasp AI summary generator may overlook important content. 

Pricing 

• Free 

System Compatibility 

• Chrome Extension 

• Safari Extension 

#3 Hypotenuse AI: Best For Summarizing Lengthy PDFs

If you are looking for something more advanced, Hypotenuse AI might be a great option. It's a simple and powerful AI summary PDF generator that lets you automatically generate summaries of lengthy PDFs in paragraph format or bullet points. As an added bonus, Hypotenuse AI also offers other tools like HypoDoc, Ask AI Anything, HypoArt, and more. The drawback, however, is that there's no free plan available. 

Key Features 

• Generate Multiple Drafts: With Hypotenuse AI, you can customize the number of drafts you want to generate. 

• Multi-language Support: What I really like about the AI text summarizer is the ability to work with many languages like Bulgarian, Chinese, Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, and even Japanese. 

• Various Export Options: The generated summary can be exported as PDF, DOCX, and even TXT files. It even allows you to publish the summary directly to WordPress. 

Pros 

• With Hypotenuse AI, you can generate a summary in two forms: in paragraphs and bullet points. 

• It supports summarizing PDFs, web pages, and even direct YouTube videos via URLs. 

• Hypotenuse AI even allows you to upload images or embed links to the summaries. 

Cons 

• There's no free plan available — not yet, at least. 

• The free trial comes with a limited amount of credits. 

• It sometimes makes mistakes or produces content that lacks originality. 

Pricing 

• Individual Plan: $29 per month 

• Teams Plan: $59 per month 

• Enterprise Plan: Custom Pricing 

System Compatibility 

• Windows 

• macOS

• Android 

• iOS 

• Integrations (Shopify, API, and WordPress) 

#4 Sharly AI: Best For Summarizing Multiple Contents at Once 

If you've tried many popular AI summary article generators and haven't found one, Sharly AI seems to be a good choice. It's pretty easy to use: just drop the link of the content or add files directly from your computer to generate a summary. But the real power of Sharly AI happens when you add multiple content for summarization. It will take some upfront time to navigate the dashboard — but if you're willing to spend that time, the sky's the limit. 

Key Features 

• Supports Many Formats: With Sharly AI, you can upload and chat with PDF, TXT, DOCX, HTML, CSV, and RTF. 

• Summarize via URLs: If your content is available online, you can summarize it directly through live URLs. 

• Fast and Reliable: The Hypotenuse AI tool generates top-quality summaries in only 2 to 10 seconds — though it may vary depending on the length of the document or file size. 

Pros 

• Sharly AI comes with a free plan — but it is limited in features. 

• The AI summary tool creates collections, which lets you chat across multiple contents at once. 

• It even answers questions regarding the uploaded documents.

Cons 

• Sharly AI may not be a reliable choice for summarizing some complex documents or files. 

• The paid plans are expensive and have fewer features compared to other summarizers on this list. 

• Sometimes, the generated summaries miss some important information. 

Pricing 

• Personal Plan: Free

• Professional Plan: $10 per week or $25 per month 

• Business Plan: Contact Sales 

System Compatibility 

• Windows

• macOS 

• Android 

• iOS 

#5 Semrush AI Summarizer: Best For Summarizing Long Text and Articles 

Semrush AI summarizer is a great option if you're looking for a genuinely useful and free summary generator. While some of the free apps I tested offer summary features, most come with a character or word limit — but Semrush is different. 

The app doesn't overpromise anything, but it definitely delivers some good results. In addition, the AI summary article tool comes with a 'no character limit' — meaning you can generate as many summaries as you want. 

Key Features 

• Customizable Summary Format: Semrush offers two ways to shorten the text: either summarize in paragraph format or generate key highlights in bullet points. 

• Adjust Summary Length: With a simple slider, you can generate summaries in different lengths ranging from short, medium, and long. 

• No Character Limit: Unlike other tools in this list with certain character limitations, Semrush comes with no character limit. 

Pros 

• With the robust summary AI of Semrush, you can extract the main idea of the concept and remove unnecessary text while generating the summary.

• You can use Semrush for free — and that too, without worrying about the character limit. 

• It works well for summarizing both short and long-form texts and articles. 

Cons 

• There's no option to summarize documents from your device or upload links. 

• Currently, Semrush AI summarizer supports only the English language — though they are planning to extend that. 

• It does not produce original content — instead, it cuts some sentences to reduce the length. 

Pricing 

• Free 

System Compatibility 

• Windows 

• macOS 

• Android 

• iOS 

#6 AI Summarizer: Best For Summarizing Only the Selected Text 

If it were up to you, would you summarize the selected text from a web page with the help of a free Chrome extension? If so, you might like AI Summarizer. It's a free extension that can be added to your Chrome — and lets you summarize all or some of the text on the web page. While you can generate summaries in paragraphs or bullet points with the free extension, it comes with certain limitations and is not perfect. 

Key Features 

• Set Summary Length: AI Summarizer helps you adjust the summary length in words or characters — though it's not 100% accurate. 

• Summarize in Bullet Points: With the AI summary generator, you can even condense the information into a few bullet points. 

• Free API Key: It's a great tool where anyone can introduce their own API key from ChatGPT to generate unlimited summaries. 

Pros 

• With the AI Summarizer, you can effortlessly summarize any web page. 

• If you don't want to summarize the entire page, the Chrome extension allows you to select any portion or fragment. 

• Simply adding the keywords lets you focus on specific topics when summarizing. 

Cons 

• The free Chrome extension is currently in its first release — which is why it may have unexpected bugs. 

• You'll need an OpenAI account to create a free API key. 

• The tool does not come with any advanced features like real-time transcriptions. 

Pricing 

• Free 

System Compatibility 

• Chrome Extension 

#7 BooksAI: Best For Summarizing Books on Android or iOS 

Most AI summary generator apps work well on Windows or macOS, but only a few of them are designed for mobile devices. BooksAI is one such simple and free AI book summarizer for smartphones that lets you summarize books in 9 different languages. 

There are also three different summary types: detailed summary (which generates the summary of the entire book), spoiler-free synopsis (which offers some information about the book without disclosing the main ideas or climax), and chapter summary (which summarizes one chapter). 

Key Features 

• Multi-language Support: BooksAI supports 9 languages like English, French, Italian, Dutch, and more — meaning you can even summarize books that aren't available in your language. 

• Different Summary Types: With the help of BooksAI, you can generate three types of summaries: detailed summary, spoiler-free synopsis, and chapter summary. 

• Digital Reading List: You can save your favorite books  — and the books you'd like to read — directly to the digital reading list. 

Pros 

• BooksAI is completely free to download and install the application on your smartphone. 

• This AI app is compatible with both iOS and Android devices. 

• BooksAI is mainly geared toward generating summaries of popular books and even offering recommendations. 

Cons 

• If you are not a book lover, BooksAI might not be the ideal solution. 

• You cannot use the app on Windows or macOS, as the tool is designed only for smartphones. 

• The generated summaries sometimes miss the important points from the books. 

Pricing 

• Free 

System Compatibility 

• Android 

• iOS

#8 AISEO Text Summarizer: Best For Summarizing With Advanced Features 

AISEO Text Summarizer offers several advanced features for summary generation. While AISEO doesn't include many input options (such as importing files from the device or uploading direct URLs) as some of the other great summary generators, I'd consider that a benefit. It makes a good option for someone looking for an article or text summarizer. 

When it comes to summarizing the text, AISEO Text Summarizer gives you the best bang for your buck. While the AI summary writer is relatively simple with an intuitive interface, you can adjust the tone of the summary, set the goals, and add brand voice to match the output with your needs. 

Key Features 

• Set Goals: When summarizing text with AISEO, you can adjust the goals of the summary, such as length, style, tone, and purpose. 

• Add Brand Voice: A unique feature of AISEO is its ability to help you feed the AI with your own brand voice and generate summaries that best match your needs. 

• Multi-language Support: This very popular AI summarizer supports many input and output languages, like English, German, Spanish, Greek, Italian, Dutch, Polish, and Portuguese. 

Pros 

• With this AI summary generator, you can produce original summaries that are free from plagiarism. 

• It also helps in optimizing the content (or summaries) for readability and SEO. 

• You can even paraphrase the text with this advanced summary generator. 

Cons 

• You'll have to pay $1.00 to unlock the 3-day free trial. 

• Like most AI tools in this list, AISEO does not offer any free plan. 

• You'll need a premium plan to use most of the features. 

Pricing 

• Grow Plan: $24 per month 

• Scale Plan: $49 per month 

• Team Plan: $99 per month 

System Compatibility 

• Windows 

• macOS 

• Android 

• iOS 

• Chrome Extension 

#9 Wordtune: Best For Summarizing Anything on the Web

With Wordtune summarizer, you can use the power of AI to generate a short and informative summary in a matter of seconds. All you need to do is give the app some text — or upload a PDF and import the video via the link — and watch as Wordtune summarizes the given text. The results will likely need some editing and cross-checking — as Wordtune is much more geared towards AI writing experience. 

Key Features

• Versatile Summarization: Wordtune works well for different use cases, including online articles/blogs, YouTube videos, PDFs, or anything on the web. 

• Smart Translation: You can choose from 10 available languages to Smart translate to English. 

• Integrations: With Wordtune, you can summarize anything on Google Docs, Gmail, Microsoft Word, Google Calendar, Slack, LinkedIn, Outlook, and even Intercom. 

Pros 

• Wordtune can seamlessly summarize anything from academic PDFs to online articles and even YouTube videos. 

• All the summaries can be exported and saved safely to your device — with just one click. 

• It's completely free to use the Wordtune extension. 

Cons 

• Wordtune lets you generate only 3 summaries per day — which is pretty limited. 

• You'll need the expensive 'Unlimited Plan' to get unlimited summaries. 

• The output quality may be low for extremely complex documents. 

Pricing 

• Free Plan

• Plus Plan: $14.99 per month 

• Unlimited Plan: $22.50 per month 

• Business Plan: Contact Sales 

System Compatibility 

• Windows

• macOS 

• iOS

• Chrome Extension 

• Microsoft Edge Extension

• Wordtune for Business 

#10 Any Summary: Best For Summarizing Audio or Video of Long Interviews 

If you need help summarizing long interviews (both audio and video), then Any Summary app is for you. As the name suggests, Any Summary uses AI to summarize anything from websites to videos and even audio. 

The platform is a little different from most other AI summarizers, but it's still intuitive to use. For example, there's a simple one-box where all files are uploaded, summarized, and prepared for sharing. 

Key Features 

• Summary Customization: With Any Summary app, you can customize the output format — bullet points, full abstract, and even quotes — as per your needs. 

• Various Input Methods: You can import documents in many formats (PDF, JPG, PNG, MOV, M4A, MP3, MP4, WAV, CSV, and PPTX) or summarize directly from the URL. 

• Extra Important Points: With the help of ChatGPT, the Any Summary app summarizes audio and videos of long interviews. 

Pros 

• Any Summary app comes with a generous free plan. 

• You can even provide your own summary instructions to the AI tool. 

• The application helps you summarize everything from website to document and even YouTube videos. 

Cons 

• Though Any Summary has a free version, the plan is limited in certain ways. 

• It may not work on the websites that prevent automated access. 

• Presently, the tool only supports the English language for summarizing files. 

Pricing 

• Free Forever Plan 

• Plus Plan: $9 per month 

System Compatibility 

• Windows 

• macOS 

• Android 

• iOS 

Best AI Summary Generators: At a Glance 

Here, I'll give you a quick rundown of the best AI summary apps for different use cases and devices. 

FAQs

Can AI Summarize a PDF? 

Yes, there are many free — and even paid — PDF summarizers that can summarize complex or extremely lengthy PDF documents using AI technology. One such advanced tool is Hypotenuse AI, which can generate PDF summaries in seconds — though it comes at a cost of $29 per month. If you are looking for a free PDF summarizer and are okay with limited features, IntelliPPT might make more sense. 

What is the Free AI that Summarizes Books? 

Taskade is one of the most popular book summary generators out there — and comes with a generous plan. It's a simple book summarizer that gives you a way to generate quick summaries with the powerful GPT-4. With a generous free plan that allows for 1000 AI credits per month, it's a tool anyone can use. 

Can ChatGPT Summarize a Video? 

ChatGPT's ability is not limited to generating text. In fact, it can summarize text when you enter the prompt, but not videos. There's no built-in feature that lets you summarize direct video files. Thankfully, there are video summarizers that get the job done. I've tested 10 video summarizers previously — and one of the best among them is the Notta Web App, which allows you to record, transcribe, and then summarize videos. 

Key Takeaways 

The main advantage of going the AI route and automating certain tasks is simplicity. Honestly, there are hundreds of AI summary generators out there — and a lot of them will advertise 'free' plans that aren't really free — meaning they come with certain limitations. 

Only the best AI summarizer — like Notta — brings recording, transcribing, and summarizing videos in one place. It comes with a generous free plan and even has paid plans with more robust features like a handy Chrome extension, real-time transcription, cloud file transcription, and AI Summary Generator.