Alternatives
NotebookLM alternatives for making podcasts
NotebookLM’s Audio Overview is a free way to hear your own documents discussed by AI hosts, but it stops at a downloadable file: no feed, no publishing. For episodes you can actually publish, the closest alternatives are PodThis, Jellypod, Wondercraft and ElevenLabs GenFM. Every fact below is from vendor pages.
NotebookLM is now Gemini Notebook (notebook.google.com; the NotebookLM address redirects there). The facts below are read from the Gemini Notebook help pages; the comparison is otherwise unchanged. Each row links to the page it was taken from, and the date it was checked is in the footer of the table.
| Criterion | PodThis | NotebookLM | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free $0. Creator $9/month for 40 credits, Producer $29/month for 150 credits; yearly billing is 20% less. A short episode (about 10 minutes) costs 1 credit, standard 3, deep dive 6. | Sign-up is "free of charge" with a Google account (the Standard plan). Higher limits come with a Google AI Plus, Pro or Ultra subscription; the plans page states no price in USD. | podthis.cosupport.google.com |
| Free tier | 5 credits on sign-up, then 3 every month, no credit card. Every feature is on every plan; the plans differ only in credits. | Standard: 100 notebooks per user and 50 sources per notebook. Audio Overviews generated automatically when sources are added "do not contribute to limits". | podthis.cosupport.google.com |
| Inputs | A topic sentence, pasted text up to 20,000 characters, a link to a public article, or an uploaded PDF or Word document. | PDF, Word, text, Markdown, CSV, PowerPoint, ePub, Google Docs, Slides and Sheets, web URLs, YouTube URLs, audio files (MP3, WAV) and images. "Each source can contain up to 500,000 words or up to 200MB for uploaded files." | podthis.cosupport.google.com |
| Voices and hosts | All 12 styles on every plan. "A full cast, not one robot voice — cast per style." No voice cloning or impersonation of real people, by policy. | "Deep-dive discussions between AI hosts" in four formats: Deep Dive, Brief, Critique and Debate. Interactive mode (ask the hosts a question) is English only. | podthis.copodthis.copodthis.cosupport.google.com |
| Languages | All 70 languages, on every plan. | Audio Overviews in 80+ languages. The Shorter/Default/Longer length control is English only. | podthis.cosupport.google.com |
| Output | Finished episode with chapters, a searchable transcript and generated cover art; 320 kbps MP3 and transcript downloads. | A downloadable audio file per Audio Overview (file type not stated); downloads may be restricted for some publisher content such as Play Books. | podthis.cosupport.google.com |
| Publishing | Public, unlisted or private per episode. Every creator has an RSS feed; episodes open in Apple Podcasts, Overcast or Pocket Casts from the "Listen in your app" menu. | Three sharing options are listed: a link to the audio, sharing the whole notebook, or downloading the file. No podcast feed or directory publishing is listed. | podthis.cosupport.google.com |
| Facts verified 4 October 2026 on the linked vendor pages. A dash means the vendor does not state it. | |||
What NotebookLM is good at, and where it stops
NotebookLM accepts almost anything as a source, from PDFs and Google Docs to YouTube links and audio files, and its Audio Overview is free on the Standard plan. It is a way to listen to your own material. What it does not do is make a podcast in the publishing sense: the help page lists a share link, sharing the notebook and downloading the file, but no podcast feed or directory publishing, and the hosts are Google’s hosts, not a cast you choose. If that is all you need, keep using it. The alternatives below are ranked by how far they get you from a document or an idea to an episode other people can subscribe to.
The alternatives, ranked
1. PodThis
Finished, publishable episodes from a topic, a text or a document, on a free plan.
PodThis starts where NotebookLM starts, with your text, a public article link or a PDF, and also where NotebookLM cannot: from a topic alone, which it researches before writing. Every episode comes out with chapters, a transcript, cover art and a 320 kbps MP3, and it is listed in an RSS feed the moment you set it to public or unlisted. There are 12 styles with a cast each, so a documentary sounds like a documentary and a study episode like a teacher and a learner.
Where NotebookLM still wins: breadth of input. NotebookLM takes YouTube links, audio files, images and whole Google Drive documents up to 500,000 words; PodThis takes text up to 20,000 characters, one link or one document. NotebookLM also has an interactive mode where you ask the hosts a question, which PodThis does not have. And NotebookLM has no episode cost: PodThis gives you 5 credits on sign-up and 3 a month, then $9 a month for 40.
See pricing and the use-case pages for the exact inputs; the PDF to podcast page is the closest match to how people use Audio Overview.
2. Jellypod
Scheduled shows with hosting, distribution and up to four AI hosts.
Criterion Jellypod Source Pricing Starter $25/month (5,000 credits), Creator $50/month (11,000 credits), Business $125/month (30,000 credits); 30 credits per audio minute, unused credits roll over one month. jellypod.com Free tier No free plan. "7-Day Free Trial" with 5,000 credits; "the trial requires a payment method and converts to the plan you chose after 7 days unless you cancel." jellypod.com Inputs "Give it a topic, PDF, slide deck, images, article, or script." Automations: "Write the prompt once and pick your days. Each run can search the web, write the script, and generate an episode." jellypod.com Voices and hosts "3,300+ AI voices in 121 languages"; voice cloning with 2 clones on Starter, 8 on Creator, 20 on Business. "Pick one to four AI hosts." jellypod.comjellypod.com Languages Voices in 121 languages. jellypod.com Output Maximum podcast length 60 minutes on Starter, Creator and Business; unlimited on Enterprise. Export format not stated. Also video, vertical shorts and voiceovers. jellypod.comjellypod.com Publishing "Spotify, YouTube & Apple Podcasts distribution", "hosted podcast website", "embeddable player" and "scheduled publishing" on every plan; custom domain on Business. "Every podcast gets a website and RSS feed." jellypod.comjellypod.com Facts verified 4 October 2026 on the linked vendor pages. A dash means the vendor does not state it. Jellypod is the most complete publishing stack on this list: a hosted website with an RSS feed, scheduled publishing, an embeddable player, distribution to Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube, and automations that run a prompt on the days you pick, search the web, write the script and publish or wait for your review. It takes a topic, a PDF, a slide deck, images, an article or a script and lets you pick one to four hosts, with cloned voices, from 3,300+ voices in 121 languages.
The trade-off is price and the lack of a free plan. The entry plan is $25 a month and the trial needs a payment method. If you are leaving NotebookLM because it is free and you want to stay free, Jellypod is not the answer; if you are leaving because you want a real show, it is the strongest alternative here.
3. Wondercraft
Scripted, edited production where you control every line and sound.
Criterion Wondercraft Source Pricing Free $0 with 150 credits. Creator $25/month ($21/month billed yearly), Pro $45/month, Enterprise on request. wondercraft.ai Free tier "150 free credits" with "limited access to AI models" and export up to 720p. "No watermark and full commercial rights" is listed under the paid Creator plan. wondercraft.ai Inputs Create the script "by sharing a document, URL, or raw ideas", or paste text. wondercraft.ai Voices and hosts A library of "hyper-realistic AI voices in various tones, accents, and styles"; you can also "upload your own voice". Voice count not stated. wondercraft.ai Languages "50+ languages", including in-app translation of a finished podcast. wondercraft.ai Output "Download up to WAV files" or "create a public custom link to share". Video export as well. wondercraft.ai Publishing "Distribute your episode to Spotify, Apple, and beyond." RSS hosting details are not stated. wondercraft.ai Facts verified 4 October 2026 on the linked vendor pages. A dash means the vendor does not state it. Wondercraft is closer to a studio than a generator: you create the script from a document, a URL or raw ideas, then work on a timeline with voices, music, sound effects and an optional video track, and export WAV. It supports 50+ languages and lets you upload your own voice.
Compared with NotebookLM you gain full editorial control and a distribution step to Spotify and Apple; you lose the one-click nature of Audio Overview. The free plan is 150 credits with limited models; the Creator plan at $25 a month lists "no watermark and full commercial rights" among its features.
4. ElevenLabs GenFM
Anyone already paying for ElevenLabs who wants a podcast from a document or URL.
Criterion ElevenLabs GenFM Source Pricing Free $0 ("10k credits per month"). Paid plans run from Starter and Creator (shown with first-month discounts) up to Pro $99, Scale $299 and Business $990 per month. elevenlabs.io Free tier A free plan exists, but "the Create a podcast (GenFM) feature ... requires a paid subscription to access." elevenlabs.io Inputs "Upload a document (EPUB, PDF, TXT, HTML, DOCX, XML or FDX), provide a URL, or link to an existing project." elevenlabs.io Voices and hosts Two formats: "a conversation between a host and a guest, or a bulletin for a shorter, more focused podcast with just the host." Custom voice slots by plan: 2 on Free, 30 on Creator; Professional Voice Cloning from Pro. elevenlabs.ioelevenlabs.io Languages "Studio supports turning content into AI-generated podcasts across 32 languages" (ElevenLabs blog post dated 6 December 2024, still live on the date below). elevenlabs.io Output You edit the generated text, then "click Export and the audio will be generated and available for download." Format not stated. elevenlabs.io Publishing Not stated on ElevenLabs GenFM's pages Facts verified 4 October 2026 on the linked vendor pages. A dash means the vendor does not state it. GenFM is the "Generate a podcast" workflow inside ElevenLabs Studio. Upload an EPUB, PDF, DOCX or similar, or give it a URL, choose a two-voice conversation or a single-host bulletin, edit the generated text and export the audio. ElevenLabs put the count at 32 languages in its December 2024 announcement, and the voices are ElevenLabs voices, with custom voice slots that grow with the plan.
It is the closest in spirit to Audio Overview, with the editable transcript NotebookLM lacks, but it is not free: the GenFM feature requires a paid subscription, and ElevenLabs is a voice platform rather than a podcast host, so publishing is on you.
5. Speechify
Personal listening to your own documents in a conversational format, English only.
Criterion Speechify Source Pricing Free $0. Premium $29/month, with a yearly option marked "save 60%"; "AI Podcasts" is listed among the Premium features. speechify.com Free tier "You can sign up for a free Speechify account and try out the AI Podcast feature"; the feature is "for strictly creating podcasts for personal use", with commercial voice-overs pointed to Speechify Studio. speechify.com Inputs "Upload a document or drop in a prompt": documents, articles, essays, study guides and notes. speechify.com Voices and hosts Four styles: Podcast, Late Night Show, Debate and Lecture, using Speechify’s "lifelike AI voices". Host count not stated. speechify.com Languages "Currently only available in English. More languages are coming soon." speechify.com Output Not stated on Speechify's pages Publishing Not stated on Speechify's pages Facts verified 4 October 2026 on the linked vendor pages. A dash means the vendor does not state it. Speechify’s AI Podcasts take a document or a prompt and produce a Podcast, Late Night Show, Debate or Lecture. It is the alternative that most resembles NotebookLM’s purpose, listening rather than publishing: the feature is marked for personal use, is currently English only, and the vendor pages state nothing about downloads or feeds, so we list nothing.
When to stay with NotebookLM
- You want to listen to your own notes and never share the result. Audio Overview is free and takes more source types than anyone else.
- Your sources are YouTube videos, audio recordings or images. No tool above takes all of those.
- You want to interrupt the hosts and ask a question. Interactive mode is unique to NotebookLM, in English.
How this page was made
Every fact in the tables was read from the vendor’s own pricing, help or product page on the date shown and linked in the source column. Where a vendor does not state something, the cell shows a dash rather than a guess. PodThis is described from its own public pages by the same rule. Generated audio can contain mistakes on every platform here, PodThis included; our editorial policy explains what is and is not reviewed by a person.
Try the PodThis way
Paste the text or the link you would have given NotebookLM. Every account starts with 5 credits and gets 3 more each month; a short episode costs one.