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The best AI podcast generators in 2026
The best AI podcast generator depends on what you need to end up with. PodThis makes publishable episodes from a topic or a document on a free plan; NotebookLM is the free pick for listening to your own files; Jellypod is the one if hosting and distribution matter most. Six tools, seven facts each, from vendor pages.
How we compared them
Each tool is described on the same seven facts: pricing, free tier, inputs, voices and hosts, languages, output and publishing. A fact is included only when the vendor states it on its own pricing, help or product page; the page is linked in each table and the date we read it is in the table footer. Where a vendor says nothing, the row shows a dash. PodThis is held to the same rule and described from its own public pages.
The ranking is about distance to a finished podcast. A tool that turns an input into an episode someone else can subscribe to ranks above one that produces a file for you alone, and a tool with a usable free plan ranks above one that needs a card for the trial. Voice quality is deliberately not scored: every vendor here uses current neural voices, and judging them fairly would need a blind listening test, not a table.
The six, ranked
1. PodThis
Publishable episodes from a topic, a text, a link or a document, with a free plan that stays free.
Criterion PodThis 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. podthis.co 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. podthis.co Inputs A topic sentence, pasted text up to 20,000 characters, a link to a public article, or an uploaded PDF or Word document. podthis.co 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. podthis.copodthis.copodthis.co Languages All 70 languages, on every plan. podthis.co Output Finished episode with chapters, a searchable transcript and generated cover art; 320 kbps MP3 and transcript downloads. podthis.co 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. podthis.co Facts verified 4 October 2026 on the linked vendor pages. A dash means the vendor does not state it. PodThis starts from a topic sentence as readily as from a text, a link or a document: give it one and it researches, writes, voices and masters an episode with chapters, a transcript, cover art and a 320 kbps MP3. It also takes pasted text up to 20,000 characters, a public article link or a PDF or Word document. Each of the 12 styles has its own cast, there is no voice cloning by policy, and every creator has an RSS feed, so an episode you set to public or unlisted plays in Apple Podcasts or Pocket Casts without another tool.
Where it is weaker: no video output, no script-level editing of the generated text before voicing, fewer input types than NotebookLM or Jellypod, and a 20,000-character ceiling per text. The free plan is 5 credits to start and 3 a month, which is one standard or three short episodes; a daily show needs the $9 Creator plan. We make it, so read the facts table rather than this paragraph. See pricing and use cases.
2. NotebookLM
Listening to your own documents, free, with the widest range of source types.
Criterion NotebookLM Source Pricing 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. support.google.com Free tier Standard: 100 notebooks per user and 50 sources per notebook. Audio Overviews generated automatically when sources are added "do not contribute to limits". support.google.com Inputs 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." support.google.com Voices and hosts "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. support.google.com Languages Audio Overviews in 80+ languages. The Shorter/Default/Longer length control is English only. support.google.com Output A downloadable audio file per Audio Overview (file type not stated); downloads may be restricted for some publisher content such as Play Books. support.google.com Publishing 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. support.google.com Facts verified 4 October 2026 on the linked vendor pages. A dash means the vendor does not state it. NotebookLM, now Gemini Notebook (notebook.google.com; the NotebookLM address redirects there), takes more kinds of source than anything else here: PDFs, Google Docs, Slides and Sheets, websites, YouTube links, audio files and images, each up to 500,000 words. Audio Overview turns them into a conversation between AI hosts in four formats and 80+ languages, and the Standard plan costs nothing. Interactive mode, where you ask the hosts a question mid-episode, is unique.
It ranks second rather than first because it is not a podcast tool in the publishing sense: the help page lists a share link, sharing the notebook and downloading the file, and no podcast feed or directory publishing. If you want a NotebookLM-style workflow that ends in a published episode, see our NotebookLM alternatives page.
3. Jellypod
A hosted, scheduled show with up to four AI hosts and the widest distribution.
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 bundles the generator with the host: a website with an RSS feed, scheduled publishing, an embeddable player and distribution to Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube are included, and automations run a prompt on the days you pick, search the web, write the script and publish or wait for your review. Inputs are a topic, a PDF, a slide deck, images, an article or a script; voices number 3,300+ in 121 languages, with one to four hosts and cloning on every plan.
It would rank higher if it had a free plan. Starter is $25 a month and the 7-day trial requires a payment method, so it is a tool you commit to rather than try.
4. Wondercraft
Scripted, timeline-edited production with music, effects and an optional video track.
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 a studio first and a generator second. You draft the script from a document, URL or idea, then edit every line, pick voices or upload your own, add music and effects, and export WAV or video. It supports 50+ languages, including translating a finished episode, and has a distribution step to Spotify and Apple.
The free plan is 150 credits with limited models; "no watermark and full commercial rights" is listed under the $25 Creator plan. It ranks fourth because the production work is yours, which is the point of the product but not what most people searching for a generator want.
5. ElevenLabs GenFM
ElevenLabs subscribers who want a document or URL turned into a two-host conversation.
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 lives inside ElevenLabs Studio: upload an EPUB, PDF, DOCX, TXT or HTML file or give it a URL, pick a host-and-guest conversation or a single-host bulletin, edit the generated text and export. ElevenLabs put the count at 32 languages in its December 2024 announcement, and the voices come from the ElevenLabs library, with custom voice slots that grow with the plan.
It ranks fifth because the podcast feature requires a paid subscription even though a free ElevenLabs plan exists, and because publishing is not part of the product. If you already pay for ElevenLabs it is an obvious add-on; on its own it is an expensive way to make a podcast.
6. Speechify
Personal listening to documents in a conversational format, English only for now.
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 quick and sits inside a reader many people already have, but the vendor marks it for personal use, it is English only at the time of writing, and the pages state nothing about downloads or publishing, so those rows are empty.
How to choose
- You want a show other people subscribe to. PodThis or Jellypod. PodThis if you want to start free and from a topic; Jellypod if you want the most distribution and will pay from day one.
- You want to hear your own material. NotebookLM, free, or Speechify if you already use it. Neither publishes.
- You want to direct every line. Wondercraft, or ElevenLabs GenFM if you are already a subscriber.
Make your own
A topic, a text or a document in; a researched, voiced episode with chapters and a transcript out. 5 free credits to start, 3 more every month.