Best AI Summarizer Tools in 2026

AI summarizers save hours by condensing long documents, articles, PDFs, and videos into key points. Here are the best tools for every summarization need.

Related: AI tools to summarize books, how to use ChatGPT.

Top Summarizers

Tool	Price	Best For
Claude	Free / $20/mo	Long documents (200K context)
ChatGPT	Free / $20/mo	General summarization
Perplexity	Free / $20/mo	Web articles with sources
TLDR This	Free / $4/mo	Quick article summaries
Scholarcy	Free / $9.99/mo	Academic papers
QuillBot	Free / $9.95/mo	Summarize + paraphrase
Glasp	Free	YouTube video summaries

1. Claude

The best for long documents thanks to its 200K token context window. Upload entire books, research papers, or legal documents for comprehensive summaries.

2. ChatGPT

Versatile summarizer that handles text, PDFs, and URLs. Web browsing adds the ability to summarize any online article.

3. Perplexity

Summarizes web content with source citations. Ask a question and get a summary drawing from multiple sources.

4-7: Specialized Tools

TLDR This — Browser extension for instant article summaries. Scholarcy — Extracts key findings from academic papers. QuillBot — Summarize and paraphrase in one tool. Glasp — Free YouTube video summarization.

FAQ

Best summarizer?

Claude for long docs. TLDR This for quick web summaries. Scholarcy for academic papers.

Can AI summarize YouTube?

Yes. Glasp, Eightify, and ChatGPT can summarize videos from transcripts.

Free option?

ChatGPT Free, Claude Free, TLDR This, and QuillBot all offer free summarization.

Final Verdict

Claude for serious document analysis. TLDR This for casual browsing. Scholarcy for researchers. Most users just need ChatGPT or Claude’s free tier.