Apps that search PDFs, articles, videos and podcasts in one library (2026)

Quick summary: If your sources are split across PDFs, articles, YouTube talks and podcasts, the test is whether one app keeps all four and searches inside the transcripts, not only the titles. Omphalis ranks first for people who read, study or research that material, because every source becomes the same readable page, with timestamped transcripts and cited answers from your own library. Recall is the closest all-format alternative if you want summaries and quizzes, Readwise Reader suits heavy highlighters who mostly read text, and Knowbase suits people uploading their own recordings. Snipd is the strongest pick for podcasts, and it is a podcast app only.

We make Omphalis, so weigh its place on this list accordingly. Every other entry was checked against the vendor's own pages on September 29, 2026; prices and features change, so confirm before you pay.

A research project rarely arrives in one format. The paper is a PDF, the useful commentary is a blog post, the clearest explanation is a YouTube talk, and the idea you half remember came from a podcast. Most tools handle one or two of those well and leave the rest as links you cannot search.

This guide compares nine apps for students, researchers and professionals who want those sources in one place, on formats kept, search inside transcripts, getting back to the passage, and the free plan.

Quick comparison

Tool	Best for	Formats it keeps	Search inside transcripts	Starting price
Omphalis	Reading and research across formats	Articles, PDFs (paid plans and trial), EPUBs, Word, YouTube, podcasts, newsletters, notes	Yes, and Ask cites transcript passages	Free; Pro $9/month
Recall	Summaries, chat and quizzes	Web pages, PDFs, YouTube, TikTok, Vimeo, podcasts, Google Docs	Yes for podcasts, by exact quote; its help docs say podcast timestamps are not yet included	Free; Plus $10/month billed yearly
Readwise Reader	Heavy highlighters	Articles, PDFs, EPUBs, newsletters, RSS, YouTube, podcast transcripts	YouTube and saved podcast transcripts; no podcast playback	$9.99/month billed yearly
Knowbase	Your own audio and video files	PDF, Word, PowerPoint, audio and video files, YouTube	Yes, citations jump to the timestamp	Free; Starter $15/month billed yearly
Evernote	Notes, scans and handwriting	Notes, PDFs, Office docs, images, transcribed audio and video	Transcripts saved as searchable notes	Free; Starter $14.99/month
Capacities	Linked notes with PDFs as objects	Notes, PDFs, weblinks, images, audio	Audio transcripts in Believer early access	Free; Pro $9.99/month billed yearly
Notion	Teams already in Notion	Pages, databases, clipped pages, uploads	No built-in transcription found	Free; Plus $10/month billed yearly
Obsidian	Local notes you own	Markdown notes, PDFs, audio and video files, clipped pages	No, search reads notes and canvases only	Free; Sync $4/month billed yearly
Snipd	Podcast listeners	Podcasts; YouTube and audio files on Premium	Yes, with speaker identification	Free; Premium $6.99/month billed yearly

What to look for

• Every format as something you can read. A PDF attachment or a saved video link is not a page you can highlight and search.
• Search that reaches inside transcripts. Test with a phrase you remember from an episode.
• A way back to the moment. Timestamps, speaker labels and citations that open the passage make a result usable.
• What the free plan covers. Transcription minutes, answer caps and which formats are free vary widely.

1. Omphalis

Omphalis keeps articles, PDFs, EPUBs, Word documents, YouTube talks, podcasts, newsletters, notes and voice notes in one Library, and turns each into the same clean, readable page. Paste a YouTube or podcast link and you get a timestamped transcript (with speaker labels on podcasts) and a section map, so a line from an episode sits in the same search as a paragraph from a paper.

Highlights

• Timestamped transcripts, with speaker labels on podcasts; creator chapters appear when the creator published them, and none are invented
• Full-text search on every plan, and search by meaning on Pro and above
• Ask answers from your saved PDFs, articles, notes and transcripts, with numbered citations that open the passage
• Explanations (define, source, expand) open beside the text on every plan

Specs

• Best for: Reading, studying and researching sources in different formats
• Search: Full-text on every plan; by meaning on Pro and above; Ask gives 5 answers a day on Free, 50 on Pro
• Platforms: Web app (the most complete), iOS, Android, Chrome and Firefox extensions, inside ChatGPT and over MCP
• Price: Free plan; Pro $9 a month or $90 a year; Premium $19 a month; 30-day trial of every feature, no card. See pricing.

Pros

• One reader, one search and one set of highlights for papers, articles and transcripts
• Cited answers you can check against the source passage

Cons

• PDFs are read on paid plans and during the trial; Free keeps the file but does not turn it into a readable page
• Free covers about 20 articles or 2 hours of podcasts a month
• Newer than most tools here, with no desktop app; the web app is the most complete experience

Pick Omphalis if you read, study or research your sources and want every format on the same page. See how it handles podcast transcripts, YouTube talks and PDFs.

2. Recall

Recall saves the widest range of sources on this list and builds summaries, tags and a knowledge graph around them. Its supported content list runs from Spotify podcasts to Google Slides and Reddit threads.

Highlights

• Saves YouTube, TikTok, Vimeo, public Apple and Spotify podcasts, web pages, PDFs up to 250 MB, and Google Docs and Slides
• Podcasts come with the complete transcript, searchable for an exact quote
• Chat across your library cites every source, and video answers include a timestamp you can play

Specs

• Best for: Summaries, chat and review across many formats
• Review: Quizzes with spaced repetition on Plus
• Platforms: Web, iOS, Android, and Chrome, Safari, Edge and Firefox extensions
• Price: Free with 10 AI summaries a month; Plus $10/month billed yearly ($12 monthly) adds AI Chat. See Recall pricing.

Pros

• Broader capture than Omphalis, including TikTok, Vimeo and Google Slides
• API and MCP access on the free plan

Cons

• Recall's podcast summarizer page promises a timestamp on each transcript segment, but its podcast help page says podcast timestamps are not yet included, so check before counting on a jump to a moment in the audio
• No EPUB support is listed

Pick Recall if you want one place for almost any link and plan to review with quizzes.

3. Readwise Reader

Readwise Reader is a reading app for people who highlight a lot. Its search covers the full text, titles and authors of documents in your Library.

Highlights

• YouTube plays beside a time-synced transcript you can highlight
• Share an episode from Spotify, Overcast or Apple Podcasts, or paste its link on the web, to save its transcript to highlight and chat with
• Ghostreader can "Ask questions. Define terms. Simplify complex language."
• Global Ghostreader on web and desktop answers from your whole library with citations

Specs

• Best for: Heavy highlighters who mostly read text
• Search: Full-text, and it works offline
• Platforms: Web, desktop, iOS, Android, Chrome, Firefox and Safari extensions, plus BOOX, Daylight and Kindle
• Price: $9.99/month billed yearly or $12.99 monthly; 30-day trial; no free plan. See Readwise pricing.

Pros

• Desktop apps and e-ink support; Omphalis has no desktop app
• Offline full-text search and a mature highlight workflow

Cons

• Podcasts come in as transcripts only: Readwise built Reader as "a podcast companion, rather than a full podcast player," so you listen in another app
• Feed items are not searchable until moved to the Library

Pick Readwise Reader if your sources are mostly text and you live in your highlights.

4. Knowbase

Knowbase is built around uploading your own files and asking questions of them. It takes PDFs, Word, PowerPoint, text files, audio and video files and YouTube links, and transcribes the recordings.

Highlights

• Transcription with speaker identification, exportable as SRT or VTT
• Citations jump to the exact PDF page or video timestamp
• "Chat-All" searches your library plus connected Google Drive, Notion and Dropbox

Specs

• Best for: Your own recordings, lectures and documents
• Files: Up to 1 GB, organized in "Nests"
• Platforms: Web app
• Price: Free with 25 queries; Starter $15/month billed yearly ($19 monthly) with 1 hour of transcription. See Knowbase pricing.

Pros

• Takes PowerPoint decks and video files such as MP4 and MOV, which Omphalis does not list
• Transcript export as SRT or VTT

Cons

• Transcription hours are tight on lower plans; free transcription covers English YouTube only
• We found no article clipper or mobile app on its pages

Pick Knowbase if your sources are files you already have, not links you read.

5. Evernote

Evernote is a long-running notes app that holds almost anything as a note. Its search page says paid plans find text inside PDFs, Office documents and scanned documents, including handwriting.

Highlights

• AI Transcribe takes audio, video and YouTube links up to 2 hours
• Evernote says every transcript is saved as a note you can search by keyword
• Semantic Search is listed among its features

Specs

• Best for: Notes, scans and handwriting in one searchable place
• Languages: Transcription in 50+ languages
• Platforms: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, web
• Price: Free (50 notes, 1 device); Starter $14.99/month or $99/year; Advanced $24.99/month. See Evernote plans.

Pros

• Searches text in scans and handwriting, which Omphalis does not claim
• Desktop apps for Windows and Mac

Cons

• The free plan's 50-note cap is small for a research library
• The search page uses older plan names, so check which current plan includes it

Pick Evernote if scans and your own notes matter as much as reading.

6. Capacities

Capacities treats every source as an object you link to your notes. PDFs are objects you read and annotate, and weblinks get a Reader tab for clean article view.

Highlights

• PDF analysis on Pro lets you search inside a document and jump to the page
• Audio analysis, with a searchable transcript, is in Believer early access
• Search works offline

Specs

• Best for: Linked notes where PDFs and web pages are objects
• Free plan: Unlimited objects and full-text search
• Platforms: macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, web
• Price: Free; Pro $9.99/month billed yearly ($11.99 monthly). See Capacities pricing.

Pros

• A generous free plan with offline support
• Desktop apps on macOS, Windows and Linux

Cons

• We found no YouTube or podcast transcript feature in its docs
• Highlighting PDFs needs Pro or Believer

Pick Capacities if you think in linked notes and your sources are mostly PDFs and web pages.

7. Notion

Notion is a workspace for pages and databases. Its Web Clipper saves pages from Chrome and Safari.

Highlights

• Databases let you build a reading list with your own properties and views
• "Search all sources with AI" looks across the workspace and connected apps
• Search ranks titles above contents

Specs

• Best for: Teams and individuals already organized in Notion
• Uploads: 5 MB per file on Free
• Platforms: macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, web
• Price: Free; Plus $10/member/month billed yearly ($12 monthly). See Notion pricing.

Pros

• Flexible databases for tracking sources, which Omphalis does not offer
• Shared workspaces for group projects

Cons

• We found no built-in YouTube or podcast transcription
• You cannot tag a page while clipping it

Pick Notion if your team already works there and you mostly organize links and notes.

8. Obsidian

Obsidian keeps notes as local Markdown files, extended by thousands of plugins. It can store PDFs, images, audio and video in your vault and embed them in notes.

Highlights

• The Web Clipper saves pages as files you can read offline, with a template for podcasts
• Notes stay on your device as plain Markdown
• An audio recorder saves voice recordings into the vault

Specs

• Best for: Local Markdown notes you fully own
• Search: Notes and canvases only
• Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android
• Price: Free; Sync $4/month billed yearly. See Obsidian pricing.

Pros

• Free without limits, and your files do not depend on a company's servers
• Desktop apps on every major system

Cons

• Built-in search "only searches the contents of notes and canvases", so PDFs and audio are not searched
• The audio recorder does not transcribe

Pick Obsidian if owning your files matters most and you will write the notes yourself.

9. Snipd

Snipd is a podcast app, and only a podcast app: it does not keep PDFs or web articles. For podcasts it is excellent: tap your headphones to save a snip with the audio, transcript and a summary.

Highlights

• Transcripts with speaker identification and automatic chapters
• Chat with an episode
• Syncs snips to Notion, Readwise, Obsidian, Bear and Logseq

Specs

• Best for: Podcast listeners who want to keep what they hear
• Imports: YouTube videos and audio files on Premium
• Platforms: Mobile app with CarPlay, Android Auto and Apple Watch support
• Price: Free with AI features on 2 episodes a week; Premium $6.99/month billed yearly ($11.99 monthly). See Snipd pricing.

Pros

• Saving a moment with a headphone tap is quicker than any reader here
• Sync to your notes app is included on the free plan

Cons

• Podcasts only: your PDFs and articles need a second app

Pick Snipd if podcasts are your main source, and pair it with a reader for the rest.

Which one should you pick?

If you read, study or research across formats, pick Omphalis, and start on the trial if PDFs are central, since Free does not turn PDFs into readable pages.

If you want summaries and quizzes built in, pick Recall.

If your sources are mostly text and you highlight heavily, pick Readwise Reader, especially if you want a desktop or e-ink app.

If you work from your own recordings and slides, pick Knowbase.

If you want notes you fully control, pick Obsidian or Capacities, and expect to handle video and podcast transcripts yourself.

If podcasts are nearly everything, pick Snipd and add a reader for your PDFs and articles.

Frequently asked questions

How can I search my PDFs alongside video transcripts in one app?

Omphalis keeps PDFs, YouTube talks and podcasts as readable pages under one search, and Ask cites the passage it drew on; PDFs are read on paid plans and during the trial. Recall and Knowbase also cover PDFs and video, and Knowbase citations jump to the video timestamp.

What's the best app for organizing articles alongside podcast notes?

Omphalis keeps articles and podcast transcripts in the same Library, with highlights, tags and Collections across both. If you prefer a dedicated podcast app, Snipd syncs podcast snips into Notion, Obsidian or Readwise, where your articles can live. That means two apps, but it suits heavy listeners.

Can I search inside podcast transcripts?

Yes, in several apps. Omphalis, Recall, Readwise Reader and Snipd all produce podcast transcripts, and Recall says you can search its transcripts for an exact quote. Recall's product page promises a timestamp on each transcript segment while its help docs say podcast timestamps are not yet included; Omphalis transcripts are timestamped and labelled by speaker.

Is there a free app that searches PDFs and YouTube transcripts together?

Recall and Knowbase both have free plans that take PDFs and YouTube, with limits on summaries or queries. Omphalis Free takes YouTube and keeps PDF files, but reads PDFs only on paid plans or during the 30-day trial. Capacities and Obsidian are free, but we found no YouTube transcript feature in either.

Does Obsidian search inside PDFs?

Not with its built-in search. Obsidian's help page says search covers only the contents of notes and canvases. You can store and embed PDFs in a vault, but finding text inside them needs a plugin or another app.

Last updated: September 29, 2026

Also read: Read podcast transcripts with explanations · Ask questions about your reading, with citations