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Sider Review 2026 : the best AI sidebar extension for smarter browsing?

Full review of Sider, the AI sidebar extension for Chrome and Edge: page summaries, PDF chat, translation, GPT-4o and Claude built-in. Is it worth it?

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Sider Review 2026

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AI built into your browser — no more tab switching

You're reading a technical article, watching a YouTube video, or reviewing a complex PDF — and you have to open ChatGPT in another tab, copy-paste the text, wait for a response, then go back... That's exactly the problem Sider solves.

Sider is an AI browser sidebar extension that installs directly into Chrome, Edge, or Arc. It lets you summarize any webpage, chat with your PDFs, translate, explain, or rewrite any selected text — all without leaving the page you're on.

Sider integrates GPT-4o, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, Gemini, and more top models in a single interface, right in your browser sidebar.

What is Sider?

Sider is an AI-powered browsing assistant available as an extension for Chrome and Edge, as well as a web app. The concept is straightforward: AI comes to you, where you work, instead of forcing you to switch contexts.

With over 10 million users, Sider has become one of the most popular AI extensions on the Chrome Web Store. Its focus is clear: boost your productivity in reading, understanding, and writing, directly within the context of what you're viewing.

Core features

  • Web page summaries: summarize any article or page in one click
  • PDF chat: ask questions about your documents without uploading them to an external platform
  • YouTube summaries: get the key points of a video without watching it in full
  • Text explanation: highlight any passage, Sider explains it instantly
  • Smart translation: contextual translation with natural rephrasing
  • Rewrite & grammar check: improve your emails, posts, or reports in one click
  • Free chat: converse with GPT-4o, Claude, or Gemini based on your preference

Which AI models are available?


Sider vs alternatives: the comparison

ToolPriceModelsYouTube SummaryPDF ChatNative Sidebar
SiderFree / ~$10/moGPT-4o, Claude, GeminiYesYesYes
Monica AIFree / ~$9/moGPT-4o, ClaudeYesYesYes
MerlinFree / ~$15/moGPT-4oNoYesYes
MaxAIFree / ~$10/moGPT-4o, ClaudeYesYesYes
Arc BrowserBuilt-inClaudeLimitedNoYes
Sider strikes the best balance between feature richness and affordable pricing, with a genuinely useful free plan for occasional users.

Strengths and limitations

✓ Avantages

    ✗ Inconvénients


      Who is Sider best for?

      Ideal for:

      • Professionals who read lots of articles, reports, or PDFs daily
      • Students and researchers who need to synthesize sources quickly
      • Content creators doing research on YouTube and the web
      • Anyone who wants AI access without juggling multiple tabs
      • Teams working on shared online documents

      Less suited if:

      • You need a long-form content generation tool (writing full articles)
      • You need API access to integrate AI into your own apps
      • You don't use Chrome or Edge as your primary browser

      Sider pricing in 2026

      Sider's free plan is a genuine strength — it lets you properly evaluate the tool before committing.

      • Free: 30 AI queries/day, access to base models, page and YouTube summaries
      • Pro: expanded queries, priority access to GPT-4o and Claude 3.5, advanced features (~$10/month)
      • Team: for teams, centralized access management
      Sider regularly offers discounts on annual plans. The Pro plan billed annually often works out to under $8/month.

      How to install Sider

      1. Click the link below to access Sider
      2. Install the extension from the Chrome Web Store
      3. Create a free account (email or Google)
      4. The sidebar appears on the right side of your browser
      5. Browse to any page and start using AI

      FAQ — Frequently asked questions about Sider


      Final verdict

      Sider stands out as one of the best AI browser extensions in 2026. Its core advantage is seamless integration into your workflow: no more tab juggling, AI is right where you need it.

      The free plan is fair, the Pro plan stays affordable, and the range of available models (GPT-4o, Claude, Gemini) makes it a genuinely versatile productivity tool for anyone who reads, researches, or writes online every day.

      Overall score: 8/10 — Excellent daily productivity tool, especially for smart reading and research workflows.


      Looking for a subscription that bundles all AI models in one place? Also check out our review of ChatLLM Teams, the all-in-one alternative at $10/month.

      Matt

      Written by

      Matt

      AI & Productivity Specialist

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