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.
Free plan available — no credit card required
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?
| GPT-4o (OpenAI) | Available | Leading model for writing and analysis |
| Claude 3.5 Sonnet (Anthropic) | Available | Excellent for long-form text comprehension |
| Gemini (Google) | Available | Strong multimodal and search capabilities |
| Mixtral (Mistral) | Available | Performant open-source option |
| Llama 3 (Meta) | Available | Meta's open-source model |
| Free plan | 30 queries/day | No credit card needed |
| Pro plan | ~$10/month | Unlimited queries, all models |
| Platforms | Chrome, Edge, Arc, Web | Extension + web app |
Sider vs alternatives: the comparison
| Tool | Price | Models | YouTube Summary | PDF Chat | Native Sidebar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sider | Free / ~$10/mo | GPT-4o, Claude, Gemini | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Monica AI | Free / ~$9/mo | GPT-4o, Claude | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Merlin | Free / ~$15/mo | GPT-4o | No | Yes | Yes |
| MaxAI | Free / ~$10/mo | GPT-4o, Claude | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Arc Browser | Built-in | Claude | Limited | No | Yes |
Strengths and limitations
- Non-intrusive sidebar UI integrated directly into the browser
- Multi-model: GPT-4o, Claude 3.5, Gemini all in one place
- YouTube summary is extremely useful for research and learning
- PDF chat without external upload — your data stays on the page
- Functional free plan for moderate daily use
- 10M+ users — large community and battle-tested tool
- Works on any webpage with no extra configuration
- Free plan capped at 30 queries/day — quickly reached with heavy use
- Response quality varies depending on the model selected
- Extension may slightly slow page loading on older devices
- Advanced features locked behind the paid plan
- No native mobile app
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
How to install Sider
- Click the link below to access Sider
- Install the extension from the Chrome Web Store
- Create a free account (email or Google)
- The sidebar appears on the right side of your browser
- Browse to any page and start using AI
Chrome & Edge extension — set up in 30 seconds
FAQ — Frequently asked questions about Sider
Is Sider free?
Yes, Sider offers a free plan with 30 AI queries per day. That's enough for occasional use. For heavy use, the Pro plan at around $10/month unlocks unlimited queries and priority access to the best models.
Is Sider compatible with Firefox?
Sider is primarily available for Chrome and Edge. There is no official Firefox extension at this time, but Sider also offers a web app accessible from any browser.
Is my data safe with Sider?
Sider does not store the content of pages you visit. Text is temporarily sent to the selected AI model to generate a response, but is not permanently retained. Avoid sharing highly sensitive or confidential information.
What's the difference between Sider and Monica AI?
Both tools are very similar. Sider has a larger user base (10M+) and a slightly smoother interface for content summarization. Monica AI offers more guided writing features. Both are worth testing via their free plans.
Can Sider summarize YouTube videos in any language?
Yes, Sider can summarize YouTube videos in any language. It extracts the auto-generated subtitles or transcript and produces a structured summary in seconds.
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.
Free to start — Pro at ~$10/month
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.
