Sider AI is an all-in-one sidebar browser extension offering instant access to GPT-4o, Claude 3.5, Gemini, and DeepSeek for web reading, writing, and search.
Starting price Freemium / $20-$50/mo
Tool Information
Sider AI platform architecture and sidebar browser copilot
Sider AI (accessible at sider.ai, Chrome Web Store, Edge, and desktop apps, developed by Li Zheng) is an artificial intelligence sidebar browser copilot, multi-model assistant, and web reading workspace. Engineered for researchers, knowledge workers, students, and digital professionals, Sider integrates major frontier AI models into a slide-out browser panel.
The platform aggregates top foundation models into a unified interface: OpenAI GPT-4o, Anthropic Claude 3.5 Sonnet, Google Gemini 1.5 Pro, and DeepSeek. Sider AI features Side-by-Side Webpage Chat, Full PDF Document Analysis, Contextual Text Selection Toolbar, YouTube Video Summaries, AI Image Generation, and the OpenClaw autonomous web research agent.
Core copilot capabilities and Sider AI tools
Sider AI delivers features for web productivity and multi-model research:
- All-in-one sidebar panel: Open a versatile AI workspace on any webpage with a click or keyboard shortcut.
- Multi-model frontier access: Query GPT-4o, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, Gemini 1.5 Pro, and DeepSeek from a single interface.
- Contextual text selection popup: Highlight any text on a webpage to instantly translate, explain, summarize, or rewrite.
- Chat with web pages & PDFs: Extract tables, summarize 100-page PDF reports, and ask questions about active browser tabs.
- 1-click YouTube video summaries: Generate timestamped summaries and key takeaways from YouTube videos.
- OpenClaw web research agent: Execute automated web searches and multi-page data synthesis in the background.
Comparative benchmark: Sider AI vs. Merlin AI and MaxAI
Sider AI provides multi-model aggregation, OpenClaw autonomous web agents, and sidebar panel docking.
| Dimension | Sider AI | Merlin AI | MaxAI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Model selection | GPT-4o, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, Gemini 1.5 Pro, DeepSeek | GPT-4o, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, Gemini 1.5 Pro, LLaMA 3 | GPT-4o, Claude 3.5, Gemini 1.5, DeepSeek |
| Autonomous research agent | OpenClaw autonomous multi-step web agent | Live web search enhancement | Web search integration |
| UI presentation | Collapsible docking sidebar panel + selection popup | Floating modal (Ctrl+M) + sidebar | Selection menu + sidebar drawer |
| Pricing model | Freemium ($0 / $20.00 to $50.00/mo) | Freemium ($0 / $6.00 to $19.00/mo) | Freemium ($0 / $12.00 to $30.00/mo) |
Practical applications and operational limits
- Side-by-side web research: Read academic articles and business reports with a docked AI copilot ready to answer questions.
- Multi-model answer comparison: Test difficult coding or analytical prompts across Claude 3.5 and GPT-4o simultaneously.
- Instant web text translation: Highlight foreign language articles and translate them into fluent English with 1 click.
- YouTube lecture summaries: Extract bulleted takeaways and timestamps from lengthy instructional videos.
Operating limits: Free tier provides 30 daily basic query credits. Advanced model access (GPT-4o, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, DeepSeek) and high-volume usage operate on credit-based Premium subscriptions (from $20 to $50/month).
Subscription plans and Sider AI pricing
Sider AI offers a free tier alongside monthly and discounted annual subscriptions:
| Plan Tier | Monthly Billing | Annual Commitment Rate | Included Monthly Credits, Frontier Models & Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free Plan | $0 | $0 | 30 basic credits/day, standard model access, basic text selection popup, YouTube summarizer trial |
| Premium Plan (Popular) | $20.00/mo | $10.00/mo ($120.00/yr) | 3,000 advanced credits/mo, access to GPT-4o and Claude 3.5 Sonnet, PDF chat analysis, full YouTube summaries |
| Unlimited / Ultra Plan | $50.00/mo | $25.00/mo ($300.00/yr) | Unlimited standard queries, 6,000 advanced credits/mo, OpenClaw autonomous agent, priority speed, high-res image generator |
*Pricing and plan details verified as of August 2026.
Step-by-step workflow
- Install extension: Add Sider AI to Chrome, Edge, or install the desktop application.
- Open sidebar: Click the floating Sider icon or press the hotkey to open the sidebar alongside your browser tab.
- Select model: Choose between GPT-4o, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, or DeepSeek depending on your task.
- Chat or summarize: Highlight webpage text to rewrite, or click “Chat with Webpage” to ask questions about the active article.
Editorial verdict
- Best for: Web researchers, developers, students, and business analysts who want a docked sidebar assistant with access to top AI models on every webpage.
- Not recommended for: Users who rarely use browser extensions or prefer full-screen standalone chatbots.
- Learning curve: None. Clean docking drawer interface.
- Value threshold: Good value. The Premium annual plan ($10/mo) provides access to both GPT-4o and Claude 3.5 in one browser panel.
- Bottom line: Sider AI is a practical browser sidebar copilot, combining multi-model access with web and PDF analysis.
F.A.Q
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Docked sidebar interface providing AI assistance alongside active webpages without tab switching
- Multi-model hub integrating GPT-4o, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, Gemini 1.5 Pro, and DeepSeek
- Contextual text selection popup allowing 1-click translation, explanation, and rewriting of web text
- Comprehensive document analysis allowing interactive Q&A with web pages and 100-page PDF files
- OpenClaw autonomous agent capable of executing multi-step web research tasks automatically
Cons
- Free tier daily credits (30 credits/day) run out quickly during heavy research sessions
- High-tier models (Claude 3.5 Sonnet and GPT-4o) consume advanced credits at accelerated rates
- Requires standard browser extension permissions to read and interact with active web page contents
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