Compare ChatGPT Sidebar and Obsidian Web Clipper: Which Extension is the Best?
Obsidian Web Clipper is a browser extension that lets you save, highlight, and organize web content to your Obsidian vault with templates, hotkeys, metadata extraction, and local storage. | ||
| Key Features A summary of the most important features offered by each extension. |
|
|
| Our Rating Tooltivity's expert review score for each extension, based on hands-on testing and research. | 8.9 Winner in this category | 8.5 |
| Total users Total active users across all major browsers: Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari. | 1,000,000 Winner in this category | 274,725 |
| Total ratings Total number of user ratings received across all supported browsers. | 26,583 Winner in this category | 524 |
| Average rating Average user rating across all browsers, calculated from available store ratings. | 4.9 ⭐ Winner in this category | 4.7 ⭐ |
| Entry Level Price The minimum price required to start using the extension. "Free" means a free tier is available. | Free | Free |
| Chrome User rating and stats for the extension on Chrome browser. |  4.9 4.88 Average Chrome Web Store rating from the last 100 reviews 1.0M+Users Winner in this category | 4.8 4.83 Average Chrome Web Store rating from the last 100 reviews 200.0K+Users |
| Edge User rating and stats for the extension on Edge browser. | - |  4.4 4.38 Average Microsoft Edge Store rating from the last 100 reviews 47.9K+Users Winner in this category |
| Firefox User rating and stats for the extension on Firefox browser. | - |  4.9 4.89 Average Mozilla Firefox Add-ons Store rating from the last 100 reviews 26.8K+Users Winner in this category |
| Safari User rating and stats for the extension on Safari browser. | - | - |
| Features Tooltivity's expert score for the 'Features' aspect of each extension. | 9.5 The ChatGPT sidebar offers many useful AI functions that help with a wide range of everyday tasks, but can also help in the business sector.  Users can access real-time data with Web Access, which is a huge advantage over other models. The multi-model group chat function enables users to communicate with several AI models at the same time and thus gain different insights. In addition, the tool supports interaction with images and files, allowing users to analyze images and chat directly with PDFs. These worked flawlessly in the test. Winner in this category | 8.7 The extension offers a comprehensive set of features that cover all essential web clipping needs. The templating system is particularly powerful, allowing for automatic metadata extraction and custom formatting. The highlight feature works well, though we noticed some issues with certain websites. The ability to save different types of content (full page, selection, main content) provides flexibility. The hotkey system is well-implemented and customizable. |
| Performance Tooltivity's expert score for the 'Performance' aspect of each extension. | 8.0 In testing, the performance of the ChatGPT Sidebar was good. You hardly notice any lag, which ensures a smooth and efficient browsing experience. Only the function of loading marked content directly into the sidebar via a pop-up, asking questions, or summarizing the content had a few problems. Sometimes it was not possible to click on the pop-up after highlighting. Winner in this category | 6.5 The direct clipping to Obsidian did not work properly in the test. Only the headline was saved; the rest was not. However, with the intermediate step, Clip to Clipboard and then paste, it works. The clipping process can be slow on certain websites. The highlight feature sometimes lags on content-heavy pages. The extension uses minimal system resources. |
| Design Tooltivity's expert score for the 'Design' aspect of each extension. | 9.0 The ChatGPT sidebar is designed to be intuitive and user-friendly. Even the basic user should have no problems navigating through all the functions. The interface looks modern and aesthetically pleasing. Several customizable settings allow the tool to be adapted individually, but there could be a few more functions here. Winner in this category | 8.9 The interface is clean and intuitive, following Obsidian's design language. The popup menu is well-organized and easy to navigate. The highlight interface is straightforward and user-friendly. The settings page is logically structured, though some advanced options could be better documented. The visual feedback during clipping operations is clear and helpful. |
| Value for Money Tooltivity's expert score for the 'Value for Money' aspect of each extension. | 8.3 The ChatGPT Sidebar offers a free version with basic features and a limited number of queries. | 9.7 The extension is completely free with all features included. There are no premium tiers or paid versions. The feature set is comprehensive and well-implemented. The value proposition is excellent compared to paid alternatives. Winner in this category |
| Ease of Use Tooltivity's expert score for the 'Ease of Use' aspect of each extension. | 9.0 The ChatGPT sidebar offers an uncomplicated setup process, with the basics presented in the tutorial immediately after installation. Every user should have no problem using all the functions here, as they are also very clearly presented. Should questions or problems nevertheless need to be resolved, many users have commented in their reviews on how responsive the support team is. Winner in this category | 8.0 Basic usage is straightforward - just click the extension icon and select what to save. The highlight feature is intuitive and works well. However, setting up custom templates requires some technical knowledge. The learning curve for advanced features can be steep. The documentation could be more comprehensive for new users. |
| Security & Privacy Tooltivity's expert score for the 'Security & Privacy' aspect of each extension. | 9.7 Security and data protection are a top priority in the ChatGPT Sidebar. No personal data is collected in the extension. The user settings are saved locally so that the data remains private. The tool's transparent data protection guidelines and regular security updates set the extension apart from the competition. Winner in this category | 9.5 The extension maintains excellent privacy standards. All data is stored locally in your Obsidian vault. No data is collected or shared with third parties. The extension doesn't require any special permissions. The code is open source, allowing for community review. The developer has a clear privacy policy. |
| Conclusion A summary of our findings and final thoughts for each extension. | The ChatGPT Sidebar is the perfect tool to improve productivity by integrating AI into daily browsing. The many features make it a valuable asset for personal and professional use. While it stands out for its functionality and ease of use, the premium price might be too high for regular users. Overall, however, it is a highly recommended tool for anyone who wants to use AI for their daily tasks. | The Obsidian Web Clipper is a powerful, privacy-friendly tool for saving web content. Its integration with Obsidian makes it particularly valuable for users of the note platform. The current focus is still on issues with clipping certain content types and occasional performance issues, which need to be resolved. The robust features and commitment to privacy make it a top choice for storing web content once the issues are resolved. For Obsidian users looking to improve their web research workflow, this extension is a must-have tool that delivers on its promise while maintaining user privacy and data control. |
| Our Recommendation | In our comparison between ChatGPT Sidebar and Obsidian Web Clipper, ChatGPT Sidebar came out on top, scoring 8.9. ChatGPT Sidebar is the most widely used, with over 1 million users and 27k+ reviews—and it also delivered the strongest performance in our tests. User reviews reflect our findings. Notably, ChatGPT Sidebar has the highest user rating in the Chrome Web Store at 4.89, which supports its strong performance in our review. In the end, the differences between these extensions are minimal, so your choice may come down to personal preference or specific features.
If you want a quick recommendation, ChatGPT Sidebar is our top pick. But as always, the best choice depends on what matters most to you. | |
