Compare ChatGPT Sidebar and Weava: Which Extension is the Best?
Weava Highlighter was once a popular choice, but now it’s filled with ads and has a poor user experience. Better options like Web Highlights do the job better without the hassle. | ||
| Key Features A summary of the most important features offered by each extension. |
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| Our Rating Tooltivity's expert review score for each extension, based on hands-on testing and research. | 8.9 Winner in this category | 7.0 |
| Total users Total active users across all major browsers: Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari. | 1,000,000 Winner in this category | 200,000 |
| Total ratings Total number of user ratings received across all supported browsers. | 26,670 Winner in this category | 2,728 |
| Average rating Average user rating across all browsers, calculated from available store ratings. | 4.9 ⭐ Winner in this category | 4.1 ⭐ |
| 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 4.87 Average Chrome Web Store rating from the last 100 reviews 1.0M+Users Winner in this category | 4.1 3.01 Average Chrome Web Store rating from the last 100 reviews 200.0K+Users |
| Edge User rating and stats for the extension on Edge browser. | - | - |
| Firefox User rating and stats for the extension on Firefox browser. | - | - |
| 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 | 8.5 Weava offers basic but functional features like web and PDF highlighting, annotations, and folder organization. The basic functionalities work great but the lack of innovative or advanced functionalities, especially compared to competitors, limits its appeal. Top 3 Features of Weava Highlighter1. Highlight Websites and PDFs  Similar to our favorite highlighter Web Highlights, you can highlight text on any website or PDF. Choose different colors to customize your highlights and make important information stand out. 2. Organize Research into Folders  Weava lets you save your highlights and organize them into folders, making it simple to keep your research organized and find what you need fast. 3. Collaborate with Your Team  Weava allows you to share folders with your team, making collaboration on research projects easy. Everyone can add and view highlights and notes all in one place. |
| 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 | 7.0 Weava performs adequately when it comes to basic highlighting and syncing. However, the overall performance is marred by the intrusive ads and occasional bugs that make the experience less smooth than it should be. |
| 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 | 6.0 The design is where Weava really struggles. The interface is cluttered with ads, making it not only visually unappealing but also frustrating to use. Here's a screenshot showing one of their ads taking up nearly half the height of their sidebar:  The overall design feels outdated and lacks the intuitive flow found in other tools. This poor design significantly hampers the user experience. |
| 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. Winner in this category | 6.8 The free version of Weava offers basic features, and their premium plan at $3.99/month is priced similarly to competitors. However, given the ads in the free version and the overall user experience, you can find better value in alternatives that provide more features and a cleaner interface for the same or even lower cost. |
| 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 | 6.5 Weava’s basic highlighting functionality is straightforward, but the poor design and mandatory account creation add unnecessary friction. The ads make navigation cumbersome, and while it’s not difficult to learn, using the tool effectively can be a challenge due to these barriers. |
| 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 | 7.0 Weava does take steps to protect user data, and their privacy policy is clear about not selling personal information. However, the requirement to create an account and the potential for data collection through ads could be a concern for privacy-conscious users. |
| 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. | Weava Highlighter may still be a popular choice, but its current state leaves much to be desired. The overwhelming presence of ads and a clunky design significantly detract from the user experience, making it hard to justify its use when other tools offer a more polished and ad-free environment. If you’re serious about your productivity, it’s worth exploring alternatives like Web Highlights, which delivers all the benefits of Weava without the downsides. |
| Our Recommendation | In our comparison between ChatGPT Sidebar and Weava, 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 for ChatGPT Sidebar reflect our findings, while we rate Weava lower than users do. Notably, ChatGPT Sidebar has the highest user rating in the Chrome Web Store at 4.89, which supports its strong performance in our review. There are big differences between these extensions, so it's important to look at the details below to find the best fit for your needs.
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. | |
