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. | 9.0 Winner in this category | 8.9 |
Total users Total active users across all major browsers: Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari. | 8,308 | 1,000,000 Winner in this category |
Total ratings Total number of user ratings received across all supported browsers. | 69 | 26,378 Winner in this category |
Average rating Average user rating across all browsers, calculated from available store ratings. | 4.5 ⭐ | 4.9 ⭐ Winner in this category |
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. | ![]() 4.8 4.63 Average Chrome Web Store rating from the last 100 reviews 7.0K+Users | ![]() 4.9 4.84 Average Chrome Web Store rating from the last 100 reviews 1.0M+Users Winner in this category |
Edge User rating and stats for the extension on Edge browser. | - | - |
Firefox User rating and stats for the extension on Firefox browser. | ![]() 4.3 3.83 Average Mozilla Firefox Add-ons Store rating from the last 100 reviews 1.3K+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. | 9.2 The functional scope of GPT Reader is designed for a wide range of users and demonstrated many useful functions in the test. The voice quality is surprisingly good and offers a natural-sounding output. We particularly liked the comprehensive format support, which seamlessly processes everything from PDFs to web content. The control of the playback is also well implemented, making it easy to adjust the speed directly and individually. However, the function for downloading audio files stood out the most in the test. In theory, entire books can be converted and then downloaded as audio books. However, this was the only area where we had to make deductions, as the free ChatGPT version had limitations when processing longer texts or documents. | 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 |
Performance Tooltivity's expert score for the 'Performance' aspect of each extension. | 8.3 The performance tests showed a mixed picture. For shorter texts and paragraphs, GPT Reader processes content quickly and delivers a smooth rendering. The application is fast and reliable for typical use cases such as articles or short documents. Here we tested self-written summaries for learning purposes. However, we encountered significant limitations with larger files, as it is not possible to complete processing due to the limited number of requests. The option of pausing and then resuming would help here. In addition, the process takes a very long time for larger files; the extension needed around 40 minutes for around 75 pages of a PDF. The limitations of the ChatGPT API particularly affect the processing of longer documents such as entire books. This is currently only possible with a premium version of ChatGPT. Winner in this category | 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. |
Design Tooltivity's expert score for the 'Design' aspect of each extension. | 9.0 The design of GPT Reader is clean and professional, with an intuitive layout that makes navigation effortless. The fact that there is even a dark as well as a light mode shows that the different user preferences have been taken into account. The controls are logically arranged and easily accessible. Even though the extension is designed for functionality, the design is not forgotten. Winner in this category | 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 |
Value for Money Tooltivity's expert score for the 'Value for Money' aspect of each extension. | 8.9 Currently, GPT Reader offers a very good price-performance ratio, as all functions are available completely free of charge. We found no hidden costs or unexpected limitations in the free version. ![]() At the moment, however, it is a very good offer in the text-to-speech sector. Winner in this category | 8.3 The ChatGPT Sidebar offers a free version with basic features and a limited number of queries. |
Ease of Use Tooltivity's expert score for the 'Ease of Use' aspect of each extension. | 8.7 In terms of user-friendliness, GPT Reader scores very well. Users of all technical levels should have little problem simply converting text to audio. The user interface is self-explanatory, and all functions are displayed immediately. | 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 |
Security & Privacy Tooltivity's expert score for the 'Security & Privacy' aspect of each extension. | 9.7 In our security analysis, GPT Reader showed a strong commitment to protecting user privacy. The extension only collects data from user-reported bugs and feedback. We appreciated the transparent privacy policy, where the user can read specific points. Winner in this category | 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 |
Conclusion A summary of our findings and final thoughts for each extension. | GPT Reader is a promising text-to-speech extension based on ChatGPT voices. The easy-to-understand voices, combined with the fact that it is completely free, set it apart from conventional TTS tools. The extension can process various document formats. Both PDFs and copied web articles can be converted, but it has its limitations with longer texts. For example, a 300-page PDF was only partially converted in the text due to ChatGPT's limitations, which still resulted in about 2 hours of audio. The tool is very user-friendly and supports multiple languages. This extension is a must for anyone who wants to listen to texts. | 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. |
Our Recommendation | In our comparison between GPT Reader and ChatGPT Sidebar, GPT Reader came out on top, scoring 9. ChatGPT Sidebar is the most widely used, with over 1 million users and 26k+ reviews, but GPT Reader outperformed it in our review. 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, GPT Reader is our top pick. But as always, the best choice depends on what matters most to you. |