Compare New Tab Draft and ChatGPT Sidebar: Which Extension is the Best?

New Tab Draft transforms your new tab into a distraction-free writing space, perfect for quick notes and to-dos. It's simple, effective, and completely free, but lacks advanced features.
ChatGPT Sidebar enhances your browser with AI features like real-time data, group chat, image analysis, file interaction, AI image generation, writing, and reading assistance.
Key Features
  • Simple Note-Taking: Create, pin, and lock multiple notes directly on your new tab page.
  • Local Storage: Ensures privacy by saving notes locally, not on the cloud.
  • Customization: Options to customize font and background.
  • Additional Tools: Includes calculations, auto-backup, and more.
  • Privacy Protection: No data is uploaded to any server.
  • Web Access: Access real-time data without GPT cut-off dates.
  • Group Chat: Engage multiple AI models simultaneously for diverse insights.
  • GPT-4o Vision: Analyze images, graphs, and charts with ease.
  • File Interaction: Chat with PDFs and other files directly.
  • AI Image Generation: Create images from text prompts using advanced models.
  • Writing Assistance: Get real-time help with grammar, tone, and rewording.
  • Reading Assistance: Summarize articles and translate text quickly.
Our Rating
8.2
8.9
Total users
13,006
1,000,000
Total ratings
1,176
26,670
Average rating
4.7 ⭐
4.9 ⭐
Entry Level PriceFreeFree
Chrome
Chrome Web Store logo
4.8
4.44
1.2K+ ratings
9.0K+Users
Chrome Web Store logo
4.9
4.87
26.7K+ ratings
1.0M+Users
Edge
Microsoft Edge Store logo
4.6
4.53
16 ratings
4.0K+Users
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Firefox
-
-
Safari
-
-
Features
6.0

New Tab Draft offers basic note-taking functionality, local storage for privacy, and some customization options. However, it lacks advanced features like rich text formatting and cloud sync.

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.

sidebar

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.

Performance
8.5

The extension is fast and efficient, with minimal lag or performance issues.

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
7.5

The design is simple and clean, with options for customization. However, it's not particularly aesthetic or modern.

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.

Value for Money
8.5

As a completely free tool, it offers good value for those who need basic note-taking features.

However, even though it's free, we don't see too much value in this tool. As there are similar free New Tab extensions out there, we can not give the highest rating.

8.3

The ChatGPT Sidebar offers a free version with basic features and a limited number of queries.
However, if you want to use functions such as Web Access, you need the premium version. The premium features might be a bit expensive for the basic user, but for anyone who needs the advanced features, they are still fine. Compared to alternatives, the price is competitive and offers good value for money.

Ease of Use
9.0

The tool is very straightforward with a minimal learning curve. Its simplicity is both a strength and a limitation.

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.

Security & Privacy
9.5

All notes are stored locally, ensuring high privacy. There are no concerns about data being uploaded to the cloud.

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.

Conclusion

New Tab Draft is great for those who prefer a simple, no-frills note-taking tool. While it may not offer much beyond basic note-taking, its privacy features and ease of use make it a solid choice, especially since it's free.

User reviews are very good with an average of 4.8 stars in the Chrome Web Store. Many users love its simplicity and effectiveness. However, it might not provide enough value for those looking for more advanced features.

In our tests, we weren't fully convinced and found ourselves leaning toward more aesthetically pleasing New Tab Extensions that offer a few basic features.


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 New Tab Draft and ChatGPT Sidebar, 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 New Tab Draft 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 some noticeable differences between these extensions, so it's worth considering your priorities and the details below.


  • Looking for the richest feature set? ChatGPT Sidebar stands out with a rating of 9.5. On the other hand, New Tab Draft lags behind in this area with a rating of 6.
  • Need top performance? New Tab Draft stands out with a rating of 8.5. On the other hand, ChatGPT Sidebar lags behind in this area with a rating of 8.
  • Design lovers, take note: ChatGPT Sidebar stands out with a rating of 9. On the other hand, New Tab Draft lags behind in this area with a rating of 7.5.
  • Want to get the most for your money? New Tab Draft stands out with a rating of 8.5. On the other hand, ChatGPT Sidebar lags behind in this area with a rating of 8.3.
  • Ease of use? It's a tie: New Tab Draft and ChatGPT Sidebar. In the Ease of Use category, New Tab Draft has scored a fantastic 9. It is very easy to use, with an intuitive interface that facilitates a smooth user experience.
  • With privacy and security becoming ever more important, ChatGPT Sidebar stands out with a rating of 9.7. On the other hand, New Tab Draft lags behind in this area with a rating of 9.5.

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.