Compare Recall and ChatGPT Sidebar: Which Extension is the Best?

With Recall, you can capture, summarize, and organize articles, PDFs, and videos with AI, spaced repetition, browser extensions, and strong privacy controls.
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
  • AI Summarization: Instantly summarizes articles, PDFs, YouTube videos, and more.
  • Personal Knowledge Base: Saves and organizes your summaries for easy retrieval.
  • Spaced Repetition & Active Recall: Helps you actually remember what you save, not just store it.
  • Augmented Browsing: Highlights related content as you browse, surfacing connections in your knowledge.
  • Browser Extensions: One-click saving and summarizing directly from Chrome or Firefox.
  • Editable Notebook: Add notes, highlights, and customize your saved content.
  • Tagging & Organization: Automatic and manual tagging, with support for nested tags.
  • Cross-Platform Sync: Works on desktop and mobile, keeping your knowledge base up to date.
  • 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
8.9
8.9
Total users
73,117
1,000,000
Total ratings
91
26,327
Average rating
4.0 ⭐
4.9 ⭐
Entry Level PriceFreeFree
Chrome
Chrome Web Store logo
4.3
4.18
76 ratings
70.0K+Users
Chrome Web Store logo
4.9
4.86
26.3K+ ratings
1.0M+Users
Edge
-
-
Firefox
Mozilla Firefox Add-ons Store logo
3.7
3.81
15 ratings
3.1K+Users
-
Safari
-
-
Features
9.2

Recall's range of functions is impressive for a relatively new tool. The AI summary works on a wide range of content, from articles to YouTube videos with a running time of several hours. We particularly liked the personal knowledge base and the way Recall automatically links related content. Spaced Repetition and Active Recall are outstanding features for students. However, some features are still in beta or will be available soon. The functions in the free version are severely limited in the number of users per day, and there is an upper limit for free use.

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
9.0

Retrieval is fast and reliable in most cases. The summary is fast, even with very extreme examples such as a 9-hour news show that we had summarized in our test. Occasionally, we encountered errors or slowdowns, especially when asking further questions about the summarized content via the wizard. The team is actively working on performance improvements and there are regular updates. Overall, the tool feels stable and is suitable for everyday use.

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
9.0

The user interface has a clear and modern design. The focus is on user-friendliness. We found the browser extension intuitive and easy to navigate. The tagging and organization system can be used flexibly, and some users mentioned minor bugs in the user interface, but these were only minimally noticeable in the test.

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
8.1

The free tariff is suitable for infrequent users who do not need all the functions, as you will quickly reach the map limit. However, if you want to use the extension on a day-to-day basis, you cannot avoid the
extension. The paid plan is competitively priced, especially with the student discount. We appreciate that some features will remain free forever, and the team is open to feedback on pricing. Compared to alternatives, Recall offers good value for money for those who need advanced knowledge management features, but casual users may find the limitations too restrictive and stop using the extension.

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
8.0

An account is required to use Recall. However, due to the integration with a Google and Apple login, this should be easy for everyone.
Saving and summarizing content is a one-click process that is well explained at the beginning. However, mastering all functions (e.g., nested tags, links, and spatial repetitions) requires some time and some searching, which can lead to many users not being able to exploit the full potential.

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
9.9

Recall is characterized by its privacy-friendly approach. User data is not used by the extension for advertising, profiling, or AI training. All content is stored securely, and users retain full control over their data. Data can be exported for inspection or deleted at any time. The data protection guidelines are transparent, and support is always available to answer questions about data protection. We were unable to identify any uncertainties during our review.

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

Recall impressed us with its useful intelligent use of AI and its focus on helping users in their everyday lives, especially when learning. The browser extension makes it easy to capture content, and the revision features with auto-generated questions are a real bonus for learners.

For occasional users, the free version may be enough, but if you want to use the extension, you can't avoid the paid version. The extension is not yet perfect and has small bugs, but the team reacts quickly to these and feedback, and many new functions are currently being introduced.

Overall, Recall is a good choice for anyone looking to do more than just bookmark cards and build a personal knowledge base. If you're tired of forgetting what you've read online and want to save time, it's a must!

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 Recall and ChatGPT Sidebar, all extensions performed equally well, each scoring 8.9.

ChatGPT Sidebar is the most widely used, with over 1 million users and 26k+ 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.


  • Looking for the richest feature set? ChatGPT Sidebar stands out with a rating of 9.5. On the other hand, Recall lags behind in this area with a rating of 9.2.
  • Need top performance? Recall stands out with a rating of 9. On the other hand, ChatGPT Sidebar lags behind in this area with a rating of 8.
  • Both look and feel great: Recall and ChatGPT Sidebar. In the Design category, Recall has scored an excellent 9. The design is both attractive and highly functional, making it stand out.
  • Want to get the most for your money? ChatGPT Sidebar stands out with a rating of 8.3. On the other hand, Recall lags behind in this area with a rating of 8.1.
  • If you hate complicated tools, ChatGPT Sidebar stands out with a rating of 9. On the other hand, Recall lags behind in this area with a rating of 8.
  • With privacy and security becoming ever more important, Recall stands out with a rating of 9.9. On the other hand, ChatGPT Sidebar lags behind in this area with a rating of 9.7.

There's no single winner, so check the categories above to find your best fit.