A Sider alternative with no credits to run out of.
Sider sells monthly plans with a credit allowance. Thinkbeside is free and runs on API keys you bring, so you pay each provider only for what you use. Here is how the two compare, including where Sider does more.
Free, with your own API key. How pricing works · How your keys and data are handled
Thinkbeside vs Sider at a glance
| Feature | Thinkbeside | Sider |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Thinkbeside: Free. No subscription or credits | Sider: A free plan with a daily credit allowance, and paid monthly plans with more credits |
| How you pay for AI | Thinkbeside: Each provider bills your own API key at its API rates; Settings estimates the cost per model | Sider: Credits from your plan, used up by token usage |
| Your own API key | Thinkbeside: OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, DeepSeek and xAI, plus any OpenAI-compatible server | Sider: An OpenAI key |
| Use without a key | Thinkbeside: No, at least one key is required | Sider: Yes, on its free plan |
| AI requests | Thinkbeside: Straight from your browser to the provider, not through Thinkbeside’s servers | Sider: Plan credits are used through Sider’s service |
| Several models at once | Thinkbeside: Compare up to four providers side by side; group chat with two to four models | Sider: Group chat with several models |
| Pages and tabs | Thinkbeside: The current page or up to six tabs, with numbered citations | Sider: Chat with web pages |
| Files | Thinkbeside: PDFs with page citations, Word documents with section citations, scanned PDFs read in the browser | Sider: PDFs, images and audio files |
| YouTube | Thinkbeside: Summary, key moments and transcript with timestamp links | Sider: YouTube summaries |
| Writing | Thinkbeside: Selection toolbar, writing assistant in text boxes, replies in Gmail and Outlook.com | Sider: Writing assistant and Gmail writing tools |
| Where it runs | Thinkbeside: Chrome’s side panel; also Edge, Brave and Arc | Sider: Chrome, Edge and Safari, plus iOS, Android, Windows and Mac apps |
Sider details come from its Chrome Web Store listing (version 5.35.1) and its help center, read on October 17, 2026. Sider is a product of Vidline Inc.; Thinkbeside is not affiliated with it. Plans and prices can change. Something out of date? Tell us.
Why people switch from Sider
No credits to ration
There is no daily allowance or monthly cap. Use any model your key can reach, as much as you want, at the provider’s own price.
Every major provider, your keys
Bring keys for OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, DeepSeek or xAI, or add OpenRouter, Groq, Ollama or LM Studio. Your keys stay encrypted in your browser.
Answers you can check
Replies cite the tab, PDF page, Word section or video timestamp they came from, so you can open the source in one click.
What Thinkbeside doesn’t do yet
So you know before you install, here is what Sider offers that Thinkbeside doesn’t yet. Several are on the roadmap.
- You can start without any API key, on Sider’s free credits. Thinkbeside needs at least one key.
- Real-time web search and deep research. Thinkbeside does not search the web yet; it is on the roadmap.
- Image generation and editing, and chat with audio files. Thinkbeside has neither.
- Full-page, PDF and video subtitle translation. Thinkbeside translates selections, pages and transcripts in the panel.
- Apps for Safari, phones and desktop. Thinkbeside is a browser extension for Chrome, Edge, Brave and Arc.
Switch from Sider in three steps
- 1
Install and sign in
Add Thinkbeside from the Chrome Web Store and sign in with an email code, Google or GitHub. You can keep Sider installed while you try it.
- 2
Paste an API key
Create a key at OpenAI Platform, Anthropic Console, Google AI Studio, the DeepSeek platform or the xAI console. One is enough to start.
- 3
Open the panel
Press Alt+O (⌥O on Mac) on any page, PDF or YouTube video, and ask. Type / to reuse saved prompts.
Questions
Is Thinkbeside a free alternative to Sider?
Yes. Thinkbeside is free and has no paid plan. Instead of buying credits, you add your own API key and pay that provider for the tokens you use, at its API rates.
Is it cheaper than a Sider plan?
It depends on how much you use. There is no monthly fee and you pay only for the tokens you use, so light use often costs less than a plan; heavy use of the most expensive models can cost more. Settings estimates your usage and cost per model; your provider’s bill is the final word.
Can I use my Sider credits or subscription in Thinkbeside?
No. Sider credits work only in Sider. Thinkbeside uses API keys from the providers themselves, which are billed separately from any Sider, ChatGPT Plus or Claude Pro plan.
Does Thinkbeside search the web like Sider?
Not yet. Thinkbeside answers from the pages, tabs, files and videos you attach. Web search is planned.
Can I move my Sider chats to Thinkbeside?
There is no importer. Your Thinkbeside chats start fresh and sync to your Thinkbeside account, encrypted at rest; sync can be turned off.
More about Thinkbeside
Try the Sider alternative that runs on your keys.
Free to install. Works with the API keys you already have.