Sider alternatives for summarizing YouTube videos
Sider is a multi-model AI sidebar that also summarizes YouTube. If YouTube summaries are all you use it for, a dedicated summarizer is simpler and cheaper. Here is how to decide.
Sider is an AI sidebar for Chrome and Edge. You can chat with models such as GPT, Claude and Gemini, summarize web pages, PDFs and YouTube videos, and use extra tools for browsing, images and documents. Paid plans start at $10 a month, and the free plan is capped at 30 basic credits a day (aiproductivity.ai's Sider pricing summary, checked October 2026).
That is a lot of tool if YouTube summaries are what you open it for. Here are the alternatives.
Quick comparison
| Sider | sum.video | |
|---|---|---|
| Main job | General AI sidebar | YouTube summaries |
| YouTube summary | Yes, among many features | Yes, the core feature |
| Free tier | 30 basic credits a day | 3 summaries a week |
| Paid | From $10/month | $4.99/month or $39.90/year |
Sider's figures come from the pricing summary linked above; check Sider's own page before you decide, since credit tables change.
Alternative 1: sum.video
sum.video adds a Summarize button next to the YouTube player. You get:
- key insights, each linked to its moment in the video
- the full transcript, searchable and copyable
- a chat about the video, answered from the transcript
- the summary as audio (Pro)
- summaries saved to your account and shareable by link
Summaries are available in 17 languages on every plan. Pro costs $4.99 a month or $39.90 a year.
Fits: you watch a lot of YouTube and want summaries without managing credits.
Doesn't fit: you also want to chat about arbitrary web pages and PDFs in one sidebar.
Alternative 2: keep a chat assistant, add a YouTube connector
If you already pay for ChatGPT or Claude, add the sum.video connector. The assistant can then summarize a YouTube video and answer questions about its transcript without a second sidebar.
Alternative 3: YouTube's built-in transcript
For a quick quote, the transcript in the video description is free (YouTube Help). It is not a summary, though.
How to decide in five minutes
- Open your Sider history and count how many of the last 20 uses were YouTube.
- If it is most of them, try sum.video's free plan on three of those videos.
- Click a few timestamps in each summary. If they land on the right moments, a dedicated summarizer covers your use.
Related: NoteGPT alternatives and summarize YouTube without ChatGPT.
Sources
- aiproductivity.ai, Sider pricing 2026, checked October 2026
- YouTube Help, View video transcripts
- sum.video, Pricing
Frequently asked questions
What is Sider?
Sider is a browser sidebar for Chrome and Edge that lets you chat with several AI models and summarize web pages, PDFs and YouTube videos, with credit-based plans.
Is there a free alternative to Sider for YouTube?
Yes. sum.video gives every account 3 YouTube summaries a week for free, with timestamps and the full transcript.
Why use a dedicated YouTube summarizer instead of an AI sidebar?
A dedicated tool fetches the transcript, links every insight to a timestamp in the player, keeps a searchable transcript, and saves your summaries, without spending general chat credits.
Can sum.video replace Sider completely?
Only if you mainly use Sider for YouTube. sum.video does not chat about arbitrary web pages or PDFs.
Does sum.video work in Edge?
The extension is published on the Chrome Web Store. The website and the mobile apps work in any browser or on your phone.
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