Merlin AI vs Side Copilot: Which is Better in 2026?
A comprehensive comparison of Merlin AI and Side Copilot covering features, pricing, use cases, and which tool is the right choice for your needs.
⚡ Quick Verdict
Choose Merlin AI if:
- →You need a broader feature set (8 features vs 5)
- →You need gpt-4, claude 3.5, gemini pro access or gmail ai compose and reply
Choose Side Copilot if:
- →You want more affordable paid plans (from $4.9/mo)
- →You need chat mode with context from all open tabs, not just the active page or agent mode that takes browser actions to automate multi-step work
Merlin AI and Side Copilot get named on this page. Does your tool?
Comparisons like this one are what ChatGPT, Claude and Perplexity read when someone asks which of the productivity to recommend — and they can only weigh up tools they can find. Add yours to the productivity category: a free listing publishes after review. Want it live in minutes with a Verified badge instead? That option is on the form, one-time, no subscription.
Merlin AI vs Side Copilot: At a Glance
Pricing Comparison: Merlin AI vs Side Copilot
Understanding the pricing differences between Merlin AI and Side Copilot is crucial for making the right choice. Here's how their plans compare side by side.
Merlin AI Pricing
💡 Pricing takeaway: Both Merlin AI and Side Copilot offer free tiers, making it easy to try before you buy. Compare the specific plans to find the best value for your use case.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
Here's how every feature from Merlin AI and Side Copilot stacks up.
What Makes Each Tool Unique
🔵 Unique to Merlin AI
Features available in Merlin AI but not in Side Copilot:
- ✓GPT-4, Claude 3.5, Gemini Pro access
- ✓Gmail AI compose and reply
- ✓YouTube video summarization
- ✓LinkedIn post and message drafting
- ✓Blog and article summarization
- ✓AI-powered web search
- ✓Custom AI chatbots
- ✓Team collaboration features
🟣 Unique to Side Copilot
Features available in Side Copilot but not in Merlin AI:
- ✓Chat Mode with context from all open tabs, not just the active page
- ✓Agent Mode that takes browser actions to automate multi-step work
- ✓Spaces: tabs grouped into named contexts inside a single window
- ✓Cross-browser sync across Chrome, Edge, Brave, Vivaldi, Firefox and Zen
- ✓Tab suspend, de-duplicate, pin, fuzzy search and group save/restore
Use Case Recommendations
Best for: Merlin AI
Merlin is a popular AI Chrome extension that brings GPT-4, Claude, and Gemini to every website. It helps users write emails, summarize articles, generate content, and research topics without leaving their current tab. Merlin has over 5 million users and offers specialized features for Gmail, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Twitter.
Ideal use cases:
- •Teams or individuals who need gpt-4, claude 3.5, gemini pro access
- •Teams or individuals who need gmail ai compose and reply
- •Teams or individuals who need youtube video summarization
- •Teams or individuals who need linkedin post and message drafting
- •Anyone focused on chrome extension workflows
- •Anyone focused on ai assistant workflows
Best for: Side Copilot
Side Copilot is a browser extension that puts an AI agent and a vertical tab manager in the same side panel, so research and tab hygiene happen without leaving the page you are on. Chat Mode is aware of your open tabs: you can ask about them collectively, summarise the current page, select a region as context, or extract content, rather than copying text into a separate chat window. Agent Mode goes further and takes actions in the browser to automate multi-step web work. The organisational half is Spaces — tabs grouped into named contexts such as work, study, shopping or hobbies, all inside one window, so you focus on one space at a time instead of drowning in a single tab strip. Spaces sync across browsers and devices for logged-in users, covering Chrome, Edge, Brave, Vivaldi, Firefox, Zen, Sigma and Comet. Supporting features are the practical ones: pinned tabs per space, fuzzy search across tabs and spaces, tab suspension to reclaim memory, automatic de-duplication, save and restore of tab groups, theming, dark mode and five UI languages. A set of free standalone tools (chat with PDF, summariser, mind-map generator, YouTube summariser, AI detector, humaniser) runs on the web without the extension.
Ideal use cases:
- •Teams or individuals who need chat mode with context from all open tabs, not just the active page
- •Teams or individuals who need agent mode that takes browser actions to automate multi-step work
- •Teams or individuals who need spaces: tabs grouped into named contexts inside a single window
- •Teams or individuals who need cross-browser sync across chrome, edge, brave, vivaldi, firefox and zen
- •Anyone focused on browser-extension workflows
- •Anyone focused on tab-management workflows
⚡ Other Productivity Tools to Consider
Merlin AI and Side Copilot aren't the only options. Here are other popular tools in the same space:
Otter.ai
AI meeting transcription and automated notes
Mem
Self-organizing AI notes and knowledge base
Taskade
AI workspace for tasks, notes, and collaboration
Reclaim AI
AI calendar that auto-schedules tasks and focus time
Motion
AI project manager that auto-plans your day
Reflect
Fast, encrypted notes with AI and backlinks
Is one of these your tool?
This page ranks for "Merlin AI vs Side Copilot" — buyers comparing the two land here, and ChatGPT and Perplexity cite it. Claim your listing for $19 one-time — no subscription, nothing to cancel — and get a Featured badge, top placement in your category, and a permanent dofollow backlink. Prefer it ongoing? Monthly is one click away on the next page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Merlin AI better than Side Copilot?
It depends on your needs. Merlin AI offers 8 key features including GPT-4, Claude 3.5, Gemini Pro access and Gmail AI compose and reply, while Side Copilot provides 5 features including Chat Mode with context from all open tabs, not just the active page and Agent Mode that takes browser actions to automate multi-step work. Merlin AI uses a freemium model with a free tier, while Side Copilot is freemium with free access available. Choose based on which features and pricing model align with your requirements.
Is Merlin AI cheaper than Side Copilot?
Side Copilot is cheaper, starting at $4.9/month compared to Merlin AI's $14.25/month. Both tools offer free tiers, so you can try each before committing. Always check the official websites for the most current pricing.
Can I use Merlin AI and Side Copilot together?
Yes, many users combine Merlin AI and Side Copilot in their workflow. Merlin AI excels at gpt-4, claude 3.5, gemini pro access, while Side Copilot shines with chat mode with context from all open tabs, not just the active page. Using both allows you to leverage the strengths of each tool, though this means managing two subscriptions — though free tiers can help manage costs.
What's the main difference between Merlin AI and Side Copilot?
While both are productivity tools, Merlin AI emphasizes gpt-4, claude 3.5, gemini pro access, whereas Side Copilot is known for chat mode with context from all open tabs, not just the active page. The best choice depends on your specific workflow and feature priorities.
Learn More
📬 Get the best new AI tools delivered weekly
One concise email with fresh launches, trending picks, and featured standouts.