Sideview or Gemini in Chrome?
Gemini in Chrome is built in and reads your tabs, but it is Gemini only. Sideview gives you ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and more in the same panel.
By Sideview · Updated October 28, 2026 · Sideview 1.1.6
Chrome now has Gemini built in. Its side panel can answer questions about the tab you are on, and Sideview uses Chrome’s side panel too. They solve related problems, so which one fits depends mostly on which AI you want to talk to.
The short answer
- Use Gemini in Chrome if Gemini is your AI, you want it to read your open tabs automatically, and it is available in your country and language.
- Use Sideview if you use ChatGPT, Claude or another AI, use more than one, or want the same sidebar in Edge or Firefox.
Side by side
| Sideview | Gemini in Chrome | |
|---|---|---|
| AI providers | ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Copilot, Perplexity and more | Gemini |
| Browsers | Chrome, Edge and Firefox | Chrome |
| Reads your tabs | With Pro, only when you ask | The current tab by default, and more tabs you add |
| Several chats at once | Yes, in tabs inside the panel, across providers | Conversations are tied to the tab you start them in |
| Availability | Wherever the provider’s website works for you | Rolling out by country and language; needs you signed in to Chrome |
| Cost | Free, with optional Pro; provider plans are separate | Included with Chrome; some features need a Google AI plan |
Where Gemini in Chrome is stronger
It is already there. Nothing to install, and it is built into Chrome itself.
Deep tab access. Gemini in Chrome uses the current tab by default, can take several tabs at once, and Google is adding features that act in the browser for you. Sideview’s free sidebar never reads your pages; with Pro, it sends a page, selection or screenshot only when you ask.
Where Sideview is stronger
Your choice of AI. If your work lives in ChatGPT or Claude, with projects, memory and custom instructions, Sideview keeps that exact account beside every tab. Gemini is one of the providers in Sideview too, so you can keep it next to the others.
Several conversations, several providers. Keep a Claude draft, a ChatGPT research chat and a Gemini question open as separate tabs in one panel. Sideview Pro can also send one question to two or three providers and show the answers side by side.
The same tool in every browser. Sideview works in Chrome, Edge and Firefox, so switching browsers doesn’t mean switching assistants.
You decide what it sees. Some people prefer an assistant that does not read the page by default. Sideview keeps page access opt-in, one request at a time.
Using both
Chrome shows one side panel at a time, but you can switch between Gemini and Sideview from the toolbar. Press Alt + Shift + S to toggle Sideview.
Gemini in Chrome is still rolling out, and its features and requirements vary by country, language and Google plan. Check Google’s Gemini in Chrome help page for the latest. This comparison reflects both products as of October 2026.
