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iTerm2 VS Side Space

Compare iTerm2 VS Side Space and see what are their differences

iTerm2

A terminal emulator for macOS that does amazing things.

Rating
4.0 · 1 review
Pricing
Open source
Alternatives Is it good?
Side Space

The World's First Al Assistant for Your Tabs

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Free trial $39 / One-off
Alternatives Is it good?
ReleasePad
Changelog software that turns GitHub commits into release notes your users actually see — inside your app. Built for founders and teams who ship fast. sponsored
Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, iTerm2 seems to be more popular. It has been mentioned 119 times since March 2021.

social mentions
119 vs 0
Developer Tools popularity
100% vs 0%
alternatives listed
240+ vs 69

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

iTerm2
Side Space
Website iterm2.com sidespace.app
Pricing
Open source
Free trial $39 / One-off Official pricing
Platforms —
Google Chrome Firefox Edge Brave Comet Opera +3
Company — Startup from Hong Kong · 1 - 9 employees · 2023
Listed in
Terminal Developer Tools SSH Server Management Server Configuration And Automation +2
AI Assistant Browsing Experience Tab Manager Personal Productivity Browser Extensions Chrome Extensions +3

About iTerm2 and Side Space

In their own words, as submitted to SaaSHub.

iTerm2
Side Space

No description of iTerm2 yet.

An Al-powered vertical tabs manager in your side panel. An alternative to Arc’s Sidebar and Edge’s Vertical Tabs — now upgraded with a built-in AI assistant. Side Space gives you complete control over your browsing experience with powerful vertical tab management and Side Copilot, an AI that...

Read more about Side Space

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

iTerm2 6 features
Side Space 4 features
  • Versatility
    iTerm2 supports a wide range of features such as split panes, multiple tab management, and hotkey-activated terminal windows, making it highly versatile for different workflows.
  • Customization
    Offers extensive customization options, including themes, color schemes, and key bindings, allowing users to tailor the terminal to their preferences.
  • Advanced Features
    Includes advanced functionality like instant replay, which allows users to rewind their terminal session, and integration with automation tools like AppleScript.
  • Performance
    Designed to be efficient and responsive, ensuring it performs well even with multiple sessions and tabs open simultaneously.
  • Integrations
    Seamless integration with macOS features such as native notifications, fullscreen mode, and support for external editors.
  • Community Support
    Active community and comprehensive documentation, which can be very helpful for troubleshooting and learning advanced configurations.

Possible disadvantages

  • Mac-Only
    iTerm2 is exclusive to macOS, which means users on other operating systems cannot utilize its features.
  • Complexity
    The sheer number of features and customization options can be overwhelming for beginners, requiring a learning curve to utilize efficiently.
  • System Resource Usage
    iTerm2 may consume more system resources compared to simpler terminal emulators, which could be a concern on lower-end hardware.
  • Update Frequency
    Occasional updates can introduce bugs or unexpected behavior, requiring users to adjust settings or find workarounds.
  • 🌈 Arc-like Side Panel
    We’ve built an Arc-like side panel that transforms your tabs into a sleek vertical layout, making it easier than ever to navigate and manage your workspace.
  • 🧠 Smart AI Grouping
    It’s not just about organizing tabs—it’s about doing it intelligently. Our AI grouping feature clusters tabs based on content for a streamlined experience. Plus, you have control with our Group Guardian feature, letting you customize tab groupings using URL matches to set your own organizational rules.
  • ☁️ Spaces & Cloud Sync
    Take productivity to the next level! Save your tabs into different Spaces and we automatically sync them to the cloud. Your organized tabs are accessible across devices, so you can browse seamlessly wherever you are.
  • 🤖 AI Assistant
    Research, summarize, and organize, chat with your tabs and let Al Assistant help you browse smarter.

Analysis

An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.

iTerm2
Side Space

Overall verdict

  • iTerm2 is regarded as an excellent terminal emulator for macOS due to its robust feature set and usability, making it a top choice for power users.

Why this product is good

  • iTerm2 is often praised for its advanced features, customization options, and efficiency that enhance productivity for users who work with the command line frequently. It offers split panes, hotkey window, undo close, instant replay, and a highly configurable interface that caters to power users, making it a versatile tool for developers and system administrators.

Recommended for

  • Developers and programmers who need a highly customizable terminal.
  • System administrators who require powerful scripting and automation capabilities.
  • Users who frequently work with command-line interfaces and require multiple sessions handled efficiently.
  • Anyone seeking an enhanced, feature-rich alternative to the default macOS terminal.

Overall verdict

  • SideSpace is a well-regarded browser productivity tool that helps users organize their tabs and workspaces efficiently, making it a solid choice for anyone who struggles with tab overload.

Why this product is good

  • Helps organize and group browser tabs into dedicated spaces, reducing clutter
  • Improves productivity by allowing quick switching between different projects or contexts
  • Offers a clean, intuitive interface that's easy to adopt
  • Saves and restores tab sessions so you never lose your place
  • Reduces memory usage by managing inactive tabs effectively

Recommended for

  • Power users who juggle many browser tabs at once
  • Professionals managing multiple projects or clients simultaneously
  • Researchers and students who need to organize reference materials
  • Remote workers seeking better digital workspace organization
  • Anyone prone to tab overload looking to streamline their browsing

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

iTerm2 1 video + Add
Side Space 2 videos + Add

Customizing iterm2 with ZSH and PowerLevel9k | Z shell Tutorial

Side Space 2.0 | The World First AI Assistant for your Tabs

More videos

  • - Introducing Side Space 1.0

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100
iTerm2
Side Space
100% 100%
Developer Tools
0% 0%
0% 0%
Chrome Extensions
100% 100%
100% 100%
SSH
0% 0%
0% 0%
Productivity
100% 100%

Questions & Answers

As answered by people managing iTerm2 and Side Space.

What makes your product unique?

Side Space's answer:

Side Space combines powerful vertical tab management with an integrated AI assistant, that's something no other browser extension offers.

Instead of choosing between a better tab manager or an AI browser, Side Space gives you both in one clean side panel.

What's the story behind your product?

Side Space's answer:

I am the kind of person who always ends up with too many tabs, too many windows, and no idea where that one page I read yesterday has gone. I tried a bunch of the new AI browsers, but they all felt like replacements for tools I already rely on. I didn’t want a new browser. I just wanted my existing one to feel less chaotic.

So I built Side Copilot for myself first. It helps me manage tabs, jump between windows, find stuff I opened days ago, and generally clean up the mess I constantly create. The thing that changed everything for me was giving it the ability to understand natural commands. I can tell it to group my research tabs or bring back an article from last week and it actually does it. It also has a simple chat mode for quick summaries or translating a page on the spot.

I realized it solved a real problem for me, so I decided to make Side Copilot completely free. I’m curious how other heavy browser users feel about this. Would an assistant like this make your browsing less stressful?

Why should a person choose your product over its competitors?

Side Space's answer:

  1. The world’s first AI assistant built for your tabs

Most AI tools only analyze text. Side Copilot controls your tabs, windows, history, and pages using real browser APIs. You can research, summarize, organize, open sites, perform searches, restore sessions, and automate actions — all with natural language.

  1. A true vertical tabs manager, not a browser replacement

You don’t need to switch to Arc or Edge. Side Space turns Chrome’s side panel into a clean vertical tabs system with:

Drag-and-drop tab & group management

Fuzzy search

Memory-saving tab suspension

Saved spaces & session restore

Cloud sync

Dark mode

You get a modern browser experience without leaving Chrome.

  1. Dual AI modes for different tasks

Chat Mode → instant content analysis (summary, translation, extraction, quick answers)

Agent Mode → deep automation (organize tabs, clean up windows, run research workflows)

Fast when you need speed, powerful when you need automation.

  1. Page, tab, window, and history tools powered by real browser capabilities

Side Copilot isn’t “just another chatbot.” It uses more than 20 AI MCP tools built on Chrome Extension APIs:

Tab tools: create, close, group, move

Window tools: tile, arrange, focus

History tools: analyze, find, reopen past pages

Page interaction tools: scroll, navigate, search, capture screenshots

Session tools: restore recently closed tabs/windows

This gives Side Space automation capabilities even AI browsers don’t have.

How would you describe the primary audience of your product?

Side Space's answer:

Side Space is designed for anyone who works, researches, or creates directly in the browser — especially those who manage dozens of tabs every day. If the browser is your workspace, this is for you.

Productivity-Driven Professionals

Marketers, PMs, developers, designers, analysts — anyone who needs a smarter, faster way to organize tabs, windows, and workflows.

Power Browsers with Endless Tabs

For users juggling 20–200+ tabs across multiple windows. Side Space brings structure, clarity, and smart automation without forcing you to switch browsers.

AI-Forward Users

If you want to control your browser with natural language, automate tasks, and let Side Copilot handle the heavy lifting, this is your perfect tool.

Researchers & Knowledge Workers

Students, academics, journalists, content creators, and anyone who collects and analyzes information online. Summarize, extract, search, and research pages instantly.

People Who Want Arc/Edge-Style Features — But in Chrome

Enjoy a vertical tabs manager, powerful side panel, and full AI assistant experience without giving up the browser you already love.

User comments

Share your experience with using iTerm2 and Side Space. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

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Reviews and articles

External articles and on-site reviews we used to compare the two products.

iTerm2 4.0 · 1 review
Side Space no reviews yet

We have no reviews of Side Space yet. Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

iTerm2 119 mentions
Side Space 0 mentions

View more

Tracking Side Space since Feb 2024.

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