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Readwise VS Side Space

Compare Readwise VS Side Space and see what are their differences

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Readwise logo Readwise

Effortlessly rediscover and organize your Kindle highlights

Side Space logo Side Space

The World's First Al Assistant for Your Tabs
  • Readwise Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-01-10
  • Side Space
    Image date //
    2025-11-17
  • Side Space
    Image date //
    2025-05-13

An Al-powered vertical tabs manager in your side panel.

An alternative to Arcโ€™s Sidebar and Edgeโ€™s Vertical Tabs โ€” 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 helps you research, organize, and automate your workflow directly from the side panel.

๐Ÿš€ How do vertical tabs work?

When vertical tabs are enabled, your open tabs are moved from the top of the browser window to the left side panel. This layout stacks tabs vertically instead of horizontally, giving you more space, better visibility, and easier navigationโ€”especially when working with many tabs.

โœจ Features

  • โšก๏ธ Vertical Tabs Panel โ€” Manage tabs and tab groups efficiently in a clean, space-saving sidebar.
  • ๐Ÿ—‚๏ธ Save, restore, and reorder tabs or tab groups with intuitive drag-and-drop.
  • ๐Ÿ”„ Side-by-side layout that keeps all your open tabs visible at a glance.
  • ๐Ÿ” Fuzzy search to instantly find the tab you're looking for.
  • ๐Ÿงน Suspend tabs to save memory and keep your browser running smoothly.
  • โ˜๏ธ Cloud sync (cross-browser) with a single login.
  • ๐ŸŒ› Dark Mode support.
  • ๐Ÿ’พ Space Backup Solutions

    • ๐Ÿ“‘ Export sessions as JSON
    • โ˜๏ธ Sync to the cloud via login
  • โœจ AI-powered Tab Grouping for automatically organizing related tabs.

  • ๐Ÿ”— Group Guardian automatically groups tabs based on URL patterns.

๐Ÿค– Introducing Side Copilot โ€” Your AI Assistant in the Side Panel

Side Copilot brings AI directly into your browsing workflow:

  • Ask questions about the page you're viewing
  • Research topics with auto-opened results
  • Summarize long articles instantly
  • Organize tabs and windows through natural language commands
  • Trigger automated actions across your browser

Just open AI Chat in the extension and start talking to your browser โ€” it does the rest.

Side Space

$ Details
Free Trial $39.0 / One-off
Platforms
Google Chrome Firefox Edge Brave Comet Opera
Release Date
2023 October
Startup details
Country
Hong Kong
Founder(s)
Robert Shaw
Employees
1 - 9

Readwise features and specs

  • Centralized System
    Readwise allows users to consolidate highlights and notes from various reading platforms, such as Kindle, Instapaper, and Pocket, into one place.
  • Ease of Use
    The platform is user-friendly, making it easy to import, organize, and review highlights.
  • Spaced Repetition
    Readwise uses spaced repetition algorithms to help users retain and recall information over time by regularly revisiting highlights.
  • Customizable Export Options
    Users can export their highlights and notes to other services like Evernote, Notion, or plain text files, allowing for flexible usage of the stored data.
  • Search Functionality
    Readwise offers robust search capabilities, making it simple to find specific highlights or notes across your library.

Possible disadvantages of Readwise

  • Subscription Cost
    Readwise operates on a subscription model, which may be considered expensive for some users relative to the features offered.
  • Limited Functionality Without Subscription
    While there is a free trial available, many features are gated behind a subscription, limiting the usability of the free version.
  • Learning Curve
    Despite its overall user-friendliness, some users might find a learning curve when initially setting up and configuring the system to suit their needs.
  • Dependence on Third-Party Integrations
    Readwiseโ€™s value is largely dependent on its integrations with third-party services, meaning any changes or issues with those services can impact its effectiveness.
  • Privacy Concerns
    Since Readwise collects and stores data from multiple reading platforms, there may be privacy concerns regarding how this data is handled and stored.

Side Space features and specs

  • ๐ŸŒˆ Arc-like Side Panel
    Weโ€™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.
  • ๐Ÿง  Smart AI Grouping
    Itโ€™s not just about organizing tabsโ€”itโ€™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.
  • โ˜๏ธ 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.
  • ๐Ÿค– AI Assistant
    Research, summarize, and organize, chat with your tabs and let Al Assistant help you browse smarter.

Analysis of Readwise

Overall verdict

  • Overall, Readwise is well-regarded for its utility in helping users actively engage with and digest their reading materials. It provides a streamlined way to revisit and reinforce key concepts, making it a valuable tool for those serious about boosting their information retention.

Why this product is good

  • Readwise is designed to help users retain information from their readings by organizing, highlighting, and revisiting key excerpts. It integrates with various platforms like Kindle, Instapaper, and Pocket to collate highlights in one place. The daily review feature encourages consistent engagement with past highlights, aiding in better recall and comprehension. The platform is beneficial for avid readers, students, and professionals who wish to maximize their learning retention and make the most out of their reading habits.

Recommended for

  • Avid readers looking to remember more from their books
  • Students who need to recall key concepts from academic materials
  • Professionals who want to maintain a repository of valuable insights from articles and reports for reference
  • Anyone interested in personal development and continuous learning through reading

Analysis of Side Space

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

Readwise videos

Readwise: How to use Spaced Repetition with your books

More videos:

  • Review - Keep track of Kindle highlights with Readwise [#49] Adam Franklin

Side Space videos

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

More videos:

  • Demo - Introducing Side Space 1.0

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Readwise and Side Space)
Productivity
89 89%
11% 11
Chrome Extensions
0 0%
100% 100
Bookmark Manager
100 100%
0% 0
Note Taking
100 100%
0% 0

Questions & Answers

As answered by people managing Readwise 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 didnโ€™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. Iโ€™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 worldโ€™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 โ€” all with natural language.

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

You donโ€™t need to switch to Arc or Edge. Side Space turns Chromeโ€™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 โ†’ instant content analysis (summary, translation, extraction, quick answers)

Agent Mode โ†’ 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 isnโ€™t โ€œjust another chatbot.โ€ 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 donโ€™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 โ€” 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 โ€” anyone who needs a smarter, faster way to organize tabs, windows, and workflows.

Power Browsers with Endless Tabs

For users juggling 20โ€“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 โ€” 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

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Readwise and Side Space

Readwise Reviews

  1. Great help to review books

    I imported my kindle highlights, as many others. Now I daily review some highlights (thanks to a dashboard, I am motivated). And where I didn't create highlights, as I only listened to the audiobooks, I get the highlights from others. It also allows to create beautiful quotes. It adds the book cover and matches quote and background with colours found on the book title! Really nice!

    ๐Ÿ‘ Pros:    Review books|Beautiful quotes|Dashboard motivates

Side Space Reviews

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

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Readwise seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 88 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Readwise mentions (88)

  • Relego, a free, self-hostable alternative to Readwise
    Anyway, as I reached the end of the chapter, I wanted to read my Readwise's daily recap. However, my iPhone was in other room. I didnโ€™t want to get up; I was tired. - Source: dev.to / 29 days ago
  • Exporting Mac OSX Book Highlights into an Obsidian Vault or Markdown Files
    The only highlights that Readwise retrieves semi-automatically are from the books I buy from Kindle, by going into the Readwise app and clicking a button. If I upload them to Kindle or need highlights from the Apple Books app, I have to open the book, go to my highlights, select them all, and then email them to a Readwise email address. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Show HN: I combined spaced repetition with emails so you can remember anything
    Readwise also has this feature. I get a daily email with a random assortment of highlights that have been pulled in from multiple sources (Reader, Notion, Kindle, etc.) The product benefit in their case is that it's kind of like Zapier, but for notes. https://readwise.io/. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Building a Code Snippet Library with Readwise, Obsidian, and Visual Studio Code
    Go to readwise.io and create an account if you don't already have one. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Mastering Knowledge Retention with Readwise and Obsidian
    Sign up for a Readwise account if you haven't already readwise.io. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
View more

Side Space mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Side Space yet. Tracking of Side Space recommendations started around Feb 2024.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Readwise and Side Space, you can also consider the following products

Raindrop.io - All your articles, photos, video & content from web & apps in one place.

OneTab - Whenever you find yourself with too many tabs, click the OneTab icon to convert all of your tabs into a list. When you need to access the tabs again, you can either restore them individually or all at once.

Instapaper - Instapaper is a simple tool to save web pages for reading later.

Workona - A better way to work in the browser.

Obsidian.md - A second brain, for you, forever. Obsidian is a powerful knowledge base that works on top of a local folder of plain text Markdown files.

tabExtend - Easily save tabs and quickly create notes in your browser