Side vs Anything API
Side-by-side comparison of features, pros & cons, pricing, and community votes (2026).
🏆 Anything API leads with 672 upvotes
A little AI chat panel that lives beside your Mac's Dock
Side is a minimalist AI chat panel designed specifically for Mac users seeking quick, unobtrusive access to AI assistance. It elegantly sits beside the Mac's Dock, floating above other windows to ensure it remains accessible without disrupting your workflow. Its compact design expands when needed, offering a seamless chatting experience across multiple Spaces and full-screen apps. Users can switch between different AI providers, models, and reasoning levels within a single conversation, providing flexibility and power. Additionally, Side supports signing in with ChatGPT or using an API key, catering to both casual users and developers. Its open-source nature under the MIT license makes it appealing for those who value transparency and customization. Whether for quick queries, coding help, or creative brainstorming, Side offers a sleek, always-at-hand AI companion that integrates smoothly into daily Mac usage.
Pros
- Discreet, floating panel that doesn't interfere with workspace
- Cross-application compatibility across Spaces and full-screen apps
- Flexible provider and model switching within a single conversation
- Supports custom accounts via ChatGPT login or API key
- Open-source with a compact, expandable design
Cons
- Limited to Mac users, not available on other platforms
- Features may be basic compared to full-fledged chat applications
- Dependent on external AI providers, which may affect performance or capabilities
Best for
- • Quick AI-assisted research or fact-checking without leaving the current window
- • Coding help or debugging while working in development environments
- • Creative brainstorming and idea generation alongside your tasks
- • Managing multiple AI models for different types of queries
Pricing: Pricing not verified
Any website. We deliver the API.
Anything API is an innovative platform that bridges the gap for websites lacking public APIs. It empowers users to convert their browser-based interactions into robust, production-ready APIs without extensive coding. By simply describing the task, users can have custom functions built that directly call the target website, enabling seamless integration and automation. These custom API endpoints can be deployed serverless, scheduled via Cron, or accessed through standard API calls, making it highly versatile for developers, automation enthusiasts, and businesses seeking to extend functionality of web services. Its unique approach of translating manual browser work into programmable endpoints distinguishes it from traditional API providers, offering a flexible solution for accessing data or automating tasks on virtually any website.
Pros
- Transforms any website into a custom API without coding
- Flexible deployment options including serverless and scheduled tasks
- User-friendly task description process simplifies API creation
- Supports automation and integration with existing systems
- Highly versatile for various web scraping and data extraction needs
Cons
- Limited details on pricing structure and plans
- Potential challenges with highly dynamic or complex websites
- Reliance on agent-generated functions may require occasional updates
Best for
- • Extracting data from websites lacking public APIs
- • Automating repetitive browser tasks through API calls
- • Building integrations for custom web workflows
- • Monitoring website changes or content updates
Pricing: Likely operates on a pay-as-you-go or subscription-based model, with possible tiered plans depending on usage volume and features. Specific pricing details are not publicly disclosed, suggesting a custom or variable pricing approach.