# Candy AI vs Side Reader

Candy AI records 68,041,908 monthly visits with +8.5% month-over-month growth and Freemium pricing. Side Reader records 355 monthly visits with -36.5% growth and Freemium pricing.

| Metric | [Candy AI](https://openaitools.app/tool/candy-ai) | [Side Reader](https://openaitools.app/tool/side-reader) |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Website URL | https://candy.ai | https://www.side-reader.com |
| Categories | AI Girlfriend, AI Boyfriend, AI Chatbot, AI Character | AI PDF, AI Reader, AI Chatbot, AI PDF Summarizer |
| Pricing Model | Freemium | Freemium |
| Monthly Visits | 68,041,908 | 355 |
| MoM Growth Rate | +8.5% | -36.5% |
| Primary Market | United States | Vietnam |
| Direct Visits | 9,640,247 | 149 |
| Review Score | 3.9 | 2.4 |
| Saved Count | 49 | 0 |
| Supported Platforms | Website | Website |

## Candy AI

Operated by Malta-based EverAI Limited, Candy AI focuses on high-production visual and vocal intimacy rather than sprawling community text directories. Users can browse over 100 curated realistic, anime, and boyfriend personas or launch the step-by-step character builder to design a custom companion from scratch—selecting ethnicity, age range, eye and hair styling, body proportions, vocal timbre, hobbies, and emotional traits. Because the platform runs as a progressive web app (PWA) accessible across desktop and mobile browsers without App Store restrictions, it supports uncensored 18+ roleplay alongside casual emotional companionship.

In 2026, Candy AI expanded beyond one-on-one chat bubbles with features like Live Actions and Candy Shorts—an episodic vertical video feed where users watch serialized stories starring platform characters and digital twins. While anyone can register a free account to preview the interface, sample roughly five chat messages, and watch the first two episodes of non-spicy Candy Shorts, sustained use requires a Premium subscription. Pricing follows a single feature tier sold across three commitment lengths: $13.99/month (often discounted to $9.99 for month one), $8.99/month billed quarterly ($26.97 every 3 months), or $3.99/month billed annually ($47.88 upfront).

Prospective subscribers should understand Candy AI's two-layer billing architecture. A Premium membership unlocks unlimited text messaging, custom character creation, and a recurring monthly allowance of 100 tokens. However, compute-heavy multimodal interactions—such as generating custom outfit and pose photos, rendering short 18+ reaction videos, placing real-time voice calls, or unlocking Episode 3+ of Candy Shorts (at 12 to 50 tokens per episode)—draw down that token balance. Users who generate media frequently can purchase top-up token packs starting around $9.99 per 100 tokens via credit card or cryptocurrency (BTC, ETH, USDC, Litecoin), with all fiat transactions appearing discreetly on bank statements under 'EverAI'.

**Pricing & Plans:** Offers a very small free trial (around 5 text messages and Episodes 1–2 of non-spicy Candy Shorts), while Premium costs $13.99/month (frequently $9.99 for the first month), $8.99/month billed quarterly ($26.97), or $3.99/month billed annually ($47.88/year). Every Premium plan includes unlimited text chat and 100 monthly tokens, with extra token packs starting around $9.99 per 100 tokens for heavy photo, video, and voice usage.

- **Granular Visual & Personality Companion Builder:** Lets users construct bespoke realistic or anime AI girlfriends and boyfriends by customizing ethnicity, facial features, hairstyle, body type, voice pitch, personality archetype, and personal hobbies.
- **On-Demand 18+ Image & Live-Action Video Generation:** Renders consistent character selfies, custom outfits, backgrounds, and animated short reaction videos directly inside the chat thread using monthly or top-up tokens.
- **Two-Way Voice Notes & Real-Time Voice Calls:** Supports expressive spoken audio replies and interactive voice calling with selectable vocal personalities ranging from soft and calming to bold and playful.
- **Candy Shorts Serialized Interactive Drama:** Includes a built-in streaming hub of episodic AI short dramas and digital twin series, offering the first two episodes of standard series free and unlocking later or spicy episodes with Premium tokens.
- **Discreet 'EverAI' Billing & Crypto Checkout:** Protects user privacy with TLS 1.2+ encryption, neutral 'EverAI' credit card billing descriptors, and native cryptocurrency payments supporting Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDC, and Litecoin.

**Strengths:** High visual consistency across character portraits, custom scene photos, Live Actions, and 18+ video clips; Deeply discounted annual commitment ($47.88/year, or $3.99/month) that renews at the same locked-in rate; Includes 100 monthly tokens with every Premium subscription plus integrated Candy Shorts episodic content; Strong privacy posture featuring neutral 'EverAI' bank descriptors and BTC/ETH/USDC crypto payment support

**Limitations:** Free tier is strictly a brief trial (around 5 messages and blurred media), making a paid plan mandatory for real use; 100 included monthly tokens can run out quickly if you generate frequent videos, images, or unlock Candy Shorts episodes; Strict 24-hour refund window on non-EU/UK subscriptions that voids if more than 20 tokens have been consumed

[Profile (Markdown)](https://openaitools.app/tool/candy-ai.md)

## Side Reader

Side Reader exists to remove the friction of working with documents and AI chatbots at the same time. Normally you either paste chunks of a PDF into a chat window or juggle two tabs and lose your place. Side Reader is a Chrome extension that renders the PDF in the sidebar of ChatGPT, Claude or DeepSeek, so the document and the conversation sit side by side.

Once a PDF is open you use built-in action buttons to summarize, translate or explain content, and you can customize those button prompts so the AI answers in your preferred format. For content that cannot be selected — charts, infographics, scanned images — a screenshot question lets you ask about a region of the page directly. The reader itself supports zoom, page navigation and width adjustment, so it behaves like a normal PDF viewer rather than a stripped-down preview.

Privacy is handled simply: PDFs are stored locally in your browser and Side Reader does not keep your files. Because the AI work happens inside the ChatGPT, Claude or DeepSeek session you are already using, Side Reader adds document handling rather than a separate subscription to yet another model.

**Pricing & Plans:** Freemium. The core Chrome extension is available to install, with a paid upgrade for extended usage; check the extension listing for current limits.

- **Read PDFs beside the chat:** PDFs render directly in the sidebar next to the chat, so your document and the AI conversation are visible at the same time.
- **Summarize, translate and explain:** Summarize a whole document, translate it, or have passages explained in simpler terms using the AI you are already signed into.
- **Custom action button prompts:** Built-in buttons cover the common actions, and you can edit their prompts to make the AI respond in the format and tone you need.
- **Screenshot questions for non-selectable content:** Ask about charts, scans or regions that cannot be selected by taking a screenshot question instead.
- **Local storage and a proper reader:** Files stay local in your browser and are not stored by Side Reader, and PDFs keep zoom, page navigation and width controls.

**Strengths:** Keeps the PDF and the AI conversation visible in the same window; Works with ChatGPT, Claude and DeepSeek rather than locking you into one model; Local-only file storage — documents are not kept on Side Reader servers; Customizable action prompts for repeatable workflows

**Limitations:** Requires an active ChatGPT, Claude or DeepSeek session to do the AI work; Chrome only — no Firefox, Safari or Edge-specific edition; Very new/small product, so the feature set is still evolving

[Profile (Markdown)](https://openaitools.app/tool/side-reader.md)

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How do Candy AI and Side Reader compare in monthly traffic?

Candy AI has 68,041,908 monthly visits, while Side Reader has 355. Traffic estimates describe audience size, not product quality.

### How do their growth rates compare?

Candy AI has a month-over-month growth rate of +8.5%; Side Reader has -36.5%.

### How does pricing compare?

Candy AI: Freemium. Offers a very small free trial (around 5 text messages and Episodes 1–2 of non-spicy Candy Shorts), while Premium costs $13.99/month (frequently $9.99 for the first month), $8.99/month billed quarterly ($26.97), or $3.99/month billed annually ($47.88/year). Every Premium plan includes unlimited text chat and 100 monthly tokens, with extra token packs starting around $9.99 per 100 tokens for heavy photo, video, and voice usage. Side Reader: Freemium. Freemium. The core Chrome extension is available to install, with a paid upgrade for extended usage; check the extension listing for current limits.

## Alternatives

| # | Tool Name | Monthly Visits | MoM Growth Rate | Pricing Model | Summary | Profile (Markdown) |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 1 | [JanitorAI](https://openaitools.app/tool/janitorai) | 125,494,484 | -5.1% | Freemium | Features massive community-driven character creation and custom API routing, but relies less on standalone built-in media generation. | [.md](https://openaitools.app/tool/janitorai.md) |
| 2 | [SpicyChat AI](https://openaitools.app/tool/spicychat-ai) | 69,595,866 | 0% | Freemium | Offers broader multi-model switching and larger community character variety, but with different photo generation limits. | [.md](https://openaitools.app/tool/spicychat-ai.md) |
| 3 | [Lovescape AI](https://openaitools.app/tool/lovescape-ai) | 30,354,777 | +124.3% | Freemium | One connected AI studio for adult character chat, images, stories and video | [.md](https://openaitools.app/tool/lovescape-ai.md) |
| 4 | [CrushOn.AI](https://openaitools.app/tool/crushon-ai) | 22,595,379 | +6.5% | Freemium | Provides completely unfiltered anime and fantasy character chats, but features a different UI layout. | [.md](https://openaitools.app/tool/crushon-ai.md) |
| 5 | [GPTGirlfriend (GirlfriendGPT)](https://openaitools.app/tool/gptgirlfriend) | 17,157,470 | +22.5% | Freemium | Focuses heavily on customizable adult roleplay characters and voice interaction, though pricing structures differ. | [.md](https://openaitools.app/tool/gptgirlfriend.md) |
| 6 | [JuicyChat AI](https://openaitools.app/tool/juicychat-ai) | 7,831,179 | +4% | Freemium | Unfiltered NSFW AI character chat and roleplay | [.md](https://openaitools.app/tool/juicychat-ai.md) |
| 7 | [SciSpace](https://openaitools.app/tool/scispace) | 4,464,111 | +8.6% | Freemium | AI research platform for reading, understanding and writing scientific papers | [.md](https://openaitools.app/tool/scispace.md) |
| 8 | [Kindroid](https://openaitools.app/tool/kindroid-ai) | 3,079,692 | +5.8% | Freemium with paid subscription tiers and free trial | Delivers superior emotional depth and persistent memory, but lacks the same level of raw unfiltered content. | [.md](https://openaitools.app/tool/kindroid-ai.md) |
| 9 | [PDFgear](https://openaitools.app/tool/pdfgear) | 2,845,280 | -3.4% | Free | A free, AI-powered PDF editor for every device | [.md](https://openaitools.app/tool/pdfgear.md) |
| 10 | [Sider](https://openaitools.app/tool/sider) | 2,644,740 | -10.6% | Freemium | AI sidebar and browser agent for reading, writing and research | [.md](https://openaitools.app/tool/sider.md) |

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Source: https://openaitools.app/compare/candy-ai-vs-side-reader

More Markdown: [Categories](https://openaitools.app/categories.md) · [Traffic rankings](https://openaitools.app/rankings.md) · [llms.txt](https://openaitools.app/llms.txt)