# JanitorAI vs Side Reader

JanitorAI records 125,494,484 monthly visits with -5.1% month-over-month growth and Freemium pricing. Side Reader records 355 monthly visits with -36.5% growth and Freemium pricing.

| Metric | [JanitorAI](https://openaitools.app/tool/janitorai) | [Side Reader](https://openaitools.app/tool/side-reader) |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Website URL | https://janitorai.com | https://www.side-reader.com |
| Categories | AI Character, AI Chatbot, AI Roleplay | AI PDF, AI Reader, AI Chatbot, AI PDF Summarizer |
| Pricing Model | Freemium | Freemium |
| Monthly Visits | 125,494,484 | 355 |
| MoM Growth Rate | -5.1% | -36.5% |
| Primary Market | United States | Vietnam |
| Direct Visits | 89,527,729 | 149 |
| Review Score | 4.2 | 2.4 |
| Saved Count | 65 | 0 |
| Supported Platforms | Website | Website |

## JanitorAI

JanitorAI has evolved from an early bring-your-own-key chatbot directory into one of the largest independent roleplay ecosystems on the web. Rather than locking users into a single rigid model, the platform runs its own proprietary model family—JanitorLLM (JLLM), including the conversational JLLM-short variant that trims reply length by roughly 70%—for free to registered users. At the same time, power users can connect external API keys, reverse proxies, OpenRouter endpoints, or local LLM backends, complete with a redesigned proxy manager that supports drag-and-drop config reordering and reasoning 'thinking box' tags.

In mid-2026, JanitorAI introduced its first first-party monetization layer without restricting its free baseline: Janitor+ ($12.99/month) and the web-based Janitor+ Router. While standard users keep unlimited free messaging with around 9,000 tokens of context, Janitor+ subscribers gain 5x expanded context memory, priority queue placement during peak hours, and 300 enhanced monthly regeneration swipes powered by frontier models. Through the Janitor+ Router, subscribers can also fund an integrated per-token wallet to switch between third-party commercial LLMs directly inside JanitorAI with transparent per-token pricing and a 10% subscriber discount—eliminating the need to configure external proxy URLs.

For bot creators, JanitorAI offers deep technical customization rarely seen on mobile-first companion apps. Character definitions support payloads up to 1 MB, multiple initial greeting messages, and a dedicated Scripts engine that injects conditional logic and whole-word triggers so bots react deterministically to story state changes rather than relying on prompt compliance alone. Combined with granular generation rules—such as forbidden word lists, custom Top-K/Top-P sliders, repetition penalties, response prefill, and custom profile CSS—JanitorAI caters heavily to long-form writers and technical roleplayers.

**Pricing & Plans:** Core access to JanitorLLM (with ~9K token context and unlimited chats) and bring-your-own-key (BYOK) proxies remains completely free. The optional Janitor+ subscription launched in June 2026 at $12.99/month, adding 5x context memory, unlimited priority messages, 300 monthly frontier-model enhanced swipes, and access to the per-token Janitor+ Router wallet (with a 10% discount on popular third-party models).

- **Free JanitorLLM & JLLM-Short Engine:** Provides unlimited free character chats powered by JanitorAI's in-house LLM (~9K context window on free accounts), with a toggleable JLLM-short mode for snappy, dialogue-focused replies that are 70% shorter.
- **Janitor+ Router & Multi-Proxy Manager:** Lets Janitor+ subscribers tap directly into third-party frontier models via a built-in per-token wallet at a 10% discount, while keeping full BYOK reverse-proxy support with config duplication and reasoning tag display.
- **Conditional Character Scripts & 1MB Definitions:** Allows creators to build complex characters up to 1 MB in size with multiple intro scenarios and programmable Scripts that trigger dynamic lore or behavioral rules using whole-word matching and built-in debugging tools.
- **Granular LLM Generation Controls:** Exposes low-level sampling parameters in the chat menu, including custom Top-K, Top-P, frequency and repetition penalties, forbidden vocabulary lists, and response prefill instructions.
- **Custom CSS Profiles & Chat Typography:** Features an interactive CSS editor with guided tutorials for styling creator profiles and character cards, alongside per-chat text settings to customize fonts, italics styling, and accent colors.

**Strengths:** Core JanitorLLM chat experience remains genuinely free with unlimited messages and ~9K context tokens; Supports both one-click built-in third-party model routing (Janitor+ Router) and full BYOK custom proxies; Industry-leading creator toolkit featuring 1 MB character limits, conditional Scripts, and forbidden-word controls; Transparent sampling settings (Top-K, Top-P, repetition penalties) and reasoning 'thinking box' inspection

**Limitations:** Janitor+ Router is restricted to paid $12.99/mo subscribers on the web and still bills extra per token used; Free-tier JLLM users can experience slower response speeds or generation inconsistencies during peak traffic; Steep learning curve for casual users navigating proxy endpoints, token limits, and advanced sampling sliders

[Profile (Markdown)](https://openaitools.app/tool/janitorai.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 JanitorAI and Side Reader compare in monthly traffic?

JanitorAI has 125,494,484 monthly visits, while Side Reader has 355. Traffic estimates describe audience size, not product quality.

### How do their growth rates compare?

JanitorAI has a month-over-month growth rate of -5.1%; Side Reader has -36.5%.

### How does pricing compare?

JanitorAI: Freemium. Core access to JanitorLLM (with ~9K token context and unlimited chats) and bring-your-own-key (BYOK) proxies remains completely free. The optional Janitor+ subscription launched in June 2026 at $12.99/month, adding 5x context memory, unlimited priority messages, 300 monthly frontier-model enhanced swipes, and access to the per-token Janitor+ Router wallet (with a 10% discount on popular third-party models). 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 | [Character.AI](https://openaitools.app/tool/character-ai) | 154,156,370 | +2.2% | Freemium | Features a much larger community of characters and polished UI, but strictly enforces safety filters unlike JanitorAI. | [.md](https://openaitools.app/tool/character-ai.md) |
| 2 | [SpicyChat AI](https://openaitools.app/tool/spicychat-ai) | 69,595,866 | 0% | Freemium | Provides unfiltered character roleplay and multi-model switching, serving as a very close alternative to JanitorAI. | [.md](https://openaitools.app/tool/spicychat-ai.md) |
| 3 | [PolyBuzz](https://openaitools.app/tool/polybuzz) | 52,980,967 | -4.6% | Freemium | Features massive user-generated persona libraries with voice playback for casual character chatting. | [.md](https://openaitools.app/tool/polybuzz.md) |
| 4 | [Emochi](https://openaitools.app/tool/emochi) | 35,511,219 | +10.3% | Freemium | Hosts millions of user-created fictional bots for immersive roleplay conversations similar to JanitorAI. | [.md](https://openaitools.app/tool/emochi.md) |
| 5 | [Lovescape AI](https://openaitools.app/tool/lovescape-ai) | 30,354,777 | +124.3% | Freemium | Combines adult-focused character chat, storytelling, and image generation for creative roleplay users. | [.md](https://openaitools.app/tool/lovescape-ai.md) |
| 6 | [Venice AI](https://openaitools.app/tool/venice-ai) | 25,088,401 | +23.8% | Freemium | Provides privacy-focused, uncensored open-source model APIs that advanced users can route for private roleplay. | [.md](https://openaitools.app/tool/venice-ai.md) |
| 7 | [CrushOn.AI](https://openaitools.app/tool/crushon-ai) | 22,595,379 | +6.5% | Freemium | Offers unrestricted anime and fantasy character chats, matching JanitorAI's permissive content policy. | [.md](https://openaitools.app/tool/crushon-ai.md) |
| 8 | [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) |
| 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/janitorai-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)