Comparison
Sidenote vs SciSpace
Both help you make sense of research papers. The difference is shape. SciSpace is an all-in-one platform you take your papers to — search, review, write. Sidenote is a browser extension that reads the paper you already have open and cites it. Here's an honest, feature-by-feature comparison.
The short answer
Should you use Sidenote or SciSpace?
Plenty of researchers use both. They sit at different points in the same workflow.
Compared honestly
Sidenote vs SciSpace: feature by feature
CapabilitySidenoteSciSpace
Reads the paper or page you already have openSidenoteYesSciSpaceNo
Reads arXiv & journal papers in-browser, no uploadSidenoteYesSciSpaceNo
Works on private Confluence, Notion & SharePoint pagesSidenoteYesSciSpaceNo
Works on web articles & live web pagesSidenoteYesSciSpaceNo
Chat with PDFs you uploadSidenoteYesSciSpaceYes
Citations scroll & highlight the exact passageSidenoteYesSciSpacePartial
Server-side citation check drops unsupported claimsSidenoteYesSciSpacePartial
One-click glossary of jargon & acronymsSidenoteYesSciSpaceNo
Ask across many documents at onceSidenoteYesSciSpaceYes
Search a 280M+ paper databaseSidenoteNoSciSpaceYes
Automated literature review & synthesisSidenoteNoSciSpaceYes
Paraphraser, AI detector & citation generatorSidenoteNoSciSpaceYes
Three rows go to SciSpace, and we're not pretending otherwise — see Where SciSpace wins below. The cross-document row is powered by Sidenote Collections.
The core difference
A platform you take papers to, or a reader that rides along.
SciSpace is a destination. You go to it, search its database or upload a PDF, and run literature reviews, paraphrasing and citation generation there. It's a broad, capable research suite — but it's a place you go to, separate from the papers open in your tabs.
Sidenote never asks you to leave. It sits in the side panel of every tab, reads the paper you already have open — an arXiv preprint, a journal PDF, an article — and answers in place. Click a citation and it scrolls the real document and highlights the exact passage.
The difference in one exampleYou find a paper on arXiv. With SciSpace you bring it into the platform to read it. With Sidenote you just read it right there on arXiv — ask a question, click the citation, and the page scrolls to the sentence that answers it. No upload, no second tab.
And because Sidenote reads your own browser session, it works on places SciSpace can't reach — private research notes in Notion or Confluence, and any page behind a login.
Giving credit
Where SciSpace is the better tool.
If these are what you need, SciSpace is a strong choice:
- A vast paper databaseSciSpace lets you search across 280M+ papers and millions of open-access PDFs in natural language — discovery Sidenote doesn't do at all.
- Automated literature reviewsIt finds relevant papers, extracts findings and synthesises trends and gaps across many studies — a whole review workflow Sidenote isn't built for.
- A broad bank of writing utilitiesA paraphraser, AI detector and citation generator sit alongside the reading tools — academic extras Sidenote deliberately doesn't build.
FAQ
Sidenote vs SciSpace — common questions
Is Sidenote a good SciSpace alternative?
It depends what you need. SciSpace is an all-in-one research platform — a database of papers, literature review, a paraphraser, an AI detector and a citation generator, all in one web app you take your work to. Sidenote is narrower and lives in your browser: it reads the paper you already have open on arXiv or anywhere on the web, answers in place, and cites the exact passage. For reading and understanding papers where they live, Sidenote is the better fit; for running a whole literature review and writing workflow, SciSpace does far more.
Can SciSpace read my private Confluence or Notion pages?
No. SciSpace works on its own indexed paper database and on PDFs you upload — it can't sign in as you, so a page behind your company login or a private wiki is out of reach. Sidenote runs inside your browser on your own session, so it reads what's on your screen, including private Confluence, Notion and SharePoint pages.
Does Sidenote do literature reviews like SciSpace?
No — and it doesn't try to. SciSpace searches a database of 280M+ papers and synthesises across them, which Sidenote has no equivalent for. Sidenote is for reading the papers you've already found: open one on arXiv or a journal site and it reads, summarises, explains and cites it in place, no upload.
Which is more trustworthy for citations?
Both cite sources. Sidenote adds two things: every answer is checked server-side against the passages actually retrieved, so unsupported claims have their citation dropped before you see them; and clicking a citation scrolls the real document to the exact sentence and highlights it, so verifying takes a second rather than a re-read.
Can I use both?
Of course. Many researchers run SciSpace for discovery and literature review, then use Sidenote to actually read each paper in the browser — with scroll-to-source citations — once they've found it. They sit at different points in the workflow.
How much does Sidenote cost compared to SciSpace?
Both have a free tier and a 7-day Pro trial that needs no card. Sidenote is free to install and paid plans start at £10/month. SciSpace offers a free Basic tier and a paid Premium plan above it, with limits set by monthly credits.
Try it on the paper you're reading
Read anything. With citations.
Add Sidenote to Chrome and ask the paper in front of you a question. No upload, no new tab — just the answer, and the passage that proves it.
7-day Pro trial · No card required · Free tier forever