Aside
Aside Overview
Aside is an AI agent browser built by a Y Combinator Fall 2025 startup that acts as a full browser replacement, autonomously completing tasks across your logged-in websites. Unlike AI assistants that rely on integrations and APIs, Aside uses websites and accounts directly, just like a human would.
Aside vs Chrome Browser AI: Key Differences
Core Difference: Autonomous Agent vs Passive Assistant
Chrome’s Gemini AI is a passive reading assistant limited to summarizing pages and answering questions. Aside is an autonomous agent that directly operates websites: signing in, filling forms, clicking buttons, handling comments, and completing multi-step workflows until the task is done.
Performance & Capabilities Comparison
| Feature | Aside | Chrome + Gemini |
|---|---|---|
| AI Execution Style | Autonomous agent operating logged-in sites | Conversational chat sidebar |
| Task Completion | Multi-step tasks autonomously until done | Answers questions only; cannot execute |
| Extension Ecosystem | Early-stage; Chromium UX | Chrome Web Store (largest catalog) |
| Platform Support | macOS (primary), emerging Windows | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS |
| Privacy Model | Local-first; data stays on device | Google account telemetry by default |
| Credentials | Agent password manager (Secure Enclave) | Google account synced |
| Memory | On-device markdown memory; learns via “Dreaming” | No persistent personal memory |
| File Access | Read Only / Guard / Full Access modes | Limited |
| Scheduled Tasks | Yes (recurring routines) | No |
| Pricing | Free tier + paid Pro/Team plans | Free (monetized via services) |
Benchmark Performance
Aside ranked #1 on three browser agent benchmarks, surpassing OpenAI, Anthropic, and Browser Use:
- Online-Mind2Web: 99.0% (297/300 tasks)
- BU-Bench-V1: #1
- Odysseys: #1
When to Choose Which
- Choose Aside if you want an autonomous agent to handle repetitive multi-step web tasks behind your logins, prefer local-first privacy, and work on macOS
- Choose Chrome + Gemini if you need universal extension support, cross-device sync, Google Workspace integration, or the broadest platform coverage
Key Features
- Browser Agent: Signs into websites, handles emails, comments, replies, and internal tools autonomously
- Agent Memory: Turns browsing history into editable markdown memory; learns via “Dreaming”
- Agent Password Manager: Autofills credentials without exposing them to the AI model; hardware-backed Secure Enclave encryption
- Local-First Privacy: Tasks, memory, and data stay on-device; nothing shared with LLM providers
- Ultrabrowse: Autonomous long-running mode that pulls context, handles follow-ups, and keeps working until completion
- Split Tabs: Side-by-side viewing while the agent works on another tab
- Developer Tools: CLI, MCP server, REPL, and scheduled tasks
Supported Models
Built-in GPT, Claude, and custom models. Users can bring their own ChatGPT or Claude subscriptions or API keys.
Installation
Download from aside.com. macOS 15.0+ required for public release. Free tier available; Pro/Team plans for heavy agent use.