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Gist AI

Free Chrome extension that summarizes web pages, YouTube videos and PDFs in one click, with links back to the source passages.

Free
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What is Gist AI?

Gist AI is a browser extension for Chrome that condenses long reading and viewing into short summaries. You install it from the Chrome Web Store, pin it to the toolbar, open a website, a YouTube video or an online PDF, and click the icon to get the key points. A PDF stored on your computer can be uploaded in the extension's PDF tab. A Read More feature lets you open the passage behind any summary point, and for YouTube it can jump to the matching moment so you watch only the relevant part. For video it pulls the transcript and then uses ChatGPT to write the summary, and the site says long content is split into smaller blocks to help comprehension. Gist AI describes itself as completely free with no limit on content length, and says it does not collect user data or store the uploaded PDFs or page content it reads. It suits students, researchers and anyone working through long reading lists.

Use cases

  • Summarize articles and web pages
  • Summarize YouTube videos from their transcript
  • Summarize online and local PDFs
  • Jump to key moments in a video
  • Skim long research papers
  • Check the source passage behind a point

Who it's for

  • Students
  • Researchers
  • Busy professionals
  • Content curators

Why use Gist AI

  • It covers web pages, videos and PDFs with one extension instead of three tools.
  • The Read More link and video jump-to-moment make it easy to verify a summary point.
  • It is free to use and the site states there is no cap on length or number of items.
  • The site says it does not collect user data or store the content it reads.
  • Setup takes only an install and a pin to the toolbar.

Gist AI features

  • One-click summaries from the Chrome toolbar
  • Summaries of websites, YouTube videos, online PDFs and local PDFs
  • Read More link to the source behind each summary point
  • Jump to relevant moments in a YouTube video
  • Upload tab for PDFs stored on your device
  • Content broken into smaller blocks for easier reading
  • No stated limit on content length

Gist AI integrations

  • ChatGPT
  • YouTube
  • Chrome Web Store

How to get started with Gist AI

  1. Add the Gist AI extension to Chrome from the Chrome Web Store.
  2. Pin the extension to your browser toolbar.
  3. Open a website, a YouTube video or a PDF and click the Gist AI icon.
  4. Read the key points, then use Read More or a video timestamp to see the original.
  5. For a PDF on your computer, upload it in the PDF tab.

Gist AI limitations

  • Available as a Chrome extension only
  • Summaries are generated by ChatGPT and can miss nuance, so check the source for key details
  • Local PDFs must be uploaded through the PDF tab
  • YouTube summaries rely on the video's transcript

Gist AI pricing

Gist AI is free to use.

Prices can change and may vary by country or exclude tax. Check the official pricing page.

Gist AI alternatives

The main Gist AI alternatives listed on Debuly are Merlin, ChatPDF, Monica, SummaryTube, Recall and YouMind. The table compares pricing and platforms; order is A–Z.

Gist AI compared with its alternatives
ToolPricingStarting pricePlatforms
Gist AIFree—Chrome extension
ChatPDFFreemium—Web
MerlinPaid—Web, Chrome extension
MonicaFreemium—Chrome extension, Web
RecallFreemium$10/moWeb, iOS, Android, Chrome extension
SummaryTubeFreemium$2/moWeb, Chrome extension
YouMindFreemium—Web, Chrome extension

  1. ChatPDF

    Upload a PDF, Word or PowerPoint file and ask questions in any language, with answers linked to the source page.

    Research and searchProductivityWriting
    FreemiumVisit ChatPDF (official site)

  2. Merlin

    Browser extension and web app that puts ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and other AI models in one chat, with page, video and PDF summaries.

    Chat assistantsProductivityResearch and search
    PaidVisit Merlin (official site)

  3. Monica

    All-in-one AI assistant that puts GPT, Claude, Gemini and other models in a browser extension, web app and desktop and mobile apps.

    Chat assistantsWritingResearch and search
    FreemiumVisit Monica (official site)

  4. Recall

    Personal AI knowledge base that summarizes videos, podcasts, PDFs and articles, links related ideas and lets you chat with your library.

    ProductivityResearch and searchChat assistants
    FreemiumVisit Recall (official site)

  5. SummaryTube

    YouTube video summarizer that turns a link into key moments, transcripts and Q&A, with a Chrome extension and a Pro plan.

    ProductivityResearch and searchVideo
    FreemiumVisit SummaryTube (official site)

  6. YouMind

    AI workspace that collects your sources, then drafts writing, slides, images, video and web pages from them.

    ProductivityWritingDesignVideo
    FreemiumVisit YouMind (official site)

Gist AI FAQ

How much does Gist AI cost?

Gist AI describes itself as completely free. It lists no paid plans or prices.

Is there a free plan for Gist AI?

The whole extension is free. The site says you can summarize unlimited pages, videos and PDFs with no restriction on content length.

Can Gist AI summarize YouTube videos?

Yes. It extracts the video transcript and uses ChatGPT to summarize it, and you can jump to the moment in the video that matches a summary point.

Can Gist AI summarize PDFs?

Yes. It handles PDFs found online and PDFs saved on your computer, which you upload in the extension's PDF tab.

Does Gist AI collect my data?

The site says Gist AI does not collect user data, only reads the content in order to summarize it, and does not store uploaded PDFs.

What are alternatives to Gist AI?

Alternatives include Eightify, Glasp, Merlin, Sider, ChatPDF and Monica.

Sources & verification

Facts on this page come from the official sources below, each with the date we read it. Written by Debuly; the vendor did not review this page.

SourceTypeAccessed
gistai.tech/official
gistai.tech/welcome_to_gist_aiofficial
gistai.tech/blog/free_pdf_summarizerofficial
gistai.tech/blog/free_youtube_summarizerofficial
gistai.tech/upload_pdfofficial

Image credits

  • Logo: from gistai.tech · fetched · Vendor trademark, used only to identify the product; removed on request
  • Cover: none collected yet, so a generated tile is shown.

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