The MaxAI Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about MaxAI in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
MaxAI
The Insider’s Guide
AI sidebar for Chromium browsers that chats about the page you are on
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among AI assistants, read from MaxAI’s own pages.
Made by MaxAI.me · checked Nov 12, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from MaxAI’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on MaxAI’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 12, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.6
GPA, above 32 of the 71 other AI assistants we grade
MaxAI is an AI assistant that runs as a Chrome or Edge extension and as a web app. It answers questions about the page, video, PDF or email you have open, and rewrites, translates and drafts replies to text. One subscription gives access to models from several AI labs.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about MaxAI, taken from its own pages and our grades.
It is an extension you add to the browser and sign in to, with nothing else to set up.
- 1
Best for an AI sidebar in Chrome or Edge
MaxAI is an AI sidebar for Chrome and Edge that answers questions about the page, PDF or video you have open, with several AI labs' models behind one plan.
- 2
Paid plans start at $12 a month for each person
As its pricing page puts it: $12 per member / month, billed yearly ($30 billed monthly).
- 3
There is a free plan
Unlimited chat with the free AI models, 3 Pro chats per day and limited file uploads.
- 4
It runs on Web
Web, with a browser extension too.
- 5
AI sidebar
Opens beside any web page in Chrome or Edge so you can ask about the page without copying text into another tab.
- 6
Ask about different sources
Questions can be asked about a web page, YouTube video, PDF, email, file, image or audio, and answers carry cited sources.
- 7
Choice of AI models
The pricing page lists models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, xAI, Meta and DeepSeek, split into Fast, Smart and Think tiers. Paid plans choose among them.
- 8
A 2.6 GPA, above 32 of 71
That is against the other AI assistants we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace MaxAI you would be making an AI model, which you can rent by the request but not make. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
MaxAI at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $12 per member / month, billed yearly ($30 billed monthly)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web, Browser extension
- Made by
- MaxAI.me
- Category
- AI Assistants
- Our grade
- 2.6 GPA, good
The report card
Best for an AI sidebar in Chrome or Edge
MaxAI is an AI sidebar for Chrome and Edge that answers questions about the page, PDF or video you have open, with several AI labs' models behind one plan. The free plan stops at 3 Pro chats a day, and if you use Firefox, Safari or a phone, there is no extension for you.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Pro is $12 a member a month billed yearly, which is the middle of what AI assistants charge ($12). It is shown as a limited-time saving off $30 monthly, with no end date. |
| Free plan and trial | B | Chat with the fast free models is unlimited and needs no card, but Pro chats are capped at 3 a day and file uploads are limited. No trial is listed. |
| Features | C | Sidebar answers about pages, PDFs, videos and email, rewrite and translate tools, and image generation on Pro. The listing shows gaps: no mobile app, and model choice sits on paid plans. |
| Ease of use | B | No store rating on record. It is an extension you add to the browser and sign in to, with nothing else to set up. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Chrome and Edge extension plus a web app, working inside Gmail, Outlook, LinkedIn and YouTube. No Firefox, Safari, desktop or phone app is listed. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who MaxAI is for
- Fits if you read and write inside Chrome or Edge all day
- Works for people who want several AI models on one plan
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you use Firefox, Safari or a phone, since no extension or app is listed for them
- Tight if you stay free, as you get 3 Pro chats a day and limited uploads
- Watch out: image generation and model choice are Pro features, and payments are final and non-refundable
- Pricey if you pay monthly, at $30 against $12 when billed yearly
Good to know
Good for
- People who read, write and research inside a Chromium browser all day
- Anyone who wants several AI models behind one subscription
- Summarizing and translating pages, PDFs and YouTube videos without copy-pasting
Worth knowing
- The browser extension works on Chromium-based browsers such as Chrome and Edge; the vendor lists no Firefox, Safari or mobile app.
- The free plan allows 3 Pro chats a day; image generation and the larger model choices are paid features.
- The pricing page states that all payments are final and non-refundable.
- The $12 Pro price is shown as a limited-time saving with no end date, so the regular rate may differ.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$12
A month to start, for each person. There is a free plan too
MaxAI has a free plan. Paid plans start at $12 per member / month, billed yearly ($30 billed monthly).
Free
$0
per member / month
Unlimited chat with the fast free models, 3 Pro chats per day, limited file uploads.
Pro
$12
per member / month, billed yearly ($30 billed monthly)
Unlimited Pro chat, model choice, image generation, higher upload limits. Shown as a limited-time 60% saving off $30, no end date.
The free plan
Unlimited chat with the free AI models, 3 Pro chats per day and limited file uploads.
Read from maxai.co on Nov 12, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
Yearly billing at $12 instead of $30 monthly
The pricing page shows Pro at $12 per member per month billed yearly against $30 when billed monthly, marked as a limited-time 60% saving.
Stated on maxai.co
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
2
Places it runs: Web and Browser extension
AI sidebar for Chromium browsers that chats about the page you are on. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: AI features, chat assistant, AI search, citations, grammar & style, image generation.
Sidebar answers about pages, PDFs, videos and email, rewrite and translate tools, and image generation on Pro.
- AI sidebar
- Opens beside any web page in Chrome or Edge so you can ask about the page without copying text into another tab.
- Ask about different sources
- Questions can be asked about a web page, YouTube video, PDF, email, file, image or audio, and answers carry cited sources.
- Choice of AI models
- The pricing page lists models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, xAI, Meta and DeepSeek, split into Fast, Smart and Think tiers. Paid plans choose among them.
- Writing and reply tools
- Rewrite, fix grammar, change tone, shorten or lengthen selected text, and draft replies inside Gmail, Outlook, LinkedIn and several social and chat sites.
- Translation
- Translate selected text, or show a page's original and translated text side by side.
- Image generation
- Create images from text with models such as GPT-Image-1, DALL-E 3 and FLUX. Listed as a Pro feature.
Where it runs
- Web
- Browser extension
What it works with
- Gmail
- Outlook
- YouTube
- Slack
- Discord
- Telegram
MaxAI is made by MaxAI.me.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
32/71
Other AI assistants it is graded above
MaxAI's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 32 of the 71 other AI assistants we grade, and level with 8.
It stands best on free plan and trial (B, above 42 of 71) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $12 a month for each person, against a middle price of $11 for the category: 22 of the 43 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 10 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 72 AI assistants we grade, cut by the letter each got. MaxAI’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 6 of 71
- BFree plan and trialAbove 42 of 71
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 71
- BEase of useAbove 30 of 71
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 32 of 71
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 52 AI assistants. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. MaxAI is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace MaxAI you would be making an AI model, which you can rent by the request but not make. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It costs $144 a year.
What you could not
- An AI model, which you can rent by the request but not make.
- A search engine with an AI model behind it.
- An image model, which you can rent by the picture but not make.
- Citation records for millions of papers.
- Grammar checking as you type, wherever you type.
- It is priced for each person, which means accounts and billing for a team.
- It plugs into other products, Gmail, Outlook and LinkedIn among them.
What this rests on. MaxAI’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Monica, Sider, Merlin, ChatHub and Poe
The 5 tools MaxAI is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 3.2GPA
Monica
Free plan · from $8.3/mo
AI assistant with many models, built around a browser sidebar.
- Only Monica lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- MaxAI also covers citations and image generation.
- Monica also covers AI agents.
- 3.0GPA
Sider
Free plan · from $9.99/mo
AI sidebar for the browser with many models and mobile apps.
- Only MaxAI lists a web app.
- Only Sider lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- MaxAI also covers citations and image generation.
- 2.8GPA
Merlin
Free plan
AI sidebar extension with models from several labs in one account.
- Only Merlin lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- MaxAI also covers citations, grammar & style and image generation.
- Merlin also covers AI agents.
- 2.6GPA
ChatHub
Free plan · from $14.99/mo
Ask several AI models one question and compare answers side by side.
- Only ChatHub lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- MaxAI also covers citations, grammar & style and image generation.
- 3.4GPA
Poe
Free plan · from $4.17/mo
One app for chatting with AI models from many different labs.
- Only MaxAI lists a browser extension.
- Only Poe lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- MaxAI also covers citations, grammar & style and image generation.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is MaxAI free?
MaxAI has a free plan. Unlimited chat with the free AI models, 3 Pro chats per day and limited file uploads.
How much does MaxAI cost?
MaxAI lists 2 plans. Free: $0 per member / month.
What platforms does MaxAI work on?
MaxAI is available on Web. It also has a browser extension.
Does MaxAI offer any discounts?
MaxAI publicly lists the following: Yearly billing at $12 instead of $30 monthly.
Does MaxAI have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. MaxAI is listed for Web.
Does MaxAI have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. MaxAI is listed for Web.
Is MaxAI open source?
MaxAI is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 12, 2026.
What does MaxAI integrate with?
MaxAI's listing names Gmail, Outlook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Slack, WhatsApp, Discord and Telegram.
Who makes MaxAI?
MaxAI is made by MaxAI.me.
What are the alternatives to MaxAI?
The closest alternatives to MaxAI in our directory are Monica, Sider, Merlin, ChatHub and Poe.
How does MaxAI compare with other AI assistants?
MaxAI's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 32 of the 71 other AI assistants we grade, and level with 8.
Is MaxAI good value for money?
ToolGPA grades MaxAI C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $12 a month for each person, against a middle price of $11 for the category: 22 of the 43 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of MaxAI?
To replace MaxAI you would be making an AI model, which you can rent by the request but not make.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from MaxAI’s own pages on Nov 12, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 12, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from MaxAI's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by MaxAI.me. Prices change, so check maxai.co before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
5,038
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
5,038
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- MaxAI, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/maxai
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "MaxAI: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 12, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/maxai
Know someone choosing between AI assistants?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/maxai/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded AI assistants after MaxAI, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- AI Assistants Insider's GuideEvery one of the 72 AI assistants we grade, compared
- Gemini Insider's GuideGoogle's AI assistant, tied into Gmail, Docs and other Google apps3.8 GPA
- Chatbox Insider's GuideAI chat client for your own API keys or a hosted model plan3.4 GPA
- ChatGPT Insider's GuideOpenAI's general-purpose AI assistant for chat, images and voice3.4 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what MaxAI’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. MaxAI is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by MaxAI.me. Prices and plans change: check maxai.co before you buy.