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The Monica Insider’s Guide

Everything we know about Monica 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.

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ToolGPAOctober 2026

Monica

The Insider’s Guide

AI assistant with many models, built around a browser sidebar

Monica, as pictured on monica.im

Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among AI assistants, read from Monica’s own pages.

Made by Butterfly Effect Pte. Ltd. · checked Oct 9, 2026 · toolgpa.com

3.2GPA

Contents

  1. 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
  2. 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
  3. 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
  4. 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
  5. 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
  6. 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
  7. 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it

ToolGPA put this guide together from Monica’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Monica’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 9, 2026.

Part 01 · Overview

Welcome

What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first

3.2

GPA, above 48 of the 57 other AI assistants we grade

Monica is an AI assistant that puts models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and other labs behind one account. Its Chrome and Edge extension adds a sidebar and toolbar to any web page, and it also runs as a web app and as desktop and mobile apps. It chats, searches the web, summarizes pages, videos and PDFs, writes and translates, generates images and video, and runs agent tasks such as deep research. A free plan has a daily limit, and paid plans raise the limits and add monthly credits.

To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Monica, taken from its own pages and our grades.

The plans are the hard part: basic queries, advanced queries and credits each run out on their own.
From our grade for ease of use
  1. 1

    Best for many AI models in one browser sidebar

    Monica is a browser sidebar that puts GPT, Claude and Gemini behind one login, beside whatever page you're reading.

  2. 2

    Paid plans start at $8.30 a month

    As its pricing page puts it: $8.3 per month, billed annually ($99 per year).

  3. 3

    There is a free plan

    40 requests to basic models a day, basic writing, translation and summaries, and limited trials of image and video generation, ChatPDF and the AI Agent.

  4. 4

    It runs on 5 platforms

    Web, macOS, Windows, iOS and Android, with a browser extension too.

  5. 5

    Many models in one chat

    Chats with models such as GPT-6.1 Sol, Claude Sonnet 5.5 and Gemini 3.8 Flash from one account, and can show answers from several models side by side for comparison.

  6. 6

    Browser sidebar and toolbar

    The Chrome and Edge extension opens an AI sidebar on any web page, and a toolbar explains, translates or summarizes whatever text you select.

  7. 7

    Summaries of pages, videos and files

    Summarizes web pages and files, pulls highlights with timestamps from YouTube videos, and answers questions about PDFs through ChatPDF.

  8. 8

    A 3.2 GPA, above 48 of 57

    That is against the other AI assistants we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.

  9. 9

    Keep it

    To replace Monica 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.

Monica at a glance

Pricing
Free plan, from $8.3 per month, billed annually ($99 per year)
Free plan
Yes
Free trial
The help center mentions a trial period, capped at 100 advanced queries; its length and how it starts are not stated
Runs on
Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Browser extension
Made by
Butterfly Effect Pte. Ltd.
Category
AI Assistants
Our grade
3.2 GPA, very good
Store rating
4.7 on the App Store, 6,787 ratings

The report card

Best for many AI models in one browser sidebar

Monica is a browser sidebar that puts GPT, Claude and Gemini behind one login, beside whatever page you're reading. Everything in it is metered: basic queries, advanced queries and credits each run out on their own, Pro allows 200 advanced queries a month, and the "unlimited" Max slows to 100 a day past a monthly cap. Prices assume a year paid up front, payments are mostly final, and in August 2026 Monica set some users' data to be deleted.

ToolGPA report cardMonicaGraded Oct 10, 2026
SubjectGradeComment
Value for moneyBPro is $99 a year, so $8.3 a month, right at this category's cheapest quarter, for models from several AI labs. But 200 advanced queries a month is six or seven a day, and you're paying for the year up front.
Free plan and trialC40 requests a day, to the basic models only, and images, video, ChatPDF and the agent are short trials. Enough to find out whether you want a sidebar, not enough to stay on.
FeaturesBChat with several models, summaries of pages, YouTube videos and PDFs, translation, writing help, images, video and research agents. Most of the usual AI jobs are in there, each drawing on one of its meters.
Ease of useA4.7 from about 6,800 App Store ratings, and one shortcut opens the sidebar on any page. The plans are the hard part: basic queries, advanced queries and credits each run out on their own.
Platforms and integrationsAA Chrome and Edge extension, a web app, Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android. It works inside Gmail, Outlook, YouTube and WhatsApp, and there's a separate API platform for developers.
Grade point averageVery good, out of 4.03.2

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 Monica is for

  • Fits if you want AI next to whatever you're reading, without switching tabs
  • Works for asking two or three models the same thing and comparing the answers

Who it is not for

  • Skip it if you want one simple price, because basic queries, advanced queries and credits are counted separately
  • Tight if you lean on the top models: Pro stops at 200 advanced queries a month, and the "unlimited" Max slows to 100 a day
  • Not for you if you need a team plan: accounts are for one person, and sharing one can get it suspended
  • Pricey if you want the agent all day: Ultra is $995 a year up front, and payments are final outside the EU, UK and Turkey
  • Watch out: in August 2026 Monica set data made since 29 December 2025 to be deleted for users in some regions

Good to know

Good for

  • People who want AI help inside the browser on any web page
  • Summarizing web pages, YouTube videos and PDFs
  • Using several model families under one subscription

Worth knowing

  • The Free plan allows 40 basic-model requests a day and gives only limited trials of image and video generation, ChatPDF and the AI Agent.
  • Pro is capped at 5,000 basic and 200 advanced queries a month. Max and Ultra slow to 100 queries a day after 1,600 advanced and 12,000 basic queries in a month.
  • Accounts are for personal use only, and Monica says a team subscription has not launched. The prices listed are for annual billing.
  • Monica's help center describes an August 2026 transition in which data created since December 29, 2025 was set to be deleted for users in certain regions.

Part 02 · Pricing

What it costs

Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved

$8.30

A month to start. There is a free plan too

Monica has a free plan. Paid plans start at $8.3 per month, billed annually ($99 per year).

Enough to find out whether you want a sidebar, not enough to stay on.
From our grade for free plan and trial

  • Free

    $0

    40 requests to basic models a day, with limited trials of image and video generation, ChatPDF and the AI Agent. Up to 3 login devices.

  • Pro

    $8.3

    per month, billed annually ($99 per year)

    5,000 basic and 200 advanced model queries a month, 1,500 Advanced Credits, the AI Agent, and image and video generation.

  • Max

    $16.6

    per month, billed annually ($199 per year)

    Called unlimited; queries slow to 100 a day after 1,600 advanced and 12,000 basic a month. 4,500 Advanced Credits. In beta, and shown as a flash sale from $299 per year.

  • Ultra

    $82.9

    per month, billed annually ($995 per year)

    Called unlimited, with the same monthly thresholds as Max before queries slow to 100 a day. 20,000 Advanced Credits and up to 10 login devices.

The free plan

40 requests to basic models a day, basic writing, translation and summaries, and limited trials of image and video generation, ChatPDF and the AI Agent.

Trying it first

The help center mentions a trial period, capped at 100 advanced queries; its length and how it starts are not stated

Read from monica.im on Oct 9, 2026.

Ways to pay less

  • Annual discount

    Save 17% with annual billing

    The pricing page marks Pro ($99 per year) and Ultra ($995 per year) as saving 17% with annual billing. Max is shown at $199 per year, crossed out from $299, as a 33% flash sale with no end date given.

    Stated on monica.im

What the app costs elsewhere

Each country’s App Store price for “Monica Pro Weekly”, against $4.99 in the United States, in dollars at the day’s rate. The four cheapest and the four dearest of 11.

CountryPrice thereIn dollarsAgainst the US
Turkey₺199,99$4.0718% less
Philippines₱ 299.00$4.76about the same
Canada$6.99$4.91about the same
BrazilR$ 24,90$4.98about the same
Australia$7.99$5.5812% more
South AfricaR99.99$6.0521% more
United Kingdom£4.99$6.6032% more
Germany5,99 €$6.7135% more

Part 03 · Features

What it does

Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it

6

Places it runs: Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android and Browser extension

AI assistant with many models, built around a browser sidebar. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: AI features, chat assistant, AI search, AI agents, grammar & style.

Chat with several models, summaries of pages, YouTube videos and PDFs, translation, writing help, images, video and research agents.
From our grade for features
Many models in one chat
Chats with models such as GPT-6.1 Sol, Claude Sonnet 5.5 and Gemini 3.8 Flash from one account, and can show answers from several models side by side for comparison.
Browser sidebar and toolbar
The Chrome and Edge extension opens an AI sidebar on any web page, and a toolbar explains, translates or summarizes whatever text you select.
Summaries of pages, videos and files
Summarizes web pages and files, pulls highlights with timestamps from YouTube videos, and answers questions about PDFs through ChatPDF.
Writing and translation
Drafts and rewrites text on any page, checks grammar, suggests replies in Gmail and Outlook, and translates whole web pages for side-by-side bilingual reading.
AI Agent tools
Deep Research, Create Slides, Image Studio and Browser Operator run as agent tasks. Each one spends Advanced Credits from the plan's monthly allowance.
Image and video generation
Generates images and video with models such as Nano Banana 2, GPT Image 2.5 Flare, Sora 2 and Veo 3.1, also charged in Advanced Credits.

Where it runs

  • Web
  • macOS
  • Windows
  • iOS
  • Android
  • Browser extension

What it works with

  • Gmail
  • Outlook
  • YouTube
  • Google Search
  • WhatsApp
  • Messenger
  • X
  • Facebook

Who makes Monica

Monica is made by Butterfly Effect Pte. Ltd., the Singapore company that also makes Manus and whose founders started it in Beijing. It earns money from paid subscription plans sold alongside a free tier, and pays affiliates a share of what they refer.

Founded
2022techcrunch.com
Based
Singaporetechcrunch.com
Ownership
Privately held. Privately held: Butterfly Effect's Manus said it resumed independent operations on 1 September 2026 after China ordered Meta's December 2025 acquisition withdrawn. TechCrunch names Tencent, HSG and ZhenFund as existing shareholders.manus.im
Funding
Butterfly Effect raised more than $500 million in October 2026, led by Boyu Capital and IDG Capital with Tencent, HSG and ZhenFund taking part, as TechCrunch reported from the company's WeChat post. TechCrunch earlier reported a $75 million round led by Benchmark in April 2025.techcrunch.comtechcrunch.comtechcrunch.com
Founders and leaders
Affiliate program
25% commission on what a referred new subscriber pays during their first year, including renewals and upgrades, up to $49.75 a referral. Tracked through Tapfiliate, paid in USD by PayPal on the 20th of each month once $100 is owed. Paid advertising is not allowed.monica.im
Follow

Read on Oct 18, 2026 from the company’s own pages and from news reports. What is not stated there is left out.

Part 04 · Standing

Where it stands

Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own

48/57

Other AI assistants it is graded above

Monica's GPA of 3.2 is higher than 48 of the 57 other AI assistants we grade, and level with 4.

It stands best on platforms and integrations (A, above 45 of 57) and worst on free plan and trial (C, above 5).

Its paid plans start at $8.30 a month, against a middle price of $10 for the category: 12 of the 38 others that charge start lower.

On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.7 out of 4. 2 tools score higher and cost less.

Each grade against the category

Every bar is all 58 AI assistants we grade, cut by the letter each got. Monica’s own letter is outlined.

  • BValue for moneyAbove 34 of 57
  • CFree plan and trialAbove 5 of 57
  • BFeaturesAbove 28 of 57
  • AEase of useAbove 44 of 57
  • APlatforms and integrationsAbove 45 of 57

Price against what you get

Each dot is one of 45 AI assistants. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Monica is the marked dot.

C2.0B3.0A4.0Free$2$5$10$20$50More for lessCosts more, scores moreCosts less, scores lessCosts more, scores lessMonicaGeminiPoeChatboxLocally AIChatGPT

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 Monica 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 is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.2 is higher than 48 of the 57 other AI assistants we grade. It costs $99.60 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 AI agent, with the models and the safeguards behind it.
  • Grammar checking as you type, wherever you type.
  • Apps for macOS, Windows, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.
  • It plugs into other products, Gmail, Outlook and YouTube among them.
  • The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.

What this rests on. Monica’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

Sider, Merlin, ChatHub, Poe and ChatGPT

The 5 tools Monica is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.

  • 3.0GPA

    Sider

    Free plan · from $9.99/mo

    AI sidebar for the browser with many models and mobile apps.

    • Only Monica lists a web app.
    Monica and Sider compared in full
  • 2.8GPA

    Merlin

    Free plan

    AI sidebar extension with models from several labs in one account.

    • Monica also covers grammar & style.
    Monica and Merlin compared in full
  • 2.6GPA

    ChatHub

    Free plan · from $14.99/mo

    Ask several AI models one question and compare answers side by side.

    • Monica also covers AI agents and grammar & style.
    Monica and ChatHub compared in full
  • 3.4GPA

    Poe

    Free plan · from $4.17/mo

    One app for chatting with AI models from many different labs.

    • Only Monica lists a browser extension.
    • Monica also covers AI agents and grammar & style.
    Monica and Poe compared in full
  • 3.4GPA

    ChatGPT

    Free plan · from $8/mo

    OpenAI's general-purpose AI assistant for chat, images and voice.

    • Only Monica lists a browser extension.
    • Only ChatGPT lists a Linux app.
    • Monica also covers AI agents and grammar & style.
    Monica and ChatGPT compared in full

Part 06 · Questions

Quick answers

The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two

14

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 Monica free?

Monica has a free plan. 40 requests to basic models a day, basic writing, translation and summaries, and limited trials of image and video generation, ChatPDF and the AI Agent.

How much does Monica cost?

Monica lists 4 plans. Free: $0.

What platforms does Monica work on?

Monica is available on Web, macOS, Windows, iOS and Android. It also has a browser extension.

Does Monica offer any discounts?

Monica publicly lists the following: Save 17% with annual billing.

How is Monica rated?

Monica's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.7 out of 5 from 6,787 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 5, 2026.

Does Monica have a Linux app?

No Linux app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. Monica is listed for Web, macOS, Windows, iOS and Android.

Is Monica open source?

Monica is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 9, 2026.

What does Monica integrate with?

Monica's listing names Gmail, Outlook, YouTube, Google Search, WhatsApp, Messenger, X and Facebook.

Does Monica have a free trial?

Yes. The help center mentions a trial period, capped at 100 advanced queries; its length and how it starts are not stated.

Who makes Monica?

Monica is made by Butterfly Effect. Privately held: Butterfly Effect's Manus said it resumed independent operations on 1 September 2026 after China ordered Meta's December 2025 acquisition withdrawn.

What are the alternatives to Monica?

The closest alternatives to Monica in our directory are Sider, Merlin, ChatHub, Poe and ChatGPT.

How does Monica compare with other AI assistants?

Monica's GPA of 3.2 is higher than 48 of the 57 other AI assistants we grade, and level with 4.

Is Monica good value for money?

ToolGPA grades Monica B for value for money. Its paid plans start at $8.30 a month, against a middle price of $10 for the category: 12 of the 38 others that charge start lower.

Could I make my own version of Monica?

To replace Monica 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 Monica’s own pages on Oct 9, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Based on Monica's home, pricing and download pages and its help centre (the FAQ, credit rules, agent guide and service change notice) as of 9 October 2026, its App Store reviews and the few Hacker News mentions of it. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-01-20.

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 Butterfly Effect Pte. Ltd. Prices change, so check monica.im before you buy.

Part 07 · About

About ToolGPA

Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it

3,189

Tools graded, in 94 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.

  • 3,189

    tools graded

  • 94

    categories

  • 426

    price changes on record

  • 579

    apps priced in 12 countries

What else is on toolgpa.com

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, "Monica: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 9, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/monica

Know someone choosing between AI assistants?

Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/monica/guide

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The best-graded AI assistants after Monica, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.

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Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Monica’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. Monica is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Butterfly Effect Pte. Ltd. Prices and plans change: check monica.im before you buy.