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Head-to-head · AI PDF Assistants

PDF.chat vs Sharly AI

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 5 checks side by side
Higher score PDF.chat #5 in AI PDF Assistants 8.8/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 3 features Visit PDF.chat
Sharly AI #6 in AI PDF Assistants 8.7/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 3 features Visit Sharly AI

PDF.chat leads on 1 check, Sharly AI on 0, and 4 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 5 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scorePDF.chat · 8.8/10
  • Lowest starting pricePDF.chat · $5/mo
  • Free planboth

PDF.chat scores higher on our rubric for ai pdf assistants: 8.8 against 8.7 out of 10; our editors rank them #5 and #6.

PDF.chat is cheaper to start at $5/mo against $12.50/mo.

PDF.chat is the better fit for affordable cited PDF chat with API access. Sharly AI is the better fit for collaborative document research teams.

  • PDF.chat fits best

    Affordable cited PDF chat with API access

  • Sharly AI fits best

    Collaborative document research teams

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Side by side

Feature PDF.chat 8.8/10 Visit ↗ Sharly AI 8.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.8 8.7
Ranking #5 in AI PDF Assistants #6 in AI PDF Assistants
Best for Affordable cited PDF chat with API access Collaborative document research teams
Pricing model Free plan + paid Free plan + paid
Starting price $5/mo (best) $12.50/seat/mo
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud, Browser extension Cloud
Platforms Web Web
Support Email, Docs Email, Docs
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features PDF.chat 3/3 · Sharly AI 3/3
Multiple PDFs per chat ✓ ✓
Source citations ✓ ✓
Scanned PDF support ✓ ✓
Specs
Maximum file size Not checked yet Not checked yet
Maximum PDF pages Not checked yet Not checked yet
Export formats TXT, MD, DOCX, PDF, CSV, JSON APA, MLA, Chicago
Access platforms web, api web
Our review
Pros
  • Page-cited answers link responses to supporting passages.
  • OCR handles scanned or photographed PDFs.
  • REST API, model comparison, memory, and exports support varied workflows.
  • Chat across multiple PDFs and documents with linked inline citations
  • Detect contradictions and compare information in natural language
  • Shared workspaces, annotations, permissions, and activity logs
Cons
  • Access is centered on web and API rather than a broader platform range.
  • API access starts with the $19-per-month Pro plan.
  • Priority queue and support are limited to the $49-per-month Business plan.
  • Free plan is limited to 5 documents per day
  • Advanced collaboration and admin controls require paid tiers
  • Access is provided through the web platform
Our verdict

PDF.chat is a browser-based AI assistant for asking questions about PDFs and other documents. It suits researchers, students, analysts, legal and operations teams, and anyone working through contracts, manuals, reports, textbooks, or other…

Read the review →

Sharly AI is a web-based research assistant for individuals, analysts, compliance groups, academics, and research teams. It accepts PDFs, DOCX, PPTX, spreadsheets, URLs, Google Docs, and Notion uploads, then provides summaries, answers,…

Read the review →
  1. PDF.chatAI PDF Assistants 8.8Free plan
  2. Sharly AIAI PDF Assistants 8.7Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • PDF.chat — where it wins

    • Page-cited answers link responses to supporting passages.
    • OCR handles scanned or photographed PDFs.
    • REST API, model comparison, memory, and exports support varied workflows.

    Where it doesn't

    • Access is centered on web and API rather than a broader platform range.
    • API access starts with the $19-per-month Pro plan.
    • Priority queue and support are limited to the $49-per-month Business plan.

  • Sharly AI — where it wins

    • Chat across multiple PDFs and documents with linked inline citations
    • Detect contradictions and compare information in natural language
    • Shared workspaces, annotations, permissions, and activity logs

    Where it doesn't

    • Free plan is limited to 5 documents per day
    • Advanced collaboration and admin controls require paid tiers
    • Access is provided through the web platform

More comparisons

All AI PDF assistants comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update