Google Sidewiki vs Genius.it Web Annotator

Struggling to choose between Google Sidewiki and Genius.it Web Annotator? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

Google Sidewiki is a Online Services solution with tags like collaboration, web-annotation, social-annotation.

It boasts features such as Allowed users to make comments/annotations alongside web pages, Enabled collaborative annotations on websites, Browser extension let users view annotations on web pages, Users could vote on annotations, Annotations were public and visible to all Sidewiki users and pros including Enabled crowdsourced annotations, Let users add context/info to existing web pages, Made the web more interactive and collaborative.

On the other hand, Genius.it Web Annotator is a Online Services product tagged with annotation, collaboration, highlighting, comments, browser-extension.

Its standout features include Annotate webpages by highlighting text and adding comments, Collaborate with others by sharing annotations, Integrates with Genius Web highlighter to sync annotations, Browser extension available for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Web app also available, Annotations saved in personal or shared libraries, and it shines with pros like Allows collaboration on annotating webpages, Syncs annotations across devices, Works on any webpage, Easy to use browser extension, Free version available.

Feature	Google Sidewiki	Genius.it Web Annotator
Overall Score	N/A	N/A
Primary Category	Online Services	Online Services

Product Overview

Google Sidewiki

Description: Google Sidewiki was a social annotation tool that allowed users to make comments and annotations alongside web pages from 2009 to 2011. It enabled collaborative annotation functionality for information on websites.

Genius.it Web Annotator

Description: Genius.it Web Annotator is a browser extension that allows users to annotate, highlight, and comment on any webpage. It facilitates collaboration and shared understanding of online content.

Key Features Comparison

Google Sidewiki Features

• Allowed users to make comments/annotations alongside web pages
• Enabled collaborative annotations on websites
• Browser extension let users view annotations on web pages
• Users could vote on annotations
• Annotations were public and visible to all Sidewiki users

Genius.it Web Annotator Features

• Annotate webpages by highlighting text and adding comments
• Collaborate with others by sharing annotations
• Integrates with Genius Web highlighter to sync annotations
• Browser extension available for Chrome, Firefox, Edge
• Web app also available
• Annotations saved in personal or shared libraries

Pros & Cons Analysis

Google Sidewiki

Pros

• Enabled crowdsourced annotations
• Let users add context/info to existing web pages
• Made the web more interactive and collaborative

Cons

• Lacked moderation, so low-quality/spammy annotations were common
• Annotations were distracting and cluttered pages
• Many websites blocked Sidewiki annotations
• Slow adoption and not enough active users

Genius.it Web Annotator

Pros

• Allows collaboration on annotating webpages
• Syncs annotations across devices
• Works on any webpage
• Easy to use browser extension
• Free version available

Cons

• Formatting options for annotations are limited
• No mobile app
• Slow performance reported with large documents
• Syncing issues reported
• Free version limits number of annotations

Pricing Comparison

Google Sidewiki

• Free

Genius.it Web Annotator

• Freemium