Page Assist review and alternative
Page Assist is a free, open-source sidebar and web UI for the models on your own machine. UtilEngine connects to the same local servers, adds cloud models on your own key, and puts both in a launcher with 60+ commands.
Get it for $49Side by side
Both can run AI on a model server on your own computer. One is a free tool for exactly that. The other is a paid launcher that includes it.
| Page Assist |  UtilEngine | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Page AssistA sidebar and web UI for local models | UtilEngineA launcher, with AI as one part |
| Local models | Page AssistOllama, Chrome AI, and OpenAI-compatible servers like LM Studio | UtilEngineOllama, LM Studio, llama.cpp and other OpenAI-compatible servers |
| Cloud models | Page AssistBuilt for local models | UtilEngine89 models through one OpenRouter key |
| Ask about the page | Page AssistYes, chat with the webpage | UtilEngineYes, in chat, Ask AI and commands |
| Open source | Page AssistYes, MIT license | UtilEngineNo |
| Browsers | Page AssistChrome, Brave, Edge, Firefox and more | UtilEngineChrome, Brave, Edge |
| What else comes with it | Page AssistA focused AI tool | UtilEngineSessions, tab search, snippets, calculator and 60+ commands |
| Price | Page AssistFree | UtilEngine$49 one-time |
Comparison based on the Page Assist README and Chrome Web Store listing as of November 2026. If a free, open-source sidebar for local models is what you want, Page Assist is that, and it also runs in Firefox.
Where they differ
Page Assist does one job. It gives the models on your machine a sidebar and a full chat page, it is open source under the MIT license, and it is free. Its README says your data stays in browser storage. If local AI in the browser is all you want, it is hard to argue for paying.
UtilEngine treats local models as one option. In AI Settings you choose a provider, either a local server or OpenRouter, and chat, Ask AI and your commands run on whichever you picked. Switching to OpenRouter gives you 89 cloud models on your own key, plus web search, which the local option does not have.
The rest is the launcher. The shortcut that opens the AI also saves windows as sessions, searches open tabs, inserts snippets and runs a calculator. Page Assist does not try to do any of that.
How local models work in UtilEngine
Set Provider to Local server, type the address, and connect.
Switching from Page Assist
Is Page Assist free?
Yes. It is open source under the MIT license.
Does UtilEngine work with Ollama?
Yes. In AI Settings, set Provider to Local server, type the address, and press Connect. It works with Ollama, LM Studio, llama.cpp and other OpenAI-compatible servers, and needs no OpenRouter key.
Can UtilEngine use local and cloud models at once?
One at a time. The provider is either a local server or OpenRouter, and you switch between them in AI Settings.
Does UtilEngine have a sidebar like Page Assist?
No. It opens as a launcher over the page when you press your shortcut, and closes when you are done.
Does it run in Firefox?
Page Assist does. UtilEngine runs on Chrome, Brave, Edge and other Chromium browsers, and Firefox support is on the roadmap.
Is my data private with a local model?
With a local server, your prompts and the page text go to the model on your own computer. The server address stays on that device and never syncs. Web search is the one AI feature that needs OpenRouter.
Local models, and the rest
Chat, Ask AI, sessions, snippets, and 60+ commands.
Get it for $49One-time payment. 14-day refund, no questions asked.