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Gist vs TLDR This

Two fact sheets from our own research, side by side — pricing, platforms, API access and status re-checked by us rather than quoted from the vendors.

The short answer

Status
Gist failed our last uptime check (Oct 15, 2026)
Free plan
Only TLDR This (Gist has paid plans only)
Public API
TLDR This has one; not confirmed by us for Gist
Higher Trust score
TLDR This — 75 vs 60 for Gist
Best fit
Gist: iOS users who read a lot of long articles and want a faster pass through them · TLDR This: skimming long-form journalism or research pages before committing to a read

From our own records as of each tool's last check. Anything we have not confirmed is left out rather than guessed. How we verify

GistiOS app and share-sheet extension that shortens articles by up to 80% while keeping their structure and voice.TLDR ThisCondense articles, PDFs and pasted text into short summaries

Side by side

FactGistTLDR This
CategorySummarizationSummarization
Pricing modelPaidFreemium
Starts at$0.99/mo—
Public APINot confirmedYes
Trust score60 / 10075 / 100
PlatformsiOSWeb, Chrome extension, API
CompanyKyle Halevi—
Last verifiedOct 15, 2026Oct 25, 2026

What our research says

Gist

Gist does one narrow thing, cut an article down while keeping it readable, and does it inside the reading apps a user already has rather than a separate destination. At under a dollar a month it is a low-commitment way to save reading time, but it is iOS-only and has no free tier to test first.

Pros

  • Works as a share-sheet extension across Safari, Files, and other apps rather than a standalone reader
  • Aims to preserve structure and tone rather than flattening everything into bullet points
  • Very low price point ($0.99/month)

Cons

  • No free tier to test accuracy before subscribing
  • iOS only, no Android, web, or desktop version
  • Run by a single named individual rather than a company, so support continuity is less certain

TLDR This

A single-job summariser that still earns its keep as a browser extension for triaging long articles. As a paid subscription it is hard to justify now that general assistants and Chrome's own built-in summariser do the same job inside tools you already have.

Pros

  • the extension summarises the page you are on in one click, with no copy-paste
  • handles URLs and PDFs, not just pasted text
  • a documented API exists for embedding summaries in other products
  • unlimited free key-sentence summaries cover casual reading

Cons

  • the core capability is now commoditised by general assistants and browser-native summarisers
  • the site sits behind aggressive bot protection, which makes verification and monitoring awkward
  • no visible company details, changelog or roadmap
  • output quality swings a lot depending on how the source page is structured

Which one fits

Choose Gist if you need

  • iOS users who read a lot of long articles and want a faster pass through them
  • Anyone who wants summarization inside Safari or the Files app rather than a separate tool
  • People who want the source's structure kept intact, not just a bullet-point summary

Choose TLDR This if you need

  • skimming long-form journalism or research pages before committing to a read
  • students reducing papers and reports to bullets for revision
  • developers who want a cheap summarisation endpoint without wiring up an LLM provider

Gist vs TLDR This: the questions people ask

Is Gist cheaper than TLDR This?

Gist starts at $0.99/mo. TLDR This has a free tier; what its paid plans cost is not confirmed by us yet.

Does Gist or TLDR This have a free tier?

TLDR This has a free tier; Gist has paid plans only.

Which has a public API, Gist or TLDR This?

TLDR This ships a public API, as of our last verification. A public API for Gist is not confirmed by us — check its developer docs before you plan an integration.

More comparisons

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