Sidemates and Siri AI: use both, or choose
Siri AI is built into your Mac for quick questions and single actions. Sidemates is an open-source team for the whole job, and it works with Siri.
Last updated 2 October 2026. Details about Siri AI come from its public pages (linked below) and can change. If something is out of date, tell us. See the full comparison with the other options.
What Siri AI is
Apple's rebuilt Siri arrived in beta with macOS 27 on 14 September 2026. It uses personal context from Mail, Messages, Notes, Photos and Calendar through Spotlight, understands what is on your screen, and can act inside apps. It runs on your Mac and on Apple's Private Cloud Compute. Reports describe a free beta with daily usage limits, English first, on Apple silicon, with paid access planned.
Side by side
| Sidemates | Siri AI | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A team for long, multi-step jobs across apps and websites | A built-in assistant for quick questions and single actions |
| Price | Free and open source (MIT). You pay only for the AI you connect. | Free beta with daily limits; paid access planned |
| Choice of AI | Your choice: ChatGPT, Claude, Grok, GitHub Copilot, Gemini, Nous Portal, OpenCode Go or a model on your Mac | Apple's own |
| Long jobs on websites | Yes, each teammate in its own browser | Not its focus |
| Scheduled work | Yes, routines such as a morning brief | No |
| Source code | Open (MIT) | Closed |
| Together | Hands longer jobs from Siri to your team | Say "Hey Siri, ask Sidemates" |
When to choose which
Choose Siri AI if you…
- want help already built into your Mac for quick questions and in-app actions, with nothing to install
- are on macOS 27 on Apple silicon and like Apple's on-device privacy by default
Choose Sidemates if you…
- want longer jobs done across apps and websites, or on a schedule
- want a team of teammates instead of one assistant
- want to pick the AI and read the code
- don't want a paid tier later
Try Sidemates
On a Mac (macOS 13 or later), one line installs it. No administrator password, and the installer checks the download's fingerprint. Read the installer first if you like.
curl -fsSL https://sidemates.app/install.sh | sh
Then connect an AI (a free Gemini key is enough to start) and make your first teammate, or add a ready-made one from the gallery. Source code and docs: github.com/PrisacariuRobert/sidemates.
Questions
Does Sidemates replace Siri?
No. Siri is good for quick questions and single actions. Sidemates is for longer jobs. You can say "Hey Siri, ask Sidemates" to hand a job to your team.
Is Siri AI free?
Reports describe a free beta with daily usage limits and paid access planned. Sidemates is free, open-source software, and you pay only for the AI you connect.
Does Sidemates read my Mail and Calendar like Siri?
Yes, on your own Mac. Teammates can read Apple Mail, Calendar, Reminders, Notes, Contacts and Messages, search folders you choose, and ask before they change anything.