Glasp vs Get Summary: YouTube Summary Extension vs Telegram Bot Compared
Glasp has become one of the more popular ways to summarize YouTube videos. It’s a Chrome extension — you install it, and it shows a summary panel right next to the video player. Clean integration, decent AI, and a social highlighting feature that makes it unique.
But here’s the thing: not everyone wants another browser extension. And not everyone watches YouTube on a desktop browser.
I’ve been using both Glasp and Get Summary AI (a Telegram bot) for a few months now, and they’re solving the same problem in very different ways. Let me break down what actually matters.
What Is Glasp?
Glasp started as a social web highlighter — think of it as a way to highlight passages on any webpage and share them publicly. YouTube summaries came later, and they’ve become probably the most-used feature.
How it works:
- Install the Glasp Chrome extension
- Go to any YouTube video
- Click the Glasp icon or look for the summary panel on the right side
- Choose your AI model (GPT-4, Claude, etc.)
- Get a summary
The social aspect is interesting — you can see other users’ highlights and notes on the same video. It creates a kind of public knowledge layer on top of YouTube. Some people love this. Others find it unnecessary.
Glasp is free for basic use, with a paid tier for more summaries and advanced AI models.
What Is Get Summary?
Get Summary is a Telegram bot. No extension, no app, no website to visit. You open Telegram, paste a YouTube link, and get a summary back in the chat.
How it works:
- Open Telegram
- Start a chat with the Get Summary AI bot
- Paste a YouTube URL
- Get a structured summary with key points and timestamps
That’s it. The simplicity is the point. It works on your phone, tablet, desktop — anywhere Telegram runs. Which, in 2026, is basically everywhere.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | Glasp | Get Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | Chrome extension (desktop) | Telegram bot (any device) |
| Setup | Install extension | Open Telegram, start chat |
| YouTube summaries | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Timestamps | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Social features | ✅ Highlights, sharing | ❌ No |
| Works on mobile | ❌ Not really (no mobile extension) | ✅ Native |
| Works without subtitles | ⚠️ Limited | ✅ Audio processing |
| Web page summaries | ✅ Yes (any webpage) | ❌ YouTube focused |
| Non-English videos | ⚠️ Depends on captions | ✅ Better coverage |
| Speed | Fast (~10 sec) | Moderate (~30-60 sec) |
| Free tier | Yes (limited daily) | Yes (limited daily) |
| Browser required | Yes (Chrome/Chromium) | No |
| Data privacy | Extension accesses browsing | Telegram chat only |
When Glasp Wins
Let me be fair — Glasp does some things really well.
Desktop-first workflow. If you’re at your computer, watching YouTube in Chrome, and you want a quick summary without leaving the page — Glasp is frictionless. The panel appears right there. You don’t switch apps, don’t copy-paste links. It just works.
Web highlighting. If you also read a lot of articles and want to highlight + summarize those too, Glasp handles both YouTube and web content. Get Summary doesn’t do web articles.
The social layer. Some researchers and students genuinely benefit from seeing what others highlighted in the same video or article. It’s like marginalia from strangers — sometimes insightful, sometimes noise. But it’s a feature Get Summary doesn’t have.
AI model choice. Glasp lets you pick which AI model generates your summary. Want Claude instead of GPT-4? You can switch. This kind of control appeals to people who have preferences about AI output styles.
When Get Summary Wins
Mobile. Full stop. If you’re watching YouTube on your phone (and statistically, most people are), Glasp can’t help you. There are no Chrome extensions on mobile. Get Summary works wherever Telegram works — which is your phone, your tablet, your weird old laptop. Anywhere.
Videos without subtitles. This is a bigger deal than most people realize. Glasp relies on YouTube’s transcript. No transcript? No summary. Get Summary can process audio directly, which means Hindi lectures, regional content, and videos where the creator just didn’t add captions — all fair game.
Zero install. No extension means no browser permissions, no “this extension can read and change all your data on all websites” warning. You paste a link in a chat. That’s the entire surface area.
Speed of access. I know this sounds minor, but: I’m already in Telegram throughout the day. Sharing a YouTube link there takes two seconds. Opening Chrome, navigating to YouTube, making sure the extension is active — it’s more steps than it sounds when you’re doing it repeatedly.
Group sharing. Here’s something underrated: you can use Get Summary in a Telegram group. Share a video summary with your study group or team instantly. With Glasp, you’d need to screenshot or copy-paste the summary somewhere else.
The Privacy Angle
I’ll be direct about this: browser extensions have access to a lot. Glasp’s Chrome extension needs permissions to read page content (that’s how it works). They have a privacy policy, they’re a legit company, and I’m not saying they’re doing anything shady.
But. It’s a browser extension that can see what you’re browsing. Some people — especially at companies with IT policies, or students on shared computers — aren’t comfortable with that. Or simply can’t install extensions.
Get Summary AI operates through Telegram’s API. It only sees the links you explicitly send it. Nothing else. For privacy-conscious users, that’s a meaningful difference.
Can You Use Both?
Actually, yes. And I kind of do.
My workflow: when I’m at my desk doing research, Glasp is convenient for quick checks while I’m already on YouTube. When I’m on my phone, commuting, or when someone sends me a video in a group chat — Get Summary handles it.
They’re not really competing for the same moment in your day. Glasp is a desktop companion. Get Summary is a mobile-first utility. The overlap exists, but it’s smaller than you’d think.
Pricing Comparison
| Glasp | Get Summary | |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | ~10 summaries/day | Limited daily summaries |
| Paid plan | ~$12/month (Pro) | Affordable plans available |
| What paid gets you | More summaries, model choice, export | More summaries, priority processing |
Both have usable free tiers for casual use. If you’re summarizing 5+ videos daily (student life, I remember it well), you’ll probably hit the free limit on either one.
My Honest Take
Here’s where I’ll be a bit opinionated: I think the Chrome extension model for YouTube summaries is becoming outdated. Not dead — just less relevant than it was two years ago.
Why? Because YouTube consumption has moved to mobile. Because people use multiple browsers. Because Chrome’s extension permission model makes people uneasy. And because messaging apps are where people already spend their time.
Glasp is a solid product with a loyal user base. The social highlighting feature is genuinely unique and I haven’t seen anyone replicate it well. If that’s something you value, Glasp is the clear winner.
But for pure YouTube summarization — especially if you watch videos on your phone, deal with non-English content, or just want the simplest possible workflow — a Telegram bot makes more sense in 2026 than a browser extension. That’s my take. Disagree? Fair enough.
The Verdict
Choose Glasp if:
- You’re on desktop most of the time
- You want social highlights and shared notes
- You also need web article summaries
- You like choosing your AI model
Choose Get Summary if:
- You watch YouTube on your phone
- You need summaries for videos without subtitles
- You don’t want to install extensions
- You share videos in group chats
- Privacy from browser extensions matters to you
Choose both if:
- You work across devices and don’t mind two tools
Either way, the days of watching an entire 40-minute video just to find out if it covers what you need? Those are over.
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