What People Love About Manganum
Before we get into where Start Page HQ goes further, credit where it's due.
- Sidebar overlay that pops out on any tab — useful when you want quick access without leaving your current page.
- Deep Google Workspace integration (Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Keep, Tasks) for users already living in Google.
- Built-in shortcuts to ChatGPT, Gemini, and Todoist for fast AI and task access.
- Affordable Plus tier at $2.50/month to remove ads and support development.
- Fun extras like 100+ language translation, calculators, and mini-games for quick mental breaks.
Where Start Page HQ Goes Further
Specific differences, not vague claims.
A Real Dashboard, Not a Sidebar
Manganum is a sidebar that overlays your current tab — useful for glanceable access, but cramped for actual work. Start Page HQ is a full new-tab dashboard with multi-page workspaces, drag-and-drop layouts, and 50+ widgets sized however you like.
Works on Every Browser, Not Just Chrome
Manganum is Chrome-only (with Arc, Vivaldi, and Opera listed as "coming soon"). Start Page HQ ships native extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge today, plus the hosted web app at startpagehq.com.
50+ Widgets, Not Just Google Workspace
Manganum is built around Google account integrations — useful if you live in Gmail and Calendar, less useful otherwise. Start Page HQ adds Kanban tasks, Pomodoro, habit tracker, RSS, podcasts, dev tools, AI image generation, currency converter, and much more.
Cross-Device Sync
Manganum pulls live data from connected accounts but doesn't sync widgets, layouts, or notes across browsers and devices. Start Page HQ syncs your full setup the moment you sign in on a new device.
Built-In Productivity Widgets
Kanban tasks, Pomodoro timer, habit tracker, daily quote, world clock, countdown — productivity widgets that turn a start page into a real workspace, not just a launcher.
Built-In Developer Tools
JSON formatter, regex tester, text diff, base64 encoder, QR code generator, image compression, unit converter, GitHub releases — tools you used to keep in 8 separate browser tabs.
AI Without External Dependencies
Manganum gives you quick links to ChatGPT and Gemini, but you still need accounts there. Start Page HQ ships AI as widgets — image generation, translation, quick answer, daily news summary — using included AI credits in your plan, no extra accounts needed.
Side-by-Side Comparison
An honest line-by-line look at how the two stack up.
| Feature | Manganum | Start Page HQ |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free with ads / $2.50/mo Plus | $25/yr or $49 lifetime |
| Free tier | Yes (with ads) | Free demo only |
| Widget / integration count | ~12 | 50+ |
| Form factor | Sidebar overlay | Full dashboard |
| Chrome | Yes | Yes |
| Firefox | No | Yes |
| Safari | No | Yes |
| Edge | No | Yes |
| Hosted web app | No | Yes |
| Cross-device widget / layout sync | No | Included |
| Multi-page dashboards | No | Yes |
| Gmail integration | Yes | No |
| Google Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Google Drive | Yes | No |
| Kanban tasks | No | Yes |
| Pomodoro timer | No | Yes |
| Habit tracker | No | Yes |
| AI tools (image gen, quick answer, summary) | External links only | Built-in widgets |
| Translation widget | Yes | Yes |
| Developer tools (JSON, regex, diff, etc.) | No | Yes |
Widgets That Replace Manganum
Drop these onto your dashboard and you've covered Manganum's core features — plus a lot more.
Links
Organize your most-used sites and shortcuts into clean, customizable groups for one-click access.
Todo
A simple daily task list — same idea as Manganum's Todoist integration, without needing an external account.
Translation
Translate text between 30+ languages using AI, right inside your dashboard.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Start Page HQ is a full-page dashboard that replaces your new-tab page (or runs at startpagehq.com). If sidebar-on-any-tab is the specific feature you want, Manganum has the edge. If you want a real workspace with multi-page layouts and richer widgets, Start Page HQ is the better fit.
Yes. Start Page HQ has native extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge, plus the hosted web app. Manganum is Chrome-only with Arc, Vivaldi, and Opera support listed as 'coming soon'.
Start Page HQ has a Google Calendar widget. It does not currently surface Gmail inbox or Google Drive files inside the dashboard — Manganum has the edge for users who want a Gmail/Drive launcher. If you mostly want to act on email rather than read it from a sidebar, the Quick Answer widget plus Google Calendar covers most workflows.
Different shape. Manganum gives you a one-click link to ChatGPT and Gemini in their full web UIs. Start Page HQ runs AI inside dedicated widgets — Quick Answer, Translation, AI Image, News Summary, AI Diary — using included AI credits in your plan, so you don't need separate ChatGPT or OpenAI accounts.
There is a free public demo at startpagehq.com/demo (no signup) where you can try every widget. Full access requires a paid plan: $25/year or $49 one-time. Both plans include all 50+ widgets, cross-device sync, and AI credits — no ads, no Plus tier upsell.
Yes, and sync is included in the base price. Sign in once and your pages, widgets, links, todos, and notes sync across every browser and device automatically.