Exiled Exchange 2vsSidekick

Path of Exile 2 is still building out its tool ecosystem, but the trading-overlay space already has two clear candidates: Exiled Exchange 2 (EE2) and Sidekick. Both are open source, free, run on Windows and Linux, and solve the same core problem — fast price-check via hotkeys while playing. The difference is in scope.

Key difference

EE2 was built as the direct successor to Awakened PoE Trade for PoE 2: same hotkeys, same UI philosophy, same exclusive focus on trading. If you played PoE 1 with APT, the learning curve is zero.

Sidekick takes a more ambitious route: it covers both PoE 1 and PoE 2 from a single install and adds features beyond price-check, like automatic detection of dangerous map modifiers (combinations like "no regen + reflect physical" that can kill you in seconds). EE2 doesn't have that second feature, and for players farming high-tier maps it can be a meaningful differentiator.

Which one?

• You only play PoE 2 and came from APT in PoE 1 → EE2. Lowest-friction path.
• You play both games → Sidekick. One fewer overlay in your Windows tray.
• You care about map mod warnings → Sidekick. Exclusive feature.
• You want the source code that's most actively maintained day to day → EE2 has more recent commit activity as of today, but both are alive.

Considerations

Both require the same permissions as any overlay (global input capture, clipboard access). Neither is affiliated with GGG; you use each at your own risk. In practice both are mature tools accepted by the community.

If in doubt, install EE2 first — it's the default path if you only play PoE 2 — and replace it with Sidekick later if you need map mod detection or you go back to playing PoE 1 frequently.