We have never had a side by side, but we are SO glad we purchased one this time. The freezer seems to hold more than our last appliance, We had a fridge with the lower freezer. It was hard on the back, and hard to access food that made its way to the lower part of the freezer. This appliance’s “make more ice” feature is very handy if you have company. Controls are in the front of the unit, which makes them easy to access, as well. It is also a very quiet unit.