Merlin Reviews

I've been using merlin for about 9 months now and generally like the tool but your support and user manual are absolutely horrendous.

The support team doesn't know or understand the tool, they are not even aware of some of the features and connections offered, and the 'instruction videos' you provide are not much use either. I feel like I could be getting way more from Merlin if only there was someone who could answer my questions or better instructions.

Adding new features and integrations is great but there needs to be proper documentation and support so that people can actually make use of them! Perhaps it's time you stop chasing that new shiny object and devote some time to fine tuning the features you already have and building a proper user manual + training your support team.

Are you planning on addressing this any time soon?

I purchased Tier 3 and love Merlin so much. I use it many many times per day. This is by far one of the best deals I have purchased on Appsumo. They update new features very frequently. Absolutely TOP!

The fact that some here criticize the AIs themselves is not very intelligent, because Merlin only provides the wrapper for different AIs to choose from.
You can choose from all relevant AIs, even the newest ones!
And if they are cheap, you benefit just as much, as with DeepSeek (only 1 credit).
As this was a LifeTime promotion, the providers must of course also cover their own costs, so you should be fair in your assessment.
It is very positive that you can report suggestions for improvement and that someone from the Merlin team always responds. Exemplary!

I bought this item over a year ago, and I know it's not currently available, but I felt I owed a quick review. This is the single most used item I have ever bought from AppSumo. The amount of insane AI creation options and image creation is really amazing. I use it daily and run out of darn credits every single month. I've seen complaints about this, but I feel the value is fair for what I paid. If this one ever comes back here, I'd highly recommend it to anyone on the fence.

Cheers Merlin crew, thanks for the continued development of a really cool product.

Don't get me wrong, I love it, and it helps me do great things, but.
Credits usage for Sumolings is very high.
• Claude 3.7 sonnet uses 60 credits, but actually uses 120 per query with internet search.
• O1 180 credits
• GPT 4.5 400 credits
• Claude 3 sonnet 50
• GPT 4 longer output 50 credits
• GPT 4o mini 1 credit
• 13 april 2025 update Deep Search looks great, but it uses 800 credits each time, which means 25 queries per month on tier 3.
Reccurrent new buyers promotions is $5 USD unlimited per month. We paid about upt to 4 years in advance that, and even in tier 3 credits run like sand in water, and to get unlimited in existing Sumolings accounts is $9 per month.
• No video, currently available to other similar services
• No audio.
If things improve, sure, I will change the review.

Puh, Merlin ist furchtbar. Das Tool halluziniert endlos und schafft es weiterhin nicht eine Frage, deren Antwort 1:1 im Text steht herauszufiltern. Absolut unbrauchbar.

I'm really happy with Merlin. It brings AI intelligence into the places where I need it and adds a really nice usable layer.

Merlin updates their AI model from time to time, which I really appreciate.You should try it. However, it’s a bit disappointing that these updates aren't included in the Pro plan,still consider should i hold the product.

PROS:

Impressive integration of multiple AI models (GPT-4, Claude-3, Gemini, etc.)
Convenient Chrome extension that works across websites
Useful features like YouTube summarization and social media content generation
Clean interface and good website/PDF analysis capabilities

CONS:

Serious issues with the credit renewal system
Customer support needs improvement
Unclear communication about billing cycles

DETAILED REVIEW:
I purchased the License Tier 2 plan (12,000 credits/month) in November 2024. The tool itself is quite powerful and offers great features for content creation and research. The ability to access multiple AI models from one interface is a genuine time-saver.
However, I've encountered a significant issue: the monthly credit renewal system isn't working as advertised. Since my initial purchase, the credits haven't reset monthly as promised. The renewal date keeps shifting without explanation (recently moved from January 23 to February 23), effectively leaving me with just the initial 12,000 credits for an extended period.

I was first confused on if I need such product in my toolset. But now, it is the only product I use every other hour in my daily work life. Hats off to the team.

So far, so good! I use this tool daily, and I can confidently say that it provides responses that are on par with what the original ChatGPT or Claude can deliver. To test this, I copied and pasted the same prompt into both Claude and Merlin, choosing the same Claude 3.5 model, and the responses were identical. While the language may vary, the output is what truly matters to me.

One request I would like to make is regarding the YouTube summary feature, which I find very useful. It would be great to have a separate window or tile dedicated specifically to YouTube summaries, similar to the chat option. Currently, the summaries are displayed in the chat area, making it difficult to find other conversations. The same goes for other live features—having distinct tabs for summaries, chat, and other functionalities would really enhance the user experience.

Additionally, considering that Deepseek is also free, how do you differentiate your platform? I noticed that using credits is required on your platform, whereas it is currently free on Deepseek. What future plans do you have to address this distinction?

The system says that my OpenAI API key is registered and accepted, but when I try to use Merlin's functionality (ANY of it), the system keeps throwing error messages that "Something went wrong. The error message from OpenAI is: Status code 429, Too Many Requests"

Merlin 'support' says that my key was invalid, so I generated a new key. Same problem, again.

Merlin support is VERY slow to respond.

Very frustrating. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this product.

Good

I looked at Merlin when they released in the first AI wave. Couldn't buy because subscription model is not my style.

So I bought this right after I see the LTD.

The pros:
- Good and premium UI
- Rich in AI models and tools. Even Flux Pro and some latest imaged
- Frequently update features

The Cons
- Emailed the support team for some enquiries but couldn't get response.
- The AI credit of the highest tier seems still low, (wish for the highest tier are up to 50000 credits)
- Some small issue in the UX like
+ Sidebar and quick prompts can't be change ( i want to use other language than just english, now they only have "Summarize", "Tell me key points"...)
+ Can't move Merlin windows on the side, it's stuck there and block some of the view of the website.
+ Saved prompt don't have "Title" so it's hard to find and manage for a Quick action

Mostly I would use the app only to chat with the page for now.
Because all those reasons above I would want to give 4 tacos but well I love the app. So it's five for me :)

Hope the team can improve in the future.

I'm very pleased with my purchase, and Merlin is by far my favourite AppSumo buy to date that I find myself using every day. I love the fact that I've got access to all the latest AI models, saving me tons of money in subscriptions. Merlin has been the perfect replacement for another similar product that I purchased which went downhill, but I won't get into that. I love the fact that they've got a mobile app which I use daily. All in all, I can say this is my best AppSumo buy to date, and I would highly recommend Merlin.

I was searching for Chat GPT and Claude alternatives that allow me to use my own API keys (BYOK) and pay only for what I truly use. However, I discovered that this app only permits the use of an API key for the Chrome extension, which is incompatible with the web version and the iOS app I primarily use. Additionally, it restricts me to using the Claude API key or any other except OpenAI. Considering its limited functionality to web usage through the Chrome extension, I recommend exploring another product called Viinyx. Viinyx functions as a Chrome extension and enables the use of my API keys with various major LLMs. It also offers significantly lower costs.

I purchased two Tier 2 subscriptions for my wife and me, but I am more inclined to request a refund unless they integrate BYOK functionality for iOS and the web version.

"First Impressions & Overall Experience with Merlin"

When I first got my hands on Merlin, I was as excited as a kid with a new toy. I immediately recognized its potential for daily work tasks, thinking "This could be really useful!" The excitement peaked when I upgraded from the free plan, especially loving the idea of no daily limits.

Daily Usage Experience:

Merlin has become an indispensable tool in my daily routine. The text generation feature is particularly impressive, and I use it almost every day.

I upgraded to Tier 2 in December 2024 to explore the image generation capabilities more thoroughly. While I don't use image generation frequently due to credit limitations, it's added another dimension to my Merlin experience. Tier 2 provides sufficient credits to experiment comfortably.

While I appreciate their proactive approach to introducing new features, I'm slightly concerned about whether this might lead to price increases, quality degradation of basic features, or stability issues.

Areas for Improvement:

The Android app's stability is somewhat disappointing. It occasionally malfunctions, possibly due to updates. However, this isn't a major issue since the web version is always available.

Customer service shows effort, but those seeking quick resolutions might find it lacking.

Recommendation: 5 Tacos 🌮

Merlin is particularly recommended for users focusing on text generation. While the free plan or Tier 1 suffices for very light users, Tier 2 is ideal for those who plan to use it extensively. It's perfect for weekend side hustlers too.

I'm looking forward to seeing how Merlin continues to evolve!

I use it daily for various research-related tasks, lectures, brainstorming, and sometimes even for translating or shortening finished texts. Everything is done solidly, without the errors and musings in other such programs. I urge you to buy it!

Sorry, but see:
https://www.debugbear.com/chrome-extension-performance-lookup?search=merlin

Works for the most part but LTD credits are fixed each month, but cost to use them on most models keep increasing, decreasing the value of this LTD deal. This is a worrying trend. I get that they have increased cost associated with running a service but this should have been made transparent from the beginning. Also some of the popular models are being phased out. My straico deal has not done any of this. Their use charge on your LTD monthly credits do not change and are charged reasonably. Wish Merlin would look after their appsumo LTD customers like this.