Initially, I thought Merlin would be redundant given my subscriptions to Gemini Pro and ChatGPT Plus, as my goal was to cut down on recurring monthly costs for these services. I figured Merlin might be a suitable replacement, especially with the attractive lifetime deal on AppSumo.

After using Merlin, I was pleasantly surprised by its unique features, particularly the ability to choose from various LLMs and the YouTube transcript generation, which is pretty awesome. This is a major advantage that I truly appreciate.

However, there are two areas where Merlin falls short. First, even when using the Gemini Pro model through Merlin, I've noticed misspelling errors in Korean and Japanese that I never encountered when using Gemini Pro or GPT-4o directly. It's possible that certain Merlin settings are to blame, but it's a significant drawback for me.

Second, while Merlin is cost-effective compared to subscribing to multiple AI services individually, its memory system isn't on par with ChatGPT Plus. OpenAI's model excels at remembering previous inputs and refining its responses accordingly, which I find incredibly helpful. I didn't experience the same level of user experience with Gemini Pro on Merlin, which was another disappointment. You can use the same AI model, but it doesn't guarantee the same user experience, especially when comparing Merlin's Gemini Pro to the native version.

Despite these drawbacks, Merlin still offers a lot of value. Its mobile apps, diverse LLM options, and "Merlin Magic" feature (which automatically selects the most suitable AI model) are standout features. However, the "Merlin Magic" feature needs improvement, as it often defaults to GPT-4o in my case.

I'm optimistic that Merlin will continue to refine its features. Overall, Merlin has been a handy tool for quick questions and tasks on the go, but for more in-depth work, I still find myself relying on the native versions of Gemini Pro and GPT-4o. Personally, I wouldn't recommend canceling your ChatGPT Plus or Gemini Pro subscriptions solely based on this Merlin lifetime deal if you are using it for work. However, it's an excellent value if you're a casual user who primarily uses AI on your smartphone for personal use, rather than for work.

One more thing to consider is privacy. Unlike Voila, which explicitly mentions a no-log policy (LTD deal last year on AppSumo similar to Merlin), Merlin doesn't explicitly mention as strong a privacy policy as Voila. This might be a consideration for those who prioritize stringent privacy standards. Voila AI explicitly mentions a no-log policy, ensuring a higher level of privacy by not retaining user activity logs. This is a significant distinction from Merlin AI, which follows more conventional data retention practices without a specific no-log guarantee. This difference is important for users who prioritize stringent privacy standards.