Shortlist by what you need
Start here if you know why you are leaving Merlin.
Want the closest match?
MaxAI.meMost similar to Merlin in what it does, its category and its price.
Visit (opens MaxAI.me in a new tab)Need a free plan?
AlterHas a free plan, rated 4.0 out of 5.
Visit (opens Alter in a new tab)Want to pay less than Merlin?
GPT WorkspaceFrom $9/mo, against from $15/mo for Merlin.
Visit (opens GPT Workspace in a new tab)Want the best rated?
TubeOnAIRated 3.9 out of 5 in our review, against 4.0 for Merlin.
Visit (opens TubeOnAI in a new tab)
At a glance
Green means better than Merlin, red means worse. Prices are starting prices per month.
| Tool | Our rating | Starts at | Free plan | Best for | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 MerlinBaseline | 4.0 | $15/mo | Yes | Browser AI assistant that brings ChatGPT, Claude, and other models to any website with one shortcut. | |
| MaxAI.me | 3.9−0.1 | $30/mo$15 more | Yes | Browser extension that puts ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini one click away on any website. | vs Merlin |
 HARPA AI | 3.6−0.4 | Free | Yes | Press Alt+A on any webpage to reach GPT-5.4, Claude 4.6, Gemini 3.1, DeepSeek or Llama - plus browser automation for data extraction, form filling and monitoring, used by 500,000+ professionals. | vs Merlin |
 UniJump | 3.4−0.6 | Free | Yes | Cmd+J anywhere on the web to summarize the page, rewrite a sentence, or translate on the spot - free, open source, no signup, stores no personal data. | vs Merlin |
| TubeOnAI | 3.9−0.1 | Free | Yes | Summarizes YouTube, podcasts, PDFs and web articles, then repurposes the content into blog posts and social copy - free tier forever, 150,000+ users. | vs Merlin |
| GPT Workspace | 3.6−0.4 | $9/mo$6 less | Yes | Third-party AI agent that brings ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Grok into Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides and Drive, from $9 a month. | vs Merlin |
 Lunabot | 3.5−0.5 | Free | Yes | One AI assistant, five models (GPT-4o, Gemini, Claude, Mistral, Ollama), working identically across browser, mobile, desktop, Telegram and even Siri - no separate API key or ChatGPT account needed. | vs Merlin |
| Alter | 4.0Same | $20/mo$5 more | Yes | Mac assistant that executes actions across native apps instead of answering in a chat window | vs Merlin |
 Shortkut | 3.4−0.6 | Free | Yes | A Chrome extension that puts ChatGPT-powered shortcuts into any input box on the internet - build, save, and share AI snippets with your whole team. | vs Merlin |
The alternatives in detail
In order of how closely each one matches Merlin.
MaxAI.me
3.9$30/mo
vs Merlin$15 more−0.1
Browser extension that puts ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini one click away on any website.
- One-click AI prompts embedded directly on websites like Gmail and LinkedIn
- Choice of underlying models including GPT-4, Claude, and Gemini
- Temperature Control for tuning output between factual and creative
Works inline across websites instead of requiring a separate chatbot tab
Free tier's 3 Pro chats a day pushes regular users toward the paid plan fast
HARPA AI
3.6Free
vs Merlin−0.4
Press Alt+A on any webpage to reach GPT-5.4, Claude 4.6, Gemini 3.1, DeepSeek or Llama - plus browser automation for data extraction, form filling and monitoring, used by 500,000+ professionals.
- Multi-model AI access (GPT-5.4, Claude 4.6, Gemini 3.1, DeepSeek, Llama 4) via one shortcut
- Web automation - data extraction, form filling, page monitoring
- Hallucination-free search-grounded AI responses with source citations
Access to multiple frontier models from one extension, no separate subscriptions
Free tier has real limitations that push toward the paid S Plan
UniJump
3.4Free
vs Merlin−0.6
Cmd+J anywhere on the web to summarize the page, rewrite a sentence, or translate on the spot - free, open source, no signup, stores no personal data.
- In-page AI chat access via keyboard shortcut or widget
- Text summarization and paraphrasing
- Sentence completion suggestions
Open-source code lets anyone verify its no-data-collection claim directly
Chrome-only currently, no support for other browsers
TubeOnAI
3.9Free
vs Merlin−0.1
Summarizes YouTube, podcasts, PDFs and web articles, then repurposes the content into blog posts and social copy - free tier forever, 150,000+ users.
- Summarizes YouTube, podcasts, PDFs and web articles
- Repurposes content into blog posts, social copy and newsletters
- Channel subscriptions with automatic notifications
Repurposes into finished content formats, not just a condensed summary
User/satisfaction figures are vendor-reported marketing claims
GPT Workspace
3.6$9/mo
vs Merlin$6 less−0.4
Third-party AI agent that brings ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Grok into Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides and Drive, from $9 a month.
- An AI agent built into Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides and Drive
- Access to GPT, Claude, Gemini and Grok models in one subscription
- Formula writing and data analysis inside Google Sheets
Multiple model providers available from one subscription
Not affiliated with Google despite the close branding, which the FAQ has to clarify
Lunabot
3.5Free
vs Merlin−0.5
One AI assistant, five models (GPT-4o, Gemini, Claude, Mistral, Ollama), working identically across browser, mobile, desktop, Telegram and even Siri - no separate API key or ChatGPT account needed.
- Multi-model support (GPT-4o, Gemini, Claude, Mistral, Ollama)
- Genuine cross-platform sync (browser, mobile, desktop, Telegram, Siri)
- Chat with Memory across sessions
Unusually wide platform coverage (including Telegram and Siri) under one subscription
Top-tier features (Gemini Pro, image generation) require the $19.99/month Super plan
Alter
4.0$20/mo
vs Merlin$5 moreSame
Mac assistant that executes actions across native apps instead of answering in a chat window.
- System-wide macOS assistant triggered by shortcut or voice
- Executes actions inside native apps rather than returning chat text
- Reads on-screen context to skip copy-and-paste steps
Removes the copy-paste loop between a chat window and real work
macOS only, with no Windows or Linux build
Shortkut
3.4Free
vs Merlin−0.6
A Chrome extension that puts ChatGPT-powered shortcuts into any input box on the internet - build, save, and share AI snippets with your whole team.
- AI-powered shortcuts usable in any input box on the internet
- Custom, reusable AI-driven snippets
- Team collaboration via shared private shortcuts
Works inline in existing input boxes, no context-switching to a separate AI tool
Paid/enterprise pricing isn't finalized yet (post-1.0 release)
FAQ
Questions people ask
Is Merlin free?
Merlin has a free plan, and paid plans start from $15/mo.
What is the best free alternative to Merlin?
Alter is the highest-rated alternative here with a free plan (4.0 out of 5). Other free options: MaxAI.me, TubeOnAI, HARPA AI.
What is the cheapest alternative to Merlin?
Among paid plans, GPT Workspace has the lowest starting price (from $9/mo). If you need it free, start with Alter.
How did you pick these alternatives?
We match tools on what they do, their category and their price, using the details in our directory. Ratings come from our reviews and reader reviews.