ChatGPT vs Merlin AI
Plans, free access, limits and intended use side by side, taken from each vendor’s own pages. No score and no winner: the facts show where the two differ.
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An assistant for drafting, files and web research.
Read the fair use terms before you buy a year of Pro
- Free access
- ChatGPT: Free access
- Merlin AI: Free access
- Paid from
- ChatGPT: No fixed price listed
- Merlin AI: USD 15 per seat a month
- Plans listed
- ChatGPT: 8
- Merlin AI: 3
- Public API
- ChatGPT: Yes
- Merlin AI: Not confirmed
Where ChatGPT and Merlin AI differ
- PlansChatGPT lists 8 plans and Merlin AI lists 3.
Head to head
Each value from the tool’s profile and the vendor’s own pages
| ChatGPT | Fact | Merlin AI |
|---|---|---|
| Access and price | ||
| Free access availableFree | Free accessSame | Free access availableMerlin Free · USD 0 |
| No fixed price listed | Lowest listed paid plan | USD 15 per seat a monthMerlin Teams · billed $180 yearly |
| Free; Go EUR 8 (local price); Plus USD 20 | Pricing model | Free $0; Pro $19 a month, billed yearly |
| 8 | Plans listedDiffers | 3 |
| Yes | Public API | Not confirmed |
| Not confirmed | Card to start | Not confirmed |
| No | Open source | Not confirmed |
| What it is for | ||
| General drafting, files and everyday research | Built for | Trying several AI models from one account, mainly through a browser extension |
| Writing & content | CategorySame | Writing & content |
| Platforms |
|
| Works with |
|
| How current | ||
| Profile sources checked | ||
| Pricing review due · Sep 24, 2026 | Pricing checkSame | Pricing review due · Oct 2, 2026 |
Official source check for both tools. No hands-on testing and no score: “Differs” marks a documented difference, not a better tool.
Plans and prices
ChatGPT
Pricing review due · Sep 24, 2026- FreeFree
- GoEUR 8 per month
- PlusUSD 20 per month
- Pro $100USD 100 per month
- Pro $200 (Pro 20x)USD 200 per month
Show 3 more plans
- Business (Standard seat)USD 20 per seat per monthbilled annually · USD 25 billed monthly
- Business (Premium seat)USD 100 per seat per monthbilled annually · USD 125 billed monthly
- EnterpriseCustom pricing
Merlin AI
Pricing review due · Oct 2, 2026- Merlin FreeUSD 0
- Merlin ProUSD 19 a monthbilled $228 yearly
- Merlin TeamsUSD 15 per seat a monthbilled $180 yearly
Strengths and limits
ChatGPT
Strengths
- Many kinds of work in one assistant: Drafting, file analysis, image generation, voice and web research share one account.
- Unlimited basic chats on Free: The Free plan has no cap on text chats with the basic model.
- Projects organize related work: Chats, files and instructions for an ongoing job stay together.
Limits to plan around
- No annual discount for individuals: Go, Plus and Pro are billed monthly only; annual pricing is limited to Business seats.
- Pro $200 closed to newcomers: New sign-ups and upgrades to the 20x tier are paused; existing subscriptions keep renewing.
- Go pricing is regional: Go may include ads. Its January 2026 US launch quote was $8 monthly; confirm today's local checkout amount before subscribing.
Merlin AI
Strengths
- Several model families in one account: The pricing page lists models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, DeepSeek and xAI, so you can compare answers without separate sign-ins.
- Works where you already browse: The Chrome extension offers summarizing and writing on the page you are viewing, alongside web, desktop and mobile apps.
- A Free plan to try first: Free costs $0 with limited access to basic and Plus-level models, so you can test before paying.
Limits to plan around
- Fair use limits sit behind unlimited: The terms end service for the rest of the month above $100 of usage cost and for the day above $16, and the plan table does not state this.
- Extension sends visit data: The privacy policy lists page URL, previous URL, referrer and user ID among data sent to Merlin's servers.
- No API and a 100k context: The pricing page says there is no direct API access and the Pro context window is currently 100k tokens.
See both products
Start from your task, not from a winner.
Run both tools on the same real task, then compare the result, how much editing it needs and how fast it uses your plan’s allowance.
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Writing & content
Comparing tools from different categories is fine, and often useful — a writing assistant and a research tool solve different halves of the same job. The table will show you exactly where they diverge.
Questions about comparing tools
How does the comparison work?
Add two tools to the comparison tray from any tool card, then open this page. The table pulls each tool's verified plan details, platforms, strengths and limits from its profile, so both columns carry the same kind of evidence, with a separate source-check date for each tool.
Do you declare a winner?
No. The table sets two tools against each other on documented facts, not on a score. Which one wins depends on your task, your budget and your usage volume — three things we cannot see from here.
Why are some cells empty or marked unverified?
Because we could not confirm that detail on the vendor's own pages. Rather than filling the gap with a figure from elsewhere, we mark it and say why on the tool's profile.
Can I compare more than two tools?
Not at once. Two columns keep the differences readable and force a real decision. Remove either selected tool to replace it, or clear both to start a new pair.
Every figure in the table above comes from the linked profile, where the source and the verification date are listed. Browse all tools or read the editorial policy.