AppSumo Deal of the Day - Merlin AI: Not Just Another ChatGPT Clone

[@vincenzodimarzo1735]

If I take the lifetime subscription is the mobile app included in the subscription (Android)? I can't find it written anywhere

[@MaximoToro]

What's the advantage being able to bring your own OpenAI API key to Merlin? Which is only available on Tiers 2 and 3. What kinds of things can i do by bringing in my OpenAI API key?

[@dave-swift]

Great question -- You can keep using the tool if you hit your limits. You have to pay for your usage yourself, directly to OpenAI.

[@paulhorn24]

Thanks for this video! 👍

[@dave-swift]

Thanks for the comment, Paul!

[@JustSturgis]

Merlin is by far my favorite AI tool.

[@dave-swift]

I agree, in the LTD space, it's the best I've tried.

[@Affiliates-Corners]

Thank you for this excellent review...

[@iC3bErG2020]

Good review Dave! I've had Merlin for over 6 months and your review is spot on. I even saw some features that I should be using. From an LTD perspective, I have Afforai, Voila and Merlin. I will probably keep all 3. Voila is best on desktop and mobile for quick answers. Merlin is best for more involved structured work. Afforai is best for research.

[@dave-swift]

Thanks for your comment and assessment, @iC3bErG2020. 🙏

[@jkryptos]

Do you know if you can set up the chatbots to use on clients websites? Cheers!

[@dave-swift]

Chatbots can be shared with other Merlin users but not embedded.

[@UldisBiz]

Thanks Dave. This vs Chatplayground AI. Which one would you choose? I'm looking mostly for a day-to-day co-pilot in a sidebar + 'projects/bots' function. IMHO, Chatplayground AI currently doesn't have a very good prompt management feature. If I start categorizing and loading hundreds of prompts it will become very hard to use. Otherwise, looks fine.

[@dave-swift]

ChatPlayground had some drama surrounding their LTD (I heard they were telling people to refund and by directly from them? No inside info, just what a commenter told me) For that reason alone, I would go with Merlin. But also Merlin is better IMO. Artifacts/Crafts & Projects FTW.

[@ademcfade]

I'm thinking the same thing I did get chat playground and went for a higher tier to use API keys I just never used it, I have gpt plus and I'm so used to using that for just about everything, That's I completely forgot about chat playground. I think I had 600 credits and for the 2 months I had it I still had over 500 left each month. So whilst this is very tempting and I may even give it a go, I just always go to gpt before anything else.... Be interesting to see what Dave's take is on the 2

[@UldisBiz]

@@ademcfade yeah, one of the things that drove me to Chatplayground AI is the ability to add ALL API keys (it seems Merlin only offers ChatGPT API keys). While I haven't used them yet, I'm happy to know they are there and I can use them if I run out of credits.

[@UldisBiz]

@@dave-swift the drama is real, I know. The main thing that holds me back is that ChatPlayground AI offers using own keys for all models, Merlin just for OpenAI. Also, I bought a tier with team of 5 users so I can plug in my family, add API keys and make sure they always have credits. Merlin seem to lose me here.

[@MaximoToro]

​@@UldisBiznoob here. What's the advantage of being able to bring your own OPEN AI API keys to Merlin? Like, what can I do with that? I'm trying to justify buying Tier 2 instead of the much cheaper Tier 1

[@GregoryKohlhof]

Thank you, I grabbed the top tier plan. Especially because it was one time price.

[@dave-swift]

Nice! I hope it works out for you. 👍

[@MegaAwesomeguys]

Can it replace chatgpt plus completely??

[@dave-swift]

Depends on your needs? Do you love voice mode? Do you have a ton of custom GPTs? if yes... then no it can't.

[@laurawise7189]

All I see is the option to buy through an appsumo plus membership. Am I missing something?

[@dave-swift]

That is correct, the sale as ended and is now only available as extended access to AppSumo Plus members! Might be a good time to sign up if you're going to make a big purchase though, as AppSumo plus gets you an additional 10% off. AppSumo Plus: thatltd.life/appsumo-plus (affiliate link)

[@JasonEgan]

With different 'cost' per model use, any recommendations on sorting out how many credits would be used in a month? i saw some comments on apsumo about upgrading to a pro plan... the unlimited credit part... how much is that, different based on the tier you're upgrading maybe? Thanks! Great review!

[@dave-swift]

Hey Jason! Thanks for the comment and questions. If we just do some math, if you use Claude 3.5 Sonnet for everything you get 6-7 interactions per day with tier 1, 15-16 per day with tier 2, and 26-27 per day with tier 3. That is using the tool 365 days a year, and what you'd need to average to "max out" an account. Of course the numbers go way up if you use GPT4o-mini and way down if you use O1 Preview. Re: unlimited -- Currently, in my dashboard it's $15/month for pro (paid annually I believe). This is also their current BF sale, but it *looks* like the $15/month price point is also a longer term offer for sumolings. I don't think it's based on the tier you're on. The pro offer is all my understanding, but don't take my word for it. I would clear it with the founder for certainty.

[@izored]

Misleading, i grabbed the tier 3, doesnt give acces to GTP4o or test the GPT O1 and MANY MORE you need to upgrade to monthly even with the appsumo deal, doesnt make any sense

[@dave-swift]

That's not true. You definitely get access to 4o and O1. Make sure you're logged into your account and you've properly redeemed your AppSumo purchase.

[@ManishKumar-bx5un]

How does it compare to other similar Appsumo deals like Pismo, Triplo and Voila? It has definitely for got more features than Pismo which you reviewed recently.

[@dave-swift]

I haven't tried all of those tools, but Pismo is a desktop writing assistant, so you could use it in any app... not just on the web. Also very good, but different. Merlin is great!

[@ManishKumar-bx5un]

@@dave-swift Triplo AI is still on Appsumo...may be you can review it. Seems this Black Friday your reviews are gonna burn a hole in my wallet.

[@Hookemsports]

Another great review Dave…I wasn’t sure I wanted to try Merlin, but I think you convinced me! These Black Friday reviews you’re doing are having me spend money and are going to blow my “fun” budget for the month. 😜

[@dave-swift]

@Hookemsports Ha! Glad you liked the review. Appreciate you taking the time to comment. Happy BF & Thanksgiving (if you're in the US). 👍

[@jonasduverne4469]

Does Merlin overlap Paperguide ai with regards to a research assistant

[@dave-swift]

Kind of! Paperguide is better for academic researchers as it has direct access to studies, proper cititation, and better note taking. Check my Paperguide review for more: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fnacgnqpqdKAiKc

[@jimmyle5437]

Is credit reset each month? and each inquiry cost credits?

[@dave-swift]

Yes and yes.

[@tomgordon1787]

Dave Swift. How much is the Black Friday unlimited upgrade from inside Merlin?

[@dave-swift]

$15/month

[@kennethochiabuto8516]

Great vid review. Does this have similarities to Pismo which i believe was on Appsumo?

[@dave-swift]

Kind of. Pismo is an AI Writing assistant and a desktop application (so you can use it outside of the web). Here is my Pismo video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/sHLTand8q6Z_j6M

[@YTBenZ]

Thanks Dave for the heads up!

[@spux_ui]

After seeing it on aAppsumo I was like meh.. not for me.. And after watching your video’s I’m always like: This is quite interesting! 😂 Keep it up Dave! By the way, what tool do you use for your video’s that let’s you highlight sections? 🤔

[@dave-swift]

Thanks @spux_ui It's the built in Callout effect in Final Cut Pro.

[@iamhoffer]

Awesome demo video Dave thanks. Would this work with Instagram as well or Facebook post and replies?

[@dave-swift]

There is a "Chat with this webpage" button the Chrome extension, so you can use AI on any page to ask questions or summarize the contents, but the "native" looking features are only on LI and X right now as far as I can tell.

[@Roberto_Zarate]

Useful tool, David.

[@dave-swift]

Appreciate the comment, @Roberto_Zarate.

[@javierbza]

Hi Dave! Do you think that $6 monthly (annually) for unlimited credits offered by Merlin is better than AppSumo LTD?

[@dave-swift]

It would be worth it if you're hitting your limits and you want more. Interesting that it's $9 for me, not $6. For anyone else reading, This is only available for AppSumo tier 3 purchasers.

[@stanislawjanusz4452]

How does Merlin compare to Harpa AI?

[@dave-swift]

I haven't tried Harpa, but it looks like there is a lot of overlap! I guess the biggest deal would be that with Harpa's lifetime price you need to buy credits as you use them (no monthly credits included).

[@youMEtubeUK]

I use it in a monthly sub. Would get it but think the credits are too low and that things like bonkers would use it up quickly.

[@dave-swift]

Any idea how many credit you use in a month? 20K in tier 4 seems like a lot. Bonkers is really good!

[@M.mashok]

@@dave-swift what is bonkers?

[@dave-swift]

Image generation in Merlin.

[@youMEtubeUK]

@@dave-swift Well, with Bonkers, it would be about 800 images with 20K credits without using any other functionality.

[@jadens9569]

If you need more, you can always use your own API key, provided you are on tier two or higher.

[@thewebstylist]

Looks amazing! Curious, will Merlin work on our iPhones w Safari?

[@dave-swift]

Hey @thewebstylist, thanks for the question. I forgot to mention in the video, but They have an iOS app. apps.apple.com/us/app/merlin-ai-ask-anything/id6453692447 (Android is available too)

[@fcodonlucas-73]

Merlin has its own app available on the App Store.

[@eliaslange]

@dave-swift: What are your thoughts on Triplo AI?

[@dave-swift]

Hey Elias, I don't think I've tried Triplo yet!

[@eliaslange]

@dave-swift maybe worth a review then ;)

[@jamess5542]

Would Merlin AI be better than Perplexity AI Pro?

[@AnnieluLucy]

I don't know Merlin, but Perplexity is a superior tool in the AI world. You'll probably find softwares that use Perplexity as their LLM tool, thus Perplexity is the core source of functionality anyways. You pay for the "packaging", so to say

[@dave-swift]

Hot take: I have Perplexity Pro, I don't find myself using it very much. Claude first, ChatGPT Plus if I need voice or web search. Merlin could replace some of our internal Claude Projects and I love how I can take it with me to KZbin, X, etc.

[@JustSturgis]

@@jamess5542 I use Perplexity directly and via a couple of other wrappers. The results are extremely good in most cases. That said, I find Merlin to be the most pleasant experience and the results that I receive tend to be "user ready" almost every time. Merlin and ChatPlayground are my most used AI search tools with 1MinAI coming on strong as well. I don't know that there's a definitive "better than" in any of this AI wild West, as everyone is using these tools differently and for different intentions. I will say that I'm extremely grateful to have access to both Merlin and Perplexity.

[@AnnieluLucy]

@@dave-swift Thanks! I use Perplexity much more because of the real time results and deep research capabilities for my work. I even used it to come up with the best black friday deals on different niches! Quick question, Zimmwriter can take over your browser, email, docs, etc to write with AI (Claude, ChatGPT, etc) , which is something Merlin also does, right? So, the difference would be being able to chat, ask questions, etc, thus it's like an AI bot assistant or agent, would you say? I keep hear about Notion, but haven't used it. But Merlin would be superior, right? Sorry, too many questions, but BF in general and AppSummo have me in perpetual analysis paralysis!

[@apprendaltawhid]

Thanks dave, do the comment function and reply.. And post rewriter works on other social networks? (Facebook, instagram, KZbin, quora, pinterest...)

[@dave-swift]

There is a "Chat with this webpage" button the Chrome extension, so you can use AI on any page to ask questions or summarize the contents, but the "native" looking features are only on LI and X right now as far as I can tell.

[@apprendaltawhid]

@@dave-swift How it work on Android app ? You can comment Reply on linkedin Twitter like on browser (may be using an integrated keyboard) ? Same for other app fb insta reddit youtube...?

[@dave-swift]

Sorry, not sure. Team iPhone here. Pretty sure no browser extension on mobile though.

[@yashpratapchauhan]

If suppose I have left some credits in earlier months, will those credits be roll over to the next month ?

[@yashpratapchauhan]

@ as he is explaining I believe he has some experience with it, that made me put this question to him

[@dave-swift]

Hi @yashpratapchauhan, no credits don't roll over.

[@dave-swift]

No worries, @paulhorn24. I don't mind helping people out. Thanks though! 🙏

[@yashpratapchauhan]

@ thanks for replying

[@jackbauer322]

no firefox extension

[@dave-swift]

Too few apps support browsers other than Chrome. Looking forward to the new season of 24, Jack.

[@Jake-vd8os]

I think this is a good chatplayground replacement.

[@dave-swift]

💯

[@Jake-vd8os]

It is selling like hot cake. 🔥 I'm off to grab my code.

[@rgd247]

Can you have team members with the Merlin LTD?

[@dave-swift]

Not with the LTD, but they do have a team plan. Starts at $900/year.

[@vastteedesign]

I bought Merlin some time ago. Finally starting using it. Impressive!

[@dave-swift]

Glad to hear it! It's a great tool.

[@edendigitale]

molto bene

[@dave-swift]

Grazie 👍

[@SEO-010]

What AppSumo Black Friday offers? They all are way overpriced for what they offer!

[@dave-swift]

Always gotta be one in every comment section. 🤣

[@venu.nataraj]

@@dave-swift 🤣

[@paulhorn24]

@@SEO-010 because they are LTD. Do you know what LTD means?

[@0xunknown336]

@@dave-swiftthe folk made a reasonable comment. It’s my first time watching your videos and honestly your comment is somewhat disrespectful. That being said have a great day.

[@poppingjaz]

@@dave-swift😂😂😂. Exactly