Merlin vs. Voila - Which AI Extension Is Better? 🧐
TLDRThis review compares Merlin and Voila, two AI Chrome extensions, focusing on their features and usability. Merlin offers AI-generated email drafts, customizable AI models, and image generation, but its interface can obstruct the view. Voila provides a movable interface, text summarization, and a desktop app, but lacks Merlin's model variety. Both have mobile apps and are used for various tasks like email responses and web content summarization. The reviewer finds Voila's interface more user-friendly and recommends Merlin for its powerful features and model options.
Takeaways
- 🔍 Both Merlin and Voila are Chrome extensions designed to enhance productivity across the web, including in Gmail.
- ✉️ Merlin offers an AI button to generate draft emails and reply to emails, aiming to quicken the email writing process.
- 💬 Voila allows users to change the tone of their emails and choose from different AI models to generate responses.
- 📝 Merlin provides a chat feature with various large language models, unlike Voila which is limited to Chat GBT 40.
- 🖥️ Voila's interface is praised for its user-friendliness, with the ability to move and resize pop-ups, enhancing readability.
- 📑 Merlin can analyze and summarize documents, a feature that Voila lacks, and also has the capability to generate images.
- 🔎 Merlin integrates with Google search, providing summarized search results and related questions, though its accuracy can be inconsistent.
- 💼 Voila offers a desktop app, extending its functionality beyond the browser, which Merlin does not match.
- 📱 Both Merlin and Voila have mobile apps, making their services accessible on smartphones.
- 💰 Merlin is available on Appsumo with a lifetime deal starting at $69, providing a different pricing structure compared to Voila.
- 📈 The reviewer prefers Voila for daily use due to its ease of use and frequent updates, despite Merlin's more feature-rich offering.
Q & A
What are Merlin and Voila?
-Merlin and Voila are both AI-powered Chrome extensions that assist users in various tasks across the web, including email generation and web content interaction.
What is the primary feature of Merlin's AI button?
-The primary feature of Merlin's AI button is to generate draft emails and replies using AI, streamlining the email writing process for users.
How does Voila allow users to change the tone of their emails?
-Voila allows users to change the tone of their emails by selecting different AI models and tones through its interface when composing a reply.
What is the advantage of Voila's popup feature over Merlin's?
-Voila's popup feature can be moved around the screen, which is advantageous as it allows users to read the content without obstruction, unlike Merlin's fixed popup.
Which AI models does Merlin offer access to?
-Merlin offers access to a variety of large language models including Claude, Gemini, Mistol, and Chat JPT.
What unique feature does Merlin have that Voila does not?
-Merlin has the ability to generate images and analyze documents, which is a feature that Voila does not possess.
How does Voila's text summarization feature work?
-Voila's text summarization feature allows users to highlight text and then use the 'What to do with the selected text' option to generate a summary of the highlighted content.
What is the difference between Merlin's and Voila's web page interaction?
-Both Merlin and Voila can interact with web pages, but Merlin allows users to choose the AI model and has a feature to use the whole web page as context for generating responses, while Voila focuses on summarizing the content of the web page.
Does Voila offer a desktop app?
-Yes, Voila offers a desktop app that provides the same functionality as the Chrome extension, allowing users to access its features outside of the browser.
How can users access the custom prompts in Voila and Merlin?
-In Voila, users can access custom prompts through the desktop app or the website, while in Merlin, they can access them through the sidebar in the browser extension or on the website.
What is the pricing structure for Merlin?
-Merlin offers a lifetime deal starting at $69 on appsumo, with different tiers providing varying amounts of credits per month and the option to bring your own OpenAI API key.
Outlines
🔍 Introduction to Merlin and Voila Comparison
The video script begins with the presenter's intention to compare two Chrome extensions, Merlin and Voila, to determine which tool is superior for marketing purposes. The presenter mentions a list of top marketing tools they have been compiling and offers a free access to a Notion spreadsheet containing this list. The comparison focuses on the AI capabilities of both tools, such as drafting and replying to emails, with Merlin's AI button for generating drafts and Voila's customization options for tone and AI model selection. The presenter also points out a design flaw in Merlin's interface where the popup obstructs the view of the email being read.
💬 Exploring Merlin and Voila Features
The script continues with a deeper dive into the features of Merlin and Voila. Merlin's ability to generate email replies and interact with web content through a chat interface is highlighted, along with the option to choose from various large language models. However, the presenter criticizes Merlin's chat interface for being obstructive. Voila, on the other hand, is praised for its user-friendly interface that allows moving the chat window and interacting with highlighted text. The presenter also notes that Voila can summarize web pages effectively and has been regularly updated with new features like email response templates.
📱 Mobile and Desktop App Comparison
The third paragraph discusses the availability of both tools on mobile apps and the desktop app for Voila. The presenter appreciates Voila's ease of use and the ability to quickly toggle the interface on and off. They also mention that both Merlin and Voila come with a list of prompts for various tasks, but find Voila's presentation of these prompts to be more user-friendly. The presenter acknowledges that while Voila is no longer available on Appsumo, Merlin is, and they recommend Merlin for its powerful features and the ability to use it with different large language models.
📈 Conclusion and Call to Action
In the final paragraph, the presenter wraps up the comparison and invites viewers to access the free Notion spreadsheet of top marketing tools by clicking the link in the video description. They encourage viewers to like the video, subscribe to the channel, and explore other videos. The presenter reiterates their recommendation for Merlin due to its comprehensive features and the ability to integrate with a variety of AI models, positioning it as a valuable addition to their list of top marketing tools.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Merlin
💡Voila
💡Chrome Extension
💡AI Button
💡Large Language Models
💡Email Draft
💡Chat GBT 40
💡Mobile Apps
💡Templates
💡Appsumo
Highlights
Comparison of Merlin and Voila, two AI Chrome extensions.
Merlin offers an AI button to create and reply to emails with AI assistance.
Voila allows changing the tone of emails and choosing AI models like Chat GBT 40.
Merlin's popup can be an inconvenience when reading emails.
Voila provides the ability to move its popup for better readability.
Merlin enables the use of various large language models, unlike Voila.
Voila's chat feature is user-friendly and allows text manipulation like shortening and improving writing.
Merlin's chat feature can access the web and analyze documents in real-time.
Merlin can generate images, a feature not available in Voila.
Voila can summarize web pages and list out information like courses.
Merlin's search widget provides a unique way to search the web with AI assistance.
Both tools offer mobile apps for on-the-go use.
Merlin is available on appsumo with a lifetime deal, while Voila is not.
Voila has a desktop app for use outside of web browsers.
Merlin's UI/UX can be quirky, while Voila's is praised for its simplicity.
Both tools have been updated regularly, with Voila releasing new features like email response templates.
Merlin's 'explore' tab offers a variety of community-created bots and prompts.
The reviewer includes a free access link to a Notion spreadsheet of top marketing tools.