Best Merlin Alternatives in 2026
Updated
20 apps from AI chatbots and assistants ranked against Merlin on the same published basis.
- 1Merlin vs ChatGPT
- 2Merlin vs Microsoft Copilot
- 3Merlin vs Perplexity
- 4Merlin vs Claude
- 5Merlin vs Gemini
- 6Merlin vs Poe
- 7Merlin vs Grok
- 8Merlin vs DeepSeek
- 9Merlin vs Amazon Q
- 10Merlin vs Lumo
- 11Merlin vs AnythingLLM
- 12Merlin vs Yuanbao
- 14Merlin vs Vibe
- 15Merlin vs LobeChat
- 16Merlin vs Gemini Notebook
- 17Merlin vs Big-AGI
- 18Merlin vs Quad Chat
- 19Merlin vs Gab AI Research Assistant
- 20Merlin vs Dust
- 21Merlin vs Venice AI
Merlin alternatives compared
| # | App | Score | Free plan | From | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ChatGPT | 8.3 | Free plan | Free | Android, iOS, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 2 | Microsoft Copilot | 8.2 | Free plan | $8.33/mo | Web, Windows, Mac, iOS, Android |
| 3 | Perplexity | 8.2 | Free plan | $20/mo | Android, API, iOS, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 4 | Claude | 8.2 | Free plan | — | Android, API, Browser, iOS, Linux, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 5 | Gemini | 8.1 | Free plan | Free | Web, Windows, Mac, iOS, Android |
| 6 | Poe | 8.0 | Free plan | Free | Android, API, iOS, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 7 | Grok | 7.8 | Free plan | Free | Web, iOS, Android |
| 8 | DeepSeek | 7.6 | Free plan | Free | Web, iOS, Android |
| 9 | Amazon Q | 7.6 | Free plan | — | Web, Android |
| 10 | Lumo | 7.6 | Free plan | Free | Web, iOS, Android |
| 11 | AnythingLLM | 7.6 | Free plan | — | Android, API, Linux, Mac, self-hosted, Web, Windows |
| 12 | Yuanbao | 7.5 | Free plan | Free | Web, iOS, Android |
| 14 | Vibe | 7.5 | Free plan | $14.99/mo | Web, Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android |
| 15 | LobeChat | 7.5 | Free plan | $9.90/mo | Android, iOS, Linux, Mac, self-hosted, Web, Windows |
| 16 | Gemini Notebook | 7.3 | Free plan | $9.99/mo | Web, iOS, Android |
| 17 | Big-AGI | 7.3 | Free plan | $9/mo | Linux, Mac, self-hosted, Web, Windows |
| 18 | Quad Chat | 7.2 | Free plan | $8/mo | — |
| 19 | Gab AI Research Assistant | 7.2 | Free plan | $16.67/mo | Android, Browser, iOS, Mac, Web |
| 20 | Dust | 7.1 | Free plan | €24/mo | API, Browser, Web |
| 21 | Venice AI | 7.1 | Free plan | $18/mo | Android, API, iOS, Web |
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Questions about Merlin alternatives
What is the best alternative to Merlin?
ChatGPT, number 1 in AI chatbots and assistants with a score of 8.3 out of 10. The others here: Microsoft Copilot, Perplexity, Claude and 16 more.
What is the best free alternative to Merlin?
ChatGPT is the best-ranked alternative with a free plan. 20 of the 20 alternatives here publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
How are these alternatives ranked?
Ranked free-and-open first: a usable free tier and open-source code, then the platforms it runs on and its documentation.