Compare Merlin AI and AdBlocker Ultimate: Which Extension is the Best?
AdBlocker Ultimate is a powerful tool designed to block ads across various platforms. With millions of users and a high rating, it offers a seamless, ad-free browsing experience. | ||
| Key Features A summary of the most important features offered by each extension. |
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| Our Rating Tooltivity's expert review score for each extension, based on hands-on testing and research. | 8.4 | 8.9 Winner in this category |
| Total users Total active users across all major browsers: Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari. | 1,000,000 | 3,105,395 Winner in this category |
| Total ratings Total number of user ratings received across all supported browsers. | 8,802 | 90,243 Winner in this category |
| Average rating Average user rating across all browsers, calculated from available store ratings. | 4.8 ⭐ Winner in this category | 4.8 ⭐ |
| Entry Level Price The minimum price required to start using the extension. "Free" means a free tier is available. | Free | Free |
| Chrome User rating and stats for the extension on Chrome browser. |  4.8 3.24 Average Chrome Web Store rating from the last 100 reviews 1.0M+Users | 4.8 4.40 Average Chrome Web Store rating from the last 100 reviews 1.0M+Users Winner in this category |
| Edge User rating and stats for the extension on Edge browser. | - |  4.7 4.51 Average Microsoft Edge Store rating from the last 100 reviews 719.6K+Users Winner in this category |
| Firefox User rating and stats for the extension on Firefox browser. | - |  4.8 4.85 Average Mozilla Firefox Add-ons Store rating from the last 100 reviews 1.4M+Users Winner in this category |
| Safari User rating and stats for the extension on Safari browser. | - | - |
| Features Tooltivity's expert score for the 'Features' aspect of each extension. | 8.0 Merlin AI offers a variety of features including summarizing, writing, coding, diagramming and more. It supports multiple AI models such as GPT-4, Claude and Gemini and allows users to create custom AI chatbots and knowledge bases. The platform also integrates with the web and files in real time. However, some features, such as PDF summarization, are not as robust as those of specialized tools. It also lacks what we consider to be the important function of direct communication between AI and the current website. In addition, the function of direct communication between AI and the current website, which we consider important, is missing.  | 9.3 AdBlocker Ultimate offers a wide range of features that effectively block ads on websites, YouTube and social media platforms. Ad Blocking:  The settings can also be used to remove only country-specific advertising and a whitelist can be added. Privacy Filter  Security: The listed filters can all be switched on and off separately and individually. Winner in this category |
| Performance Tooltivity's expert score for the 'Performance' aspect of each extension. | 7.5 Merlin is generally fast and responsive, but it can slow down browsers, especially on older hardware. There are occasional bugs and crashes, though the team releases frequent updates and improvements. | 9.0 During our test, AdBlocker Ultimate did not experience any performance issues. Ad blocking worked flawlessly on all platforms tested, so there were no disruptions to websites caused by advertising. Winner in this category |
| Design Tooltivity's expert score for the 'Design' aspect of each extension. | 9.1 The design has a modern look and feel, with handy keyboard shortcuts and sidebar integration that make navigation easier. That said, the user interface can feel cluttered and overwhelming, especially for new users, and there are inconsistencies between the extension, web, and mobile versions.  Winner in this category | 8.5 The user interface is clearly laid out and should be easy to use for every user. The settings page is also very clearly laid out. Only the constant reference in the extension pop-up to the paid Windows desktop version detracts somewhat from the design. |
| Value for Money Tooltivity's expert score for the 'Value for Money' aspect of each extension. | 8.2 The free plan is generous for light users, offering a substantial daily quota and access to a wide range of basic features. The Pro plan is competitively priced, especially when compared to the cost of subscribing to multiple separate AI tools, and unlocks unlimited access to all models and advanced features. However, the absence of a free trial for premium features means users must commit before experiencing the full capabilities of Merlin AI. Additionally, some users report that the query system—where different models and features consume varying amounts of daily queries—can be confusing or feel restrictive, particularly for those trying to understand how far their usage will go on each plan. | 9.5 The Web Extension is free of charge. Compared to other free providers, it offers a very high number of functions and options for customizable functions. We would therefore rate the price-performance ratio as very good. Winner in this category |
| Ease of Use Tooltivity's expert score for the 'Ease of Use' aspect of each extension. | 8.5 Getting started with Merlin AI is straightforward—installation is quick, and the onboarding process is simple enough for most users to begin using core features right away. However, the platform’s extensive feature set can be overwhelming at first, leading to a noticeable learning curve as users explore everything it offers. Some users have expressed confusion about how the daily query limits work, how different models are selected or switched, and which features are available on each plan. Occasional bugs and log-in issues can also disrupt the workflow, requiring users to troubleshoot or reach out to support. Overall, while Merlin AI is accessible, mastering its full capabilities may take some time and patience, especially for those new to AI tools. | 9.0 AdBlocker Ultimate is easy to install and can be used immediately afterwards. Even beginners should find the extra functions easy to use, as they are described in detail. Great importance has been attached to the individual settings for each user. Winner in this category |
| Security & Privacy Tooltivity's expert score for the 'Security & Privacy' aspect of each extension. | 9.3 Merlin does not sell user data to third parties and only uses data for core functionality. The privacy policy is transparent, but some users remain concerned about the amount of data collected and the permissions required. Winner in this category | 8.2 The tool offers the function of extra privacy protection by preventing tracking and thus increasing online security. |
| Conclusion A summary of our findings and final thoughts for each extension. | Merlin AI is a powerful and versatile tool that can really boost the productivity of a wide range of users. The integration of multiple AI models and functions into a single extension is ideal for this p However, Merlin is not completely perfect. We encountered occasional bugs, inconsistencies in the user interface and some performance issues. Pricing can also be confusing, and some features are locked behind a paywall.. Overall, Merlin AI is a good choice for anyone looking for an all-in-one AI assistant for the browser - especially if you value having multiple AI models and tools in one place. | AdBlocker Ultimate is a great extension for blocking ads. Ads on various platforms are removed without the user noticing. Particularly noteworthy are the various options for customizing the settings. The user can control whether the extensions should only be responsible for blocking ads or whether they should also offer support in the areas of data protection and security. Compared to other ad blockers, the additional function of blocking cookie banners stood out, which we no longer want to do without. Overall, we consider AdBlocker Ultimate with its wide range of additional functions to be a reliable option for anyone who wants to remove advertising from their online experience. |
| Our Recommendation | In our comparison between Merlin AI and AdBlocker Ultimate, AdBlocker Ultimate came out on top, scoring 8.9. AdBlocker Ultimate is the most widely used, with over 3 million users and 90k+ reviews—and it also delivered the strongest performance in our tests. User reviews for AdBlocker Ultimate reflect our findings, while we rate Merlin AI lower than users do. Notably, Merlin AI has the highest user rating in the Chrome Web Store at 4.80, which is even higher than our rating of 8.4. In the end, the differences between these extensions are minimal, so your choice may come down to personal preference or specific features.
If you want a quick recommendation, AdBlocker Ultimate is our top pick. But as always, the best choice depends on what matters most to you. | |
