Compare Merlin AI, Voila, AI Blaze, and ChatGPT Sidebar: Which Extension is the Best?

Voilà's features are impressively comprehensive and cover many areas, from simple AI chat to advanced content creation tools.
The library of pre-built expert prompts for various requirements is particularly valuable. This often allows you to get the right result without having to write anything yourself.

The integration with Gmail works flawlessly and makes email management much more efficient. The ability to respond to emails in a context-sensitive manner sets the tool apart from many of its competitors.

On websites, it is first necessary to highlight the desired text. However, if you want a summary of the website, for example, this is not a problem because you can simply highlight the entire website. A context-based AI chat that has access to the context of the current website would improve this even further.

Overall, the extension offers very powerful features, some of which are not even found in competitors' products.

The AI writing aid worked very well in the test with emails, customer responses, and short formats. We particularly liked the dynamic templates, which adapt according to user input. The extension can therefore be adapted for both commercial use, such as quickly replying to emails, and for everyday private use. From summaries to social media texts, this helped enormously in the test. In particular, learners such as students should have a special added value here, for example, through summaries that can be created quickly.

Overall, AI Blaze already offers the possibility for almost endless possibilities; at most, there could be even more templates, as users may otherwise not exploit the full potential due to ignorance.

In our test, Voilà consistently delivered good performance on various websites and in different use cases. The AI responses are usually fast and relevant. The extension has no noticeable impact on browser performance. Some users report occasional delays during peak times, but this is common with AI tools. The tool processes large documents and complex queries without any problems.

In testing, the performance of the ChatGPT Sidebar was good. You hardly notice any lag, which ensures a smooth and efficient browsing experience. Only the function of loading marked content directly into the sidebar via a pop-up, asking questions, or summarizing the content had a few problems. Sometimes it was not possible to click on the pop-up after highlighting.

The clear, intuitive user interface should also make AI Blaze possible for private users who are not so tech-savvy. The integration into the sidebar is very well done and offers a seamless integration into the design of the browser.
There is little that can be customized visually, but this should hardly be necessary. Overall, the design focuses on functionality while maintaining an appealing appearance.

The ChatGPT sidebar is designed to be intuitive and user-friendly. Even the basic user should have no problems navigating through all the functions. The interface looks modern and aesthetically pleasing. Several customizable settings allow the tool to be adapted individually, but there could be a few more functions here.

The free plan offers a good introduction to Voilà's features, but is quite limited. The premium plan for $6 per month offers excellent value for money for anyone who finds that they use the tool regularly after using up their free requests. In our opinion, the advanced features, such as chatting with YouTube videos and generating images, justify the price. For frequent users who also want to use AI for their documents or chat with images, the Ultimate version is worthwhile. At $14, the price is still relatively inexpensive compared to competitors with similar features.

The ChatGPT Sidebar offers a free version with basic features and a limited number of queries.
However, if you want to use functions such as Web Access, you need the premium version. The premium features might be a bit expensive for the basic user, but for anyone who needs the advanced features, they are still fine. Compared to alternatives, the price is competitive and offers good value for money.

For basic functions such as using templates and simple shortcuts, AI Blaze is extremely straightforward. New users can start using the ready-made templates within minutes, and they are well-explained. If you don't want to use the predefined shortcuts, you can create your own commands immediately, which makes it easier to remember the shortcuts in everyday life.

We found the shortcuts intuitive and time-saving once you have memorized them. The search function makes it easy to find the right snippet quickly, even as the library grows. The advanced functions do require a certain amount of learning, but the basic functions are easily accessible straight away.

The ChatGPT sidebar offers an uncomplicated setup process, with the basics presented in the tutorial immediately after installation. Every user should have no problem using all the functions here, as they are also very clearly presented. Should questions or problems nevertheless need to be resolved, many users have commented in their reviews on how responsive the support team is.

Data protection is a high priority for Voilà. The extension complies with the GDPR and transparently lists its data processing methods. The tool does not store conversations on its servers, which is important for companies, among others. The privacy policy is comprehensive and explains data usage clearly and concisely. The option to use your own API keys offers additional control and flexibility for anyone who needs it. The only minor criticism is the use of third-party analytics tools, which is a common practice for such extensions.