Compare Obsidian Web Clipper and Merlin AI: Which Extension is the Best?
Obsidian Web Clipper is a browser extension that lets you save, highlight, and organize web content to your Obsidian vault with templates, hotkeys, metadata extraction, and local storage. | ||
| 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. | 8.5 Winner in this category | 8.4 |
| Total users Total active users across all major browsers: Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari. | 278,708 | 1,000,000 Winner in this category |
| Total ratings Total number of user ratings received across all supported browsers. | 537 | 8,800 Winner in this category |
| Average rating Average user rating across all browsers, calculated from available store ratings. | 4.7 ⭐ | 4.8 ⭐ Winner in this category |
| 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 4.83 Average Chrome Web Store rating from the last 100 reviews 200.0K+Users | 4.8 3.30 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. |  4.4 4.38 Average Microsoft Edge Store rating from the last 100 reviews 50.8K+Users Winner in this category | - |
| Firefox User rating and stats for the extension on Firefox browser. |  4.9 4.89 Average Mozilla Firefox Add-ons Store rating from the last 100 reviews 27.9K+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. | 8.7 The extension offers a comprehensive set of features that cover all essential web clipping needs. The templating system is particularly powerful, allowing for automatic metadata extraction and custom formatting. The highlight feature works well, though we noticed some issues with certain websites. The ability to save different types of content (full page, selection, main content) provides flexibility. The hotkey system is well-implemented and customizable. Winner in this category | 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.  |
| Performance Tooltivity's expert score for the 'Performance' aspect of each extension. | 6.5 The direct clipping to Obsidian did not work properly in the test. Only the headline was saved; the rest was not. However, with the intermediate step, Clip to Clipboard and then paste, it works. The clipping process can be slow on certain websites. The highlight feature sometimes lags on content-heavy pages. The extension uses minimal system resources. | 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. Winner in this category |
| Design Tooltivity's expert score for the 'Design' aspect of each extension. | 8.9 The interface is clean and intuitive, following Obsidian's design language. The popup menu is well-organized and easy to navigate. The highlight interface is straightforward and user-friendly. The settings page is logically structured, though some advanced options could be better documented. The visual feedback during clipping operations is clear and helpful. | 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 |
| Value for Money Tooltivity's expert score for the 'Value for Money' aspect of each extension. | 9.7 The extension is completely free with all features included. There are no premium tiers or paid versions. The feature set is comprehensive and well-implemented. The value proposition is excellent compared to paid alternatives. Winner in this category | 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. |
| Ease of Use Tooltivity's expert score for the 'Ease of Use' aspect of each extension. | 8.0 Basic usage is straightforward - just click the extension icon and select what to save. The highlight feature is intuitive and works well. However, setting up custom templates requires some technical knowledge. The learning curve for advanced features can be steep. The documentation could be more comprehensive for new users. | 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. Winner in this category |
| Security & Privacy Tooltivity's expert score for the 'Security & Privacy' aspect of each extension. | 9.5 The extension maintains excellent privacy standards. All data is stored locally in your Obsidian vault. No data is collected or shared with third parties. The extension doesn't require any special permissions. The code is open source, allowing for community review. The developer has a clear privacy policy. Winner in this category | 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. |
| Conclusion A summary of our findings and final thoughts for each extension. | The Obsidian Web Clipper is a powerful, privacy-friendly tool for saving web content. Its integration with Obsidian makes it particularly valuable for users of the note platform. The current focus is still on issues with clipping certain content types and occasional performance issues, which need to be resolved. The robust features and commitment to privacy make it a top choice for storing web content once the issues are resolved. For Obsidian users looking to improve their web research workflow, this extension is a must-have tool that delivers on its promise while maintaining user privacy and data control. | 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. |
| Our Recommendation | In our comparison between Obsidian Web Clipper and Merlin AI, Obsidian Web Clipper came out on top, scoring 8.5. Merlin AI is the most widely used, with over 1 million users and 9k+ reviews, but Obsidian Web Clipper outperformed it in our review. User reviews for Obsidian Web Clipper 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, Obsidian Web Clipper is our top pick. But as always, the best choice depends on what matters most to you. | |
