Compare Obsidian Web Clipper, Milanote 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.
Milanote Web Clipper is a multifunctional tool for capturing and organizing web content. It provides a seamless experience for creatives and professionals to manage and optimize their workflow.
Merlin AI is a browser extension that unifies top AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini) for research, summarizing, writing, coding, diagramming, translation, and more—directly in your browser
Key Features
  • Privacy-focusedSave anything: Capture entire pages, selected text, or main content
  • Highlight: Mark important passages that remain visible when revisiting pages
  • Templates: Customize how web pages are saved with automatic metadata extraction
  • Rules: Apply specific templates based on website patterns
  • Hotkeys: Quick save pages with keyboard shortcuts
  • Offline access: All content is stored locally in your Obsidian vault
  • Privacy focused: No data collection or third-party sharing
  • Web Clipping: Easily save articles, images, and links to your Milanote boards.
  • Organization: Create and manage boards to keep your projects organized.
  • User-Friendly Interface: Intuitive design that integrates seamlessly with Milanote.
  • Cross-Platform Availability: Available on Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari, and Opera.
  • Unified AI Models: Access ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Mistral, and more from one account—no need for separate logins.
  • Research & Summarize: Summarize web pages, YouTube videos, PDFs, and documents instantly.
  • Content Creation: Write emails, social media posts, blogs, and outreach messages with AI assistance.
  • Projects: Build custom AI chatbots using your own files, links, or knowledge ba
  • Crafts: Instantly generate code snippets, diagrams, and mindmaps
  • Live Search: Get up-to-date answers by searching the web in real time.
  • Multi-language Support: Translate content into 25+ languages.
  • Keyboard Shortcuts: Quickly summon Merlin with Ctrl/Cmd+M anywhere in your browser.
Our Rating
8.5
8.5
8.4
Total users
287,392
105,636
1,000,000
Total ratings
578
475
8,799
Average rating
4.7 ⭐
4.8 ⭐
4.8 ⭐
Entry Level PriceFreeFreeFree
Chrome
Chrome Web Store logo
4.8
4.82
337 ratings
200.0K+Users
Chrome Web Store logo
4.8
4.80
447 ratings
100.0K+Users
Chrome Web Store logo
4.8
3.40
8.8K+ ratings
1.0M+Users
Edge
Microsoft Edge Store logo
4.5
4.39
22 ratings
56.4K+Users
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-
Firefox
Mozilla Firefox Add-ons Store logo
4.9
4.89
219 ratings
31.0K+Users
Mozilla Firefox Add-ons Store logo
4.7
4.69
28 ratings
5.6K+Users
-
Safari
-
-
-
Features
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.

8.7

Milanote Web Clipper offers a range of features that optimize the storage and organization of web content. Text, images, and links can be inserted directly into Milanote boards.

save

This is perfect for creative work in particular, as inspiration and resources can be collected quickly and then moved around the board in Milanote. This allows you to present your information visually and clearly.

board

From our point of view, this is also a disadvantage for a certain target group, as it involves a lot of effort to sort them after you have saved something. A direct link with tags or similar is not possible to find the information quickly.

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.

Missing Feature
Performance
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.

9.5

The extension worked perfectly in the test. The reviews also speak for themselves, with no complaints about performance and no significant problems reported by users. It is fast and reliable, making it a reliable tool for everyday use.

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.

Design
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.

8.5

The design of the Milanote Web Clipper is clear and intuitive. The interface is simple, allowing users to focus on their content instead of navigating through complex menus. The only time Milanote's design can be a little overwhelming, even for new users, is when processing the data.

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.

Design
Value for Money
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.

8.5

The web extension is free, but can only be used with a Milanote account. Milanote offers a free version, but this is very limited and will only last a few days with normal use.

However, the paid plans are, in our opinion, good value for money, especially for users who want to work creatively and visualize information.

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
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.

7.2

From our point of view, the tool could be made a little more user-friendly. After installation, it was not entirely clear to us as non-Milanote users where my data was stored and how to access it. Once this initial hurdle had been overcome and access was granted via the website, the other functions are very intuitive to use and were explained.

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.

Security & Privacy
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.

8.5

Milanote Web Clipper requires users to log in to their Milanote account, ensuring that all saved content is secure and private. Milanote only collects data for consent or legitimate reasons and states this in their privacy policy. Also, the data is encrypted and thanks to GDPR and Australian law, you can also access or delete your data. Overall, it's solid, but they could give more details on how exactly they keep everything secure.

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

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.

Milanote Web Clipper is a great tool for anyone who wants to organize, optimize, and display their workflows.

Especially for anyone already using Milanote, it is a must-have. New users will initially be overwhelmed by the variety of customizable functions.

It does have some drawbacks, such as limited storage space in the free version, but its overall performance and functionality make it a strong choice for organizing web content.

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, Milanote Web Clipper, and Merlin AI, Obsidian Web Clipper and Milanote Web Clipper both came out on top, each scoring 8.5.

Merlin AI is the most widely used, with over 1 million users and 9k+ reviews, but Obsidian Web Clipper and Milanote Web Clipper outperformed it in our review. User reviews for Obsidian Web Clipper reflect our findings, while we rate Milanote Web Clipper and 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.



There's no single winner, so check the categories above to find your best fit.