Compare Merlin AI and ChatGPT: Which App is the Best?

ChatGPT has a lot of cool features that make it useful for pretty much anyone. It's not just a chat app - it can do a bunch of different things.

What ChatGPT Does Best

1. Smart Chatting:

This is where ChatGPT really shines. It's better at having natural conversations than any other AI app we've tried. You can ask it anything from "What's the weather like?" to "Help me plan a trip to Japan" and it just gets it.

It remembers what you talked about earlier in the conversation, so it feels like talking to someone who's actually listening. You can have long conversations and it keeps track of everything.

2. Voice Chat:

This feature is really cool. You just tap the microphone button and start talking. The app shows a little wave animation so you know it's listening. It's like talking on the phone, but with an AI.

We tested this a lot and it works really well. It understands what you're saying most of the time, and responds quickly. Great for when you're driving or cooking and can't type.

3. Making Pictures:

You can tell ChatGPT to make pictures for you. Just describe what you want to see, and it creates an image. This costs money though - it's only in the paid version.

We tried asking it to make pictures of things like:

• "a cat wearing a hat"
• "a sunset over the ocean"
• "a robot playing guitar"

The results were pretty good. Not perfect, but definitely usable.

4. Works Everywhere:

The best part is that your conversations follow you around. Start a chat on your phone, then open it on your computer and it's all there. Really handy when you switch between devices.

5. Photo Help:

You can take a picture of something and ask ChatGPT what it is. We tried this with:

• Food and recipes
• Landmarks and buildings
• Handwritten notes

It's pretty good at figuring things out.

The main downside is that the free version is pretty limited. You only get the older AI model, which isn't as smart as the paid version. A lot of users complained about this - they want the good stuff without paying.

The app runs smoothly most of the time. You can chat with the AI without any delays or problems, and it loads quickly.

The voice chat works really well too. There's almost no delay between when you speak and when the AI responds. The voice recognition is accurate, and the conversation feels natural and smooth.

However, we did run into some problems during busy times. The app can get slow or even stop working when lots of people are using it at once. This mostly affects free users since paid users get priority access.

The sync feature works great - your conversations show up quickly on all your devices. Even with long chat histories, the app stays responsive and doesn't slow down.

One area that could be better is the image generation. It can take a while to create images, especially for complicated requests. This makes sense given how much work it takes, but it can be frustrating if you're in a hurry.

The app doesn't drain your battery too much, though using voice chat will use more power than just typing. Overall, it runs well and doesn't cause problems with your phone.

The app looks clean and simple, which makes it easy to use right away. We really like how it focuses on the conversation instead of trying to look fancy.

What we love most is how easy it is to tell who said what:

• Your messages show up on the right in blue bubbles
• AI responses are on the left in gray bubbles

Simple, but it works really well.

The voice chat interface is really nice too. When you're talking, you see a little wave animation that moves with your voice. It's a small thing, but it makes you feel like the app is actually listening.

Getting around the app is straightforward. There's a simple menu button that gives you access to settings and your chat history without cluttering up the main screen.

Some people said the app looks a bit plain compared to other AI apps. We get that - it's not flashy, but that's actually what makes it work so well. You can focus on talking to the AI without getting distracted by fancy graphics.

This might be the easiest AI app to use. It works right away - no complicated setup or learning curve.

Downloading it is simple, and it works on both iPhones and Android phones. Once you open it, you can just start typing or tap the microphone to talk. That's it.

The voice feature is really easy to use:

• Just tap the microphone and start talking
• The app shows you when it's listening
• It's so natural that you forget you're talking to a computer

The chat interface looks like any other messaging app you've used - WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, etc. So it feels familiar right away. Your conversations are organized clearly, and you can easily find old chats.

Even though it has lots of features, nothing feels overwhelming. The advanced stuff like making images is there if you want it, but it doesn't get in the way of basic chatting.

The only confusing part is figuring out what's free and what costs money. The app could do a better job of showing you what you're missing out on with the free version.

That's why we gave it a 9 out of 10. It's super easy to use, though some of the fancier features take a little time to figure out.

We gave ChatGPT a 7 out of 10 for security and privacy. It uses standard security practices, which is good, but there are some things to be aware of.

The good news is that OpenAI is pretty open about how they handle your data. You can easily find their privacy policy in the app, and they explain what they do with your information.

However, there are some concerns. The app collects a lot of your personal data:

• Everything you say in conversations
• Your voice recordings
• Your conversation history

OpenAI says they use this to make their AI better, but that means they're storing and potentially using your private conversations.

We noticed that some users were worried about the sync feature. Since your conversations are stored on OpenAI's servers (not just on your phone), they can access everything you've said. This is what makes the cross-device sync work, but it also means your chats aren't really private.

The voice chat feature is convenient, but it also means your voice is being recorded and stored. You should know that your voice conversations could be used to train the AI.

OpenAI does give you some control - you can delete your chat history and opt out of some data collection. But these options are kind of hidden and not easy to find.