# Merlin AI vs iTechGuy

Merlin AI and iTechGuy both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 89% of iTechGuy's written reviews are positive against 43% of Merlin AI's. Merlin AI's advantage is ratings volume (789 vs 10). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Merlin AI sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per 7 days and iTechGuy sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Merlin AI against 4.6 for iTechGuy. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Merlin AI has 789 ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 43% of Merlin AI's written reviews are positive against 89% of iTechGuy's.

Merlin AI ships an update every 10 days, iTechGuy weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Merlin AI | iTechGuy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (789 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/merlin-ai-ai-chat-assistant/id6453692447/reviews) | **[4.6 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/itechguy/id6469687817/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **789** | 10 |
| Positive reviews | 42.8% of reviews | **88.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 102 MB | 24 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Foyer Tech, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1726728196) | [Yunyan Qi](https://appshunter.io/developer/1711499890) |

## What reviewers say

### Merlin AI

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/merlin-ai-ai-chat-assistant/id6453692447)

Access multiple advanced AI models for text, image, and video generation, research with sources, and chat with your files. Organize conversations into projects and collaborate with others. Offers a free tier with daily queries and paid upgrades for higher limits.

**Highlights:** Multiple AI models in one app, Web research with sources, Chat with files and photos, Image and video creation, Code and app generation (Crafts), Project organization and collaboration

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Merlin Pro Weekly | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Merlin Unlimited | $10.00 | per 7 days |
| Monthly Merlin Unlimited | $15.00 | per month |
| Merlin Pro Monthly | $20.00 | per month |
| Yearly Black Friday | $89.99 | per year |
| Yearly Merlin Unlimited | $100.00 | per year |
| Yearly Merlin Unlimited | $150.00 | per year |
| TopUp - 1500 Queries, 7 Days | $3.49 | one-time |
| TopUp - 3000 Queries, 30 Days | $4.99 | one-time |
| TopUp - 10000 Queries, 30 Days | $14.00 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and efficient
- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 💡 Variety of AI models
- 🔥 Powerful and versatile
- 😊 Helpful and convenient

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and unreliable
- ⏱️ Slow response times
- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 🔍 Misleading advertising
- 🤔 Inconsistent performance

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent app crashes
- Overlapping UI elements
- Incorrect model selection
- Inability to cancel subscriptions
- Censorship of user inputs

**Requested features**

- Shortcut integration for iOS
- Improved iPad compatibility
- Ability to save and reuse prompts
- Enhanced security and privacy features
- Seamless integration with other apps


### iTechGuy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/itechguy/id6469687817)

Get accurate and up-to-date tech advice powered by AI and RAG technology. Ask complex questions about electronics and software, and receive detailed answers, with direct ChatGPT responses also available for reference. Chat history is automatically saved for each session.

**Highlights:** AI-powered tech advice, RAG technology integration, Direct ChatGPT reference, Chat history saving, Adjustable 'fast mode'

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock Query Limit | $9.99 | one-time |
| Unlock History View Limit | $19.99 | one-time |
| Enable Copying | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Merlin AI free?

Merlin AI is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is iTechGuy free?

iTechGuy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Merlin AI or iTechGuy?

iTechGuy is rated higher. Merlin AI averages 4.5 out of 5 from 789 ratings, while iTechGuy averages 4.6 from 10 ratings.

### Do Merlin AI or iTechGuy have ads?

Neither Merlin AI nor iTechGuy shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Merlin AI or iTechGuy?

Merlin AI ships an update every 10 days, and iTechGuy weekly. Most recently, Merlin AI was updated on November 7, 2026 and iTechGuy on November 3, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*