# Shiku IM vs 元邦

The clearest difference is update cadence: 元邦 at weekly against Shiku IM's every 3 weeks. 元邦 also leads on iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Shiku IM ships an update every 3 weeks, 元邦 weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shiku IM | 元邦 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shiku-im/id1160132242/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1** | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 180 MB | 550 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Shenzhen Shiku information technology co., LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/474681307) | [Zhuhai Yuanbang Technology Co., Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1627397523) |

## What reviewers say

### Shiku IM

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shiku-im/id1160132242)

A secure instant messaging app offering high concurrency and availability. It provides a full suite of communication features including text, voice, and video calls, with advanced privacy options and private cloud support.

**Highlights:** High concurrency and availability, End-to-end encryption, Burn after reading messages, Video and voice conferencing, Private cloud deployment, Group chat up to 10,000 members

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### 元邦

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id1614769245)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shiku IM free?

Shiku IM is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is 元邦 free?

元邦 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Shiku IM or 元邦 have ads?

Neither Shiku IM nor 元邦 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Shiku IM or 元邦?

Shiku IM ships an update every 3 weeks, and 元邦 weekly. Most recently, Shiku IM was updated on November 6, 2026 and 元邦 on November 7, 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.*