# E药云搜 vs ideaShell

The clearest difference is review sentiment: ideaShell at 76% against E药云搜's 0%. ideaShell also leads on update cadence (every 10 days vs every 2 months) and device support (4 vs 2). E药云搜's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 12) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. ideaShell sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. E药云搜 asks for nothing beyond the download.

E药云搜 ships an update every 2 months, ideaShell every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | E药云搜 | ideaShell |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[4.7 (586 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ideashellai-thinking-partner/id6478199476/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **586** |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | **76.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 15 MB | 201 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [中国食品药品监管数据中心](https://appshunter.io/developer/1329925872) | [RoundRedDot Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1732200510) |

## What reviewers say

### E药云搜

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/e/id1461700719)

Access comprehensive national data on "two products and one device" with this official mobile application. It offers convenient search options including text, voice, and barcode scanning, presenting information clearly and intelligently.

**Highlights:** Comprehensive "two products and one device" data, Text, voice, and barcode scanning search, Intelligent data association, User-friendly interface, Clear visualization of results

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### ideaShell

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ideashellai-thinking-partner/id6478199476)

Capture thoughts instantly with AI-powered voice notes. Transcribe, organize, and discuss ideas with AI to generate actionable content like to-do lists and summaries. Seamlessly integrate with other productivity apps.

**Highlights:** AI Voice Transcription, Automated Text Structuring & Optimization, Multiple Fast Entry Points (Watch, Siri, Widgets), AI Discussions & Summaries, Smart Card Content Creation (To-Do Lists, Scripts), Integration with Productivity Apps, Smart Q&A and Note Search

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ideaShell Week Subscription | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly Premium | $9.99 | per month |
| Monthly Premium Plus | $12.99 | per month |
| Monthly Premium Max | $39.99 | per month |
| Annual Premium | $79.99 | per year |
| Annual Premium Plus | $89.99 | per year |
| Annual Premium Max | $369.99 | per year |
| ideaShell Points(1M) | $3.99 | one-time |
| ideaShell Points(2M) | $6.99 | one-time |
| ideaShell Points(5M) | $15.99 | one-time |
| ideaShell Points(10M) | $29.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime_Premium | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎙️ Excellent voice transcription accuracy
- 🤖 High-quality AI summaries and insights
- 🎨 Beautiful and intuitive user interface design
- ⚡ Fast and efficient note-taking workflow
- 🏷️ Automatic tagging and organization

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription-only pricing model
- 🔄 Lifetime subscription concerns about ownership
- 🔍 Search functionality is limited and not semantic
- 🐛 Constant vibration issues reported
- 📱 Compatibility issues with iPhone 16 Pro

**Reported bugs**

- Constant phone vibration when using the app
- AI message truncation - unable to see full responses
- App impossible to open on iPhone 16 Pro
- Vibration occurs even when idle on main screen
- Recent update breaks note distinction by using identical AI summaries

**Requested features**

- Full web clipping functionality (articles, images, audio, videos)
- Direct media file downloads from web content
- Automatic Notion export integration
- Web/Mac version for desktop editing
- Text formatting options (bold, italics, font types)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is E药云搜 free?

E药云搜 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is ideaShell free?

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

### Do E药云搜 or ideaShell have ads?

Neither E药云搜 nor ideaShell shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, E药云搜 or ideaShell?

E药云搜 ships an update every 2 months, and ideaShell every 10 days. Most recently, E药云搜 was updated on September 28, 2026 and ideaShell on October 11, 2026.

---

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