# Simon iO vs ideaShell

The clearest difference is review sentiment: ideaShell at 76% against Simon iO's 29%. ideaShell also leads on rating (4.7 vs 1.0) and ads (none vs shown). Simon iO's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 12). On price, monetization model and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

ideaShell holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ideaShell has 586 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 29% of Simon iO's written reviews are positive against 76% of ideaShell's.

Simon iO ships an update every 3 months, ideaShell every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Simon iO | ideaShell |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [1.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simon-io/id1477805916/reviews) | **[4.7 (586 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ideashellai-thinking-partner/id6478199476/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **586** |
| Positive reviews | 28.6% of reviews | **76.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 91 MB | 201 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Simon](https://appshunter.io/developer/531284305) | [RoundRedDot Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1732200510) |

## What reviewers say

### Simon iO

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simon-io/id1477805916)

Control your smart home devices, including lights and blinds, from anywhere. Receive notifications, schedule routines, and customize device functionalities like lighting levels and power control. This app enhances your iO universe with a world of possibilities.

**Highlights:** Configure iO devices and experiences, Control lights and blinds, Receive notifications, Schedule routines, Adjust lighting levels, Power control for devices

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**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 Simon iO free?

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

### Is ideaShell free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Simon iO or ideaShell?

ideaShell is rated higher. Simon iO averages 1.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while ideaShell averages 4.7 from 586 ratings.

### Do Simon iO or ideaShell have ads?

Simon iO shows ads; ideaShell does not.

### Which is updated more often, Simon iO or ideaShell?

Simon iO ships an update every 3 months, and ideaShell every 10 days. Most recently, Simon iO was updated on September 26, 2026 and ideaShell on September 28, 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.*