# SiYuan vs HIKBOX

The clearest difference is review sentiment: SiYuan at 68% against HIKBOX's 17%. SiYuan also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 6 weeks). HIKBOX's advantage is rating (4.5 vs 4.0) and in-app purchases (none vs 2). On price, ratings volume, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. SiYuan sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. HIKBOX asks for nothing beyond the download.

HIKBOX holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 29 and 28 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 68% of SiYuan's written reviews are positive against 17% of HIKBOX's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

SiYuan ships an update weekly, HIKBOX every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SiYuan | HIKBOX |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (29 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/siyuan/id1583226508/reviews) | **[4.5 (28 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hikbox/id6445837521/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **29** | 28 |
| Positive reviews | **68.4% of reviews** | 16.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 359 MB | 272 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **13** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Yunnan Liandi Technology Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1583226510) | [武汉海康存储技术有限公司](https://appshunter.io/developer/1247717775) |

## What reviewers say

### SiYuan

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/siyuan/id1583226508)

A privacy-focused personal knowledge management system that allows offline use and encrypted data synchronization. It combines blocks, outlines, and bidirectional links to help users organize and refine their thoughts.

**Highlights:** Privacy-first design, Offline data storage, End-to-end encrypted sync, Block-based organization, Outline structuring, Bidirectional linking

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PRO Features | $79.99 | one-time |
| Subscription | $188.99 | one-time |


### HIKBOX

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hikbox/id6445837521)

Securely back up and manage photos, videos, and other files from your smart storage device to your phone. Features auto-backup, intelligent picture recognition, and remote access from any device. Enjoy seamless file viewing, projection, and even video surveillance capabilities.

**Highlights:** Auto Backup and Classification, Deep Learning Picture Recognition, Remote Access Anytime, Anywhere, Offline File Caching, One-Touch Multimedia Projection, Video Surveillance and Recording, Baidu Netdisk Integration

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SiYuan free?

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

### Is HIKBOX free?

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

### Which has better reviews, SiYuan or HIKBOX?

HIKBOX is rated higher. SiYuan averages 4.0 out of 5 from 29 ratings, while HIKBOX averages 4.5 from 28 ratings.

### Do SiYuan or HIKBOX have ads?

Neither SiYuan nor HIKBOX shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SiYuan or HIKBOX?

SiYuan ships an update weekly, and HIKBOX every 6 weeks. Most recently, SiYuan was updated on September 28, 2026 and HIKBOX on September 23, 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.*