# Memo Calculator vs ideaShell

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Memo Calculator at none against ideaShell's 12. Memo Calculator also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.7). ideaShell's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (611 vs 16). On price, review sentiment, update cadence 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. Memo Calculator asks for nothing beyond the download.

Memo Calculator holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ideaShell has 611 ratings behind it against 16, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 83% of Memo Calculator's written reviews are positive against 76% of ideaShell's.

Memo Calculator ships an update every 6 days, ideaShell every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Memo Calculator | ideaShell |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/memo-calculator-memocalc/id1637776714/reviews)** | [4.7 (611 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ideashellai-thinking-partner/id6478199476/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 16 | **611** |
| Positive reviews | **83.3% of reviews** | 76.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 days** | Every 9 days |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 10 MB | 219 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | +4 |
| Developer | [SuperDG Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/635709768) | [RoundRedDot Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1732200510) |

## What reviewers say

### Memo Calculator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/memo-calculator-memocalc/id1637776714)

This app seamlessly integrates a memo pad with a calculator, automatically computing totals as you type. It allows for storing arithmetic expressions, utilizing parentheses mode, and rearranging memo lines for efficient data management. Various color themes are available for personalization.

**Highlights:** Integrated memo pad and calculator, Automatic calculation of totals, Store arithmetic expressions, Parentheses mode, Rearrange memo lines, Multiple color modes

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### ideaShell

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

This AI-powered app transforms spoken thoughts into organized notes and actionable insights. It offers voice-to-text transcription, intelligent summarization, and content generation, acting as a personal thinking companion. Capture ideas, manage tasks, and build a knowledge base effortlessly.

**Highlights:** AI voice-to-text transcription, Fast idea capture via widgets and shortcuts, AI agent for conversations and task management, Content generation (PowerPoint, Word, etc.), Publish and share notes with interactive links, Personal knowledge base with AI search, Seamless workflow integration

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo 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 Memo Calculator free?

Memo Calculator 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, Memo Calculator or ideaShell?

Memo Calculator is rated higher. Memo Calculator averages 4.9 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while ideaShell averages 4.7 from 611 ratings.

### Do Memo Calculator or ideaShell have ads?

Memo Calculator shows ads; ideaShell does not.

### Which is updated more often, Memo Calculator or ideaShell?

Memo Calculator ships an update every 6 days, and ideaShell every 9 days. Most recently, Memo Calculator was updated on October 24, 2026 and ideaShell on October 30, 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.*