Comparison

Cytus vs ELLIA

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Cytus

Experience a unique rhythm game with a captivating story and diverse musical genres. Tap notes in time with the music, utilizing an intuitive active scan line system. Enjoy a vast library of songs and challenging difficulty levels.

Highlights
  • 200+ songs and 400+ variations
  • Beautiful hand-drawn art style
  • Active Scan Line system
  • Multiple difficulty levels
  • Diverse music genres
  • Story-driven experience
Read full description

Welcome to the Musical World of Cytus LET’S EXPERIENCE MUSIC ’N ART, BEAT ’N REBOUND! Check the screenshots and you will see the most AWESOME mobile music game ever! Just PLAY and ENJOY! ------------------------------------------------------ FEATURES - 200 songs and 400 variations, including many from famous composers around the world - Beautiful hand-drawn art style (as illustrated in the screenshots) - Easy, intuitive Active Scan Line system and 3 types of notes - Different display modes allow player-friendly previewing of notes - Strong beat and rhythms provide satisfying feedback for taps - More than 9 difficulty levels for more fun and challenges - Various music genres: POP, JAZZ, TRANCE, HARDCORE, DRUM 'N BASS and many more - Connect to Facebook and show off your Cytus skills ------------------------------------------------------ HOW TO PLAY - Follow along the Active Scan Line - Tap each note as the line passes through - Time your taps as the line is at the center of the note for a higher score! ------------------------------------------------------ STORY In the distant future, the only sentient beings in the world are robots. They are the last remnant of the human spirit. However, mankind is not dead. Technology exists that is capable of transferring memories to these robots. But with limited space, new memories will gradually overwrite the old. To prevent the emotions in human memories from fading away, the robots resorted to converting the emotions to music, and storing them in a place called Cytus. The robots use these songs to experience human emotion and dream that souls exists in each of them... Cytus --------------------------------------------- Cytus Official Site: http://www.rayark.com/g/cytus Rayark Official Site: http://www.rayark.com Follow Cytus https://twitter.com/CytusRayark Like Cytus http://www.facebook.com/rayark.Cytus

About

ELLIA

Embark on a rhythm-based adventure to help a girl recover her lost memories and emotions. Engage with captivating stories, stunning visuals, and a curated soundtrack of original music. Explore a unique journey with the Beatravel System, extracting emotion pieces from music to unlock the past.

Highlights
  • Original music collection
  • Intricately designed rhythm patterns
  • Seasonal content updates
  • Regularly updated free content
  • Accessible gameplay for all levels
  • Detailed settings for hardcore players
  • Multiple difficulty levels
  • Exceptional graphics and effects
Read full description

Journey to find emotions "ELLIA" is a premium rhythm game that weaves captivating stories into its gameplay. Experience breathtaking visuals and superb UI/UX, complemented by a carefully curated soundtrack of original music from Arcstar. Dive into the rhythm and play today! [Story] When Ellia, a girl who has lost her memories and emotions, comes under the care of the protagonist at the request of a familiar doctor, a unique journey unfolds. Using the Beatravel System, they extract "Emotion Pieces" from music to help Ellia recover her feelings and past. With assistance from androids Io and Dione, they uncover the shocking truths of Ellia's history. [Features] - A vast collection of original music tracks, rigorously vetted for quality - Intricately designed patterns crafted by a dedicated content production team - Original content delivered in seasonal updates - Regularly updated free content for continuous enjoyment - Accessible gameplay for both newcomers and rhythm game enthusiasts - A variety of detailed settings tailored for hardcore gamers - Multiple difficulty levels to ensure everyone has a challenging and enjoyable experience - Exceptional graphics and effects that enhance the gameplay [Community] Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ELLIA_Official Join our Discord: https://discord.com/invite/y28EywME9U

Screenshots

Cytus4 screens
ELLIA4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: ELLIA at Free against Cytus's $1.99. ELLIA also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 4 months). Cytus's advantage is rating (4.9 vs 3.9) and review sentiment (92% vs 66%). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

ELLIA is free to download; Cytus costs $1.99 up front. Cytus sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and ELLIA sells 11 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Cytus holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cytus has 1.8K ratings behind it against 27, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 92% of Cytus's written reviews are positive against 66% of ELLIA's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Cytus ships an update every 4 months, ELLIA every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Cytus versus ELLIA: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCytusELLIA
Price$1.99Free — better
Rating4.9 (1.8K ratings) — better3.9 (27 ratings)
Positive reviews92.3% of reviews — better66.0% of reviews
Number of ratings1.8K — better27
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#15 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size1.3 GB546 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRayark International LimitedArcstar Co.,Ltd

Customer experience

Cytus

All ratings1,758 ratings
Positive97.0%
Neutral1.0%
Negative2.0%
Written reviews455 reviews
Positive92.3%
Neutral2.0%
Negative5.7%

ELLIA

All ratings27 ratings
Positive70.4%
Neutral14.8%
Negative14.8%
Written reviews50 reviews
Positive66.0%
Neutral16.0%
Negative18.0%

Bugs and requests

Cytus

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Sound not working on certain devices
  • Purchased content disappearing after updates
  • Inability to restore previous progress

Requested features

5 requests
  • More diverse music genres
  • Customizable note sizes and placements
  • Improved difficulty balancing
  • Restore purchase functionality
  • Dedicated marathon/endless mode

ELLIA

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Cytus

One-time10
  • Chapter N$3.99
  • Chapter 0$4.99
  • Chapter R$4.99
Show 7 more
  • Chapter T$4.99
  • Chapter D$4.99
  • Chapter 8$4.99
  • Chapter S$4.99
  • Chapter 10$4.99
  • Chapter K$4.99
  • Chapter L$9.99
11 purchases

ELLIA

One-time11
  • CORE Collection Vol. 1$4.99
  • Variety Collection Vol. 1$4.99
  • STRLabel Collection Vol. 1$4.99
Show 8 more
  • OverRapid Collection Vol. 1$4.99
  • Arcstar Collection Vol. 1$4.99
  • Variety Collection Vol. 2$4.99
  • Arcstar Collection Vol. 2$4.99
  • Variety Collection Vol. 3$4.99
  • Morimori Atushi Collection 1$4.99
  • memex Collection Vol. 1$4.99
  • Season 1 Pass$7.99

Questions

Is Cytus free?
Cytus costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is ELLIA free?
ELLIA is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Cytus or ELLIA?
Cytus is rated higher. Cytus averages 4.9 out of 5 from 1.8K ratings, while ELLIA averages 3.9 from 27 ratings.
Do Cytus or ELLIA have ads?
Neither Cytus nor ELLIA shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Cytus or ELLIA?
Cytus ships an update every 4 months, and ELLIA every 2 weeks. Most recently, Cytus was updated on October 29, 2026 and ELLIA on October 27, 2026.

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