# Cytus vs ELLIA

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.

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Cytus | ELLIA |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.9 (1.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cytus/id485246824/reviews)** | [3.9 (27 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ellia/id6499312514/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.8K** | 27 |
| Positive reviews | **92.3% of reviews** | 66.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#13** | — |
| Size | 1.3 GB | 546 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Rayark International Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/483529071) | [Arcstar Co.,Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1743151945) |

## What reviewers say

### Cytus

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cytus/id485246824)

**Currently charting:** #13 Top Paid · Music, #73 Top Paid · Casual, #98 Top Grossing · Music (US App Store)

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Chapter N | $3.99 | one-time |
| Chapter 0 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Chapter R | $4.99 | one-time |
| Chapter T | $4.99 | one-time |
| Chapter D | $4.99 | one-time |
| Chapter 8 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Chapter S | $4.99 | one-time |
| Chapter 10 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Chapter K | $4.99 | one-time |
| Chapter L | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎶 Great music and soundtrack
- 🎨 Beautiful artwork and visuals
- 💯 Challenging and addictive gameplay
- 👍 Offline playability
- 🕹️ Unique and responsive controls

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤚 Thumb placement can obscure notes
- 🔢 Inconsistent difficulty ratings
- 💰 Some chapters locked behind paywall
- 🐛 Occasional bugs and crashes
- 🔌 Compatibility issues on newer devices

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

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


### ELLIA

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ellia/id6499312514)

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

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| CORE Collection Vol. 1 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Variety Collection Vol. 1 | $4.99 | one-time |
| STRLabel Collection Vol. 1 | $4.99 | one-time |
| OverRapid Collection Vol. 1 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Arcstar Collection Vol. 1 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Variety Collection Vol. 2 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Arcstar Collection Vol. 2 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Variety Collection Vol. 3 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Morimori Atushi Collection 1 | $4.99 | one-time |
| memex Collection Vol. 1 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Season 1 Pass | $7.99 | one-time |


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