# EssentialPIM vs SiYuan

The clearest difference is review sentiment: SiYuan at 70% against EssentialPIM's 21%. SiYuan also leads on rating (4.0 vs 2.6) and update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months). EssentialPIM's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). 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. EssentialPIM asks for nothing beyond the download.

SiYuan holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 2.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 12 and 29 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 21% of EssentialPIM's written reviews are positive against 70% of SiYuan's.

EssentialPIM ships an update every 2 months, SiYuan weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | EssentialPIM | SiYuan |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.6 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/essentialpim/id537150179/reviews) | **[4.0 (29 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/siyuan/id1583226508/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 12 | **29** |
| Positive reviews | 21.1% of reviews | **70.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 15 MB | 419 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Astonsoft](https://appshunter.io/developer/397928091) | [Yunnan Liandi Technology Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1583226510) |

## What reviewers say

### EssentialPIM

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/essentialpim/id537150179)

Manage your personal information with this comprehensive organizer. It handles calendars, tasks, contacts, and passwords, with seamless synchronization across devices and platforms. Organize tasks hierarchically and securely store sensitive data.

**Highlights:** Calendar management, Task management with hierarchical structure, Contact organization, Secure password storage, Synchronization with Windows version, Synchronization with Google Tasks

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### 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 |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is EssentialPIM free?

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

### Is SiYuan free?

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

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

SiYuan is rated higher. EssentialPIM averages 2.6 out of 5 from 12 ratings, while SiYuan averages 4.0 from 29 ratings.

### Do EssentialPIM or SiYuan have ads?

Neither EssentialPIM nor SiYuan shows ads.

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

EssentialPIM ships an update every 2 months, and SiYuan weekly. Most recently, EssentialPIM was updated on October 6, 2026 and SiYuan on October 15, 2026.

---

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