# DGTSL Self vs ideaShell

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: DGTSL Self at none against ideaShell's 10. On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. ideaShell sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. DGTSL Self asks for nothing beyond the download.

DGTSL Self ships an update every 2 weeks, ideaShell every 9 days. Both last shipped on November 4, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | DGTSL Self | ideaShell |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[4.7 (612 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ideashellai-thinking-partner/id6478199476/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **612** |
| Positive reviews | — | 76.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 356 MB | 219 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 17+ | +4 |
| Developer | [Meescan Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1609729285) | [RoundRedDot Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1732200510) |

## What reviewers say

### DGTSL Self

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dgtsl-self-service-circulation/id6477494628)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**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 (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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 |

**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 DGTSL Self free?

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

### Is ideaShell free?

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

### Do DGTSL Self or ideaShell have ads?

Neither DGTSL Self nor ideaShell shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, DGTSL Self or ideaShell?

DGTSL Self ships an update every 2 weeks, and ideaShell every 9 days. Most recently, DGTSL Self was updated on November 4, 2026 and ideaShell on November 4, 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.*