ShellX vs Sidekick for iOS
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β with what reviewers say about each.
ShellX
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The missing link between your phone and your automation workflows. ShellX is a thin client that connects your mobile device directly to n8n, Make, Zapier, Home Assistant, or any webhook endpoint. Voice, text, photos, documents, barcodes, GPS β everything goes straight to YOUR infrastructure. We never see your data. HOW IT WORKS 1. Configure your webhook URL 2. Send input (voice, text, photo, scan) 3. Your automation processes it 4. See the response (text, voice, or image) That's it. ShellX doesn't process anything β your workflow does. USE CASES - Chat with your AI agent connected to your company data - Field workers submitting reports via voice - Inventory management with barcode scanning - Home automation voice control - Client-facing interface for your automation agency KEY FEATURES - Works with ANY webhook (n8n, Make, Zapier, ESP32, custom APIs) - Voice input transcribed and sent to your workflow - Responses can be text, audio, or images - Labels to switch between multiple workflows instantly - Quick Mode for one-off commands, Chat Mode for conversations - QR and barcode scanner built-in - Photo and document uploads - Push notifications when your workflow responds - GPS location sharing PRIVACY BY DESIGN Your data never touches our servers. ShellX connects directly to your endpoint. Conversation history stays on your device. No accounts required for personal use. All features included. No ads. No data mining.
Sidekick for iOS
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Meet your new work bot. Sidekick is a personal agent that monitors your Gmail and Calendar, clicks and types in Chrome for you, joins your meetings, makes and receives phone calls on your behalf, and remembers everything that matters β across web, phone, and SMS. NEW: Give your Sidekick its own phone number. It answers incoming calls, takes messages, sends and receives SMS, and follows up β like a real assistant. β WHAT YOUR SIDEKICK CAN DO β INBOX & CALENDAR, ON AUTOPILOT β’ Realtime Gmail and Google Calendar triage β surfaces what needs you right now β’ Daily morning digest of your schedule β’ Proactively suggests next actions and offers to handle them β’ Reads and edits Google Docs, Sheets, Drive, and Google Tasks PHONE & SMS β’ Your assistant gets its own dedicated phone number β’ Make and receive calls through your Sidekick β’ Send and receive text messages β’ AI receptionist answers, triages, and takes messages on your behalf VOICE & MEETINGS β’ Ultra-natural voice mode for hands-free conversations β’ Joins your Zoom and Google Meet calls to take notes and follow up β’ Listening mode for real-time summaries and suggestions β’ Pick up the same conversation across web, phone, and SMS β without losing context MEMORYMESHβ’ β REMEMBERS EVERYTHING β’ Proprietary structured memory that persists across browser, voice, SMS, and web β’ Recalls every past conversation, fact, person, and workflow β’ Teach it once β it remembers forever ALL THE BEST AI, IN ONE PLACE β’ Claude, GPT-5, Gemini, and more β the right models for any task β’ AI-powered web search built in β’ No vendor lock-in WORKS EVERYWHERE YOU DO β’ iPhone and iPad β’ Companion browser extension that sees the page you're on, clicks and types for you, and automates any website β’ Desktop app with optional local model support β’ Push notifications, camera, photo library, and contacts integration CONNECT YOUR STACK β’ MCP support to plug into Slack, GitHub, Notion, Linear, Salesforce, and more β’ Launch and manage Cursor Cloud Agents from your assistant β’ Scheduled automations and recurring jobs β’ Let any AI agent (Cursor, Claude, etc.) drive your browser via MCP Stop managing your day. Start directing it. Download Sidekick Pro and put your AI to work. Terms of Use (EULA) https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ShellX at none against Sidekick for iOS's 3. ShellX also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 2 weeks) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Sidekick for iOS sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $20.00 per month. ShellX asks for nothing beyond the download.
ShellX ships an update every 3 days, Sidekick for iOS every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ShellX | Sidekick for iOS |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 3 days β better | Every 2 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No β better | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 β better | 18.0 |
| Further details β not scored | ||
| Size | 37 MB | 21 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Laurens van Leer B.V. | Gadget Labs |
In-app purchases
ShellX
No in-app purchases
Sidekick for iOS
- Plus$20.001 Month
- Business$39.001 Month
- Ultra$200.001 Month
Questions
Is ShellX free?
Is Sidekick for iOS free?
Do ShellX or Sidekick for iOS have ads?
Which is updated more often, ShellX or Sidekick for iOS?
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