# DS cam vs Blue Iris

The clearest difference is price: DS cam at Free against Blue Iris's $9.99. Blue Iris's advantage is rating (3.7 vs 3.0) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 4 months). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

DS cam is free to download; Blue Iris costs $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Blue Iris holds the better App Store score, 3.7 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 172 and 418 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 32% of DS cam's written reviews are positive against 56% of Blue Iris's.

DS cam ships an update every 4 months, Blue Iris every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | DS cam | Blue Iris |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $9.99 |
| Rating | [3.0 (172 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ds-cam/id349087111/reviews) | **[3.7 (418 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blue-iris/id585350145/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 172 | **418** |
| Positive reviews | 31.8% of reviews | **55.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#50** |
| Size | 85 MB | 31 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | +4 |
| Developer | [Synology Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/321493109) | [Ken Pletzer](https://appshunter.io/developer/585350148) |

## What reviewers say

### DS cam

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ds-cam/id349087111)

Monitor and receive alerts from your Synology surveillance cameras. Control PTZ, patrols, and lens functions in real-time. Easily filter recordings and manage essential tasks like disabling cameras or deleting snapshots.

**Highlights:** Real-time camera monitoring, Alert notifications, PTZ, patrol, and lens control, Advanced recording filters, Essential management tasks, Snapshot management

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Works great
- 👍 Good and useful app
- 🚀 Fast and stable
- 👍 Completely control camera recordings
- 👍 Toggle through events easily

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Regular app crashing
- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 🐛 Cannot scroll back in timeline without issues
- 🐛 Event viewer rarely works
- 🐛 Slow and clunky

**Reported bugs**

- Regular app crashing
- Cannot scroll back in timeline without issues
- Event viewer rarely works
- Keeps buffering
- Crashes constantly

**Requested features**

- Selective motion notifications
- Custom notification sounds
- Ability to categorize alerts
- Live scrubbing on timeline
- Bookmarks and advanced filtering


### Blue Iris

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blue-iris/id585350145)

**Currently charting:** #50 Top Paid · Utilities (US App Store)

Access and manage your home camera network remotely through a secure client for the Blue Iris PC software. View live streams, review recordings, and receive alerts from your cameras. Offers advanced controls and two-way audio for compatible devices.

**Highlights:** Manage multiple Blue Iris installations, Receive push notification alerts, Fast H.264 streaming, Control PTZ and two-way audio, Review and download recordings, Broadcast live video from device, Geofencing alerts

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Reliable and stable
- 🔒 Secure remote access
- 👍 Comprehensive features
- 🚀 Smooth video playback
- 💡 Useful push notifications

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🔋 Drains battery on mobile devices
- 👎 Outdated and dated UI design
- 🔍 Difficult to navigate and configure
- 🚫 Requires Blue Iris desktop software

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to save video clips
- Inconsistent behavior when switching between live view and playback
- Push notifications not working reliably
- Cameras sometimes shown as offline when they are not
- Crashes when rotating device or accessing certain features

**Requested features**

- Add support for VPN connections
- Improve video scrubbing and playback controls
- Implement a more modern and responsive UI
- Allow for more granular user permissions and access levels
- Provide better integration with home automation systems


## Frequently asked questions

### Is DS cam free?

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

### Is Blue Iris free?

Blue Iris costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, DS cam or Blue Iris?

Blue Iris is rated higher. DS cam averages 3.0 out of 5 from 172 ratings, while Blue Iris averages 3.7 from 418 ratings.

### Do DS cam or Blue Iris have ads?

Neither DS cam nor Blue Iris shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, DS cam or Blue Iris?

DS cam ships an update every 4 months, and Blue Iris every 4 days. Most recently, DS cam was updated on October 8, 2026 and Blue Iris on October 16, 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.*