Comparison

Blue Iris vs ZeroTier One

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Blue Iris

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
Currently charting
Read full description

This app is a CLIENT for the Blue Iris Windows PC software. In order to make use of this app, you must have Blue Iris version 6 installed and running on a Windows PC or VM. Instructions for connecting this app to the PC software are found in the Remote Access chapter of its Help file. This app provides a single point of contact to your home camera network. There is no need to insecurely open individual cameras to the Internet. This app connects using a secure and session-based protocol--no passwords are transmitted in plain text. Remote access does require router configuration or NGROK, which you can test without the app by using Safari. You should see your Blue Iris login page. Key features include: - Manage multiple Blue Iris installations - Geofencing: set status, send alerts, and more in response to device location * - Control the shield icon, schedule and profile selection - Receive iOS push notification alerts when a Blue Iris camera is triggered or there is a critical status message - Fast H.264 streaming - Control PTZ, IR and more for any camera that’s also controllable at the Blue Iris PC - Listen to and talk to any camera that’s also supported at the Blue Iris PC - Navigate cameras by tapping and swiping - Review recordings as stored on the Blue Iris PC, up to 64x speed - Download recorded video from the Blue Iris PC to the iOS device - Selectively delete recordings from the Blue Iris PC - Broadcast live video from the iOS device directly into a Blue Iris PC camera window - Remote control DIO output signals on compatible devices - Baby monitor functionality: continue to listen to audio with app closed or device in standby ** * Note that continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life. ** Note that continued use of audio streaming running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life.

About

ZeroTier One

Create secure, peer-to-peer virtual Ethernet networks on your iOS device. Connect to hybrid clouds, remote teams, and IoT devices without hardware. Easily join existing networks via a simple interface.

Highlights
  • Join ZeroTier virtual networks
  • Secure peer-to-peer connections
  • Connect hybrid clouds
  • Connect remote teams
  • Connect IoT devices
  • No hardware required
  • iOS VPN control panel integration
Read full description

ZeroTier One for iOS allows you to join ZeroTier virtual networks as VPN connections on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch. ZeroTier creates secure peer-to-peer virtual Ethernet networks that work anywhere. Skip the VPN hassles. Connect hybrid clouds, remote teams, and IoT devices directly with no hardware required. ZeroTier One provides virtual network endpoint functionality for iOS devices. Getting started takes seconds: Just tap '+', enter your network ID and name, and then click ‘join network.’ (Once a network is added you can also join it via the iOS VPN control panel. It will appear there as an available VPN connection.) You can only join one ZeroTier network at once due to an iOS limitation of one VPN connection per network extension app. The app allows you to add multiple networks but if you flip one to 'on' any others currently joined will disconnect. We value your feedback! If you encounter any issues or have suggestions for future improvements, please contact our support team through our website. Thanks for using ZeroTier! Clients for other platforms are available on https://www.zerotier.com/ and source code to ZeroTier's core engine can be found here: https://github.com/zerotier/ZeroTierOne

Screenshots

Blue Iris4 screens
ZeroTier One3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: ZeroTier One at Free against Blue Iris's $9.99. ZeroTier One also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.6). Blue Iris's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 months) and chart position (#41 vs unranked). On rating, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ZeroTier One holds the better App Store score, 3.9 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 418 and 189 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 56% of Blue Iris's written reviews are positive against 58% of ZeroTier One's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Blue Iris ships an update every 4 days, ZeroTier One every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Blue Iris versus ZeroTier One: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBlue IrisZeroTier One
Price$9.99Free — better
Rating3.7 (418 ratings)3.9 (189 ratings) — better
Positive reviews55.8% of reviews58.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings418 — better189
Update frequencyEvery 4 days — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
Best chart rank#41 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.612.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size31 MB10 MB
Age rating+44+
DeveloperKen PletzerZeroTier, Inc

Customer experience

Blue Iris

All ratings418 ratings
Positive64.8%
Neutral8.9%
Negative26.3%
Written reviews285 reviews
Positive55.8%
Neutral11.2%
Negative33.0%

ZeroTier One

All ratings182 ratings
Positive70.3%
Neutral7.1%
Negative22.5%
Written reviews157 reviews
Positive58.0%
Neutral12.1%
Negative29.9%

User reviews

Blue Iris

From 418 App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

ZeroTier One

From 189 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Works great
  • 🔒 Reliable and secure
  • 👍 Easy to set up and use
  • 🌐 Allows remote access to devices
  • 💡 Useful for gaming and collaboration

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Connectivity issues
  • 🔋 Battery drain
  • 🤔 Confusing UI
  • 🚫 Doesn't work on certain devices/OS versions

Bugs and requests

Blue Iris

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • 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

5 requests
  • 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

ZeroTier One

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Unable to add networks on iOS devices
  • Frequent disconnections and reconnection issues
  • Managed IP field always empty

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add support for custom planet and moon servers
  • Implement on-demand VPN functionality
  • Provide better network visibility and management
  • Improve compatibility with newer iOS versions

In-app purchases

None

Blue Iris

No in-app purchases

None

ZeroTier One

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Blue Iris free?
Blue Iris costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is ZeroTier One free?
ZeroTier One is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Blue Iris or ZeroTier One?
ZeroTier One is rated higher. Blue Iris averages 3.7 out of 5 from 418 ratings, while ZeroTier One averages 3.9 from 189 ratings.
Do Blue Iris or ZeroTier One have ads?
Neither Blue Iris nor ZeroTier One shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Blue Iris or ZeroTier One?
Blue Iris ships an update every 4 days, and ZeroTier One every 2 months. Most recently, Blue Iris was updated on October 1, 2026 and ZeroTier One on September 28, 2026.

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