# Blue Iris vs Panel ID

The clearest difference is price: Panel ID at Free against Blue Iris's $9.99. Panel ID also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.7). Blue Iris's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (418 vs 1). On ads, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

Panel ID holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Blue Iris has 418 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Blue Iris ships an update every 4 days, Panel ID every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Blue Iris | Panel ID |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $9.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [3.7 (418 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blue-iris/id585350145/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/panel-id/id6747643951/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **418** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 55.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#27** | — |
| Size | 31 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 15.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | +4 | 17+ |
| Developer | [Ken Pletzer](https://appshunter.io/developer/585350148) | [Dustin Holt](https://appshunter.io/developer/1822152227) |

## What reviewers say

### Blue Iris

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

**Currently charting:** #27 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


### Panel ID

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/panel-id/id6747643951)

This app provides quick access to electrical panel information for a specific hospital. Users can search by ID, room, or floor, add notes and photos, and export data in PDF or CSV format. It's designed for facilities management and offers on-device storage with no login or ads.

**Highlights:** Instant search by panel ID, room, floor, branch, or comment, Mark critical panels as favorites, Add stamped notes and attach photos, Export inspection packs as PDF or CSV, Voice-trigger exports with Siri shortcuts (iOS 17+), 100% on-device storage, no login required

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Blue Iris free?

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

### Is Panel ID free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Blue Iris or Panel ID?

Panel ID is rated higher. Blue Iris averages 3.7 out of 5 from 418 ratings, while Panel ID averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Blue Iris or Panel ID have ads?

Neither Blue Iris nor Panel ID shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Blue Iris or Panel ID?

Blue Iris ships an update every 4 days, and Panel ID every 4 months. Most recently, Blue Iris was updated on October 13, 2026 and Panel ID on September 30, 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.*