Comparison

Blue Iris vs Effy Mobile

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

Effy Mobile

This AI-powered assistant acts as a virtual receptionist for your business, answering calls, texting customers, and booking appointments. It centralizes communications, transcribes calls, and updates your CRM automatically, ensuring no leads are missed.

Highlights
  • 24/7 AI receptionist
  • Automated call answering
  • Customer texting
  • Appointment booking
  • Call transcription and summarization
  • Unified inbox for messages
  • CRM integration
  • Fax sending
Features
Read full description

Running a business means wearing every hat, and the phone never stops ringing. Effy Mobile is here to help you keep up, without hiring a full front desk. Think of Effy as an extra set of hands. When you can't pick up, Effy can answer calls, text customers back, book appointments, while making sure no lead falls through the cracks while you're busy actually running your business. What Effy does for you Answers when you can't. A 24/7 AI receptionist picks up calls, day or night, so you never lose a customer to voicemail. Remembers everything, so you don't have to. Every call gets transcribed and summarized automatically, no more scrambling for notes. Book appointments while you sleep. Effy can schedule meetings and send reminders on its own. Keeps every conversation in one place. Texts, WhatsApp messages, and calls all land in a single inbox. Sends faxes without a fax machine. Yes, really right from your phone. Updates your CRM automatically. New leads and conversations get organized for you, instantly. Keeps spam off your line. Your business number stays clean and trustworthy. Built to be trusted. HIPAA and NIST compliant, with 99.99% uptime because your customers are counting on you. Effy isn't trying to replace how you run your business, it's trying to give you back the time you're losing to missed calls, manual follow-ups, and busywork.

Screenshots

Blue Iris4 screens
Effy Mobile4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Effy Mobile at Free against Blue Iris's $9.99. Effy Mobile also leads on rating (4.0 vs 3.7). Blue Iris's advantage is ratings volume (423 vs 1) and chart position (#46 vs unranked). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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

Effy Mobile 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

Effy Mobile holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Blue Iris has 423 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Blue Iris versus Effy Mobile: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBlue IrisEffy Mobile
Price$9.99Free — better
Rating3.7 (423 ratings)4.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews55.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings423 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 4 daysEvery 4 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
Best chart rank#46 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better16.6
Further details — not scored
Size31 MB56 MB
Age rating+49+
DeveloperKen PletzerBidclover

Customer experience

Blue Iris

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

Effy Mobile

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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

Effy Mobile

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Blue Iris

No in-app purchases

None

Effy Mobile

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Blue Iris free?
Blue Iris costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Effy Mobile free?
Effy Mobile is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Blue Iris or Effy Mobile?
Effy Mobile is rated higher. Blue Iris averages 3.7 out of 5 from 423 ratings, while Effy Mobile averages 4.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Blue Iris or Effy Mobile have ads?
Neither Blue Iris nor Effy Mobile shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Blue Iris or Effy Mobile?
Blue Iris ships an update every 4 days, and Effy Mobile every 4 days. Most recently, Blue Iris was updated on November 6, 2026 and Effy Mobile on October 31, 2026.

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