Blue Iris vs Amcrest View Pro
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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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.
Amcrest View Pro
This application connects with Amcrest IP cameras and HDCVI DVR/NVR systems. It allows users to configure their cameras and view live feeds from any location globally.
- Connects to Amcrest IP cameras
- Supports HDCVI DVR & NVR systems
- Remote camera configuration
- Global live camera viewing
- Easy setup
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Amcrest View is used in conjunction with Amcrest IP Cameras as well as HDCVI DVR & NVR systems. Configure your cameras together with the Amcrest View app to see your cameras from anywhere in the world!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Amcrest View Pro at Free against Blue Iris's $9.99. Amcrest View Pro also leads on ratings volume (2.4K vs 418) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.6). Blue Iris's advantage is rating (3.7 vs 2.7) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 months). On 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
Amcrest View Pro 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 2.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Amcrest View Pro has 2.4K ratings behind it against 418, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 56% of Blue Iris's written reviews are positive against 27% of Amcrest View Pro's.
Blue Iris ships an update every 4 days, Amcrest View Pro every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Blue Iris | Amcrest View Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $9.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 3.7 (418 ratings) — better | 2.7 (2.4K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 55.8% of reviews — better | 27.2% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 418 | 2.4K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 4 days — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #28 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 8.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 31 MB | 76 MB |
| Age rating | +4 | 4+ |
| Developer | Ken Pletzer | Amcrest |
Customer experience
Blue Iris
Amcrest View Pro
User reviews
Blue Iris
From 418 App Store ratingsWhat 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
Amcrest View Pro
From 2.4K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Fast and responsive
- 🔒 Good security features
- 👍 Easy to set up and use
- 💡 Useful as a baby monitor
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent connectivity issues
- 🐛 Unreliable motion detection and notifications
- 🐛 Buggy and glitchy app
- 👎 Confusing and unintuitive interface
- 🔋 Camera goes offline randomly
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
Amcrest View Pro
Reported bugs
5 issues- App crashes when trying to access playback or settings
- Cameras disappear from the app at random times
- PTZ functions no longer work
- Push notifications have stopped working
- Difficulty reconnecting cameras to new WiFi networks
Requested features
5 requests- Add ability to customize motion detection settings
- Improve playback functionality and timeline controls
- Implement better support for multiple cameras
- Allow firmware updates through the app
- Optimize app for larger iPhone screens
In-app purchases
Blue Iris
No in-app purchases
Amcrest View Pro
No in-app purchases
