Comparison

Blue Iris vs Amcrest Cloud

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

Amcrest Cloud

This AI-powered cloud service provides advanced video monitoring for IP cameras. It offers cloud storage, motion detection alerts, and sophisticated object detection for enhanced security.

Highlights
  • AI-powered cloud service
  • Cloud storage
  • Motion detection alerts
  • People, vehicle, animal detection
  • Camera health checks
  • 4K model support
Features
Read full description

Amcrest Cloud is an AI-powered cloud service designed to work exclusively with the Amcrest line of IP cameras, including the latest 4K models. The service is a premium cloud video monitoring platform designed for the home and small business and includes cloud storage, advanced camera health checks, motion detection alerts and more! The Cloud AI module enables world class people, vehicle, animal and objection detection to power your cloud surveillance.

Screenshots

Blue Iris4 screens
Amcrest Cloud3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Amcrest Cloud at Free against Blue Iris's $9.99. Amcrest Cloud also leads on rating (4.2 vs 3.7) and ratings volume (5.9K vs 418). Blue Iris's advantage is review sentiment (56% vs 20%) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 4 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Amcrest Cloud 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

Amcrest Cloud holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Amcrest Cloud has 5.9K ratings behind it against 418, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 56% of Blue Iris's written reviews are positive against 20% of Amcrest Cloud's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Blue Iris ships an update every 4 days, Amcrest Cloud every 4 months. Both last shipped on October 1, 2026.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
Blue Iris versus Amcrest Cloud: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBlue IrisAmcrest Cloud
Price$9.99Free — better
Rating3.7 (418 ratings)4.2 (5.9K ratings) — better
Positive reviews55.8% of reviews — better20.1% of reviews
Number of ratings4185.9K — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 days — betterEvery 4 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFreemium — better
Best chart rank#41 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.613.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size31 MB61 MB
Age rating+44+
DeveloperKen PletzerAmcrest

Customer experience

Blue Iris

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

Amcrest Cloud

All ratings5,860 ratings
Positive79.6%
Neutral7.0%
Negative13.4%
Written reviews134 reviews
Positive20.1%
Neutral14.2%
Negative65.7%

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

Amcrest Cloud

From 5.9K App Store ratings

What we love

  • ⭐ Great camera
  • 👍 Easy to set up
  • 🚀 Very high resolution picture
  • 🚀 Great performance in the app
  • 🚀 No streaming latency

Room to improve

  • 🐛 No video recorded despite motion detection
  • 🐛 Cannot connect to WiFi
  • 🐛 Will not record to SD card
  • 🤔 Confusing app
  • 🤔 Cannot add more cameras

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 Cloud

Reported bugs

6 issues
  • Camera firmware update bricking cameras
  • Inability to connect cameras to WiFi
  • Cameras disconnecting from cloud
  • App login issues
  • Inability to change detection zones
Show 1 more
  • Notifications not working

Requested features

2 requests
  • Multiple saved camera locations
  • Ability to view more than 4 hours of recordings

In-app purchases

None

Blue Iris

No in-app purchases

None

Amcrest Cloud

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Blue Iris free?
Blue Iris costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Amcrest Cloud free?
Amcrest Cloud is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Blue Iris or Amcrest Cloud?
Amcrest Cloud is rated higher. Blue Iris averages 3.7 out of 5 from 418 ratings, while Amcrest Cloud averages 4.2 from 5.9K ratings.
Do Blue Iris or Amcrest Cloud have ads?
Neither Blue Iris nor Amcrest Cloud shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Blue Iris or Amcrest Cloud?
Blue Iris ships an update every 4 days, and Amcrest Cloud every 4 months. Most recently, Blue Iris was updated on October 1, 2026 and Amcrest Cloud on October 1, 2026.

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