Comparison

VERO vs Irys

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

Head to head
About

VERO

Connect authentically with friends and family on a social platform free from ads and algorithms. Share your passions, from music and movies to books and places, in a chronological feed. Create dedicated spaces for communities and engage in live audio and chat.

Highlights
  • Ad-free chronological feed
  • Share music, movies, books, and places
  • Customizable profile 'Sleeve'
  • Community Rooms with live audio
  • Chronological chat and calls
  • Discovery feature for niche communities
Features
Read full description

Ad-free social, built for authentic connection. VERO is a place to share what you love with the people who matter to you. SHARE WHAT YOU LOVE Share the music you're playing, the movie you can't stop thinking about, the book on your nightstand and the place you found last weekend, alongside your photos and video, links, games and apps. Write an Introduction post to recommend someone your community should know. - Each post goes to the people you choose, from close friends to acquaintances and followers - Your feed stays in chronological order, so you see what people share in the order they share it - Add photos, video and posts to your Story - Choose Light, Dark or Blurred in Appearance YOUR SLEEVE™ Your posts live on your profile. Your Sleeve is where you choose what to share beyond them: your world in one shareable link. - Make it unmistakably yours with a wallpaper of your own - Spotlight your favorite profiles and your recent posts - Host multiple Community Rooms - Earn through your Sleeve with a Shop, or a Premium Channel with subscriber-only product drops, exclusive content and special access COMMUNITY ROOMS Community Rooms bring your people together. Each room has chat and live audio, with hosts and listeners, and can be open to all or for subscribing members only. Invite people in from your Story, and find live rooms in Discovery, your Stories and your chats. FIND PEOPLE WHO LOVE WHAT YOU LOVE - The profile images on a post show who else has shared the same thing, and what they said about it - Discover another creator's Sleeve through Suggestions in your navigation - Search shows what's popular in music, movies, TV, books, games, apps and places DISCOVERY Discovery is where communities form around the things you love. Add a Discovery Tag like 'Street' or '35mm' to a photo and it appears in that community. You start as a Newcomer, and as people vouch for you, you become a Member. When you vouch for someone whose work inspires you, you help them get seen. CHAT AND CALLS Chat is where you keep the conversation alive. - Message by text or voice note, one to one or in a group - React to messages, and reply in threads or to a specific message - Pin the people, groups and rooms you talk to most - Sort chats by individual, unread, groups, Community Rooms and requests - Call people you're connected with by video or audio SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION If you subscribe to a Premium Channel through Apple, payment will be charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period at the rate of the selected plan. You can manage subscriptions and turn off auto-renewal in Account Settings after purchase. Terms of Use (EULA): https://vero.co/terms-of-use Privacy Policy: https://vero.co/privacy-policy

About

Irys

This app is a community for photography enthusiasts to share their work, connect with others, and get inspired. It offers features like large image uploads, no follower counts, and curated content, with opportunities to win prizes through competitions.

Highlights
  • Upload images up to 50MB
  • No visible follower counts
  • Curated photography highlights
  • Share any aspect ratio
  • Join and curate groups
  • Organize work by themes/portfolios
  • Spotlight competitions
Features
Read full description

Irys is an app and community built for all photography lovers. A place to share your work without noise or pressure, and to connect with others who care about the craft. Features include: • Upload images up to 50MB • No visible follower counts : build a following for the right reasons! • Get inspired with great photography and curated highlights from our team • Share any aspect ratio with no forced cropping • Join and curate groups around what you love • Organise your work by themes and portfolios • Enter Spotlight competitions (exclusively on Irys!) for a chance to win prizes from top industry partners • Optional EXIF details like camera and lens information Whether you're a working photographer, a passionate hobbyist, or simply someone who loves great images, Irys was built for you! Terms of Service: https://support.irysphotos.com/hc/en-gb/articles/5020127716639-Terms-and-conditions Privacy Policy: https://support.irysphotos.com/hc/en-gb/articles/5020165583903-Privacy-Policy

Screenshots

VERO4 screens
Irys4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: VERO at none against Irys's shown. VERO also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and ratings volume (1.5K vs 40). Irys's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). On price, rating, 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

Both are free to download. VERO sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Irys sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.2 for VERO against 4.2 for Irys. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: VERO has 1.5K ratings behind it against 40, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 60% of VERO's written reviews are positive against 51% of Irys's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

VERO ships an update every 3 weeks, Irys weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
VERO versus Irys: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterVEROIrys
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (1.5K ratings) — better4.2 (40 ratings)
Positive reviews59.9% of reviews — better50.5% of reviews
Number of ratings1.5K — better40
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.617.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size661 MB106 MB
Age rating17+12+
DeveloperVero Labs IncSilvertone Media Ltd

Customer experience

VERO

All ratings1,533 ratings
Positive79.6%
Neutral4.1%
Negative16.2%
Written reviews1,273 reviews
Positive59.9%
Neutral9.1%
Negative31.0%

Irys

All ratings39 ratings
Positive76.9%
Neutral5.1%
Negative17.9%
Written reviews91 reviews
Positive50.5%
Neutral13.2%
Negative36.3%

User reviews

VERO

From 1.5K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 No ads or algorithms
  • 🚀 Great for photographers and creatives
  • 💡 Unique features like music/book sharing
  • 👍 Friendly community
  • 🔒 Respects user privacy

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Stability and performance issues
  • 🔍 Difficulty discovering new content and users
  • 🤔 Confusing connection/follower system
  • 🙁 Lack of user growth and engagement

Irys

From 40 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🤩 Great alternative to Instagram
  • 👍 Positive community vibe
  • 💡 Focused on photography
  • 🤗 Throwback to old Instagram

Room to improve

  • 🤢 Awful color scheme and UI
  • 🤯 Buggy and freezes often
  • 💰 Monetization issues

Bugs and requests

VERO

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Frequent crashes and loading issues
  • Unreliable verification code delivery
  • Inconsistent behavior across devices

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add text-only post option
  • Improve search and discovery
  • Introduce stories or similar feature
  • Expand to more platforms (web, iPad)

Irys

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • App freezes when trying to post
  • Invite codes not working

Requested features

3 requests
  • Improve UI and UX design
  • Fix bugs and stability issues
  • Reconsider monetization strategy

In-app purchases

3 purchases

VERO

Subscriptions3
  • UTRB Monthly$1.991 Month
  • Thunder Jackson Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Monthly Creator Subscription$4.991 Month
2 purchases

Irys

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Premium$5.991 Month
  • Annual Premium$59.991 Year

Questions

Is VERO free?
VERO is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Irys free?
Irys is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, VERO or Irys?
VERO is rated higher. VERO averages 4.2 out of 5 from 1.5K ratings, while Irys averages 4.2 from 40 ratings.
Do VERO or Irys have ads?
Irys shows ads; VERO does not.
Which is updated more often, VERO or Irys?
VERO ships an update every 3 weeks, and Irys weekly. Most recently, VERO was updated on November 6, 2026 and Irys on November 5, 2026.

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