f.lux vs Iris (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, f.lux grades higher than Iris: 3.0 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 6, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
f.lux grades higher on value for money and the free plan. Iris grades higher on features. They get the same grade on ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
f.lux
Warms your screen's color at night to match the time of day
Free plan · from $24 one-time
Iris
Screen color and brightness software for eye comfort
Free trial · from $1.99/mo
Which one is for you
Pick f.lux if
- Fits if you're at a computer most evenings and want the screen warmer
- Works for a household on a mix of Mac, Windows and Linux machines
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want it on your phone, since iOS needs a jailbreak and Android needs root
- Not for you if you do color-critical work all evening, as the maker suggests turning it off for apps like Photoshop
- Pricey if your IT team rolls it out, because managed company use needs the $24 per device license, $12 after the first 10
- Watch out: the Corporate Edition is Windows only and English only, with no volume discounts below 500 seats
- Watch out: Philips Hue control is Windows only, and work use needs your employer's permission even on the free version
Pick Iris if
- Fits if you work at a screen late and just want it warmer after dark
- Makes sense if you'd rather pay once than monthly
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a free filter with controls, because Iris mini has none and sits at two fixed settings
- Tight if you want updates on the cheap licence, since Iris Pro at $14.99 leaves out major feature updates
- Watch out: each licence covers one device at a time, though it can be moved
- Watch out: the trial download asks for an email address that the vendor uses for tips and news
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAf.luxVery good | 2.6GPAIrisGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree for personal use, and a plain download on all three systems. A company pays $24 per device once for the Windows Corporate Edition, dropping to $12 after the first 10, with a year of updates included. Either way it's under what paid utilities here ask. | B$1.99 a month sits inside the cheaper quarter of utilities, which starts at $2.42. The $14.99 one-time Pro licence is cheap too, but it leaves out major updates; the Lifelong one that includes them is $49.99. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe personal version is free on macOS, Windows and Linux, and it's the standard app, not a cut-down one. One condition: on a work computer you need your employer's knowledge and permission. | CA 7-day trial, and the free Iris mini has no interface and two fixed settings. Downloading the trial asks for an email address. |
| Features | CWarming a screen is a small job, and f.lux covers it: 6500K by day, warmer after sunset, a Bedtime tied to your wake time, presets, custom colors, Darkroom, a 2.5 hour Movie mode and switching off for chosen apps. That's all it does, and Philips Hue control is Windows only. | BColour temperature and brightness, nine presets, automatic mode and custom presets. Nothing in the listing is missing from a blue-light filter's job. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating is on record, but there's nothing to set up: it works out the schedule from your location and wake time and runs from a menu by the clock. You can switch it off for an hour, or until sunrise, when colour matters. | BNo store rating on record. You install it, pick a preset or leave it on automatic, and there is nothing to set up. |
| Platforms and integrations | CMac, Windows and Linux, which sounds broad but it's a computer program and nothing else. Phones barely count: iOS needs a jailbroken device and Android a rooted one. The one thing it connects to is Philips Hue, and only on Windows. | CWindows, Mac and Linux, but all desktops. No phone or web version and no integrations. |
| Best for | a warmer screen in the evening, set and forgotten | a basic blue-light filter on Windows, Mac or Linux |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: f.lux and Iris. How we grade
Where they differ
- Iris can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- f.lux also covers menu bar app.
In commonmacOSWindowsLinuxDisplay control
At a glance
| f.lux | Iris | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $24 per device, one-time (Windows Corporate Edition) | $1.99 per month |
| Free plan | The personal version is free on macOS and Linux, and free on Windows for personal use. Using it on a work computer needs your employer's knowledge and permission. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 7 days free; invited friends who install Iris earn extra free months of Iris Pro |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | f.lux Software LLC | Iris Technologies EOOD |
| Price read from | justgetflux.com | iristech.co |
| Checked | Oct 6, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
f.lux
- The Corporate Edition is for Windows only and in English only, at $24 per device for the first 10 devices and $12 for each one after.
- The vendor treats company-recommended or IT-managed use as commercial use that needs the paid corporate license.
- It is not designed for advanced color work; the vendor suggests disabling it while using apps such as Photoshop.
- Mobile support is limited: the iOS version needs a jailbroken device and the Android build needs a rooted phone.
Iris
- Iris Pro is a license for one version; major feature updates need the subscription or the Lifelong license.
- Each license covers one device at a time, though it can be moved to a new machine.
- Iris mini, the free version, has no interface and fixed settings.
- Downloading the trial asks for an e-mail address, which the vendor says it uses for tips and product news.
Key features
f.lux
- Automatic color temperature
- Shifts the display's color temperature with the time of day: 6500K in daytime by default and warmer after sunset, timed from your location.
- Bedtime tied to your wake time
- A Bedtime setting removes as much alerting light as possible before sleep and moves with the wake time you set. Options cover sleeping in on weekends and an earlier bedtime for teens.
- Presets and custom colors
- Presets include Recommended colors, Classic f.lux and Working late, and Custom colors lets you pick a color temperature for each part of the day.
- Darkroom and Movie mode
- Darkroom removes all blue and green light and inverts colors. Movie mode lasts 2.5 hours and keeps colors and shadow detail with a warmer tone.
- Disable when color matters
- Can be turned off for an hour, until sunrise, or whenever a chosen app is active, which the vendor suggests for color-critical work.
- Philips Hue control
- The Windows version can drive Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance lights so that room lighting follows the same schedule as the screen.
Iris
- Color temperature and brightness
- Lowers blue light and adjusts brightness; the vendor says brightness is changed without PWM, the flicker approach many monitors use.
- Presets and modes
- Nine presets, including Health, Sleep, Reading, Programming, Sunglasses, Dark and Movie, with Automatic, Manual and Paused modes.
- Custom presets
- Advanced settings let you build your own preset; the site mentions 20+ advanced features.
- Iris mini
- A free, stripped-down version with no interface; it switches between 5000K and 3400K and between 100% and 80% brightness in automatic mode.
- Invite-a-friend time
- Invited friends get 1 month of Iris Pro, and the person who invites gets 1 more month for each person who downloads it.
Plans
f.lux
Personal$0
The standard app for macOS, Windows and Linux, free for personal use and supported by voluntary contributions.
Corporate Edition$24
per device, one-time; $12 per device after the first 10
Windows-only build for companies: automated installs, automatic updates and home automation disabled, and one year of updates included.
Iris
Subscription$1.99
per month for 1 PC, billed monthly
Activates both Iris and Iris mini on one device at a time, with free program updates.
Iris Pro$14.99
one-time
Lifelong license for one version on one device at a time; free minor builds and bug fixes, but major feature updates are not included.
Lifelong$49.99
one-time
One-time purchase valid for all future versions, with free program updates, on one device at a time.
Ways to pay less
f.lux
- Other savings
Volume quotes from 500 seats
The corporate page says there are no discounts below 500 seats; for larger quantities the vendor quotes discounted rates and accepts purchase orders.
Iris
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, f.lux or Iris?
As of Nov 13, 2026, f.lux starts at $24 per device, one-time (Windows Corporate Edition), and Iris starts at $1.99 per month.
Which has a free plan, f.lux or Iris?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only f.lux has a free plan. Iris does not, though it has a free trial.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.