Iris vs Vivid (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Iris and Vivid share a 2.6 GPA, and only Vivid has a free plan.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Iris grades higher on features and platforms. Vivid grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Iris
Screen color and brightness software for eye comfort
Vivid
Mac app that unlocks extra brightness on XDR displays
Which one is for you
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
Pick Vivid if
- Fits if you own a MacBook Pro or Studio Display with an XDR screen
- Works for people who want more brightness in sunlight and don't mind a battery hit
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if your Mac isn't an XDR model, as Intel Macs, MacBook Air, the M1 13-inch Pro and the non-XDR Studio Display don't work
- Tight if you want full-screen brightness free, since the free mode only covers half the screen
- Watch out: macOS can cut maximum brightness when the display gets warm, the vendor says
- Watch out: the site shows euros and the dollar price is only on the US App Store listing
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAIrisGood | 2.6GPAVividGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | A$9.99 one-time on the US Mac App Store, under a year of the typical utility subscription at about $40. The vendor's own site prices it in euros. |
| Free plan and trial | CA 7-day trial, and the free Iris mini has no interface and two fixed settings. Downloading the trial asks for an email address. | BSplitscreen Mode is free with no time limit, but only half the screen reaches full brightness. One person could live with it for a while. |
| Features | BColour temperature and brightness, nine presets, automatic mode and custom presets. Nothing in the listing is missing from a blue-light filter's job. | CDoes its one job fully: system-wide extra brightness, a menu bar toggle, shortcuts and battery automation. It is a small job, and only XDR displays work. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record. You install it, pick a preset or leave it on automatic, and there is nothing to set up. | BNo rating on record. You install it and flip a toggle; nothing to configure. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWindows, Mac and Linux, but all desktops. No phone or web version and no integrations. | DMac only, and only certain Macs. No Windows, Linux, phone or web version. |
| Best for | a basic blue-light filter on Windows, Mac or Linux | extra brightness on an XDR Mac screen |
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: Iris and Vivid. How we grade
Where they differ
- Vivid also covers menu bar app.
At a glance
| Iris | Vivid | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $1.99 per month | $9.99 one-time (Mac App Store in-app purchase) |
| Free plan | None | Splitscreen Mode: half of the screen can reach full brightness, for as long as you like. |
| Free trial | 7 days free; invited friends who install Iris earn extra free months of Iris Pro | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | Iris Technologies EOOD | Lumen Digital |
| Price read from | iristech.co | getvivid.app |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Vivid
- Only XDR displays are supported; Intel MacBooks, MacBook Air, the M1 13-inch MacBook Pro and the non-XDR Studio Display are not.
- Macs only; there is no Windows or Linux version.
- The vendor's site prices licenses in euros; a dollar price is shown only on the US Mac App Store listing.
- macOS can limit maximum brightness when the display gets warm, the vendor says.
Key features
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.
Vivid
- System-wide extra brightness
- Uses the brightness range macOS normally keeps for HDR content, so the regular brightness keys go past the usual maximum.
- Menu bar toggle and shortcuts
- Turn Vivid on or off from the menu bar, with custom keyboard shortcuts to toggle and to raise or lower brightness.
- Battery automation
- Vivid can switch on or off depending on battery state, according to its App Store listing.
- Free Splitscreen Mode
- Half the screen reaches full brightness with no time limit, so you can check it fits your workflow before buying.
- Several ways to buy
- Available on the vendor's site, on Gumroad, on the Mac App Store with an in-app purchase, and through Setapp.
Plans
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.
Vivid
Splitscreen Mode$0
Free: half of the screen goes into full brightness mode.
Single License$9.99
one-time, for personal devices; the vendor's site shows € 10
Unlocks the whole screen. The $9.99 is the Mac App Store in-app purchase as listed in the US store.
Team License€40
one-time, for up to 5 devices
About € 8 per device; the site lists this price in euros only.
Company License€60
one-time, for up to 10 devices
About € 6 per device; the site lists this price in euros only.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Iris or Vivid?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Iris starts at $1.99 per month, and Vivid starts at $9.99 one-time (Mac App Store in-app purchase).
Which has a free plan, Iris or Vivid?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Vivid has a free plan. Iris does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do Iris and Vivid run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Iris lists Windows and Linux apps. Both list a macOS app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
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.