Iris vs CircadianShield Pricing (2026): Every Plan Compared

Last updated: October 1, 2026. Iris prices were read from the iristech.co buy page, Iris Pro buy page, subscription page, licensing page and buying agreement on October 1, 2026. CircadianShield prices come from the CircadianShield download page and terms of service on the same day.

You have narrowed it down to Iris or CircadianShield and the deciding question is money: what each one costs, what you pay again later, and how many computers the licence covers. This page is written by CircadianShield, which sells one of the two apps, so read it as CircadianShield's own pricing comparison rather than a neutral review. Every Iris figure links to the Iris page it came from, and the features themselves stay on the separate CircadianShield vs Iris feature comparison.

Iris vs CircadianShield pricing table: every plan side by side

This table lists every paid plan Iris and CircadianShield sell today, with the payment type, the device limit and whether new versions are included. The Iris rows were read from the Iris buy page, the Iris Pro buy page and the Iris subscription page on October 1, 2026. The CircadianShield rows come from the CircadianShield download page and CircadianShield brand facts.

Each Iris subscription activates both Iris and Iris mini, according to the Iris subscription page. Every Iris licence can be moved to a new machine. Iris's own pages disagree on one small number: the Iris mini page says Iris mini Pro costs $8, while the buy page charges $9.99, so the table uses the buy page price. A CircadianShield licence works on Mac and Windows under the same key, and a Core owner who upgrades later pays $27 plus $20, the same total as buying CircadianShield Pro outright.

What Iris and CircadianShield cost over 1 to 4 years

Sticker price hides the real comparison, because Iris sells subscriptions and per-device licences while CircadianShield sells one payment for two computers. The table below multiplies the Iris prices from iristech.co/buy, iristech.co/buy-iris and iristech.co/buy-subscription out over time, against the one-time CircadianShield prices on the CircadianShield download page. It assumes prices stay where they are today.

The crossover points, worked from those same prices: the Iris $1.99 monthly plan costs $25.87 after 13 months and $27.86 after 14, so it passes CircadianShield Core in month 14. It costs $45.77 after 23 months and $47.76 after 24, so it passes CircadianShield Pro in month 24. The Iris $11.99 yearly plan passes CircadianShield Core in year 3 ($35.97) and CircadianShield Pro in year 4 ($47.96). On two computers, two Iris Pro licences at $29.98 already cost more than one CircadianShield Core licence.

Is Iris cheaper than CircadianShield?

Yes, if you have one computer and you are happy to stay on the Iris version you buy. Iris Pro at $14.99 one-time costs less than either CircadianShield plan, and Iris mini Pro at $9.99 is cheaper still for the smaller app (Iris buy page). The Iris Pro Lifelong plan with future updates costs $49.99, compared with $47 for CircadianShield Pro.

For two computers, compare the specific Iris plan. CircadianShield Core and Pro each cover up to 2 computers for one payment. Iris mini stays free, and two $9.99 Iris mini Pro licences cost $19.98, less than $27 for CircadianShield Core. Two $14.99 Iris Pro licences cost $29.98 against $27 for CircadianShield Core. Two $49.99 Iris Pro Lifelong licences cost $99.98 against $47 for CircadianShield Pro. The Iris 5 PC subscription covers both computers for $3.99 a month. One-PC Iris subscriptions pass the CircadianShield Pro price within two to four years, as the cost table above shows.

What "lifelong without updates" means for Iris pricing

The $14.99 Iris Pro and $9.99 Iris mini Pro licences are sold as "lifelong without updates". The Iris licensing page spells it out: you can use the version you bought forever and you get minor builds and bug fixes, but when there is a new version and you want it, you need to pay again. The separate $49.99 Iris Pro Lifelong plan includes future updates with a one-time payment. Iris subscriptions also include future versions, but stop working at the end of the paid period if you cancel.

There is a practical twist that cuts the other way. The newest dated entry in the Iris changelog on iristech.co is Iris 1.2.2 for Windows, published November 30, 2022, and the Iris download page offers Iris 1.2.2 for macOS. With no newer dated release listed, a subscription buys access to future versions that have not appeared in almost four years, which makes the $14.99 one-time Iris Pro licence the better Iris deal for most buyers today. The flip side is that nothing in that history suggests a future macOS or Windows fix is coming for either plan. CircadianShield Pro at $47 includes free updates, per CircadianShield brand facts, and CircadianShield ships new versions on Mac and Windows.

Free versions, trials and refunds: Iris vs CircadianShield

Iris has a free tier and CircadianShield does not. Iris mini is free, and the Iris homepage offers to "Try Iris Free" for 7 days, or for a month if an existing Iris user invited you (iristech.co). On refunds, the Iris buying agreement says the refund period is "something like 30 days after purchase", and that PayPal buyer protection limits refunds to 180 days. Iris takes payment through PayPal or 2Checkout, and the licensing page says cryptocurrency is possible but handled by hand.

CircadianShield Core and CircadianShield Pro both have a 7-day free trial on Mac and Windows. A card is required and you pay $0 for 7 days. Cancel before day 8 and you are not charged, and the trial key stops working, so you do not keep a licensed copy. If you do not cancel, you are charged once, $27 for Core or $47 for Pro, and that key becomes a lifetime licence. Nothing recurs, according to the CircadianShield terms of service, which also say payments run through Stripe. You can skip the trial and pay now at the CircadianShield Pro checkout or the CircadianShield Core checkout.

What each Iris and CircadianShield price actually buys

Price only means something next to what the plan does, so here is the short version for Iris and CircadianShield, with the full feature breakdown left to the head-to-head Iris and CircadianShield review.

• Iris, any paid plan. The Iris homepage describes brightness control without PWM, automatic presets that match screen brightness to the room, gradual blue light regulation across day and night, and 9 preset types that combine with automatic, manual and paused modes (iristech.co). The Iris product page offers downloads for Windows, macOS and Linux.
• CircadianShield Core, $27 one-time. PWM software dimming with the hardware kept at 100%, screen warmth and launch at login, on Mac and Windows (CircadianShield download page).
• CircadianShield Pro, $47 one-time. Everything in Core, plus the 11-phase solar schedule, Comfort Studio, the health dashboard and light debt tracking, eye breaks, per-display profiles and keyboard shortcuts. CircadianShield Pro also shows a live melanopic EDI readout calibrated to CIE S 026, a readout the Iris homepage does not list (CircadianShield brand facts).

CircadianShield runs filtering and health scoring entirely on your computer, and no screen content or personal data leaves it. The CircadianShield app sends optional anonymous usage and technical diagnostics, which you can switch off in Settings. If you want f.lux priced in as a third option, CircadianShield also has a three-way f.lux, Iris and CircadianShield breakdown, and every other matchup sits on the CircadianShield comparison hub.

Iris and CircadianShield pricing trade-offs the sales pages skip

Each vendor's pricing page shows its best side. These are the catches on both sides, each one taken from the pages already cited above.

• Iris counts devices, not people. Iris one-time licences and the 1 PC subscriptions are valid on 1 device at a time (Iris Pro buy page). The 5 PC plan at $3.99 a month covers several machines under one subscription.
• The cheaper Iris Pro licence excludes new versions. Iris Pro at $14.99 gets minor builds and bug fixes, but a new version costs again, per the Iris licensing page. The $49.99 Iris Pro Lifelong plan includes future updates.
• Iris subscriptions keep billing. At $1.99 a month the Iris plan never stops costing you, and after 24 months it has cost more than CircadianShield Pro.
• CircadianShield costs more than basic Iris Pro on day one. CircadianShield Core at $27 costs more than the $14.99 Iris Pro licence without new versions, and CircadianShield has no free tier or monthly option for someone who only wants a month.
• The CircadianShield trial needs a card. You enter a card to start the 7-day trial and must cancel before day 8 to avoid the one-time charge (CircadianShield terms). The Iris homepage offers its 7-day trial without mentioning a card.
• CircadianShield only runs on Mac and Windows. CircadianShield needs macOS 14 or later or Windows 10 or later. The Iris product page offers a Linux download, so on Linux, Iris is the only one of the two you can buy.
• CircadianShield Core skips the solar schedule. If the 11-phase schedule is why you are looking at CircadianShield, budget for Pro, or for the $20 in-app upgrade later.

Iris or CircadianShield: which plan fits your budget

Use this table to match your situation to the cheapest Iris or CircadianShield plan that covers it, using the prices from iristech.co and the CircadianShield download page listed above.

Iris vs CircadianShield pricing FAQ

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