# Shafter Mobile vs Rain Bird

The clearest difference is rating: Rain Bird at 4.7 against Shafter Mobile's 3.7. Rain Bird also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (31% vs 0%). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Rain Bird holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Rain Bird has 79K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of Shafter Mobile's written reviews are positive against 31% of Rain Bird's.

Shafter Mobile ships an update every 8 months, Rain Bird every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shafter Mobile | Rain Bird |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shafter-mobile/id1057365838/reviews) | **[4.7 (79K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rain-bird/id1060727082/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 3 | **79K** |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | **31.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | **Free** |
| Size | 31 MB | 48 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [City of Shafter](https://appshunter.io/developer/1447132810) | [Rain Bird Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/958281909) |

## What reviewers say

### Shafter Mobile

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shafter-mobile/id1057365838)

Report civic issues like public safety or environmental concerns using your smartphone. This platform allows for quick and intuitive reporting with photo evidence to facilitate prompt resolution.

**Highlights:** Real-time civic engagement, Identify and report public safety issues, Report quality of life concerns, Report environmental issues, Smartphone reporting, Photo evidence integration

**In-app purchases:** none


### Rain Bird

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rain-bird/id1060727082)

Control your sprinklers remotely from your mobile device. Automate watering schedules and adjust for weather conditions to conserve water and reduce costs. Compatible with various Rain Bird controller models.

**Highlights:** Remote sprinkler control, Customizable watering schedules, Automated weather adjustments, Water and money saving, Controller model compatibility

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to program
- 🚀 Convenient remote control
- 👍 Versatile
- 👍 Must have
- 👍 Ease of mind

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Connectivity issues
- 🐛 Slow and clunky app
- 🐛 Date/time not updating
- 🐛 Unreliable system
- 🐛 Limited functionality

**Reported bugs**

- Constant connection errors
- App crashes frequently
- Date/time not syncing correctly
- Seasonal adjustment not working as expected
- Manual controls not functioning properly

**Requested features**

- Add water usage history and analytics
- Allow pausing of individual zones
- Improve manual control options
- Add weather integration and smart scheduling
- Improve notification system


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shafter Mobile free?

Shafter Mobile is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Rain Bird free?

Rain Bird is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Shafter Mobile or Rain Bird?

Rain Bird is rated higher. Shafter Mobile averages 3.7 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Rain Bird averages 4.7 from 79K ratings.

### Do Shafter Mobile or Rain Bird have ads?

Shafter Mobile shows ads; Rain Bird does not.

### Which is updated more often, Shafter Mobile or Rain Bird?

Shafter Mobile ships an update every 8 months, and Rain Bird every 2 months. Most recently, Shafter Mobile was updated on October 12, 2026 and Rain Bird on October 29, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*