# Rain Bird vs Hayward Poolwatch

The clearest difference is rating: Rain Bird at 4.7 against Hayward Poolwatch's 1.0. Rain Bird also leads on ratings volume (79K vs 1) and review sentiment (31% vs 20%). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Rain Bird has 79K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 31% of Rain Bird's written reviews are positive against 20% of Hayward Poolwatch's.

Rain Bird ships an update every 2 months, Hayward Poolwatch every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Rain Bird | Hayward Poolwatch |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (79K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rain-bird/id1060727082/reviews)** | [1.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hayward-poolwatch/id1229111016/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **79K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | **31.2% of reviews** | 19.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 48 MB | 59 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Rain Bird Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/958281909) | [Hayward](https://appshunter.io/developer/827614021) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### Hayward Poolwatch

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hayward-poolwatch/id1229111016)

Monitor your pool's pH, ORP, and water temperature in real-time. Remotely adjust filtration, water treatment, and lighting settings. Control external devices like heat pumps via auxiliary relays.

**Highlights:** Real-time pool monitoring, pH level tracking, ORP level tracking, Water temperature monitoring, Remote filtration adjustment, Remote water treatment control, Remote lighting control, External device control

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Rain Bird free?

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

### Is Hayward Poolwatch free?

Hayward Poolwatch is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Rain Bird or Hayward Poolwatch?

Rain Bird is rated higher. Rain Bird averages 4.7 out of 5 from 79K ratings, while Hayward Poolwatch averages 1.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Rain Bird or Hayward Poolwatch have ads?

Neither Rain Bird nor Hayward Poolwatch shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Rain Bird or Hayward Poolwatch?

Rain Bird ships an update every 2 months, and Hayward Poolwatch every 3 months. Most recently, Rain Bird was updated on November 1, 2026 and Hayward Poolwatch on October 26, 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.*