# Rain Bird vs Hinkley

The clearest difference is rating: Rain Bird at 4.7 against Hinkley's 2.5. Rain Bird also leads on review sentiment (31% vs 0%) and ratings volume (70K vs 13). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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 2.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Rain Bird has 70K ratings behind it against 13, 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 0% of Hinkley's.

Rain Bird ships an update every 2 months, Hinkley every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and August 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Rain Bird | Hinkley |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (70K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rain-bird/id1060727082/reviews)** | [2.5 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hinkley/id1645555784/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **70K** | 13 |
| Positive reviews | **31.3% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 8 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 48 MB | 189 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Rain Bird Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/958281909) | [Hinkley Lighting, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1145550391) |

## 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


### Hinkley

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hinkley/id1645555784)

Effortlessly manage your smart home lighting and fans with intuitive controls. Schedule lights, adjust brightness, and control fan settings from your smartphone, whether you're home or away.

**Highlights:** Home automation, Lighting control, Fan control, Scheduling and timers, Zone control, Brightness adjustment, Remote access

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Rain Bird free?

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

### Is Hinkley free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Rain Bird or Hinkley?

Rain Bird is rated higher. Rain Bird averages 4.7 out of 5 from 70K ratings, while Hinkley averages 2.5 from 13 ratings.

### Do Rain Bird or Hinkley have ads?

Neither Rain Bird nor Hinkley shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Rain Bird or Hinkley?

Rain Bird ships an update every 2 months, and Hinkley every 8 months. Most recently, Rain Bird was updated on September 26, 2026 and Hinkley on August 10, 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.*