Rain Bird vs Philips Home Access
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Rain Bird
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.
- Remote sprinkler control
- Customizable watering schedules
- Automated weather adjustments
- Water and money saving
- Controller model compatibility
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Smart Watering Made Simple. Connect your Rain Bird controller to your mobile device to turn on sprinklers, set up customized watering schedules, and automate weather adjustments, saving you water and money. Compatible with the following Rain Bird controller models: ST8-WIFI ESP-TM2 ESP-RZXe ESP-Me ESP-ME3 RC2 ARC8 For more information: http://wifi.rainbird.com 1-800-RAINBIRD
Philips Home Access
This application allows users to manage their smart home devices and create a connected living experience. It provides a central hub for controlling various smart gadgets and building a personalized smart life.
- Manage smart devices
- Build smart life
- Centralized control
- Connected living
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All-New Philips Home Access App, manage your smart devices and build your smart life.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Rain Bird at 4.7 against Philips Home Access's 3.7. Rain Bird also leads on ratings volume (79K vs 548). Philips Home Access's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
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 548, 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 26% of Philips Home Access's.
Rain Bird ships an update every 2 months, Philips Home Access every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on October 25, 2026.
| Parameter | Rain Bird | Philips Home Access |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (79K ratings) — better | 3.7 (548 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 31.1% of reviews — better | 25.6% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 79K — better | 548 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 48 MB | 234 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Rain Bird Corporation | Shenzhen Conex Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. |
Customer experience
Rain Bird
Philips Home Access
User reviews
Rain Bird
From 79K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Easy to program
- 🚀 Convenient remote control
- 👍 Versatile
- 👍 Must have
- 👍 Ease of mind
Room to improve
- 🐛 Connectivity issues
- 🐛 Slow and clunky app
- 🐛 Date/time not updating
- 🐛 Unreliable system
- 🐛 Limited functionality
Philips Home Access
From 548 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Smooth and responsive
- 🔒 Secure access control
- 👍 Simple and intuitive interface
- 💡 Convenient remote control
Room to improve
- 🐛 Inconsistent lock/unlock status
- 🔋 High battery drain
- 🔒 Limited user access management
- 👎 Unreliable remote connectivity
Bugs and requests
Rain Bird
Reported bugs
5 issues- Constant connection errors
- App crashes frequently
- Date/time not syncing correctly
- Seasonal adjustment not working as expected
- Manual controls not functioning properly
Requested features
6 requests- Add water usage history and analytics
- Allow pausing of individual zones
- Improve manual control options
- Add weather integration and smart scheduling
- Improve notification system
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- Add ability to turn off entire system remotely
Philips Home Access
Reported bugs
4 issues- Frequent app crashes
- Constant log-out issues
- Bluetooth pairing problems
- Firmware update failures
Requested features
4 requests- Apple Watch app support
- Facial recognition login
- Customizable auto-lock settings
- Improved password management
In-app purchases
Rain Bird
No in-app purchases
Philips Home Access
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Rain Bird free?
Is Philips Home Access free?
Which has better reviews, Rain Bird or Philips Home Access?
Do Rain Bird or Philips Home Access have ads?
Which is updated more often, Rain Bird or Philips Home Access?
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