# Rain Bird vs Birdfy

The clearest difference is rating: Rain Bird at 4.7 against Birdfy's 4.1. Rain Bird also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 10) and ratings volume (79K vs 3.9K). Birdfy's advantage is update cadence (every 10 days vs every 2 months) and review sentiment (49% vs 31%). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Birdfy sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.39 per month. Rain Bird asks for nothing beyond the download.

Rain Bird holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Rain Bird has 79K ratings behind it against 3.9K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 31% of Rain Bird's written reviews are positive against 49% of Birdfy's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Rain Bird ships an update every 2 months, Birdfy every 10 days. Both last shipped on November 5, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Rain Bird | Birdfy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (79K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rain-bird/id1060727082/reviews)** | [4.1 (3.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/birdfy/id6463374220/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **79K** | 3.9K |
| Positive reviews | 31.2% of reviews | **49.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 48 MB | 290 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.5 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Rain Bird Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/958281909) | [NETVUE, INC.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1530898976) |

## 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


### Birdfy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/birdfy/id6463374220)

Monitor your backyard visitors in real-time with live streaming and automatic video capture of birds and animals. Organize clips by species, track nesting processes, and share your discoveries with a global community. Optional cloud services offer advanced AI recognition and extended recording.

**Highlights:** Live stream bird and animal activity, Automatic video capture of detected moments, Categorize clips by bird species, Track nesting and hatching processes, Community sharing of observations, AI-powered species identification (cloud service), Customizable highlight reels (cloud service)

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Collection Storage Basic mo. | $2.39 | per month |
| MVR - Basic - Monthly | $2.39 | per month |
| MVR - Plus - Monthly | $3.59 | per month |
| Hummingbird Recognition mo. | $4.69 | per month |
| Bird Recognition Basic mo. | $5.89 | per month |
| Collection Storage Pro mo. | $7.09 | per month |
| Collection Storage Basic ann. | $23.49 | per year |
| MVR - Basic - Annual | $23.49 | per year |
| Bird Recognition Basic ann. | $57.99 | per year |
| Bird Recognition Lifetime Plan | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Intuitive app layout
- 🎥 Great video quality
- 🐦 Excellent for bird watching
- 💡 Useful community features

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or freezes
- 🔌 Connectivity issues
- 🤖 Inconsistent bird identification
- 🔍 Difficult to navigate/use
- 💰 Paywall for advanced features

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to delete devices
- Unreliable live view and video uploads
- Unexpected app logout and account deletion

**Requested features**

- Batch editing for misidentified birds
- Favorites/frequently spotted section
- Landscape mode support
- Customizable notification sounds
- Motion detection sensitivity adjustments


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Rain Bird free?

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

### Is Birdfy free?

Birdfy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

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

Rain Bird is rated higher. Rain Bird averages 4.7 out of 5 from 79K ratings, while Birdfy averages 4.1 from 3.9K ratings.

### Do Rain Bird or Birdfy have ads?

Neither Rain Bird nor Birdfy shows ads.

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

Rain Bird ships an update every 2 months, and Birdfy every 10 days. Most recently, Rain Bird was updated on November 5, 2026 and Birdfy on November 5, 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.*