# Rain Bird vs GaugeWatcher

The clearest difference is review sentiment: GaugeWatcher at 100% against Rain Bird's 31%. GaugeWatcher also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Rain Bird's advantage is ratings volume (70K vs 3) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.0). 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.

GaugeWatcher holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Rain Bird has 70K ratings behind it against 3, 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 100% of GaugeWatcher's.

Rain Bird ships an update every 2 months, GaugeWatcher weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Rain Bird | GaugeWatcher |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (70K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rain-bird/id1060727082/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gaugewatcher/id6498313776/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **70K** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 31.2% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 48 MB | 37 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Rain Bird Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/958281909) | [Andrew Althage](https://appshunter.io/developer/1631629264) |

## 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


### GaugeWatcher

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gaugewatcher/id6498313776)

Access real-time river flow data without needing an account or encountering advertisements. Discover nearby gauges, monitor flow rates, and save your preferred locations for quick access.

**Highlights:** Real-time river flow data, Discover nearby gauges, Check flow rates, Bookmark favorite gauges, No signup required, Ad-free experience

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Rain Bird free?

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

### Is GaugeWatcher free?

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

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

GaugeWatcher is rated higher. Rain Bird averages 4.7 out of 5 from 70K ratings, while GaugeWatcher averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do Rain Bird or GaugeWatcher have ads?

Neither Rain Bird nor GaugeWatcher shows ads.

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

Rain Bird ships an update every 2 months, and GaugeWatcher weekly. Most recently, Rain Bird was updated on October 14, 2026 and GaugeWatcher on October 1, 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.*