Melnor BT vs Raindrip
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Melnor BT
Easily manage your lawn and garden watering with this app. Control one or multiple Bluetooth water timers, set flexible schedules up to 30 times a day, and customize watering durations. Features include watering delays, manual mode, and an eco-friendly option to reduce water waste.
- Bluetooth timer control
- Flexible scheduling options
- Customizable watering duration
- Watering delay function
- Manual watering mode
- Eco Mode for water saving
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ABOUT THE APP An easy and convenient way to manage your lawn and garden watering. Use the free app on your iOS smart device (minimum required iOS 9), to control all the programming on your Melnor Bluetooth Water Timer. Manage one, or multiple Valve Units from the same app. Set up is simple and offers the most flexible scheduling options to meet any gardener’s needs. Water on specific days of the week or every few days, up to 30 times per day, from one minute to 6 hours. FEATURES - Convenient scheduling through the app (must be within 30’ of Valve Unite for Bluetooth connection) - Select to water on specific days of the week or by an interval every few days - Water from 1 minute up to 6 hours per watering cycle - Reduce water waste with the customizable Eco Mode - Watering Delay pauses the watering schedule when needed - Turn on Manual mode from the Timer or through the app to run water whenever you need CUSTOMIZABLE You can personalize the app features specifically for your lawn and garden. Set unique device and zone names, create a password for security, and add images of your specific watering areas.
Raindrip
Control your watering with a smart timer. Create custom schedules and automate adjustments based on weather to save time, money, and water. Compatible with specific models.
- Remote watering control
- Customizable schedules
- Weather-based adjustments
- Water saving automation
- Model compatibility
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Connect your Raindrip Water Timer to your mobile device to control watering. Set up customized watering schedules and automate weather-based adjustments, saving time money and water. Compatible with the following models: R875CT R875CTG For more information, visit raindrip.com
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Melnor BT at every 2 months against Raindrip's every 22 months. Melnor BT also leads on ratings volume (115 vs 7) and review sentiment (13% vs 0%). On price, rating, 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.
Raindrip holds the better App Store score, 2.3 against 2.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Melnor BT has 115 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 13% of Melnor BT's written reviews are positive against 0% of Raindrip's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Melnor BT ships an update every 2 months, Raindrip every 22 months. The most recent releases landed on September 16, 2026 and June 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Melnor BT | Raindrip |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.1 (115 ratings) | 2.3 (7 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 13.3% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 115 — better | 7 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 22 months |
| 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 | 14 MB | 207 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | yuanmei | National Diversified Sales, Inc. |
Customer experience
Melnor BT
Raindrip
Bugs and requests
Melnor BT
Reported bugs
18 issues- App crashes on launch or when connecting to device
- Infinite loading/spinning wheel when opening devices
- App freezes after logging in
- Cannot establish Bluetooth connection despite device visibility
- Bluetooth connection drops frequently even at close range
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- App loses connection to previously paired devices
- 12 PM time setting reverts to 12 AM
- Settings reset unexpectedly
- Rain delay applies from change time instead of scheduled time
- Valve selection registers wrong valve
- Manual button presses require multiple attempts
- App incompatible with latest iOS/iPadOS versions
- Device clock out of sync with actual time
- Duration settings don't match actual watering time
- Custom pictures for zones not persisting
- App stuck in update mode
- Cannot change start day for odd-day watering restrictions
- App shows device but won't open/load
Requested features
15 requests- WiFi connectivity instead of Bluetooth-only
- Remote control functionality from any distance
- Multiple user/phone support for same device
- End time parameter for watering cycles
- More than 2 watering cycles per day
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- One-time watering option
- Odd/even day scheduling
- Unified dashboard showing all valves at once
- Quick action buttons on main menu
- Automatic device loading on app startup
- Rain delay function that applies to scheduled times
- Event history and push notifications
- Bluetooth gateway support for extended range
- Soil moisture sensor integration
- Better visual distinction between controller and valve selection screens
Raindrip
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Melnor BT
No in-app purchases
Raindrip
No in-app purchases
