# Hydrawise vs Birdfy

The clearest difference is rating: Hydrawise at 4.7 against Birdfy's 4.1. Hydrawise also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 17) and ratings volume (65K vs 3.6K). Birdfy's advantage is review sentiment (48% vs 39%). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Birdfy sells 17 in-app purchases, starting at $2.39 per month. Hydrawise asks for nothing beyond the download.

Hydrawise holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hydrawise has 65K ratings behind it against 3.6K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 39% of Hydrawise's written reviews are positive against 48% of Birdfy's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Hydrawise ships an update every 3 weeks, Birdfy every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hydrawise | Birdfy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (65K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hydrawise/id1618847331/reviews)** | [4.1 (3.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/birdfy/id6463374220/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **65K** | 3.6K |
| Positive reviews | 38.6% of reviews | **48.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 86 MB | 279 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **15.5** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Hunter Industries](https://appshunter.io/developer/710090127) | [NETVUE, INC.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1530898976) |

## What reviewers say

### Hydrawise

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hydrawise/id1618847331)

Optimize your irrigation with intelligent watering schedules based on local weather forecasts. This app helps conserve water while ensuring your landscape stays healthy and vibrant. Manage your irrigation system remotely for ultimate convenience.

**Highlights:** Predictive Watering™, Local weather insights, Water savings optimization, Lush landscape creation, Remote irrigation management

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Improved performance
- 💡 Useful features like weather-based watering
- 🔒 Secure system

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Connectivity issues
- 👎 Confusing user interface
- 🔍 Difficult to find/access certain features
- 📉 Lack of important functionality from previous app

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on launch
- Zones not starting as scheduled
- Incorrect flow rate and water usage data

**Requested features**

- Ability to pause/resume programs
- Customizable watering schedules
- Improved reporting and historical data
- Easier manual zone control


### Birdfy

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

Monitor your backyard for feathered visitors with real-time live streaming and automatic video capture of bird activity. Organize your recordings by species, share your discoveries with a global community, and even track the entire nesting and hatching process.

**Highlights:** Real-time bird visitor tracking, Automatic video capture of bird moments, Categorized video clips by bird species, Community sharing of bird observations, Nesting and hatching process tracking, AI-powered bird and animal identification

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

**In-app purchases (17)**

| 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 |
| Collection Storage Plus mo. | $4.69 | 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 |
| MVR - Pro - Monthly | $7.09 | per month |
| Collection Storage Basic ann. | $23.49 | per year |
| MVR - Basic - Annual | $23.49 | per year |
| MVR - Plus - Annual | $35.49 | per year |
| Hummingbird Recognition ann. | $45.99 | per year |
| Collection Storage Plus ann. | $46.95 | per year |
| Bird Recognition Basic ann. | $57.99 | per year |
| Collection Storage Pro ann. | $70.99 | per year |
| Hummingbird Reco. Lifetime | $85.99 | one-time |
| 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 Hydrawise free?

Hydrawise 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, Hydrawise or Birdfy?

Hydrawise is rated higher. Hydrawise averages 4.7 out of 5 from 65K ratings, while Birdfy averages 4.1 from 3.6K ratings.

### Do Hydrawise or Birdfy have ads?

Neither Hydrawise nor Birdfy shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hydrawise or Birdfy?

Hydrawise ships an update every 3 weeks, and Birdfy every 10 days. Most recently, Hydrawise was updated on October 17, 2026 and Birdfy on October 16, 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.*