Hydrawise vs Rain Bird 2.0
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Hydrawise
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.
- Predictive Watering™
- Local weather insights
- Water savings optimization
- Lush landscape creation
- Remote irrigation management
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Elevate Your Irrigation Experience with Hydrawise! Discover the ultimate in irrigation control with the Hydrawise App. Harness the power of Predictive Watering™, fueled by local weather data, to optimise water usage and enhance your landscape's vitality. Key Features: Predictive Watering: Let advanced algorithms adjust schedules based on local weather forecasts, saving water and promoting a thriving landscape. Improved Local Weather Insights: Dive into weather data with enhanced icons and descriptors that make it easier to understand the forecast's impact on your irrigation schedule. Maximise Water Savings: Hydrawise intelligently adapts watering schedules, conserving water without compromising landscape health. Lush Landscapes: Create an environment of beauty and sustainability by tailoring irrigation to your landscape's unique needs. Stay Connected: Never lose touch with your irrigation system — manage it remotely and with ease. Experience the Future of Irrigation: Hydrawise empowers you to take command of your irrigation system like never before. • Embrace the power of Predictive Watering, seamlessly integrating local weather data to optimise water usage. • Cultivate a landscape that flourishes while saving water and effort. • Stay in touch with your irrigation, from anywhere, anytime. Download the app now and embark on a journey to transform your landscape into a masterpiece of efficiency and beauty!
Rain Bird 2.0
Control your sprinklers remotely with this app. Set custom watering schedules, automate weather adjustments, and monitor your system's performance from your mobile device. Save water and money with smart irrigation.
- Remote sprinkler control
- Custom watering schedules
- Weather-based adjustments
- Device mapping
- Custom site photos
- Improved connection speed
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Smart Watering Made Simple. Connect your Rain Bird controller to your mobile device with the new Rain Bird 2.0 app to turn on sprinklers, set up customized watering schedules, and automate weather adjustments, saving you water and money. New with Rain Bird 2.0 app: Device mapping – see where your controllers are located on the map Search and filter -- quickly find the controller to which you want to connect using the search function or commonly used filters Custom photos – upload photos of your site location or stations New look -- updated user interface and user experience Fast connect -- improved controller connection speed Compatible with the following Rain Bird controller models: ESP-LXME2 (new!) ESP-TM2 TRU ESP-2WIRE ESP-ME3 BAT-BT RC2 ARC Series More controller models coming soon! For more information: https://www.rainbird.com/products/esp-bat-bt 1-800-RAINBIRD
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Hydrawise at 4.7 against Rain Bird 2.0's 1.9. Hydrawise also leads on review sentiment (38% vs 12%) and ratings volume (64K vs 609). On price, update cadence, 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.
Hydrawise holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 1.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hydrawise has 64K ratings behind it against 609, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 38% of Hydrawise's written reviews are positive against 12% of Rain Bird 2.0's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Hydrawise | Rain Bird 2.0 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (64K ratings) — better | 1.9 (609 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 38.4% of reviews — better | 12.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 64K — better | 609 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 86 MB | 98 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Hunter Industries | Rain Bird Corporation |
Customer experience
Hydrawise
Rain Bird 2.0
User reviews
Hydrawise
From 64K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Improved performance
- 💡 Useful features like weather-based watering
- 🔒 Secure system
Room to improve
- 🐛 Connectivity issues
- 👎 Confusing user interface
- 🔍 Difficult to find/access certain features
- 📉 Lack of important functionality from previous app
Rain Bird 2.0
From 609 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Fast and reliable connection
- 🌟 Improved user interface
- 📊 Weather forecasting and adjustment features
- 🔒 Secure cloud-based control
Room to improve
- 🐛 Connectivity issues and disconnections
- 🤔 Confusing setup and registration process
- 🤷♀️ Lack of feature parity with previous app version
- 🕰️ Excessive weather adjustments
Bugs and requests
Hydrawise
Reported bugs
3 issues- App crashes on launch
- Zones not starting as scheduled
- Incorrect flow rate and water usage data
Requested features
4 requests- Ability to pause/resume programs
- Customizable watering schedules
- Improved reporting and historical data
- Easier manual zone control
Rain Bird 2.0
Reported bugs
4 issues- Inability to log in or reset credentials
- Zones renamed or disappearing
- Unexpected program start times
- Firmware update issues
Requested features
4 requests- History of system and station runtimes
- Ability to independently control/schedule programs
- Integration with smart home platforms
- Improved weather data accuracy and customization
In-app purchases
Hydrawise
No in-app purchases
Rain Bird 2.0
No in-app purchases
