# Rako vs Below The Surface

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Rako at none against Below The Surface's 2. Below The Surface's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Below The Surface sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Rako asks for nothing beyond the download.

Rako ships an update every 2 months, Below The Surface every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Rako | Below The Surface |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 21 MB | 138 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Rako Controls Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/991188416) | [Tazmin Kirk](https://appshunter.io/developer/1878229175) |

## What reviewers say

### Rako

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rako/id6453513424)

Control lighting, curtains, and blinds in any room. Manage scenes and channels with custom names for easy identification. Supports advanced color features for enhanced ambiance.

**Highlights:** Room control, Scene management, Channel customization, Color temperature control, Wireless and wired system support, User-friendly interface

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Below The Surface

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/below-the-surface/id6758065156)

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Below the Surface Premium – Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Below the Surface Premium – Yearly | $24.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Rako free?

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

### Is Below The Surface free?

Below The Surface is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Rako or Below The Surface have ads?

Neither Rako nor Below The Surface shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Rako or Below The Surface?

Rako ships an update every 2 months, and Below The Surface every 3 weeks. Most recently, Rako was updated on October 6, 2026 and Below The Surface on October 12, 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.*