Comparison

PB Smart vs DrainMaster Plus

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

PB Smart

Features
Read full description

Control tent lights & fans via Bluetooth/WiFi. Group device management & climate control. Free trial!

About

DrainMaster Plus

Features
Read full description

DrainMaster Plus shows you whether your plants get the right water and feed. Measure what goes into the pot and what drains out, and the app warns you early when salt builds up or the pH drifts. Every plant gets its own journal. Track electrical conductivity (EC), pH and temperature of your feed (nutrient solution) and of the water that drains out (runoff), in µS/cm, mS/cm or PPM (TDS). Calculators for humidity (VPD chart), light (DLI) and EC to PPM, a nutrient calculator for mixing and a grow journal (grow log, plant diary) with photos. For soil, coco coir, hydroponics, houseplants and indoor growing. Live readings over Bluetooth from compatible meters (pH meter, EC meter, pH pen). MEASURE • Guided measurement in a few steps or quick measurement • EC, pH and temperature for input and runoff • Bluetooth: live values directly from Apera meters (e.g. PC60-Z, PH60-Z, EC60-Z) • Display in µS/cm, mS/cm or PPM UNDERSTAND • Recommendations per plant to spot overfeeding, salt buildup and pH problems early • History and charts for every plant • Timeline with germination, stage changes, photos and notes • AI assistant: ask questions about your plant, the answers take its measurements into account (uses coins) TOOLS • VPD, DLI and EC/PPM calculators • Nutrient mixer COMMUNITY • Blog with posts and comments, translated automatically • Report content, block users, moderation with the option to appeal YOUR DATA • Works offline too, measurements and plants are stored on your device • Backup export and import • Optional DrainMaster Cloud: sync and automatic backup on up to 5 devices, 5 GB of storage for photos and 60 coins per month for AI features In 10 languages: German, English, French, Italian, Dutch, Polish, Russian, Spanish, Turkish and Arabic. Suitable for houseplants, hobby gardens, hydroponics and small professional setups. DRAINMASTER CLOUD (SUBSCRIPTION) DrainMaster Cloud is a monthly subscription that renews automatically. The price is shown in the app before purchase. Payment is charged to your Apple Account. The subscription renews unless it is cancelled in your account settings at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Terms of Use: Apple's standard Terms of Use (EULA) apply: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://drain-master.de/datenschutz/

Screenshots

PB Smart4 screens
DrainMaster Plus4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PB Smart at none against DrainMaster Plus's 5. PB Smart also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.4). On price, update cadence, ads and device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. DrainMaster Plus sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. PB Smart asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PB Smart ships an update weekly, DrainMaster Plus every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on October 30, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 4 level
PB Smart versus DrainMaster Plus: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPB SmartDrainMaster Plus
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS13.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size48 MB82 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperShenzhen Pinbanke Technology Co., Ltd.kobosil.me Development

In-app purchases

None

PB Smart

No in-app purchases

5 purchases

DrainMaster Plus

Subscriptions1
  • DrainMaster Cloud Monthly$3.991 Month
One-time4
  • 50 Credits$1.99
  • 150 Coins$3.99
  • 400 Coins$8.99
Show 1 more
  • 1000 Coins$17.99

Questions

Is PB Smart free?
PB Smart is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is DrainMaster Plus free?
DrainMaster Plus is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do PB Smart or DrainMaster Plus have ads?
Neither PB Smart nor DrainMaster Plus shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PB Smart or DrainMaster Plus?
PB Smart ships an update weekly, and DrainMaster Plus every 2 weeks. Most recently, PB Smart was updated on October 30, 2026 and DrainMaster Plus on October 30, 2026.

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