Rain? vs HeatWave
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Rain?
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Rain? answers one simple question: how likely is it to rain in the next 30 minutes? Open the app and instantly see your rain probability as a single, bold number. The screen fills with animated water proportional to the chance of rain — the higher the likelihood, the higher the water rises. Inspired by the Apple Watch depth gauge, it turns weather data into something you can feel at a glance. Beneath the headline number, a minute-by-minute chart breaks down the next half hour so you can see exactly when rain is expected to arrive, peak, or clear. A trend indicator shows whether conditions are building, easing, or holding steady. No clutter. No ten-day forecasts. No hourly temperature graphs. Just the one thing you actually need to know before you step outside. How it works: Rain? uses Apple WeatherKit to pull minute-by-minute precipitation data for your exact location. Your location is sent directly to Apple's weather service and is never stored, tracked, or shared. The forecast updates with a single tap. Features: Real-time rain probability for the next 30 minutes Animated water-fill display that rises with rain likelihood Minute-by-minute precipitation chart Trend indicator showing increasing, decreasing, or steady conditions Hyperlocal forecasts powered by Apple WeatherKit No ads, no accounts, no tracking Designed for one-handed, one-second use Rain? requires location access to provide forecasts. Weather data is powered by Apple Weather.
HeatWave
This app monitors outdoor and indoor temperatures to alert you when to open or close your windows for optimal home climate control. It uses your HomePod's sensor and local weather forecasts to provide timely notifications, helping you save energy and stay comfortable without an air conditioner.
- Real-time indoor/outdoor temperature display
- Forecast-based opening/closing alerts
- 30-minute advance notifications
- Home screen widgets
- Privacy-first, no servers or tracking
- Multi-language support
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A heat wave's worst trick is making you feel powerless. HeatWave is the simple, beautiful way to take back control of your home's temperature — without an air conditioner. Most of us already know the trick: open the windows when it's cooler outside, shut them when it gets hotter. The problem is knowing exactly when. HeatWave watches the weather forecast for your location and your indoor temperature, then quietly pings you 30 minutes before the air outside is about to cross the air inside. Open up just before it gets cool. Shut up just before it gets warm. That's it. HOW IT WORKS HeatWave uses Apple Weather to fetch a fresh, accurate forecast for your exact location. It uses your HomePod's built-in temperature sensor via Apple's Shortcuts app to know how warm it is inside. A guided setup wizard walks you through everything in under five minutes — tap the shortcut once, point it at your HomePod, then schedule when it runs. The more often the shortcut runs, the more precise your alerts become. HeatWave suggests a sensible minimum (hourly between 7–10am and 6–9pm) and tells you how to fine-tune it further. ON THE DASHBOARD A single screen tells you everything you need to know: • A bold status card that says "Open the windows" or "Shut the windows" right now. • Side-by-side cards showing your live indoor and outdoor temperatures, with timestamps so you always know how fresh the data is. • A countdown to the next change — "Open in 1h 24m" — with the forecast temperature at that moment. • A 12-hour bar chart of upcoming outdoor temperatures so you can plan your day at a glance. WIDGETS FOR YOUR HOME SCREEN Add HeatWave to your home or lock screen and you may never need to open the app. Small, medium, and large widgets show the current recommendation, your inside/outside temperatures, and a live countdown to the next window change. Lock-screen accessory widgets (circular, rectangular, inline) keep an eye on things at a glance. NOTIFICATIONS THAT FIRE 30 MINUTES AHEAD Get a gentle ping half an hour before each crossover, with the projected outdoor temperature so you can decide if it's worth getting up for. A built-in buffer prevents flip-flop alerts when temperatures wobble. WHY HEATWAVE • No air conditioner needed — works with the windows you already have. • Saves electricity and protects you from heat exhaustion in countries unprepared for high temperatures. • Beautiful, friendly UI with subtle haptics and warm gradients. • Privacy-first: everything lives on your device. No accounts, no servers, no tracking. • Fully localised in six languages. REQUIREMENTS • HomePod mini or HomePod 2nd generation (for indoor temperature) • iPhone running iOS 17 or later • Apple Weather (WeatherKit) for outdoor forecasts A heat wave doesn't have to leave you sweating. With HeatWave, your home gets a head start every time the air outside changes. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Rain? at none against HeatWave's 3. HeatWave's advantage is update cadence (every 11 days vs every 2 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. HeatWave sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Rain? asks for nothing beyond the download.
Rain? ships an update every 2 months, HeatWave every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Rain? | HeatWave |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 11 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1 MB | 29 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | James Davie Limited | Christopher Hefferman |
In-app purchases
Rain?
No in-app purchases
HeatWave
- Coffee Money Tip$2.99
- Pint Money Tip$4.99
- Dinner Money Tip$14.99









