Comparison

Rachio vs Ember

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

Head to head
About

Rachio

This app allows you to control your sprinkler system remotely, creating custom watering schedules. It helps save water and money by optimizing irrigation based on weather and yard needs. Access your system from anywhere for convenient lawn care.

Highlights
  • Automated watering schedules
  • Remote sprinkler control
  • Water and money saving
  • Weather-based adjustments
  • Smart home integration
  • Mobile app access
Features
Read full description

The Rachio Smart Sprinkler Controller changes the way you water. It makes running your sprinklers easy and convenient while saving you water and money. Rachio automatically creates a watering schedule that lowers your water bill and ensures the beautiful yard you want, while the mobile app gives you access to your sprinkler system from anywhere. Plus, Rachio is compatible with nearly any sized yard and smart home platform. This is the companion app to the industry-leading Rachio Smart Sprinkler Controller.

About

Ember

This app allows you to precisely control the temperature of your hot beverages using a smart mug. Customize presets, receive notifications when your drink reaches the perfect temperature, and explore recipes. Personalize your mug settings for an enhanced drinking experience.

Highlights
  • Precise temperature control
  • Save temperature presets
  • Beverage recipes and blogs
  • Customizable notifications
  • Manage multiple mugs
  • Personalize mug settings
Features
Read full description

At Ember®, we use temperature control to change the world in ordinary (and extraordinary) ways. With an Ember Temperature Control Smart Mug and the Ember app, you can transform your mornings by making hot beverages set to your chosen temperature an everyday reality. Our redesigned Ember app is simple, easy to use, and customizable. Whether you are a first-time user or a long-time customer, get ready for a whole new temperature control experience. The Ember app seamlessly pairs with your Ember products to precisely adjust your favorite hot drinks to your preferred drinking temperature, saves temperature presets, offers recipes, sends notifications when your desired drinking temperature has been reached, and more. Ember App Features: - Control the temperature of your beverage down to the degree - Use your previous temperature setting for a set-it-and-forget-it beverage experience - Manage unlimited paired mugs on an all-new Ember home screen - Find recipes and blogs you can save and share with friends and family in the new Explore section - Receive notifications when your preferred temperature has been reached, or your battery is low - Customize presets for multiple beverages and engage timers - Personalize your mugs with names and adjust the color of the smart LED - Easily switch between °C/°F and control sounds and haptic feedback in the redesigned Account section - Access Ember x Health with Apple Health

Screenshots

Rachio4 screens
Ember4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Rachio at 4.9 against Ember's 3.3. Rachio also leads on review sentiment (57% vs 18%) and ratings volume (158K vs 7.5K). Ember's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5) and ads (none vs shown). On price, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Rachio sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Ember asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Rachio holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Rachio has 158K ratings behind it against 7.5K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 57% of Rachio's written reviews are positive against 18% of Ember's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Rachio ships an update every 3 weeks, Ember every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Rachio versus Ember: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRachioEmber
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (158K ratings) — better3.3 (7.5K ratings)
Positive reviews57.4% of reviews — better17.7% of reviews
Number of ratings158K — better7.5K
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS16.0 — better16.6
Further details — not scored
Size163 MB63 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRACHIO, INC.Ember Technologies Inc.

Customer experience

Rachio

All ratings158,275 ratings
Positive98.4%
Neutral1.0%
Negative0.6%
Written reviews460 reviews
Positive57.4%
Neutral10.0%
Negative32.6%

Ember

All ratings7,459 ratings
Positive54.5%
Neutral4.8%
Negative40.7%
Written reviews1,314 reviews
Positive17.7%
Neutral8.4%
Negative73.8%

User reviews

Rachio

From 158K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Easy to use
  • 👍 Convenient remote control
  • 🌱 Saves water and money
  • 🌳 Helps maintain healthy lawn and plants

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Connectivity issues
  • 💸 Aggressive upselling
  • 🤔 Confusing user interface
  • 🌧️ Inaccurate weather-based scheduling

Ember

From 7.5K App Store ratings

What we love

  • ⭐ Keeps drink at perfect temperature
  • 🍵 Great for tea and coffee drinkers
  • 🎨 Customizable LED light colors
  • 🔋 Decent battery life when used properly
  • 🤖 Apple Watch app integration

Room to improve

  • 🔌 Requires frequent charging and docking
  • 🔒 Forced account creation and login
  • 🔄 Unreliable Bluetooth connectivity
  • 🐛 Buggy app with frequent issues
  • 🤔 Confusing app UI and controls

Bugs and requests

Rachio

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Zones running at unexpected times
  • Schedules not working as programmed
  • App crashing during setup and use
  • Syncing issues between app and controller

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to skip multiple upcoming watering cycles
  • Customizable notifications for low battery and offline status
  • Better integration with smart home platforms like HomeKit
  • More granular control over watering schedules and durations

Ember

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • App frequently logs users out
  • Mug disconnects from app randomly
  • Firmware update process often fails
  • App doesn't always detect liquid in mug
  • Presets and settings get lost after updates

Requested features

5 requests
  • Battery level indicator on main screen
  • Improved Apple Watch app functionality
  • Wireless charging option
  • Ability to lock temperature settings
  • Automatic temperature adjustment based on volume

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Rachio

One-time5
  • Tempest Integration$29.99
  • AirLink Integration$29.99
  • Heat Wave Boost$29.99
Show 2 more
  • Wire Status$29.99
  • Valve & Heat Monitoring Bundle$49.99
None

Ember

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Rachio free?
Rachio is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Ember free?
Ember is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Rachio or Ember?
Rachio is rated higher. Rachio averages 4.9 out of 5 from 158K ratings, while Ember averages 3.3 from 7.5K ratings.
Do Rachio or Ember have ads?
Rachio shows ads; Ember does not.
Which is updated more often, Rachio or Ember?
Rachio ships an update every 3 weeks, and Ember every 2 months. Most recently, Rachio was updated on October 19, 2026 and Ember on October 18, 2026.

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