Rachio vs Aiper
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Automated watering schedules
- Remote sprinkler control
- Water and money saving
- Weather-based adjustments
- Smart home integration
- Mobile app access
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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.
Aiper
Manage your pool cleaners and irrigation devices from one app. Create custom scenes for different areas, schedule cleanings, and optimize watering for a vibrant landscape while conserving water.
- Unified pool and irrigation device management
- Multi-yard scenario support
- Intelligent pool cleaning automation
- AI Navium™ and Visual Mode for pool cleaning
- Customized irrigation schedules
- Water conservation features
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The newly upgraded Aiper App, now supporting both pool and irrigation devices, is designed to match your evolving vision for intelligent yard. Multi-Yard Scenario Support Go beyond the pool. Now you can seamlessly manage your entire yard. Effortlessly control and monitor both your Aiper pool cleaners and the newly supported irrigation device from a single app. Create distinct scenes for different areas or properties—all at your fingertips. Advanced Smart Pool Solutions Enjoy a pristine pool with intelligent automation. Schedule cleanings, monitor performance, and optimize energy use. Besides, The latest devices support AI Navium™ mode and Visual Mode, making pool cleaning more efficient. Introducing: Efficient Smart Irrigation. Now part of the Aiper family! Nurture a lush garden effortlessly. Create customized watering plans, set smart schedules, and take the guesswork out of lawn and garden care. Achieve a vibrant landscape while conserving water.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Rachio at 4.9 against Aiper's 4.1. Rachio also leads on ratings volume (159K vs 267) and review sentiment (57% vs 47%). Aiper's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5) and ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence, 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. Rachio sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Aiper asks for nothing beyond the download.
Rachio holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Rachio has 159K ratings behind it against 267, 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 47% of Aiper's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Rachio | Aiper |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (159K ratings) — better | 4.1 (267 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 57.4% of reviews — better | 46.6% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 159K — better | 267 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 163 MB | 233 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | RACHIO, INC. | AIPER GLOBAL PTE. LTD. |
Customer experience
Rachio
Aiper
User reviews
Rachio
From 159K App Store ratingsWhat 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
Aiper
From 267 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Easy to use and intuitive interface
- 🚀 Effective pool cleaning performance
- ⚡ Cordless and autonomous operation
- ☀️ Solar charging capability
- 🎯 Reliable hardware quality
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent forced logouts requiring re-authentication
- 🔒 Excessive privacy requirements and data collection
- 📱 Single device login restriction (kicks off other users)
- 📢 Persistent intrusive advertisements and pop-ups
- 🔌 App disconnects when robot is underwater
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
Aiper
Reported bugs
14 issues- Login credentials not recognized after updates
- App fails to connect to devices
- Cleaning records not displaying or disappearing after updates
- Account registration impossible or code validation timeout
- Firmware update failures
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- Device pairing issues with QR codes
- Bluetooth disconnection not auto-reconnecting
- App incompatible with certain robot models
- Solar charging stopped working after recent update
- Devices showing as 'bound' to another account
- WiFi connection issues
- Notification spam despite disabling ads
- Battery percentage font too small
- Cleaning records not saved when robot removed early
Requested features
15 requests- Scheduling/timer functionality for automated operation
- Multi-device simultaneous login support
- Manual control when robot is underwater
- Pause/stop operation from app
- Customizable watering zones and amounts
Show 10 moreShow fewer
- Battery charging schedule optimization
- Remote power off capability
- Cleaning mode explanations and documentation
- Estimated remaining runtime display
- Ability to edit maps and add watering points
- Temperature unit conversion (F to C)
- Smaller tile view for multiple devices on main page
- iPad landscape orientation support
- Geographic map background for mapping
- Disable pool section for non-pool users
In-app purchases
Rachio
- Tempest Integration$29.99
- AirLink Integration$29.99
- Heat Wave Boost$29.99
Show 2 moreShow fewer
- Wire Status$29.99
- Valve & Heat Monitoring Bundle$49.99
Aiper
No in-app purchases
