# Rachio vs Aiper

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Rachio | Aiper |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (159K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rachio/id864325098/reviews)** | [4.1 (267 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aiper/id6474955418/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **159K** | 267 |
| Positive reviews | **57.4% of reviews** | 46.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 163 MB | 233 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [RACHIO, INC.](https://appshunter.io/developer/864325101) | [AIPER GLOBAL PTE. LTD.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1722906035) |

## What reviewers say

### Rachio

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rachio/id864325098)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tempest Integration | $29.99 | one-time |
| AirLink Integration | $29.99 | one-time |
| Heat Wave Boost | $29.99 | one-time |
| Wire Status | $29.99 | one-time |
| Valve & Heat Monitoring Bundle | $49.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- 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

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aiper/id6474955418)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use and intuitive interface
- 🚀 Effective pool cleaning performance
- ⚡ Cordless and autonomous operation
- ☀️ Solar charging capability
- 🎯 Reliable hardware quality

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 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

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Rachio free?

Rachio is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Aiper free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Rachio or Aiper?

Rachio is rated higher. Rachio averages 4.9 out of 5 from 159K ratings, while Aiper averages 4.1 from 267 ratings.

### Do Rachio or Aiper have ads?

Rachio shows ads; Aiper does not.

### Which is updated more often, Rachio or Aiper?

Rachio ships an update every 3 weeks, and Aiper every 3 weeks. Most recently, Rachio was updated on October 23, 2026 and Aiper on October 22, 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.*