Comparison

Rachio vs ToldByMe

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
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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.

About

ToldByMe

Features
Read full description

Some stories are too good to lose. ToldByMe helps you tell yours — in your own voice, on your own time. Open the book. Five chapters of thoughtful questions ease you into your story — your name, the house you grew up in, the people who shaped you, what you've learned. Speak naturally; the app listens, types, and gently weaves your answers into your opening biography. Each volume after that follows you through the chapters of your life: childhood, building a life, the long view, and a photo album for the pictures you couldn't bring yourself to throw away. Designed for older hands and eyes. Clear words. Big buttons. No accounts. No subscriptions. No in-app purchases. One price, paid once. WHAT IT DOES Begin With a Book ToldByMe opens to a virtual book. Five chapters, thirty questions. Each page asks one thing. You answer in your own voice; the app gently turns it into prose. By the end of Chapter 5, you have an opening biography — Volume I — that reads like the start of a published memoir. Speak Your Stories Tap the microphone. Start talking. Apple's on-device speech recognition turns your spoken words into text — works without internet. No typing required. Guided Questions, Era by Era After Volume I, the helper continues with the chapters of your life — childhood, school, work, family, the people you've loved. It listens to what you say and asks the next question that matters. Skip any question. End whenever you'd like. There is no finish line. Polish, in Your Voice With one tap, your raw words become smoother memoir prose. Your meaning stays yours; only the language is gently tidied. Old Photos, Restored Bring scratches, fading, and creases under control. Faces gently sharpened. Even bring black-and-white photos to color — your wedding day, your first house, the camp from 1953. Hear Your Stories Read Aloud Tap "Read it to me" and hear your polished memoir spoken back. A quiet way to know it sounds right. Read with Family Send an invite to family on iPhone or iPad — they read along on their own phone, no purchase needed. Only you can add or change a story. For family on other devices, save the whole memoir as a keepsake PDF and send it however you like. DESIGNED FOR SENIORS — REALLY - 18-point minimum text. Larger if you want it. - Tap targets sized for older hands. - Two taps to anywhere. You can't get lost. - Autosaves as you go. You will not lose your work. - Full VoiceOver support. - WCAG AAA contrast. - Designed so a parent can use it alone — no setup help needed after install. YOUR STORIES BELONG TO YOU No account. No login. No advertising. No tracking. Your memoir lives on your phone, with a safe copy in your private iCloud if you'd like one. When the helper polishes your text, only your words travel through our secure server — and they're never stored there. ONE-TIME PURCHASE $14.99, paid once, on the App Store. That is everything. - No subscriptions. - No in-app purchases. - No "upgrade for more." There is no more to upgrade to. - All future updates included. Family on iPhone read your stories for free. The PDF keepsake works for anyone. A NOTE ABOUT AI We use AI three small ways: to weave your wizard answers into your opening biography, to gently rephrase your raw words into smoother prose (you choose when), and to restore old photographs. It does not invent memories. It does not change what you said. You're the author. The app is the helper. We made this for our own parents and grandparents. We hope yours enjoys it too.

Screenshots

Rachio4 screens
ToldByMe4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Rachio at Free against ToldByMe's $14.99. Rachio also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). ToldByMe's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5) and ads (none vs shown). On 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

Rachio is free to download; ToldByMe costs $14.99 up front. Rachio sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. ToldByMe asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Rachio ships an update every 3 weeks, ToldByMe every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Rachio versus ToldByMe: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRachioToldByMe
PriceFree — better$14.99
Rating4.9 (159K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews57.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings159K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size163 MB7 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRACHIO, INC.David Pickens

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

ToldByMe

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

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

ToldByMe

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Rachio free?
Rachio is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ToldByMe free?
ToldByMe costs $14.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Rachio or ToldByMe have ads?
Rachio shows ads; ToldByMe does not.
Which is updated more often, Rachio or ToldByMe?
Rachio ships an update every 3 weeks, and ToldByMe every 2 months. Most recently, Rachio was updated on October 29, 2026 and ToldByMe on October 28, 2026.

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