# Rachio vs ecobee by Generac

The clearest difference is ads: ecobee by Generac at none against Rachio's shown. ecobee by Generac also leads on chart position (#80 vs unranked). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Rachio sells 5 one-off in-app purchases and ecobee by Generac sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Rachio against 4.8 for ecobee by Generac. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 159K and 217K respectively.

Rachio ships an update every 3 weeks, ecobee by Generac fortnightly. Both last shipped on October 25, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Rachio | ecobee by Generac |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (159K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rachio/id864325098/reviews)** | [4.8 (217K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ecobee-by-generac/id916985674/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 159K | **217K** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#80** |
| Size | 163 MB | 561 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [RACHIO, INC.](https://appshunter.io/developer/864325101) | [ecobee Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/339159188) |

## 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


### ecobee by Generac

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ecobee-by-generac/id916985674)

**Currently charting:** #80 Top Free · Lifestyle, #115 Top Grossing · Lifestyle (US App Store)

Control your smart home devices, including thermostats, cameras, and sensors. Automate your home for comfort and peace of mind, and monitor entryways and cabinets with intelligent alerts. Save energy with custom schedules and find potential rebates.

**Highlights:** Control SmartThermostat, SmartCamera, and SmartSensor, Step-by-step installation guides, Customizable thermostat schedules, Home automation with Autopilot, Intelligent alerts for entryways and cabinets, Energy rebate search

**Features:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Smart Security Standard | $4.99 | per month |
| Smart Security Standard | $4.99 | per month |
| Smart Security Standard | $4.99 | per month |
| Smart Security Standard | $4.99 | per month |
| Smart Security Complete | $9.99 | per month |
| Smart Security Complete | $9.99 | per month |
| Smart Security Complete | $9.99 | per month |
| Smart Security Complete | $9.99 | per month |
| Smart Security Standard | $49.99 | per year |
| Smart Security Standard | $49.99 | per year |
| Smart Security Complete | $89.99 | per year |
| Smart Security Complete | $89.99 | per year |
| Smart Security Complete | $89.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Convenient remote control
- 🔒 Secure connectivity
- 👍 Intuitive interface
- 👍 Helpful scheduling features
- 👍 Reliable hardware

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy app updates
- 🕰️ Slow app response times
- 🔀 Confusing UI changes
- 🔋 Frequent disconnections
- 🤖 Unreliable voice assistant integration

**Reported bugs**

- Temperature settings not saving
- Sensor detection issues
- Frequent app crashes
- Broken widget functionality
- Account management problems

**Requested features**

- Multi-zone management options
- Customizable smart actions
- Flexible scheduling intervals
- Improved energy monitoring
- Seamless HomeKit integration


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Rachio free?

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

### Is ecobee by Generac free?

ecobee by Generac is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Rachio or ecobee by Generac?

Rachio is rated higher. Rachio averages 4.9 out of 5 from 159K ratings, while ecobee by Generac averages 4.8 from 217K ratings.

### Do Rachio or ecobee by Generac have ads?

Rachio shows ads; ecobee by Generac does not.

### Which is updated more often, Rachio or ecobee by Generac?

Rachio ships an update every 3 weeks, and ecobee by Generac fortnightly. Most recently, Rachio was updated on October 25, 2026 and ecobee by Generac on October 25, 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.*