# smart vs Rain Bird

The clearest difference is review sentiment: smart at 50% against Rain Bird's 31%. smart also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

smart ships an update every 3 weeks, Rain Bird every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | smart | Rain Bird |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[4.7 (70K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rain-bird/id1060727082/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **70K** |
| Positive reviews | **50.0% of reviews** | 31.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 26 MB | 48 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.6 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [smart-me AG](https://appshunter.io/developer/929146951) | [Rain Bird Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/958281909) |

## What reviewers say

### smart

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-me/id929146952)

Monitor and control your home's energy flow in real-time. View reports, optimize solar energy usage with smart actions, and track historical consumption. MID-certified meters allow for billing in prosumer communities.

**Highlights:** Real-time energy flow monitoring, Historical energy use reports, Solar energy optimization tools, Smart If/Then action setup, Prosumer community billing, MID-certified metering

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Rain Bird

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rain-bird/id1060727082)

Control your sprinklers remotely from your mobile device. Automate watering schedules and adjust for weather conditions to conserve water and reduce costs. Compatible with various Rain Bird controller models.

**Highlights:** Remote sprinkler control, Customizable watering schedules, Automated weather adjustments, Water and money saving, Controller model compatibility

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to program
- 🚀 Convenient remote control
- 👍 Versatile
- 👍 Must have
- 👍 Ease of mind

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Connectivity issues
- 🐛 Slow and clunky app
- 🐛 Date/time not updating
- 🐛 Unreliable system
- 🐛 Limited functionality

**Reported bugs**

- Constant connection errors
- App crashes frequently
- Date/time not syncing correctly
- Seasonal adjustment not working as expected
- Manual controls not functioning properly

**Requested features**

- Add water usage history and analytics
- Allow pausing of individual zones
- Improve manual control options
- Add weather integration and smart scheduling
- Improve notification system


## Frequently asked questions

### Is smart free?

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

### Is Rain Bird free?

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

### Do smart or Rain Bird have ads?

Neither smart nor Rain Bird shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, smart or Rain Bird?

smart ships an update every 3 weeks, and Rain Bird every 2 months. Most recently, smart was updated on October 4, 2026 and Rain Bird on October 19, 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.*