iRain UCI vs Bluerain
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
iRain UCI
Access real-time global satellite precipitation data and track extreme weather events. Contribute your local rainfall observations to enhance the dataset. Developed by the University of California, Irvine.
- Real-time global satellite precipitation data
- High-resolution (~4km) PERSIANN-CCS data
- Track extreme precipitation events
- Crowdsourcing rainfall reporting
- Visualize global satellite observations
Read full descriptionHide full description
Welcome to the iRain app. The app is licensed to the Center for Hydrometeorology & Remote Sensing (CHRS) at the University of California Irvine (UCI). iRain provides access to real-time global high-resolution (~4km) satellite precipitation products from the PERSIANN-CCS (Precipitation Estimation from Remotely Sensed Information using the Artificial Neural Networks - Cloud Classification System), which has been developed by the research team at CHRS. The building block of iRain rests on the satellite precipitation estimates generated by the PERSIANN algorithm which has been under development for over two decades. More detailed information about PERSIANN-CCS can be found at http://chrs.web.uci.edu. iRain allows users to visualize real-time global satellite precipitation observations and track extreme precipitation events globally. Users can also use the crowdsourcing functionality of the app to report their local rainfall information to supplement our data. The web version of iRain is hosted at: http://irain.eng.uci.edu. Acknowledgments: The iRain system is the product developed by Dr. Phu Nguyen, Assistant Adjunct Professor in the Center for Hydrometeorology and Remote Sensing (CHRS) at UCI and his team, which includes a dedicated group of mostly undergraduate students, including Phat Huynh, Thanh N. Palacios, Hoang Tran, and April Huie. The iRain mobile app was developed by David Furman. Financial support of the following agencies is acknowledged: - NASA funding resulted in the development of the PERSIANN algorithm and several of its variations. - ICIWaRM of the US Army Corps of Engineers has provided a major part of support for Mr. Dan Braithwaite, Programmer Analyst III at CHRS. - The US Army Research Office’s support has resulted in additional refinement of the PERSIANN algorithm - Cooperation with UNESCO’s G-WADI program has been critical to the dissemination of data worldwide. - NOAA funding through the Climate Data Record (CDR) program resulted in the PERSIANN-CDR dataset. The following members of CHRS (former and current) are greatly acknowledged. Kuolin Hsu, Xiaogang Gao, Bisher Imam, Dan Braithwaite, Hamed Ashouri, Andrea Thorstensen, Scott Sellars, Ali Behrangi. Special thanks to Hien To, Ph.D. student at USC, for his contribution on the crowdsourcing technologies. Soroosh Sorooshian, Ph.D. NAE CHRS Director
Bluerain
Read full descriptionHide full description
Introducing the Gentick Bluetooth Rain Gauge app, a convenient solution for monitoring rainfall measurements remotely. This cutting-edge app is designed to work seamlessly with Gentick's Bluetooth Rain Gauge, enabling you to access rainfall data from your mobile device. With the Gentick Bluetooth Rain Gauge app, you can conveniently upload and track rainfall measurements without leaving your location. The app establishes a Bluetooth connection with the Gentick Rain Gauge, allowing it to retrieve the recorded rainfall data from the device. The app provides comprehensive uploaded rainfall ensuring you are well-informed about the weather conditions in your area. By simply launching the app and connecting to the Gentick Rain Gauge, you can access the latest recorded rainfall measurements. Featuring a user-friendly interface, the Gentick Bluetooth Rain Gauge app allows you to effortlessly view and analyze rainfall data. You can explore various formats such as hourly, daily, and monthly totals to gain insights into rainfall patterns. Additionally, historical rainfall data is available for you to compare past rainfall records. With the Gentick Bluetooth Rain Gauge app, you'll have a valuable tool at your fingertips for staying updated on rainfall information. This app remains a practical choice for remotely monitoring rainfall measurements using Bluetooth Low Energy technology in Gentick Rain gauge.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Bluerain at every 3 weeks against iRain UCI's every 2 months. iRain UCI's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
iRain UCI ships an update every 2 months, Bluerain every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | iRain UCI | Bluerain |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.2 (22 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 45.5% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 22 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 46 MB | 28 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | University of California, Irvine | Michael Beukman |
In-app purchases
iRain UCI
No in-app purchases
Bluerain
No in-app purchases









