Reviews of RainMachine

By: RainMachine App

List of user reviews and ratings for RainMachine

Total ratings

1.80 (Rating count: 616)

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Review summary

RainMachine reviews are mixed. Many users praise the hardware’s longevity, ease of use, and water savings from weather data, along with a generally intuitive interface. However, there is strong criticism of the subscription model, which gates common features and remote access, plus ongoing app instability and connectivity problems. Poor or slow customer support and login/access issues amplify frustration. Some users still value the system when it works and local control remains accessible, but overall sentiment shifts negative due to reliability and paywall concerns.

Pros

Durable hardware with years of reliable irrigation control and proven water savings from weather data.
Clean, intuitive interface that is easy to operate when the app is working.
Local network access without a subscription has historically been available, allowing control without paying for premium features.
Strong value when used without premium connectivity, with users noting long-term benefits and effectiveness when it functions as expected.

Cons

Core features and remote/local access are frequently gated behind a paid subscription, which many reviews view as a negative change.
App reliability issues persist, including iOS app spinning, crashing, and frequent disconnects.
Connectivity and remote/local access instability and outages are common, making control unreliable.
Customer support is perceived as unresponsive or hard to reach, aggravating users when issues arise.
Login/password and account access problems (e.g., iPad password requirements, reset issues) add to user frustration.

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User Reviews

Recent rating average: 1.50

All time rating average: 1.80

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82% (46)

Date	Author	Comment
2026-09-03	Ta*****	Horrible
Horrible
2026-07-15	Os*****	When starting a program, there is a feature in the app for the day on which to start the program. It does not work. If you want to activate a program, you have to wait until the day before you want to start then manually activate it.
When starting a program, there is a feature in the app for the day on which to start the program. It does not work. If you want to activate a program, you have to wait until the day before you want to start then manually activate it.
2026-07-14	Cr*****	RainMachine was a wonderful product when I purchased it some 10+ years ago. After many years of use, the company decided to move to a subscription based service. While I still have the ability to control the app when I’m on my home network, I have to pay a fee to control it remotely. It’s like buying a car with a remote start feature that after years of usage, the manufacturer suddenly disables the feature unless you want to pay for it. Well, that’s not the deal I originally agreed upon. Stupid, stupid, stupid. It’s too bad because it WAS a good product but now is barely meh. Look elsewhere for an irrigation control system.
RainMachine was a wonderful product when I purchased it some 10+ years ago. After many years of use, the company decided to move to a subscription based service. While I still have the ability to control the app when I’m on my home network, I have to pay a fee to control it remotely. It’s like buying a car with a remote start feature that after years of usage, the manufacturer suddenly disables the feature unless you want to pay for it. Well, that’s not the deal I originally agreed upon. Stupid, stupid, stupid. It’s too bad because it WAS a good product but now is barely meh. Look elsewhere for an irrigation control system.
2026-06-19	No*****	Get a B-Hyve or Radicchio instead.
Get a B-Hyve or Radicchio instead.
2026-06-01	da*****	We’ve had a Rain Machine controller for quite a while. They charge a yearly premium to access the controller remotely. It never works. Most of the time the app just sits and spins. I’ve tried Direct Access, Local Network Access and Remote Access. It is completely unreliable. If you need to control your sprinkler system from a distance, stay away from this app and its web brother. Horrible. Not worth a penny.
We’ve had a Rain Machine controller for quite a while. They charge a yearly premium to access the controller remotely. It never works. Most of the time the app just sits and spins. I’ve tried Direct Access, Local Network Access and Remote Access. It is completely unreliable. If you need to control your sprinkler system from a distance, stay away from this app and its web brother. Horrible. Not worth a penny.
2026-05-09	St*****	Can’t even connect direct after recent updates….
Can’t even connect direct after recent updates….
2026-04-19	Mi*****	Used to work - stopped and no support - this company has put to effort to support app and recommend avoiding
Used to work - stopped and no support - this company has put to effort to support app and recommend avoiding
2026-01-26	Da*****	The company, Green, electronics, appears not to be operating their app nor support. I paid for the years worth of premium support, but cannot get a hold of them to help resolve some issues.
The company, Green, electronics, appears not to be operating their app nor support. I paid for the years worth of premium support, but cannot get a hold of them to help resolve some issues.
2026-01-23	To*****	I don’t get all the negative reviews. I have three of them for years now and they work well and it’s easy to understand how to operate.
I don’t get all the negative reviews. I have three of them for years now and they work well and it’s easy to understand how to operate.
2025-12-06	me*****	I bought this system specifically because it was the one that I did not have to pay a subscription for. Now they’re so hung up on selling a subscription. I can’t actually access the machines functions. It’s incredibly frustrating. Having paid for a piece of hardware to have a company bracket it should be illegal honestly.
I bought this system specifically because it was the one that I did not have to pay a subscription for. Now they’re so hung up on selling a subscription. I can’t actually access the machines functions. It’s incredibly frustrating. Having paid for a piece of hardware to have a company bracket it should be illegal honestly.