This work exhaustively evaluates – for the first time – the suitability of seven state-of-the-art satellite-based rainfall estimates (SREs) over the complex topography and diverse climatic gradients of Chile. Several indices of performance are used for different timescales and elevation zones. Our analysis reveals what SREs are in closer agreement to ground-based observations and what indices allow for understanding mismatches in shape, magnitude, variability and intensity of precipitation.