# Exploration_UFO vs Meshtastic

The clearest difference is rating: Meshtastic at 4.1 against Exploration_UFO's 3.2. Meshtastic also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 26 months) and ratings volume (849 vs 10). Exploration_UFO's advantage is iOS requirement (8.0 vs 17.5). 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.

Meshtastic holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Meshtastic has 849 ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 25% of Exploration_UFO's written reviews are positive against 44% of Meshtastic's.

Exploration_UFO ships an update every 26 months, Meshtastic weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Exploration_UFO | Meshtastic |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.2 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/exploration-ufo/id1085967477/reviews) | **[4.1 (849 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/meshtastic/id1586432531/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 10 | **849** |
| Positive reviews | 25.0% of reviews | **44.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 26 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 69 MB | 150 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 17.5 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Top Sunshine Technology Co.,Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/986221582) | [Meshtastic LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1586432533) |

## What reviewers say

### Exploration_UFO

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/exploration-ufo/id1085967477)

Control your aircraft's flight and view real-time camera feeds on your mobile device. Capture photos and videos, and experience immersive flight with various control modes and aerial stunts.

**Highlights:** Real-time camera feed, Photo and video recording, Gravity control mode, Rocker control mode, 360° roll over, Headless mode, Gesture recognition for photos/videos

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Meshtastic

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/meshtastic/id1586432531)

This app enables off-grid, decentralized text messaging using low-power LoRa radios. It creates a mesh network for communication in areas lacking cellular or WiFi service. The open-source platform is designed for reliable, decentralized connectivity.

**Highlights:** Off-grid communication, Decentralized mesh network, LoRa radio integration, Text messaging, Open source platform, Low-power operation

**Features:** Siri integration, Apple Watch app, iMessage stickers

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Well-made app
- 🚀 Polished and intuitive interface
- 🚀 Powerful features for off-grid communication
- 👍 Great community and responsive developers
- 👍 Continuously improving with updates

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bluetooth connectivity issues
- 🐛 Unreliable messaging and node connections
- 🐛 Crashes and stability problems
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 👎 Lacking feature parity with Android version

**Reported bugs**

- Canned messages configuration issues
- Location sharing and traceroute functions not working
- Settings screen bugs and crashes
- Inconsistent behavior when switching between devices

**Requested features**

- Offline maps support
- Ability to customize notifications
- More sorting and filtering options for nodes
- Apple Watch and Shortcuts integration
- Improved documentation and user guidance


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Exploration_UFO free?

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

### Is Meshtastic free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Exploration_UFO or Meshtastic?

Meshtastic is rated higher. Exploration_UFO averages 3.2 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while Meshtastic averages 4.1 from 849 ratings.

### Do Exploration_UFO or Meshtastic have ads?

Neither Exploration_UFO nor Meshtastic shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Exploration_UFO or Meshtastic?

Exploration_UFO ships an update every 26 months, and Meshtastic weekly. Most recently, Exploration_UFO was updated on November 6, 2026 and Meshtastic on November 11, 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.*