# HamAlert vs Meshtastic

The clearest difference is update cadence: Meshtastic at every 10 days against HamAlert's every 5 months. Meshtastic also leads on ratings volume (824 vs 34). HamAlert's advantage is review sentiment (67% vs 44%) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.5). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.0 for HamAlert against 4.1 for Meshtastic. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Meshtastic has 824 ratings behind it against 34, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 67% of HamAlert's written reviews are positive against 44% of Meshtastic's.

HamAlert ships an update every 5 months, Meshtastic every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | HamAlert | Meshtastic |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (34 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hamalert/id1200759798/reviews) | **[4.1 (824 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/meshtastic/id1586432531/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 34 | **824** |
| Positive reviews | **66.7% of reviews** | 44.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 11 MB | 95 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 17.5 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Manuel Kasper](https://appshunter.io/developer/1200759797) | [Meshtastic LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1586432533) |

## What reviewers say

### HamAlert

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hamalert/id1200759798)

Receive instant push notifications for desired amateur radio contacts. Filter alerts by various criteria like callsign, band, mode, and location. Stay updated on DX spots from multiple sources.

**Highlights:** Push notifications for desired stations, Filter spots by DXCC, callsign, and location, Support for Reverse Beacon Network, SOTAwatch, DX cluster, PSK Reporter, Filter by band, mode, and time, Filter by spotter callsign and DXCC

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Meshtastic

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

This app enables off-grid, decentralized communication via a low-power mesh network. Send text messages in areas lacking cellular or WiFi service.

**Highlights:** Off-grid communication, Decentralized mesh network, Low-power LoRa radio support, Text messaging, No cellular/WiFi required

**Features:** Siri integration, Apple Watch app, iMessage stickers, Vision Pro support

**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 HamAlert free?

HamAlert 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, HamAlert or Meshtastic?

Meshtastic is rated higher. HamAlert averages 4.0 out of 5 from 34 ratings, while Meshtastic averages 4.1 from 824 ratings.

### Do HamAlert or Meshtastic have ads?

Neither HamAlert nor Meshtastic shows ads.

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

HamAlert ships an update every 5 months, and Meshtastic every 10 days. Most recently, HamAlert was updated on October 12, 2026 and Meshtastic on October 14, 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.*