# FDS Altis vs Meshtastic

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Meshtastic at 803 against FDS Altis's 10. Meshtastic also leads on rating (4.2 vs 3.9) and update cadence (every 10 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, review sentiment, 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.

Meshtastic holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Meshtastic has 803 ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 40% of FDS Altis's written reviews are positive against 44% of Meshtastic's.

FDS Altis ships an update every 3 weeks, Meshtastic every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on September 15, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | FDS Altis | Meshtastic |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.9 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fds-altis/id1254991988/reviews) | **[4.2 (803 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/meshtastic/id1586432531/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 10 | **803** |
| Positive reviews | 40.0% of reviews | **44.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 16 MB | 76 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.2 | **17.5** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Casey Mongoven](https://appshunter.io/developer/1254991987) | [Meshtastic LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1586432533) |

## What reviewers say

### FDS Altis

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fds-altis/id1254991988)

Access the instructional manual for your product and connect to the system. By using this application, you agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

**Highlights:** Product instructional manual access, System connection, Terms of Service agreement, Privacy Policy agreement

**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, 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 FDS Altis free?

FDS Altis 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, FDS Altis or Meshtastic?

Meshtastic is rated higher. FDS Altis averages 3.9 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while Meshtastic averages 4.2 from 803 ratings.

### Do FDS Altis or Meshtastic have ads?

Neither FDS Altis nor Meshtastic shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, FDS Altis or Meshtastic?

FDS Altis ships an update every 3 weeks, and Meshtastic every 10 days. Most recently, FDS Altis was updated on September 15, 2026 and Meshtastic on September 27, 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.*