# 18XXc vs Meshtastic

The clearest difference is rating: 18XXc at 4.9 against Meshtastic's 4.1. 18XXc also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.5). Meshtastic's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and update cadence (weekly vs monthly). On price, ads and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. 18XXc sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Meshtastic asks for nothing beyond the download.

18XXc holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Meshtastic has 843 ratings behind it against 17, so its average is the more settled of the two.

18XXc ships an update monthly, Meshtastic weekly. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | 18XXc | Meshtastic |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (17 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/18xxc/id1536385450/reviews)** | [4.1 (843 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/meshtastic/id1586432531/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 17 | **843** |
| Positive reviews | — | 44.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 19 MB | 147 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.5 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Magnus Orn Gylfason](https://appshunter.io/developer/1536385452) | [Meshtastic LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1586432533) |

## What reviewers say

### 18XXc

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/18xxc/id1536385450)

This app assists players of 18XX board games by providing specialized calculators for fundraising, routes, and game results. It supports a vast number of 18XX games and includes a game editor for unsupported titles.

**Highlights:** Fundraising calculator, Route calculator, Result calculator, Game editor, Supports numerous 18XX games, Upload results to BoardGameGeek

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly subscription | $4.99 | per month |
| Yearly subscription | $4.99 | per year |
| Monthly subscription | $9.99 | per month |
| Yearly subscription | $9.99 | per year |


### 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, 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 18XXc free?

18XXc is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Meshtastic free?

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

### Which has better reviews, 18XXc or Meshtastic?

18XXc is rated higher. 18XXc averages 4.9 out of 5 from 17 ratings, while Meshtastic averages 4.1 from 843 ratings.

### Do 18XXc or Meshtastic have ads?

Neither 18XXc nor Meshtastic shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, 18XXc or Meshtastic?

18XXc ships an update monthly, and Meshtastic weekly. Most recently, 18XXc was updated on November 3, 2026 and Meshtastic on November 3, 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.*