# Meshtastic vs ntfy

The clearest difference is rating: ntfy at 4.8 against Meshtastic's 4.2. ntfy also leads on review sentiment (79% vs 44%) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.5). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

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

ntfy holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 803 and 442 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 44% of Meshtastic's written reviews are positive against 79% of ntfy's.

Meshtastic ships an update every 10 days, ntfy fortnightly. Both last shipped on September 27, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Meshtastic | ntfy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (803 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/meshtastic/id1586432531/reviews) | **[4.8 (442 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ntfy/id1625396347/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **803** | 442 |
| Positive reviews | 44.2% of reviews | **78.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 76 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.5 | **15.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Meshtastic LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1586432533) | [Philipp Heckel](https://appshunter.io/developer/1625396349) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### ntfy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ntfy/id1625396347)

This app allows you to send push notifications to your phone from scripts or other applications using simple HTTP requests. It acts as a client for a free, open-source pub-sub service, enabling you to receive alerts and updates directly on your device.

**Highlights:** Send notifications via REST API, Subscribe to topics, Publish messages via HTTP, Integrates with Bash/PowerShell, Free and open source client

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Simple and easy to use
- 🔒 Great for self-hosting
- 👍 Reliable and works as expected
- 🚀 Quick and easy to set up
- 🚀 Lightweight and functional

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Notification issues on iOS
- 🔍 Limited features compared to other platforms
- 🔍 Lacks customization options
- 🐛 Occasional crashes or delivery issues

**Reported bugs**

- Notifications not working on iOS
- Broken click URLs in notifications
- Compatibility issues with iOS notification summarizing

**Requested features**

- Ability to change notification sounds
- Support for Apple Watch
- Customizable topic names/aliases
- Improved iOS notification handling
- All topics view and read/unread indicators


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Meshtastic free?

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

### Is ntfy free?

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

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

ntfy is rated higher. Meshtastic averages 4.2 out of 5 from 803 ratings, while ntfy averages 4.8 from 442 ratings.

### Do Meshtastic or ntfy have ads?

Neither Meshtastic nor ntfy shows ads.

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

Meshtastic ships an update every 10 days, and ntfy fortnightly. Most recently, Meshtastic was updated on September 27, 2026 and ntfy 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.*