# Meshtastic vs Crowd Compass Companion App

The clearest difference is rating: Crowd Compass Companion App at 5.0 against Meshtastic's 4.1. Crowd Compass Companion App also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.5). Meshtastic's advantage is ratings volume (837 vs 5) and device support (5 vs 3). On price, update cadence, 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.

Crowd Compass Companion App holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Meshtastic has 837 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Meshtastic ships an update every 9 days, Crowd Compass Companion App every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Meshtastic | Crowd Compass Companion App |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.1 (837 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/meshtastic/id1586432531/reviews) | **[5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crowd-compass-companion-app/id6633413014/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **837** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | 44.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 144 MB | 84 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.5 | **15.1** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Meshtastic LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1586432533) | [Crowd Compass Incorporated](https://appshunter.io/developer/1762525939) |

## 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, 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


### Crowd Compass Companion App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crowd-compass-companion-app/id6633413014)

Stay connected with your group even without cell service or Wi-Fi. This app provides real-time GPS friend tracking, off-grid messaging, and downloadable offline maps. It's ideal for festivals, backcountry adventures, and any situation where network connectivity is limited.

**Highlights:** Real-time GPS friend tracking, Off-grid mesh messaging, Downloadable offline maps, Waypoint dropping, LTE performance boost, Effortless group pairing, Background operation

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Meshtastic free?

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

### Is Crowd Compass Companion App free?

Crowd Compass Companion App is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Meshtastic or Crowd Compass Companion App?

Crowd Compass Companion App is rated higher. Meshtastic averages 4.1 out of 5 from 837 ratings, while Crowd Compass Companion App averages 5.0 from 5 ratings.

### Do Meshtastic or Crowd Compass Companion App have ads?

Neither Meshtastic nor Crowd Compass Companion App shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Meshtastic or Crowd Compass Companion App?

Meshtastic ships an update every 9 days, and Crowd Compass Companion App every 3 weeks. Most recently, Meshtastic was updated on October 30, 2026 and Crowd Compass Companion App on October 19, 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.*