Meshtastic vs Trace
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Meshtastic
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.
- Off-grid communication
- Decentralized mesh network
- LoRa radio integration
- Text messaging
- Open source platform
- Low-power operation
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Meshtastic® is an open source, off-grid, decentralized, mesh network built to run on low-power Lora radios letting you send text messages in areas without reliable cellular or WiFi service.
Trace
Easily design and publish immersive augmented reality experiences. Create 3D holographic tours, product demos, and training scenes with interactive elements. Share spatial content viewable on various devices, including XR headsets.
- Create 3D holographic tours
- Design spatial content
- Add interactive elements
- Publish to any device
- Capture 3D tours and demos
- Add spatial videos, images, and 3D models
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Create and share 3D holographic tours in seconds. Bring your ideas to life with Trace — the fastest way to build and publish immersive AR experiences directly from your device. With the Trace Creator app, you can design world-class spatial content, add interactive elements, and instantly publish to any device. Capture and create 3D tours, product demos, and training scenes. Add spatial videos, images, 3D models, and interactive guides. Share insights and stories from curators, educators, and experts — as if they were there in person. Seamlessly viewable on phones, tablets, and next-generation XR headsets. --- Terms of service: https://www.trace3d.app/traceuser-termsofservice Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Trace at 100% against Meshtastic's 44%. Trace also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.5). Meshtastic's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ratings volume (846 vs 13). On price and ads there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Trace sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $20.00 per month. Meshtastic asks for nothing beyond the download.
Trace holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Meshtastic has 846 ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 44% of Meshtastic's written reviews are positive against 100% of Trace's.
Meshtastic ships an update weekly, Trace every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Meshtastic | Trace |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.1 (846 ratings) | 5.0 (13 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 44.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 846 — better | 13 |
| Update frequency | Weekly — better | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 17.5 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 147 MB | 224 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Meshtastic LLC | Trace3d Inc |
Customer experience
Meshtastic
Trace
Bugs and requests
Meshtastic
Reported bugs
4 issues- Canned messages configuration issues
- Location sharing and traceroute functions not working
- Settings screen bugs and crashes
- Inconsistent behavior when switching between devices
Requested features
5 requests- Offline maps support
- Ability to customize notifications
- More sorting and filtering options for nodes
- Apple Watch and Shortcuts integration
- Improved documentation and user guidance
Trace
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Meshtastic
No in-app purchases
Trace
- Trace Creator - Monthly$20.001 Month
- Trace Creator - Yearly$191.991 Year
