# Meshtastic vs ZoneMap

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Meshtastic at none against ZoneMap's 2. Meshtastic also leads on update cadence (every 10 days vs monthly). ZoneMap's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.5). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. ZoneMap sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Meshtastic asks for nothing beyond the download.

Meshtastic ships an update every 10 days, ZoneMap monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Meshtastic | ZoneMap |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.2 (803 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/meshtastic/id1586432531/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **803** | — |
| Positive reviews | 44.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 76 MB | 86 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.5 | **15.1** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Meshtastic LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1586432533) | [Nathan Filion](https://appshunter.io/developer/1826339276) |

## 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


### ZoneMap

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zonemap/id6752958901)

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ZoneMap Pro Monthly (1 Month) | $1.99 | per month |
| ZoneMap Pro Annual (1 Year) | $19.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Meshtastic free?

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

### Is ZoneMap free?

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

### Do Meshtastic or ZoneMap have ads?

Neither Meshtastic nor ZoneMap shows ads.

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

Meshtastic ships an update every 10 days, and ZoneMap monthly. Most recently, Meshtastic was updated on September 27, 2026 and ZoneMap on September 20, 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.*