Meshtastic vs TERMinator
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 communication via a low-power mesh network. Send text messages in areas lacking cellular or WiFi service.
- Off-grid communication
- Decentralized mesh network
- Low-power LoRa radio support
- Text messaging
- No cellular/WiFi required
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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.
TERMinator
Connect to Bulletin Board Systems and SSH servers with a retro terminal client. Experience authentic CP437 ANSI art rendering, classic fonts, and ZMODEM file transfers. Manage your connections with a phonebook and quick connect options.
- Telnet and SSH connections
- CP437/ANSI art rendering
- Classic bitmap fonts
- ZMODEM file transfer
- Scrollback history
- Phonebook management
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TERMinator is a retro BBS terminal client for iOS. Connect to Bulletin Board Systems and SSH servers with authentic CP437 ANSI art rendering, multiple classic fonts, and ZMODEM file transfers. Features: - Telnet and SSH connections - Pixel-perfect CP437/ANSI art with Metal rendering - Multiple screen modes (80x25, 80x40, 80x50, 132x25, 132x50) - Classic bitmap fonts including IBM VGA, Topaz, and more - ZMODEM file upload and download - Scrollback history - Session logging - Phonebook with drag-to-reorder and thumbnails - Quick Connect buttons for favorite BBSes - Zoom and pan controls - Clickable URL detection - Export/import BBS lists
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ratings volume: Meshtastic at 803 against TERMinator's 8. Meshtastic also leads on device support (4 vs 2). TERMinator's advantage is review sentiment (67% vs 44%) and rating (4.5 vs 4.2). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
TERMinator holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Meshtastic has 803 ratings behind it against 8, 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 67% of TERMinator's.
Meshtastic ships an update every 10 days, TERMinator every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and September 13, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Meshtastic | TERMinator |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.2 (803 ratings) | 4.5 (8 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 44.2% of reviews | 66.7% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 803 — better | 8 |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days | Every 8 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.5 | 16.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 76 MB | 117 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Meshtastic LLC | Phil Whittemore |
Customer experience
Meshtastic
TERMinator
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
TERMinator
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Meshtastic
No in-app purchases
TERMinator
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Meshtastic free?
Is TERMinator free?
Which has better reviews, Meshtastic or TERMinator?
Do Meshtastic or TERMinator have ads?
Which is updated more often, Meshtastic or TERMinator?
Other comparisons
