# Meshtastic vs TERMinator

The clearest difference is rating: TERMinator at 4.6 against Meshtastic's 4.1. TERMinator also leads on review sentiment (67% vs 44%). Meshtastic's advantage is ratings volume (824 vs 9) and device support (4 vs 2). 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.

TERMinator holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Meshtastic has 824 ratings behind it against 9, 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 October 19, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Meshtastic | TERMinator |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.1 (824 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/meshtastic/id1586432531/reviews) | **[4.6 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/terminator-bbs-terminal/id6759012939/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **824** | 9 |
| Positive reviews | 44.0% of reviews | **66.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days | **Every 8 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 95 MB | 120 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.5 | **16.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Meshtastic LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1586432533) | [Phil Whittemore](https://appshunter.io/developer/1876379185) |

## 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


### TERMinator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/terminator-bbs-terminal/id6759012939)

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.

**Highlights:** Telnet and SSH connections, CP437/ANSI art rendering, Classic bitmap fonts, ZMODEM file transfer, Scrollback history, Phonebook management

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Meshtastic free?

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

### Is TERMinator free?

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

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

TERMinator is rated higher. Meshtastic averages 4.1 out of 5 from 824 ratings, while TERMinator averages 4.6 from 9 ratings.

### Do Meshtastic or TERMinator have ads?

Neither Meshtastic nor TERMinator shows ads.

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

Meshtastic ships an update every 10 days, and TERMinator every 8 days. Most recently, Meshtastic was updated on October 19, 2026 and TERMinator on October 17, 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.*