# Meshtastic vs BamBuddy

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Meshtastic at none against BamBuddy's 3. Meshtastic also leads on device support (4 vs 2). On price, ads and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. BamBuddy sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Meshtastic asks for nothing beyond the download.

## The numbers

| Metric | Meshtastic | BamBuddy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.1 (824 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/meshtastic/id1586432531/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **824** | — |
| Positive reviews | 44.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days | — |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 95 MB | 17 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.5 | **17.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Meshtastic LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1586432533) | [Lourens Alexander Pieter Meek](https://appshunter.io/developer/6785890779) |

## 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


### BamBuddy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bambuddy/id6790214398)

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Pro Yearly | $12.99 | per year |
| Pro Lifetime | $24.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Meshtastic free?

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

### Is BamBuddy free?

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

### Do Meshtastic or BamBuddy have ads?

Neither Meshtastic nor BamBuddy shows ads.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*