Meshtastic vs LanternScan
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.
LanternScan
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There's usually more smart devices around you than you think: a neighbour's speaker, a ring, a wifi plug you forgot about or a phone that isn't yours sitting on your WiFi. LanternScan finds BLE and WiFi devices near you and tells you what it thinks they are. For each device you get a best guess at the make and model, plus the evidence behind that guess so you can decide for yourself whether it makes sense. Anything you recognise, mark as familiar. Anything you don't, flag it and monitor closely. Features - device recognition or best guess - blacklist feature - distance from the source (BLE only) - advanced sensing with FingerBank (opt-in)
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is device support: Meshtastic at 4 against LanternScan's 2. On price, ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement 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.
| Parameter | Meshtastic | LanternScan |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.1 (824 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 44.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 824 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.5 | 16.4 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 95 MB | 41 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Meshtastic LLC | Impossible Labs Ltd. |
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
LanternScan
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Meshtastic
No in-app purchases
LanternScan
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Meshtastic free?
Is LanternScan free?
Do Meshtastic or LanternScan have ads?
Other comparisons
