# Circuit Playground vs Meshtastic

The clearest difference is price: Meshtastic at Free against Circuit Playground's $2.99. Meshtastic also leads on update cadence (every 10 days vs every 6 weeks) and ratings volume (803 vs 19). Circuit Playground's advantage is review sentiment (86% vs 44%) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.5). On rating, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Meshtastic is free to download; Circuit Playground costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.3 for Circuit Playground against 4.2 for Meshtastic. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Meshtastic has 803 ratings behind it against 19, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 86% of Circuit Playground's written reviews are positive against 44% of Meshtastic's.

Circuit Playground ships an update every 6 weeks, Meshtastic every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Circuit Playground | Meshtastic |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.3 (19 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/circuit-playground/id492487671/reviews)** | [4.2 (803 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/meshtastic/id1586432531/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 19 | **803** |
| Positive reviews | **86.0% of reviews** | 44.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 27 MB | 76 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 17.5 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Adafruit Industries](https://appshunter.io/developer/492487674) | [Meshtastic LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1586432533) |

## What reviewers say

### Circuit Playground

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/circuit-playground/id492487671)

This app serves as a comprehensive electronics reference and calculation tool. It helps makers and hobbyists by simplifying complex calculations for various circuits, deciphering component codes, and providing essential diagrams.

**Highlights:** Circuit value calculations, Resistor and capacitor code deciphering, Ohm's Law and power calculators, Number and character conversions, Series/parallel component calculations, IC and connector pinout diagrams

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Clean, intuitive, easy-to-use interface
- 🚀 Fast load times and responsive performance
- 📚 Comprehensive reference tools and calculators
- 🎯 Resistor and capacitor color code tools
- 📍 Useful pinout references for various boards

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
- ⚠️ Outdated and needs regular updates
- ❌ Limited calculator functionality and flexibility
- 🎨 Poor visual design in some areas
- 📱 Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when opening multiple capacitors section
- LED Resistor Help Menu crashes the app
- Wavelength to Colour slider inoperable until text field activated
- Capacitor code function broken (incorrect default values)
- Number converter only accepts value 50

**Requested features**

- Update USB Type-C connector information
- Add transistor pinouts and HFE values
- Transistor and op-amp calculators
- Voltage divider calculator
- Arduino and Raspberry Pi pinout references


### 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Circuit Playground free?

Circuit Playground costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Meshtastic free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Circuit Playground or Meshtastic?

Circuit Playground is rated higher. Circuit Playground averages 4.3 out of 5 from 19 ratings, while Meshtastic averages 4.2 from 803 ratings.

### Do Circuit Playground or Meshtastic have ads?

Neither Circuit Playground nor Meshtastic shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Circuit Playground or Meshtastic?

Circuit Playground ships an update every 6 weeks, and Meshtastic every 10 days. Most recently, Circuit Playground was updated on September 26, 2026 and Meshtastic on September 27, 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.*