# LightBlue® vs Meshtastic

The clearest difference is review sentiment: LightBlue® at 66% against Meshtastic's 44%. LightBlue® also leads on rating (4.3 vs 4.1). Meshtastic's advantage is monetization model (free vs ad-supported) and update cadence (every 10 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, ratings volume, 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.

LightBlue® holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 942 and 824 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 66% of LightBlue®'s written reviews are positive against 44% of Meshtastic's.

LightBlue® ships an update every 3 weeks, Meshtastic every 10 days. Both last shipped on October 14, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | LightBlue® | Meshtastic |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.3 (942 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightblue/id557428110/reviews)** | [4.1 (824 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/meshtastic/id1586432531/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **942** | 824 |
| Positive reviews | **66.1% of reviews** | 44.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | **Free** |
| Size | 22 MB | 95 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.4** | 17.5 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Punch Through](https://appshunter.io/developer/557428113) | [Meshtastic LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1586432533) |

## What reviewers say

### LightBlue®

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightblue/id557428110)

This app allows users to interact with Bluetooth Low Energy devices. It supports scanning for, connecting to, and analyzing BLE peripherals, as well as simulating your own BLE devices. It's a comprehensive tool for developers and enthusiasts working with BLE technology.

**Highlights:** Scan and discover BLE peripherals, Connect and view device profiles, Read and write characteristics, Subscribe to notifications, Create and advertise virtual BLE devices, Clone peripheral profiles, Log and share BLE events

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Found lost devices
- 🔍 Helpful for locating Bluetooth devices
- 👍 Works great
- 👍 Lifesaver
- 👍 Fantastic app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Doesn't work with dead devices
- 🐛 Unreliable connection
- 🐛 Confusing to use
- 🐛 Doesn't work with all devices

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes after updates
- Fails to connect Apple Pencil
- Doesn't detect all nearby devices

**Requested features**

- Ability to manually name devices
- More precise location tracking
- Integration with Siri/Shortcuts


### 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is LightBlue® free?

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

### Is Meshtastic free?

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

### Which has better reviews, LightBlue® or Meshtastic?

LightBlue® is rated higher. LightBlue® averages 4.3 out of 5 from 942 ratings, while Meshtastic averages 4.1 from 824 ratings.

### Do LightBlue® or Meshtastic have ads?

Neither LightBlue® nor Meshtastic shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, LightBlue® or Meshtastic?

LightBlue® ships an update every 3 weeks, and Meshtastic every 10 days. Most recently, LightBlue® was updated on October 14, 2026 and Meshtastic on October 14, 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.*