Comparison

Heltec Hotspot vs MeshCoreScanner

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Heltec Hotspot

Manage your Helium Hotspots, track token earnings, and send Helium tokens securely. Onboard new devices to the Helium blockchain and assert their locations for accurate status and earning reports.

Highlights
  • Onboard Helium Hotspots
  • View token earnings
  • Send Helium tokens
  • Manage multiple Hotspots
  • Assert Hotspot location
Read full description

Heltec is a secure and convenient app for onboarding Helium Hotspots, viewing token earnings, and sending Helium tokens quickly between friends. Add your Heltec hotspot to Helium blockchain and assert location for it. And then you can view the earnings and the running status of it. With the Heltec app you can manage one or many Hotspots.

About

MeshCoreScanner

This app maps LoRa mesh network coverage in real-time by connecting to compatible BLE radio devices. It plots scan points and discovered repeaters on a map, cataloging signal quality and discovery history. Organize scans into sessions and export data for external analysis.

Highlights
  • Live coverage mapping on OpenStreetMap
  • Repeater database with discovery history
  • Coverage visualization per repeater
  • Organized scan sessions
  • Background scanning with GPS/BLE
  • GeoJSON data export
  • Fully offline functionality
Features
Read full description

MeshCoreScanner is a companion app for MeshCore BLE radio devices that maps LoRa mesh network coverage in real time. Connect to your MeshCore companion radio via Bluetooth Low Energy and start scanning for nearby repeaters as you move. The app automatically triggers discovery scans based on distance traveled or time intervals, logging every repeater response with signal strength, SNR, and GPS coordinates. KEY FEATURES • Live Coverage Mapping — Scan points and discovered repeaters are plotted on an OpenStreetMap-based map as you travel • Repeater Database — All discovered repeaters are cataloged with signal quality, node type, coordinates, and discovery history • Coverage Visualization — View per-repeater coverage areas based on aggregated scan data • Scan Sessions — Organize your scanning activity into sessions for easy comparison and management • Scan-to-Repeater Lines — Tap any scan point to see connections to all repeaters heard at that location • Background Scanning — Continues scanning while the app is in the background using GPS and BLE • Distance or Time Trigger — Configure scans to trigger every X meters or every X seconds • Data Management — Delete repeaters by age or distance, filter imports, manage sessions • GeoJSON Export — Share your coverage data for analysis in external tools • Fully Offline — All data is stored locally on your device, no account or internet connection required REQUIREMENTS • A MeshCore-compatible BLE companion radio device • iPhone with Bluetooth Low Energy support • Location permission for GPS-based scan mapping MeshCoreScanner is built for the MeshCore LoRa mesh networking community. Whether you're planning repeater placement, verifying coverage, or exploring network reach — this app gives you the data you need.

Screenshots

Heltec Hotspot4 screens
MeshCoreScanner2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: MeshCoreScanner at 100% against Heltec Hotspot's 0%. Heltec Hotspot's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 26.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 16, 2026 and July 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Heltec Hotspot versus MeshCoreScanner: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHeltec HotspotMeshCoreScanner
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.5 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings—2 — better
Update frequencyMonthlyMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS13.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size35 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperChengdu Huilite Automation Technology Co., Ltd.Jaroslaw Karas

Customer experience

Heltec Hotspot

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

MeshCoreScanner

Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Heltec Hotspot

No in-app purchases

None

MeshCoreScanner

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Heltec Hotspot free?
Heltec Hotspot is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is MeshCoreScanner free?
MeshCoreScanner is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Heltec Hotspot or MeshCoreScanner have ads?
Neither Heltec Hotspot nor MeshCoreScanner shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Heltec Hotspot or MeshCoreScanner?
Heltec Hotspot ships an update monthly, and MeshCoreScanner monthly. Most recently, Heltec Hotspot was updated on September 16, 2026 and MeshCoreScanner on July 9, 2026.

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