# Heltec Hotspot vs MeshCoreScanner

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.

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

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

## The numbers

| Metric | Heltec Hotspot | MeshCoreScanner |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[4.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/meshcorescanner/id6761951768/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **2** |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 35 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Chengdu Huilite Automation Technology Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1654426350) | [Jaroslaw Karas](https://appshunter.io/developer/1873177164) |

## What reviewers say

### Heltec Hotspot

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/heltec-hotspot/id6444391876)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### MeshCoreScanner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/meshcorescanner/id6761951768)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


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