# Flash vs PacketMessage

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Flash at none against PacketMessage's 3. Flash also leads on ratings volume (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.6). PacketMessage's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (weekly vs fortnightly). On price, rating and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PacketMessage sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Flash asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Flash against 5.0 for PacketMessage. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 1 respectively.

Flash ships an update fortnightly, PacketMessage weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Flash | PacketMessage |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flash-chatrooms/id6444962627/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/packetmessage/id6758742785/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 25 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Flash Social Technologies Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1658116351) | [Lukasz Skierkowski](https://appshunter.io/developer/1280847319) |

## What reviewers say

### Flash

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flash-chatrooms/id6444962627)

Connect with people in dynamic, real-time chatrooms based on your interests. Engage with others through likes and dislikes, and follow users to stay connected. Discover spontaneous conversations and find communities for sports, tech, entertainment, and more.

**Highlights:** Dynamic and spontaneous chatrooms, Real-time interaction, Interest-based chatroom discovery, Likes and dislikes for engagement, Following and follower system, One-click exploration

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### PacketMessage

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/packetmessage/id6758742785)

This app enables licensed amateur radio operators to send reliable messages directly over RF using their radio and a compatible TNC interface. It leverages advanced error correction protocols for robust communication in a decentralized network.

**Highlights:** FX.25 forward error correction, AX.25 bit-flip error correction, Software TNC or KISS TNC interface support, Direct RF message transmission, Decentralized communication

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Tip | $1.99 | one-time |
| Medium Tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| Large Tip | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Flash free?

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

### Is PacketMessage free?

PacketMessage is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Flash or PacketMessage?

Flash and PacketMessage are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 3 and 1 ratings respectively.

### Do Flash or PacketMessage have ads?

Flash shows ads; PacketMessage does not.

### Which is updated more often, Flash or PacketMessage?

Flash ships an update fortnightly, and PacketMessage weekly. Most recently, Flash was updated on October 3, 2026 and PacketMessage on September 29, 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.*