Comparison

Feld Hellschreiber vs Meshtastic

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

Head to head
About

Feld Hellschreiber

This app decodes and transmits text messages using the historical Hellschreiber system, which sends characters as audio signals. It's ideal for amateur radio operators and enthusiasts interested in vintage communication methods. The app allows for both manual text entry and pre-set messages, with adjustable display contrast for optimal viewing.

Highlights
  • Decode Hellschreiber messages
  • Transmit text messages
  • Canned text message support
  • Adjustable display contrast
  • Real-time text scrolling
  • Audio input/output via device mic/speaker
Features
Read full description

Hellschreiber is a teleprinter system, developed in the 1920s, that transmits text via sound, much like an old facsimile (fax) system. Each pixel of a character is transmitted as a short burst of audio. It works even under very noisy and poor reception conditions, because your brain does the work of analyzing the received image to pick out the characters. It was used by the German military during World War II to send messages encrypted by ENIGMA machines. Today it is used by amateur (ham) radio operators around the world to send messages to each other via shortwave radio. Feld Hellschreiber literally means "bright field recorder". Hellschreiber is sometimes referred to as simply Hell. Feld Hellschreiber lets you decode and transmit Feld Hell messages. Decoded text is continuously scrolled across the top of the display. You can type in text to transmit, or press a button to easily send canned text messages, such as CQ calls. Sound is picked up from your radio's speaker via the internal mic in your device, and transmitted audio comes out the speaker - you can also connect a patch cable to your radio's mic input via the headphone jack on your device to transmit the audio, if you wish. The slider control adjusts the display contrast, and the indicator to the right shows the volume. Adjust the slider for the best display. To transmit text, touch on the text entry field, and start typing. Each character will be sent when possible. When sent, it will be taken off the left end of this field, and displayed on the right end of the transmitted text field, to the left of the entry field, in a scrolling fashion. Canned text buttons are also available, touch one to send the text stored for that button. To edit a button, touch the Setup button, and then select the button you wish to edit. You can edit the name of the button, as well as the text. To decode transmissions, you just need to run the app, and set it near the radio's speaker or headphones, and watch the decoded text appear. It's that easy!

About

Meshtastic

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
Read full description

Meshtastic® is an open source, off-grid, decentralized, mesh network built to run on low-power Lora radios letting you send text messages in areas without reliable cellular or WiFi service.

Screenshots

Feld Hellschreiber1 screens
Meshtastic4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Meshtastic at Free against Feld Hellschreiber's $2.99. Meshtastic also leads on rating (4.1 vs 2.8) and update cadence (every 10 days vs every 13 months). Feld Hellschreiber's advantage is review sentiment (75% vs 44%) and iOS requirement (6.0 vs 17.5). On ads, in-app purchases and device support 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

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Meshtastic holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 2.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Meshtastic has 824 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 75% of Feld Hellschreiber's written reviews are positive against 44% of Meshtastic's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Feld Hellschreiber ships an update every 13 months, Meshtastic every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Feld Hellschreiber versus Meshtastic: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFeld HellschreiberMeshtastic
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating2.8 (5 ratings)4.1 (824 ratings) — better
Positive reviews75.0% of reviews — better44.0% of reviews
Number of ratings5824 — better
Update frequencyEvery 13 monthsEvery 10 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS6.0 — better17.5
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB95 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperBlack Cat SystemsMeshtastic LLC

Customer experience

Feld Hellschreiber

All ratings5 ratings
Positive40.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative60.0%
Written reviews16 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral12.5%
Negative12.5%

Meshtastic

All ratings824 ratings
Positive76.3%
Neutral6.7%
Negative17.0%
Written reviews418 reviews
Positive44.0%
Neutral15.1%
Negative40.9%

Bugs and requests

Feld Hellschreiber

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Meshtastic

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Canned messages configuration issues
  • Location sharing and traceroute functions not working
  • Settings screen bugs and crashes
  • Inconsistent behavior when switching between devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Offline maps support
  • Ability to customize notifications
  • More sorting and filtering options for nodes
  • Apple Watch and Shortcuts integration
  • Improved documentation and user guidance

In-app purchases

None

Feld Hellschreiber

No in-app purchases

None

Meshtastic

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Feld Hellschreiber free?
Feld Hellschreiber 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, Feld Hellschreiber or Meshtastic?
Meshtastic is rated higher. Feld Hellschreiber averages 2.8 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while Meshtastic averages 4.1 from 824 ratings.
Do Feld Hellschreiber or Meshtastic have ads?
Neither Feld Hellschreiber nor Meshtastic shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Feld Hellschreiber or Meshtastic?
Feld Hellschreiber ships an update every 13 months, and Meshtastic every 10 days. Most recently, Feld Hellschreiber was updated on October 8, 2026 and Meshtastic on October 11, 2026.

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