# Packet Commander vs MeshCoreScanner

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: MeshCoreScanner at none against Packet Commander's 2. Packet Commander's advantage is rating (4.9 vs 4.5) and ratings volume (44 vs 2). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Packet Commander sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per year. MeshCoreScanner asks for nothing beyond the download.

Packet Commander holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Packet Commander has 44 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

Packet Commander ships an update every 2 months, MeshCoreScanner monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Packet Commander | MeshCoreScanner |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (44 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/packet-commander/id6743951365/reviews)** | [4.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/meshcorescanner/id6761951768/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **44** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 10 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | **18.2** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Island Magic Co.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1529387252) | [Jaroslaw Karas](https://appshunter.io/developer/1873177164) |

## What reviewers say

### Packet Commander

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/packet-commander/id6743951365)

This app provides a classic terminal experience for packet radio communication on mobile devices. It offers powerful terminal features, smart connection management, and real-time over-the-air traffic monitoring. It's designed for amateur radio operators to connect with nodes, BBS, and decode traffic.

**Highlights:** Full-screen terminal for packet nodes and BBS, Classic color themes and adjustable layout, YAPP protocol support for file transfers, Location-aware digipeater routing, Seamless iCloud sync, Over-the-air traffic decoding, Auto-discovery of TNCs

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Yearly Subscription | $8.99 | per year |
| One-Time Purchase | $24.99 | one-time |


### 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 Packet Commander free?

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

### Is MeshCoreScanner free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Packet Commander or MeshCoreScanner?

Packet Commander is rated higher. Packet Commander averages 4.9 out of 5 from 44 ratings, while MeshCoreScanner averages 4.5 from 2 ratings.

### Do Packet Commander or MeshCoreScanner have ads?

Neither Packet Commander nor MeshCoreScanner shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Packet Commander or MeshCoreScanner?

Packet Commander ships an update every 2 months, and MeshCoreScanner monthly. Most recently, Packet Commander was updated on September 21, 2026 and MeshCoreScanner on October 1, 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.*