Comparison

MeshCore One vs Retichat

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

Head to head
About

MeshCore One

Communicate off-grid using a dedicated radio network, no internet or cell service needed. Share messages, track contacts on a map, and manage network tools for reliable group communication in remote areas or during outages.

Highlights
  • Off-grid messaging
  • Group channels and reactions
  • Contact sharing via QR code
  • Offline map downloads
  • Network path tracing
  • Remote node monitoring
Features
Read full description

MeshCore One lets you send messages over the MeshCore radio network: long range, low power, and completely off the grid. No cell service, no Wi-Fi, no accounts, and no internet required. Just your iPhone, iPad, or Mac and a small MeshCore radio. Whether you're hiking a back-country trail, working an event, out on the water, or keeping your group connected when the power's out, MeshCore One keeps everyone connected. Messaging - Direct messages with delivery status - Group channels, reactions, and mentions - See the path each message took across the mesh Map - See where your contacts are - Standard, satellite, and hybrid map layers - Download map regions to work offline Contacts - Share contacts by QR code - Favorite the people and nodes you rely on - Automatically discover other radios nearby Network tools - Trace paths your packet takes - Line of Sight and terrain analysis to plan your coverage - Live signal and noise monitoring - CLI to manage repeaters and rooms Remote nodes - Check battery, uptime, and telemetry on your repeaters - Configure and reboot nodes from anywhere on the mesh Your Privacy Comes First MeshCore One works entirely offline. There are no accounts, no servers, and no tracking. Messages route directly between devices and never touch the internet. What You Need - An iPhone or iPad on iOS 18 or later, or an Apple Silicon Mac - A MeshCore-compatible radio (such as a Heltec V3 or RAK WisMesh Tag) running MeshCore firmware Connect over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, pick a radio preset, and start messaging across the mesh.

About

Retichat

This app provides end-to-end encrypted communication over decentralized networks. It supports store-and-forward propagation and federated nodes for lightweight push notifications. Future updates will include LoRa, group, and channel support.

Highlights
  • End-to-end forward encryption
  • Decentralized and organization-less
  • LXMF Store-and-Forward support
  • RFed federated propagation
  • Lightweight push notifications
Features
Read full description

Reticulum LXMF chat client for iPhone Offers end-to-end forward encrypted communication over Reticulum networks Completely decentralized and organization-less Support for LXMF Store-and-Forward propagation Additional functionality using RFed federated propagation nodes Features lightweight push notification through a notify-only (no message data) relay RFed capability Soon to come: LoRa support Group support Channel support

Screenshots

MeshCore One4 screens
Retichat2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: MeshCore One at 94% against Retichat's 38%. MeshCore One also leads on rating (4.9 vs 3.2) and ratings volume (24 vs 6). Retichat's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 7). On price, update cadence, ads and monetization model 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. MeshCore One sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. Retichat asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

MeshCore One holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 24 and 6 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 94% of MeshCore One's written reviews are positive against 38% of Retichat's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
MeshCore One versus Retichat: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMeshCore OneRetichat
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (24 ratings) — better3.2 (6 ratings)
Positive reviews94.1% of reviews — better37.5% of reviews
Number of ratings24 — better6
Update frequencyEvery 3 daysEvery 3 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.017.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size38 MB13 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperNathaniel ChungNew Endian LLC

Customer experience

MeshCore One

All ratings24 ratings
Positive95.8%
Neutral4.2%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews17 reviews
Positive94.1%
Neutral5.9%
Negative0.0%

Retichat

All ratings6 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral16.7%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive37.5%
Neutral25.0%
Negative37.5%

In-app purchases

7 purchases

MeshCore One

One-time7
  • Coffee$5.00
  • All Themes$9.99
  • Lunch$10.00
Show 4 more
  • Dinner$15.00
  • Generous Tip$20.00
  • Massive Tip$50.00
  • Epic Tip$100.00
None

Retichat

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is MeshCore One free?
MeshCore One is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Retichat free?
Retichat is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, MeshCore One or Retichat?
MeshCore One is rated higher. MeshCore One averages 4.9 out of 5 from 24 ratings, while Retichat averages 3.2 from 6 ratings.
Do MeshCore One or Retichat have ads?
Neither MeshCore One nor Retichat shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MeshCore One or Retichat?
MeshCore One ships an update every 3 days, and Retichat every 3 days. Most recently, MeshCore One was updated on September 21, 2026 and Retichat on September 8, 2026.

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