Comparison

MeshWave vs TakMap

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

Head to head
About

MeshWave

This app transforms your iPhone into an advanced off-grid communicator. It enables voice calls, photo sharing, AR navigation, and weather forecasting without needing cell service or internet. Connect a LoRa radio to create a private mesh network for reliable communication in remote areas.

Highlights
  • Off-grid voice calls
  • Photo sharing over mesh
  • Augmented reality navigation
  • Weather forecasting
  • Geofencing alerts
  • Tactical rangefinder
Features
Read full description

MeshWave turns your iPhone into the most advanced off-grid communicator ever built. Connect a $30 Meshtastic LoRa radio and get voice calls, photo sharing, augmented reality navigation, weather forecasting, tactical rangefinding, and geofencing — all without cell towers, WiFi, or monthly fees. HOW IT WORKS Pair any Meshtastic-compatible LoRa radio via Bluetooth. Your mesh network forms automatically — no configuration, no infrastructure, no internet required. Range: 3-10+ miles depending on terrain. MESHSIGHT™ — AR GEOGRAPHIC IDENTIFICATION Point your camera at any landscape. 1.9 million verified features — peaks, towers, lakes, ridges, cities — labeled in real-time AR with name, distance, elevation, and bearing. Works in every country. Long-press any label to navigate. MESHVOICE™ — PUSH-TO-TALK VOICE Crystal-clear voice over LoRa mesh. Press, talk, release. No cell towers, no repeaters, no subscription. MESHSNAP™ — PHOTO SHARING OVER MESH Send photos over mesh radio. Trail conditions, wildlife, damage reports — 99.5% delivery reliability on lossy mesh links. MESHRANGE™ — TACTICAL DIGITAL RANGEFINDER GPS-calculated distance to any map point, mesh node, or verified landmark. Mil-dot reticle, military HUD, night vision mode. MESHWEATHER™ — OFF-GRID WEATHER FORECASTING Phone barometer + Zambretti algorithm = weather predictions without internet. 30 forecast outcomes, 3-hour pressure analysis. MESHFENCE™ — GEOFENCING WITH MESH ALERTS Draw boundaries. When anyone crosses them, alerts broadcast to your team over mesh. Enter/exit alerts, drift detection, return-to-trail confirmation. Share zones for distributed monitoring. MESHMAP™ — INTELLIGENT OFFLINE MAPS Download maps before you go. Lose connectivity? MeshMap activates automatically with distance rings and 1.9M features. Never see a blank screen off-grid. MORE FEATURES - Encrypted group channels (Spaces) with QR invites - Emergency Quick Messages with GPS coordinates - Route History with visual trails and time filtering - Bearing navigation compass to any node or landmark - Offline map downloads (terrain, standard, trails) - 14-day free trial — full Pro access, no credit card WHO IT'S FOR Hikers, hunters, campers, overlanders, search & rescue teams, scouts, ranchers, preppers, sailors, backcountry skiers, and anyone who goes where cell towers don't. WHAT YOU NEED - iPhone running iOS 15+ - Any Meshtastic-compatible LoRa radio ($25-65 on Amazon) - No subscriptions. No infrastructure. No internet. PRICING Free tier includes AR identification, offline maps, and messaging. Pro unlocks voice, photos, geofencing, rangefinder, and all premium features for a one-time $9.99. BUILT FOR MESHTASTIC MeshWave is a third-party companion app — not a fork or replacement. It connects to standard Meshtastic radios running stock firmware via Bluetooth. Nothing is modified on your radio. We're proud to build on the Meshtastic project's incredible open-source foundation. Meshtastic® is a registered trademark of Meshtastic LLC. MeshWave is not affiliated with or endorsed by Meshtastic LLC. 24+ world-first features. Zero infrastructure. The most capable off-grid communication app ever made.

About

TakMap

Features
Read full description

TakMap is an application designed to resemble the well-known ATAK or iTak client as closely as possible. It includes all the essential features, such as: point dropper, drawing tools, data packages, rubbersheet, distance measuring, data sending, chat, custom XML map sources, and, of course, server connection.

Screenshots

MeshWave4 screens
TakMap4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: TakMap at fortnightly against MeshWave's every 2 months. MeshWave's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.6). On price, 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

Both are free to download. MeshWave sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and TakMap sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MeshWave ships an update every 2 months, TakMap fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
MeshWave versus TakMap: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMeshWaveTakMap
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.3 (8 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews27.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings8 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS13.0 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size121 MB69 MB
Age rating+44+
DeveloperRichard RamosJaroslav Gal

In-app purchases

1 purchases

MeshWave

One-time1
  • MeshWave Pro$9.99
1 purchases

TakMap

One-time1
  • TakMap Pro$19.99

Questions

Is MeshWave free?
MeshWave is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is TakMap free?
TakMap is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do MeshWave or TakMap have ads?
Neither MeshWave nor TakMap shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MeshWave or TakMap?
MeshWave ships an update every 2 months, and TakMap fortnightly. Most recently, MeshWave was updated on October 28, 2026 and TakMap on October 25, 2026.

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