MeshWave vs APRSSwift
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Off-grid voice calls
- Photo sharing over mesh
- Augmented reality navigation
- Weather forecasting
- Geofencing alerts
- Tactical rangefinder
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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.
APRSSwift
Track and message on the APRS network with your amateur radio callsign. View nearby stations on a live map, exchange text messages, and decode various packet types. Supports multiple connection methods and includes an Apple Watch app.
- Live APRS map with station tracking
- Two-way APRS messaging
- Full packet decoding
- Multiple connection methods
- Apple Watch app integration
- SmartBeaconing for adaptive beaconing
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APRSSwift brings the Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS) to your Apple devices — a native, universal amateur-radio app for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch. Report your position to the APRS network, watch nearby stations move on a live map, read a real-time packet log, and exchange APRS text messages — all with your own callsign. FEATURES • Live map with APRS symbols, station tracks, and your own location • Connect via APRS-IS (Internet), a TCP KISS TNC, a Bluetooth TNC (Mobilinkd), or the built-in AFSK sound modem (1200 baud — no extra hardware) • Full packet decoding: position, Mic-E, compressed, objects, items, status, weather, messages, and telemetry • SmartBeaconing — adaptive beacon rate based on speed and turns • Two-way APRS messaging with acknowledgements • Station list with distance, favorites, and proximity alerts • Maidenhead grid locator, metric or imperial units, and dead reckoning • Post APRS objects, send status reports, and view weather & telemetry charts • Apple Watch app: beacon, grid, and nearby stations on your wrist APRSSwift is designed for licensed amateur radio operators. A valid callsign is required; your APRS-IS passcode is generated automatically from it. 73!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: APRSSwift at 100% against MeshWave's 30%. APRSSwift also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.8) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). MeshWave's advantage is ratings volume (8 vs 2) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence and ads 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
Both are free to download. MeshWave sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. APRSSwift asks for nothing beyond the download.
APRSSwift holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8 and 2 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 30% of MeshWave's written reviews are positive against 100% of APRSSwift's.
MeshWave ships an update every 6 days, APRSSwift every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | MeshWave | APRSSwift |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.8 (8 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 30.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 8 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 6 days | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 121 MB | 7 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Richard Ramos | Sevket Bugra CANATA |
Customer experience
MeshWave
APRSSwift
In-app purchases
MeshWave
- MeshWave Pro$9.99
APRSSwift
No in-app purchases









