Comparison

MeshTrail vs iLende

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

Head to head
About

MeshTrail

Navigate off-grid with offline maps, GPS tracking, and LoRa mesh communication. Access field guides for wildlife, plants, and hunting, plus survival tools and media playback. Works entirely offline for outdoor adventures.

Highlights
  • Offline map support
  • GPS track recording
  • LoRa mesh text messaging
  • Wildlife and plant field guides
  • Survival tools
  • Offline media player
Features
Read full description

MeshTrail — Off-Grid Navigation & LoRa Mesh Communication Navigate the backcountry with confidence. MeshTrail combines GPS navigation, offline maps, LoRa mesh networking, and comprehensive field guides in one powerful app designed for hikers, hunters, anglers, and outdoor enthusiasts. Works 100% offline. NAVIGATION - Full offline map support with downloadable tile regions (Standard, Satellite, Hybrid, Topo) - GPS track recording with elevation profiles and pace tracking - Compass navigation with bearing-to-target guidance - Route planning with stops, difficulty ratings, and Naismith time estimates - Route following: step-by-step guidance with auto-advance, off-route alerts, and finish ETA - Tap anywhere on the map to drop a waypoint - AR peak identification using your camera HUNTING & PUBLIC LANDS - Public lands overlays: BLM and USFS boundaries - Colorado wildlife overlay: State Wildlife Areas, Walk-In Access, and Game Management Unit (GMU) boundaries — where hunters tag in - Tap any point in Colorado to see its GMU, county, public-access property, and elk/deer units - Comprehensive hunting guides with Colorado regulations and GMU references - Fishing guides with species, techniques, lures, and location tips - Step-by-step field dressing and game processing instructions - Solunar activity forecaster for hunting and fishing MESH NETWORKING - Connect to Meshtastic and MeshCore LoRa radios via Bluetooth - Send and receive text messages completely off-grid - See mesh node positions on the map in real-time - Monitor battery levels, signal strength, and telemetry data - Automatic position broadcasting to share your location with your group WILDLIFE FIELD GUIDES - 130+ North American species with high-quality photos - Detailed track and scat identification diagrams for field use - 100+ plants, trees, bushes, flowers, and mushrooms — browse by type, with edibility ratings, foraging tips, and dangerous-lookalike warnings SURVIVAL TOOLS - First aid protocols for 30+ emergency scenarios - SOS beacon with visual Morse code flashlight signal - Barometric weather monitoring with pressure trend analysis - Real-time river and stream gauge data from USGS NWIS - Radio frequency reference (Emergency, GMRS, Ham, CB, FRS) - Wind chill calculator with hypothermia risk assessment - Altitude sickness risk calculator - Avalanche danger assessment tool - Triangulation position fixing with compass bearings - Geologic basemap with rock-unit lookup powered by Macrostrat - Unit converter for distance, altitude, temperature, weight, and pressure MEDIA CENTER - Offline media player supporting audio, video, PDF, and ebooks - Wildlife sound library with 28 species calls - Bundled field reference library with classic outdoor and survival texts - Retro arcade games: Neon Snake, Neon Tetris, and a full isometric combat racer - Virtual pet companion with achievements and XP system Everything for safety and navigation — maps, mesh, SOS, weather, and the full field guide — is free. MeshTrail is free to download with one optional $2.99 Premium unlock that adds extra color themes, the AR star chart, arcade games, and the virtual pet. All data stays on your device.

About

iLende

Features
Read full description

The ridge you plan to follow, the hut you hope to reach by dusk, the border you cross without switching maps: iLende puts them all on one detailed topographic map for hiking, skiing, and cycling. It covers Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Switzerland, Austria, and Germany on your iPhone and iPad. The map is free in all seven countries, and you don't need an account. One map, seven countries Walk from Norway into Sweden or Finland and the map simply carries on. Colors, trails, and hut symbols stay the same on both sides of the border, and marked trails stand out at every zoom level. Read the terrain • Topographic maps from Kartverket, Lantmäteriet, the National Land Survey of Finland, Náttúrufræðistofnun Íslands, swisstopo, BEV in Austria, and the Bavarian Surveying Administration, combined with OpenStreetMap • Trails, marked routes, huts, and shelters in all seven countries • Contour lines derived from elevation data • 3D terrain and hillshading • Buildings, addresses, and place names Find places and routes • Search for places, huts, routes, and addresses in all seven countries, with the most relevant results first, wherever the border runs • Hiking, skiing, cycling, and paddling routes from national trail databases and OpenStreetMap • Check a route's length and description, find routes nearby, and highlight them on the map • Turn on the gravel lens to bring out gravel and forest roads Stay oriented Tap the location button once, and the map follows you and turns to match the way you're facing. iLende Pro, for trips beyond cell service • Offline maps: download areas and use them where there is no signal. Downloads keep going after you leave the app, with progress on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island, and saved maps update over Wi-Fi when the map changes • Apple Watch: the Watch draws its own map and shows it online at no cost. With iLende Pro, download areas to the Watch and use them without your iPhone or a network. Check your position and search from your wrist, and tap the location button for a map that follows you and turns as you turn • Navigation: turn-by-turn directions on foot or by bike, along trails and roads in all seven countries, with the distance left and the climbs ahead • Measure tool: trace a line with your finger, tap point by point, or let the line follow trails. You see the distance over the terrain, ascent and descent, walking time, the steepest section, an elevation profile, and the type of ground you cross • Waypoints that sync between iPhone and iPad through iCloud Yearly or once iLende Pro is available as a yearly subscription with a 7-day free trial for new subscribers, or as a one-time purchase. Both unlock the same features on all your Apple devices with the same Apple Account, and both work with Family Sharing. If you already bought iLende Pro, you keep it. Payment is charged to your Apple Account. The subscription renews automatically unless you cancel at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel it in your App Store account settings. iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch The same app runs on iPhone, iPad, and Mac, with its own app for Apple Watch. On the Mac you get a sidebar, a toolbar, right-click menus, and keyboard shortcuts. In your language iLende is available in English, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, Icelandic, German, French, and Italian. Terms of Use: https://ilende.no/terms Privacy Policy: https://ilende.no/privacy

Screenshots

MeshTrail4 screens
iLende4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: iLende at every 4 days against MeshTrail's every 9 days. iLende also leads on device support (4 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement 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. MeshTrail sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and iLende sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MeshTrail ships an update every 9 days, iLende every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
MeshTrail versus iLende: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMeshTrailiLende
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (3 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings3 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 9 daysEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size2.0 GB41 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSHANE FRANCIS CLARKSquare Wave AS

In-app purchases

1 purchases

MeshTrail

One-time1
  • MeshTrail Premium$2.99
1 purchases

iLende

One-time1
  • All of Norway$11.99

Questions

Is MeshTrail free?
MeshTrail is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is iLende free?
iLende is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do MeshTrail or iLende have ads?
Neither MeshTrail nor iLende shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MeshTrail or iLende?
MeshTrail ships an update every 9 days, and iLende every 4 days. Most recently, MeshTrail was updated on October 24, 2026 and iLende on October 22, 2026.

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