# Reolink vs Meshtastic

Reolink and Meshtastic both sit at 4.0 stars, but that hides the real split: 44% of Meshtastic's written reviews are positive against 25% of Reolink's. Reolink's advantage is ratings volume (9.5K vs 824) and chart position (#195 vs unranked). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.0 for Reolink against 4.1 for Meshtastic. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Reolink has 9.5K ratings behind it against 824, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 25% of Reolink's written reviews are positive against 44% of Meshtastic's.

Reolink ships an update fortnightly, Meshtastic every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Reolink | Meshtastic |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (9.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reolink/id995927563/reviews) | **[4.1 (824 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/meshtastic/id1586432531/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **9.5K** | 824 |
| Positive reviews | 25.4% of reviews | **44.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | **#195** | — |
| Size | 469 MB | 95 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 17.5 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Reolink Digital Technology Co., Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/995927562) | [Meshtastic LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1586432533) |

## What reviewers say

### Reolink

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reolink/id995927563)

**Currently charting:** #195 Top Free · Utilities (US App Store)

Easily access and monitor your security cameras and NVRs from anywhere. Watch live streams, playback recordings, and receive real-time motion detection alerts. Enjoy peace of mind with a user-friendly interface for home and business surveillance.

**Highlights:** Remote camera and NVR access, Live streaming, Video recording playback, Motion detection alerts, Multi-channel viewing, PTZ camera control

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Works well when connected
- 📸 Good camera quality
- 💰 Affordable price
- 🔒 Secure system
- 🔌 Wired and wireless options

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Connectivity issues, especially remotely
- 🔋 Battery drain and charging problems
- 🕰️ Slow motion detection and playback
- 🔍 Unreliable motion detection
- 📱 Subpar app experience

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes after updates
- Inability to change passwords
- Cameras disconnecting randomly
- Playback issues and failures
- Inconsistent performance across devices

**Requested features**

- Ability to pause/snooze notifications
- Customizable notification sounds
- Landscape mode support on tablets
- Consolidated event history across cameras
- Faster/smoother video playback controls


### Meshtastic

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/meshtastic/id1586432531)

This app enables off-grid, decentralized communication via a low-power mesh network. Send text messages in areas lacking cellular or WiFi service.

**Highlights:** Off-grid communication, Decentralized mesh network, Low-power LoRa radio support, Text messaging, No cellular/WiFi required

**Features:** Siri integration, Apple Watch app, iMessage stickers, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Well-made app
- 🚀 Polished and intuitive interface
- 🚀 Powerful features for off-grid communication
- 👍 Great community and responsive developers
- 👍 Continuously improving with updates

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bluetooth connectivity issues
- 🐛 Unreliable messaging and node connections
- 🐛 Crashes and stability problems
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 👎 Lacking feature parity with Android version

**Reported bugs**

- Canned messages configuration issues
- Location sharing and traceroute functions not working
- Settings screen bugs and crashes
- Inconsistent behavior when switching between devices

**Requested features**

- Offline maps support
- Ability to customize notifications
- More sorting and filtering options for nodes
- Apple Watch and Shortcuts integration
- Improved documentation and user guidance


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Reolink free?

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

### Is Meshtastic free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Reolink or Meshtastic?

Meshtastic is rated higher. Reolink averages 4.0 out of 5 from 9.5K ratings, while Meshtastic averages 4.1 from 824 ratings.

### Do Reolink or Meshtastic have ads?

Neither Reolink nor Meshtastic shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Reolink or Meshtastic?

Reolink ships an update fortnightly, and Meshtastic every 10 days. Most recently, Reolink was updated on October 21, 2026 and Meshtastic on October 19, 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.*