Both send text messages over LoRa radio, with no cell service or internet, and they run on much of the same hardware. The core difference is who relays: in Meshtastic, any node does by default; in MeshCore, only repeaters do.
They can’t talk to each other.They use different packet formats, encryption and radio settings. What they share is hardware: many boards can be reflashed from one to the other.
| Feature | Meshtastic | MeshCore |
|---|---|---|
| Who relays | Every node by default (CLIENT role). Some roles don’t relay, such as CLIENT_MUTE, and some are infrastructure, such as ROUTER. | Only repeaters (and room servers with relaying turned on). Companions, the personal radios, never relay. |
| How a message travels | Managed flooding: each node rebroadcasts once and stays quiet if it hears someone else already did. Since 2.6, direct messages learn the next hop. | Channel messages always flood through repeaters. The first direct message floods; the delivery report brings back the route, and later messages follow it. |
| Hop limit | 1 to 7, configurable. Default is 3. | Up to 64 with 1-byte IDs; 32 and 21 with 2- and 3-byte IDs (firmware 1.14 or newer). |
| Payload per packet | 233 bytes | 184 bytes |
| Encryption | Channels use 128- or 256-bit AES, depending on the key. Direct messages use public keys (X25519). In 2.8, broadcasts are signed. | Ed25519 identities and signed adverts. Direct and channel messages use AES-128. |
| Public channel | Its key is published: anyone can read it. | Its key is published: anyone can read it. |
| Apps | Free and open source: Android, iOS and web. | Official app is free for Android and iOS, not open source. Removing the wait on remote admin over radio is an optional purchase. Community web clients exist. |
| Firmware license | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Default in the US and Puerto Rico | LongFast: 906.875 MHz, 250 kHz, SF11 | Recommended preset: 910.525 MHz, 62.5 kHz, SF7 |
| Infrastructure | Not needed: two radios already make a network. | At least one repeater is needed to reach beyond direct range. |
| Project started | 2020 | 2025 |
The same direct message, from A to B, across seven radios. Step through to see who transmits on each network.
Step 1 of 4
Simplified diagram. On a real network, who hears whom depends on terrain, height and antennas.
The Cordillera Central blocks line of sight between the north and south coasts. On both networks, what extends range most is nodes or repeaters on high ground with a good antenna, not the protocol.
See the Ponce–Arecibo profile (Spanish)US rules apply in Puerto Rico: both use the 902–928 MHz band. On their default settings they don’t hear each other, so they can share an area.
Before you buy or reflash a radio, ask on Discord which network people near you use. That matters more than any row in the table.
No. The protocols are incompatible: a message on one network can’t be read or relayed on the other.
On many boards, yes. Each project has a web flasher: flasher.meshtastic.org and flasher.meshcore.io. Settings, contacts and the radio’s identity don’t carry over between firmwares.
Mostly it depends on height, antenna and terrain. LongFast, Meshtastic’s default, favors the reach of each transmission. MeshCore’s narrow preset makes shorter transmissions that use less airtime.
Neither, in general. Meshtastic is simpler for groups on the move without infrastructure. MeshCore is built for networks with planned repeaters. The best choice is usually the one people around you already use.
Both firmwares are free. You need a LoRa board for the 915 MHz band and a phone or computer to use it.
Facts checked against each project’s documentation and source code. A comparison published by NodakMesh served as a starting point.
Each site walks you through hardware, setup and the network in Puerto Rico (in Spanish).