Can someone explain to a noob where the difference is?
I successfully now setup two Meshtastic nodes and they are happily connected.
Though j heard Meshcore is better connected even though it is newer?
I would be glad on any explanation
Also did I understand correctly that the android app is closed source ?
Thanks in advance and oh god I think I am gonna spend way to much money on this just to give it to friends and family
@peritia
In my opinion, the main difference is how messages are transmitted. Meshtastic works with flooding. This means that all messages are simply forwarded without further processing.
Meshcore works with routing. This means that messages follow a route. What helps
Meshtastic can also transmit a lot of telemetry, for example, which on the other hand fills the mesh.
@peritia @dulcis
You're Welcome 
Look at what you already have available: Meshtastic or MeshCore, and then choose. Especially if you want to communicate over longer distances.
As far as I know (from what I’ve heard and read), if you only want to send messages, MeshCore is the better choice, because its messaging is considered to bether reach the target.
If you need features like ATAK, you will have to use Meshtastic, since MeshCore is currently not supported for this use case.
@peritia
In #Meshcore ONLY the repeaters make the mesh.
Clients (aka companions) can talk to each other directly or via repeaters.
This strict role separation creates different responsibility on repeaters, i.e. the mesh, you set them up more focused, more statically, make sure they run well. This in turn supports the routing approach:
When A calls B, the first message gets flooded through the mesh. Once arrived, an ACK travels back the route. You know it arrived AND this route is cached and next time only the repeaters of that known route repeat a message from A to B. Should it fail it falls back to flood, and caches the new route.
Also everywhere only minimal data are used, no unrequested telemetry.
@dbread
That's correct.
And initially it may sound like wasted possibilities, but nobody with routing capabilities thinks
"Oh, my battery is low but I don't feel like caring today, it's just a client after all."
and make the mesh unreliable.
You can ignore your client, it's totally fine.
And when you set up your solar repeater, the opposite happens. Responsibility kicks in.
The webflasher software is an incredible piece of software stack.
Had to launch my windows box for that, as I usually flash with the cli. But the repeater firmware configuration is done simpler with the webui.
Now my thing is out in the wild, but the connections are only 3.
One case to fit them all. Meshtastic and Meshcore in one box. But the meshtastic alpha on heltec-v4 and my hardware ofc has some connection problems.
And now, as it is installed, I can only pray until I can get up there again lol
Thanks a lot for all that info
I think I might setup both cause why not :)
MeshCore is opensource The foundation of MeshCore is developed primarily by a single developer who is incredibly hardworking, dedicated and idealistic about keeping everything he does fully open. The firmware and protocol specification are completely open, allowing anyone to create a client app or perform security audits on the device firmware implementation. Just hop over to the meshcore-dev github repo and have a look. There are also open source command line, python and javascript client libraries, free for anyone to audit and build their application with. The only native client phone app that currently exists is developed by another dev, and they chose to not make the app open source. https://hackaday.com/2025/12/06/lessons-learned-after-trying-meshcore-for-off-grid-text-messaging/ #meshcore
Thanks a lot <3
Exactly what I wanted to know
Peritia System
itachai
Corey Edwards
Voyager Meshcore DD
dbread