• Picks
  • Discover
  • Alternatives
  • About

© 2026 Willet

  • Newsletter
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
Join the Discord (opens in a new tab)
Meshtastic avatar

Meshtastic

Firmware for small LoRa radios that pass text messages with no cell service

  • Hardware and IoT
  • Communication
View on GitHub
Website

What it is

Meshtastic turns inexpensive LoRa radio boards into a mesh network for short text messages and location sharing. Hikers, event crews, and people preparing for outages use it where phones have no signal. Each radio pairs with a phone app over Bluetooth and relays messages for the others.

Images

Facts

Stars
8,459 GitHub stars.
8,459

Forks
2,843
Commits
12,861
Contributors
409
Language
C++
License
GPL-3.0
Last commit
Oct 20, 2026
On GitHub since
February 2020
First release
February 2020
Platforms
Linux, Hardware
Self-hostable
No
Alternative to
Garmin inReach, goTenna
Tags
  • peer-to-peer
  • mesh-network
  • networking
  • embedded
  • messaging

Last synced from GitHub on Oct 20, 2026

The 10 best overlooked open-source projects, every Monday.

Share and more

Comments

No comments yet. Start the conversation.

Similar projects

  • permissionlesstech avatar

    bitchat

    Offline Bluetooth mesh chat with Nostr fallback for internet reach

    36.7k

What people are saying

Updated Oct 20, 2026
  • Hacker NewsWe're making an open-source $30 GPS/mesh radio, would like adviceMar 10, 2020 · 620 points · 166 comments (opens Hacker News in a new tab)
  • Hacker NewsAn Introduction to MeshtasticMay 8, 2026 · 524 points · 187 comments (opens Hacker News in a new tab)
  • Hacker NewsMeshtastic: An open source, off-grid, decentralized, mesh networkJan 1, 2024 · 335 points · 78 comments (opens Hacker News in a new tab)
  • Hacker NewsMeshtasticNov 30, 2025 · 301 points · 75 comments (opens Hacker News in a new tab)
  • Hacker NewsMeshtastic is an encrypted communications platform for the Lora RF protocolJul 7, 2022 · 249 points · 88 comments (opens Hacker News in a new tab)
  • Hacker NewsMeshtastic's Opposition to Proposed Changes on 900 MHz BandAug 14, 2024 · 89 points · 16 comments (opens Hacker News in a new tab)
  • Bluesky“🎉 We did it! #Meshtastic is TRENDING on #GitHub! 🔥 🔗 Huge thanks to our amazing community for making this happen! If you haven't already, help the project out…”Feb 18, 2025 · 21 likes · 1 reply (opens Bluesky in a new tab)
  • Hacker NewsLora GPS Mesh CommunicatorNov 18, 2021 · 22 points · 0 comments (opens Hacker News in a new tab)
  • Hacker NewsAn open source, off-grid, decentralized, mesh net networkJun 16, 2025 · 8 points · 1 comment (opens Hacker News in a new tab)
  • Bluesky“This system is 100% by the people. No owner. Just a community of people. reticulum.network meshtastic.org meshcore.io Three separate systems all designed…”Jul 15, 2026 · 2 likes · 1 reply (opens Bluesky in a new tab)
  • Bluesky“It's real and possible! I'm just speculating wider-spread adoption. Going from maybe HAM radio levels of adoption to maybe BitTorrent at its peak in the early…”Jun 17, 2026 · 2 likes · 1 reply (opens Bluesky in a new tab)
  • Bluesky“meshtastic.org @rootingforasteroid.bsky.social This technology might interest you in case of comm blackout.”Sep 27, 2026 · 2 likes · 0 replies (opens Bluesky in a new tab)
  • Bluesky“From what I read, meshtastic.org works better in rural areas and meshcore.io is better in dense cities.”Jul 24, 2026 · 2 likes · 0 replies (opens Bluesky in a new tab)
  • Bluesky“Off-Grid Communication For Everyone! An open source, off-grid, decentralized mesh network built to run on affordable, low-power devices. No cell towers. No…”Jun 18, 2026 · 2 likes · 0 replies (opens Bluesky in a new tab)
  • Hacker NewsMeshtastic: Open-source off-grid decentralized mesh networkingJul 29, 2025 · 2 points · 0 comments (opens Hacker News in a new tab)
  • Hacker NewsMeshtasticMar 27, 2024 · 2 points · 0 comments (opens Hacker News in a new tab)
  • Bluesky“A reminder as the Gary, Indiana fiasco continues: open source, off grid communication exists and only improves as more people add nodes meshtastic.org”Aug 23, 2026 · 1 like · 0 replies (opens Bluesky in a new tab)
  • Bluesky“Indeed, hence Meshtastic being in that list: meshtastic.org In this specific situation, all three options bridged together (IRC, Meshtastic, Telegram) served…”Aug 15, 2026 · 0 likes · 1 reply (opens Bluesky in a new tab)
  • Bluesky“BBSes are still centralized. I've been looking at hardware to supoort Meshtastic. Benn Jordan had a video on it. meshtastic.org”Aug 11, 2026 · 0 likes · 1 reply (opens Bluesky in a new tab)
  • Bluesky“I messed up node. Turned it on but the antenna wire had come of the V4 and it killed the SMA . I had another V4. My new node is boognish_monster (ChiMesh.org)…”Jul 17, 2026 · 1 like · 0 replies (opens Bluesky in a new tab)