MeshCore or Meshtastic - which should I choose?

Both are excellent. Choose based primarily on what your local community already uses. Don't pick a protocol solely on technical merits (routing efficiency, encryption) if it means being alone on the mesh - community presence matters more.

Choose Meshtastic if:

• Your local area already has an active Meshtastic network
• You want the largest app ecosystem and community support
• You want the most beginner-friendly experience with polished apps
• You want the widest hardware compatibility

Choose MeshCore if:

• Your local community uses MeshCore
• You are building dedicated repeater infrastructure
• You prefer MeshCore's selective routing model for direct messages (both MeshCore and current Meshtastic use public-key encryption for direct messages; neither provides Signal-style forward secrecy)
• You are deploying a large network (50+ nodes) where flooding creates congestion

Can they interoperate?

No. Different packet formats and routing protocols. A MeshCore node and a Meshtastic node cannot communicate even on the same frequency. Many operators run both on separate devices for different purposes.

Technical comparison