Framing this as "Sonnet vs LoRa mesh" can suggest two rival radio technologies - that isn't the case. The real difference is a single company's closed product versus Nelos, a modern app running on an open ecosystem that many hardware makers build for.
First, a technical point. Sonnet used chirp spread spectrum (CSS) modulation - the same modulation family LoRa uses - in bands close to LoRa's, but it ran a network protocol proprietary to Sonnet Labs. So "Sonnet vs LoRa" is not a choice between two kinds of signal. The right comparison is:
Sonnet's single-vendor, integrated product
versus
today's broader, multi-vendor LoRa mesh ecosystem
Sonnet was a closed block: Sonnet Labs' hardware, Sonnet Labs' radio protocol, and a web app Sonnet Labs operated. If any link stopped, the whole chain stopped with it.
Today's LoRa mesh splits into open layers: LoRa is the physical layer; an open-source mesh protocol such as MeshCore decides how a message travels from node to node; and a phone app is the part you see. Many companies make the hardware, and several apps can talk to the same radio. See What Is MeshCore?
| Sonnet (2017) | Today's LoRa mesh | |
|---|---|---|
| Model | One company: hardware + protocol + web app | Open layers: LoRa + a mesh protocol + several apps, many makers |
| Radio | Proprietary CSS, 915/868/433 MHz, 1 W, SMA antenna port | LoRa, region-specific bands, power varies by device |
| Phone connection | Device Wi-Fi access point + browser web app | Bluetooth + native app |
| Mesh / repeaters | Relay through other Sonnets (marketed up to 16 hops) | Relay through dedicated repeaters (some solar) or radios in Companion Repeater mode; ordinary radios don't relay by default |
| Messaging / location | Marketed text, voice recordings, images, GPS, offline maps | Text and location on an offline map; no voice or images |
| Interoperability | Sonnet only talked to Sonnet | A device on a given protocol talks to any app/device on that protocol |
| Hardware availability | Not sold new; service gone | Many devices on sale |
Sonnet was marketed with voice recordings and images alongside text. Today's LoRa mesh generally carries only short text and location coordinates - no voice, no photos - because LoRa trades data rate for reach. It's worth noting that much of Sonnet's richer feature set, including the mesh itself, did not work reliably on the devices that shipped (see Does Sonnet Mesh Still Work?).
With Nelos, you're not betting everything on one company the way Sonnet backers did. Compatible radios come from several manufacturers, and your identity in the app isn't tied to a specific device - if a maker stops selling a model, or you swap hardware, you keep your team and history. Nelos gives your group chat, direct messages, location on an offline map, device trackers and a Need Help button - free to start, and actively maintained. See the devices guide to pick hardware and Getting Started to set up a team.
Nelos brings group messaging, location sharing, and a shared group map with location updates to LoRa mesh — with no cell service, no server, and no account.
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