Offline Protocol vs goTenna
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goTenna sells hardware mesh radios, the goTenna Mesh and Pro line, that pair to a phone app over a proprietary radio, so using it means buying a device. Offline Protocol is a software SDK that meshes phones directly over their own BLE and WiFi Direct radios, with no device to buy, and layers on MLS encryption, Ed25519 identity, and serverless service discovery. A dedicated radio reaches farther on a single link, while a software mesh grows its coverage through device density and hops. If you cannot ship a radio to every user, the software approach is the practical one.
Side by side
| Capability | Offline Protocol | goTenna |
|---|---|---|
| Extra hardware | None, uses the phone radios | Yes, a mesh radio device to buy |
| Radios | BLE, WiFi Direct, internet | Proprietary radio, phone pairs over Bluetooth |
| Range per hop | Shorter, coverage grows with density | Longer on a single radio link |
| Bandwidth | Higher, chunked transfer up to 100MB | Low, short messaging scale |
| Encryption and identity | MLS (RFC 9420), Ed25519 OfflineID | Encrypted radio messaging |
| Service discovery | Serverless request and response | Messaging only |
| Relay | 8-hop with ack, retry, deduplication | Multi-hop radio relay |
| Form factor | Software SDK for product teams | Hardware plus companion app |
How they differ
goTenna builds mesh radios, the goTenna Mesh and Pro devices, that create a radio mesh among themselves and pair to a phone app over Bluetooth so people can send messages and share location off-grid. The model is hardware first: the radio does the meshing, and the phone is a companion interface. Buying and carrying the device is the price of entry, and it buys real range on a single radio link.
Offline Protocol is software first. It turns the phone's own radios into mesh links over BLE and WiFi Direct, so there is nothing to buy and coverage scales with how many devices are present. Per hop the reach is shorter than a dedicated radio, but multi-hop relay up to 8 hops and higher bandwidth, including chunked transfer up to 100MB, change the profile. On top of transport it adds Ed25519 identity, MLS (RFC 9420) encryption, and serverless service discovery, so the mesh can invoke capabilities, not just relay messages.
The deciding question is distribution. goTenna assumes each user owns a radio. Offline Protocol assumes each user installs an app. For a product aimed at people who already carry phones, that removes the hardware logistics entirely.
When to choose each
Choose goTenna when
You need long single-link range across open, sparse terrain, users are equipped to carry a dedicated radio, and off-grid messaging and location sharing on hardware is the requirement.
Choose Offline Protocol when
You want a mesh with no hardware to distribute, higher bandwidth, MLS encryption, device identity, and service discovery, delivered as an SDK that turns every phone running your app into a node.
See a phone-native mesh in the field across logistics, the public sector, and industrial and energy sites.
Offline Protocol vs goTenna FAQ
What is the difference between Offline Protocol and goTenna?
goTenna makes hardware mesh radios, such as goTenna Mesh and Pro, that pair to a phone app over a proprietary radio, so using it requires buying a device. Offline Protocol is a software SDK that meshes phones directly over their own BLE and WiFi Direct radios with no device to buy, and adds MLS (RFC 9420) encryption, Ed25519 identity, and serverless service discovery.
Is there a goTenna alternative that does not need a separate radio?
Yes. Offline Protocol uses the phone radios already in the field, so there is no separate mesh radio to purchase, charge, or carry. It relays up to 8 hops with encryption and identity built in, and ships as an SDK for building products, in production on 350,000+ devices across 80+ countries.
Does Offline Protocol match the range of a goTenna radio?
Not per hop. A dedicated radio can reach farther on a single link than phone radios do. Offline Protocol makes up range through density and multi-hop relay, so coverage grows with the number of devices, and it carries higher bandwidth, including chunked transfer up to 100MB.
Which fits a product built for people who already have phones?
A software SDK, because it requires nothing beyond the app. Offline Protocol is designed for that: a Rust core with a React Native binding, MLS encryption, and offline identity, so every phone that installs your app becomes a mesh node with no hardware to distribute.
