# Open Source & Software News vs HackerBook

The clearest difference is ads: HackerBook at none against Open Source & Software News's shown. HackerBook also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). Open Source & Software News's advantage is ratings volume (29 vs 3). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Open Source & Software News sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and HackerBook sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

HackerBook holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Open Source & Software News has 29 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 95% of Open Source & Software News's written reviews are positive against 100% of HackerBook's.

Open Source & Software News ships an update every 4 weeks, HackerBook fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 13, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Open Source & Software News | HackerBook |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (29 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/open-source-and-software-news/id1002989668/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hackerbook/id6467827442/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **29** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 95.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 29 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Loyal Foundry, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1620612434) | [Tao Xu](https://appshunter.io/developer/1484566052) |

## What reviewers say

### Open Source & Software News

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/open-source-and-software-news/id1002989668)

Stay updated on open source and software development news with a curated feed. Explore top stories, follow specific topics like Linux and programming, and save articles for later. Offers customizable reading settings and notifications.

**Highlights:** Curated news feed, Topic following, Full story coverage, Saved articles, Customizable reading settings, Story notifications

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $0.99 | per month |
| Remove advertising | $0.99 | per month |
| Yearly Subscription | $5.99 | per year |


### HackerBook

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hackerbook/id6467827442)

Stay updated with the most popular discussions on Hacker News through a streamlined interface. This app makes it effortless to immerse yourself in the tech community's latest conversations.

**Highlights:** Trending topics showcase, Streamlined interface, Tech community buzz, Effortless navigation, Immersive tech discourse

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Exclusive News | $2.99 | per month |
| Tips | $0.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Open Source & Software News free?

Open Source & Software News is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is HackerBook free?

HackerBook is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Open Source & Software News or HackerBook?

HackerBook is rated higher. Open Source & Software News averages 4.7 out of 5 from 29 ratings, while HackerBook averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do Open Source & Software News or HackerBook have ads?

Open Source & Software News shows ads; HackerBook does not.

### Which is updated more often, Open Source & Software News or HackerBook?

Open Source & Software News ships an update every 4 weeks, and HackerBook fortnightly. Most recently, Open Source & Software News was updated on November 13, 2026 and HackerBook on November 3, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*