# Hackery vs HackerBook

The clearest difference is review sentiment: HackerBook at 100% against Hackery's 0%. HackerBook also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.0) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 months). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Hackery sells 1 one-off in-app purchase 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 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 3 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of Hackery's written reviews are positive against 100% of HackerBook's.

Hackery ships an update every 5 months, HackerBook fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hackery | HackerBook |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hackery/id1095090759/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hackerbook/id6467827442/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **4** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Freemium** |
| Size | 4 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Tim Shim](https://appshunter.io/developer/322829589) | [Tao Xu](https://appshunter.io/developer/1484566052) |

## What reviewers say

### Hackery

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hackery/id1095090759)

This app offers a clean and distraction-free way to read Hacker News stories. It prioritizes content visibility with large headlines and integrates with Safari's Reader Mode for an optimal reading experience on iPhone and iPad.

**Highlights:** Distraction-free reading experience, Large, bold headlines, Safari Reader Mode integration, iPad and split-screen support, Clean and simple interface

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Buy me a coffee | $4.99 | one-time |


### 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 Hackery free?

Hackery 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, Hackery or HackerBook?

HackerBook is rated higher. Hackery averages 3.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while HackerBook averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do Hackery or HackerBook have ads?

Neither Hackery nor HackerBook shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hackery or HackerBook?

Hackery ships an update every 5 months, and HackerBook fortnightly. Most recently, Hackery was updated on October 3, 2026 and HackerBook on October 8, 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.*