Comparison

Hackery vs Pulse for Hacker News

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Hackery

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
Read full description

A clean, fast Hacker News client for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Vision Pro. Stay in the Loop Browse the latest Hacker News stories in a clean, card-based layout. See scores, comment counts, and authors instantly. Tap any story to read in Safari's reader mode. Never Lose a Story Swipe to save stories for later. Your bookmarks sync across all your devices via iCloud, so you never lose track of what you want to read. Follow the Conversation Follow conversations with nested, threaded comments. Links are tappable and underlined. Discussions load in pages so the app stays fast, even on long threads. Keep It Civil On-device comment moderation powered by Apple Intelligence lets you filter out noise and focus on quality discussions. Adjust the sensitivity to your comfort level. Easy on the Eyes Easy on the eyes, day or night. Hackery follows your system appearance with a carefully crafted dark theme. https://hackery.timshim.com

About

Pulse for Hacker News

Features
Read full description

Welcome to Pulse for Hacker News, the dedicated, high-performance client for the world’s most insightful tech community. Stop settling for slow, cumbersome interfaces. Pulse for Hacker News is engineered from the ground up to be the fastest, smoothest, and most dependable way to read, comment on, and track your favorite discussions across all your devices. - Extreme Fluidity and Speed Our primary focus is performance. Pulse for Hacker News delivers an "extreme fluidity" that transforms your reading experience: Instant Loading: Articles and comment threads load instantly, minimizing wait times and maximizing consumption. Buttery Smooth Scrolling: Navigate even the longest comment threads and front pages without a single stutter. Resource Optimized: Designed to be lightweight, preserving your battery life while delivering maximum speed. - Transparently Open Source We believe in transparency and community contribution. Pulse for Hacker News isn't just a reader; it's a public project built by the community, for the community. Trust and Security: You can inspect every line of code. There are no hidden trackers, no excessive permissions, and absolutely no ads. Your reading is your own. Community Driven: Found a bug? Have an idea for a feature? Our open-source model means you can contribute directly or influence the roadmap. We listen to our users. Contribute Today: Find our complete source code on GitHub (https://github.com/jarvislin/HackerNews-KMP). - Modern Design, Essential Features Pulse for Hacker News strips away the distractions and focuses on what matters: the content. Enjoy a suite of features designed to enhance readability and productivity: Intuitive Navigation: Easily switch between the Top, New, Best, and Ask HN feeds with a simple tap. Readability Mode: Open external articles in a clean, stripped-down view for distraction-free reading. Powerful Comment Threading: Clearly organized comment sections with easy-to-use collapse/expand options to follow conversations effortlessly. Cross-Device Consistency: Whether you’re on iOS or another platform, enjoy a consistent, reliable experience. Adaptive Themes: Choose between beautiful Dark, Light, and AMOLED modes to suit your environment and preferences. Why Download Pulse for Hacker News? If you are a serious Hacker News user who values privacy, speed, and a modern, reliable interface, Pulse for Hacker News is the perfect client for you. It’s an ad-free commitment to making the world’s best tech content accessible, fast, and completely transparent. Download Pulse for Hacker News now and join the community that's building the future of the mobile reading experience.

Screenshots

Hackery1 screens
Pulse for Hacker News4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Pulse for Hacker News at none against Hackery's 1. Pulse for Hacker News also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 5 months) and iOS requirement (15.3 vs 26.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Hackery sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Pulse for Hacker News asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Hackery ships an update every 5 months, Pulse for Hacker News every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Hackery versus Pulse for Hacker News: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHackeryPulse for Hacker News
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (4 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings4 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS26.015.3 — better
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB38 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperTim ShimDong Sian Lin

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Hackery

One-time1
  • Buy me a coffee$4.99
None

Pulse for Hacker News

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Hackery free?
Hackery is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Pulse for Hacker News free?
Pulse for Hacker News is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Hackery or Pulse for Hacker News have ads?
Neither Hackery nor Pulse for Hacker News shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Hackery or Pulse for Hacker News?
Hackery ships an update every 5 months, and Pulse for Hacker News every 3 weeks. Most recently, Hackery was updated on October 3, 2026 and Pulse for Hacker News on October 12, 2026.

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