# Hackery vs Pulse for Hacker News

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.

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

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hackery | Pulse for Hacker News |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hackery/id1095090759/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **4** | — |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Size | 4 MB | 38 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **15.3** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Tim Shim](https://appshunter.io/developer/322829589) | [Dong Sian Lin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1754164176) |

## 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 |


### Pulse for Hacker News

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pulse-for-hacker-news/id6504872454)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


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