# Hackery vs HackerWire for Hacker News

The clearest difference is rating: HackerWire for Hacker News at 5.0 against Hackery's 3.0. HackerWire for Hacker News also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 5 months). Hackery's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

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

HackerWire for Hacker News holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 2 respectively.

Hackery ships an update every 5 months, HackerWire for Hacker News every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hackery | HackerWire for Hacker News |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hackery/id1095090759/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hackerwire-for-hacker-news/id6753936451/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **4** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 4 MB | 22 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Tim Shim](https://appshunter.io/developer/322829589) | [Sabba Petri](https://appshunter.io/developer/1740626041) |

## 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 |


### HackerWire for Hacker News

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hackerwire-for-hacker-news/id6753936451)

A fast, native iOS reader for Hacker News offering a clutter-free experience. Enjoy threaded comments, AI summaries, customizable themes, and offline reading without ads or tracking.

**Highlights:** Native, lightning-fast interface, Threaded comments, AI summaries on tap, 17+ handcrafted themes, Offline reading, No ads, no tracking

**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 HackerWire for Hacker News free?

HackerWire for Hacker News is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Hackery or HackerWire for Hacker News?

HackerWire for Hacker News is rated higher. Hackery averages 3.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while HackerWire for Hacker News averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Hackery or HackerWire for Hacker News have ads?

Neither Hackery nor HackerWire for Hacker News shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hackery or HackerWire for Hacker News?

Hackery ships an update every 5 months, and HackerWire for Hacker News every 2 weeks. Most recently, Hackery was updated on October 3, 2026 and HackerWire for Hacker News on October 6, 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.*