Comparison

Hackery vs Brink

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

Head to head
About

Hackery

A fast and clean client for browsing Hacker News stories, complete with scores, comments, and authors. Save articles for later reading with iCloud syncing and engage in discussions with nested, threaded comments. Features on-device comment moderation for a focused reading experience.

Highlights
  • Card-based story layout
  • Save stories for later
  • iCloud sync for bookmarks
  • Nested threaded comments
  • On-device comment moderation
  • Dark theme support
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

Brink

This app combines podcast listening and news consumption into a single, modern interface. Discover trending content, enjoy seamless playback with AI-generated transcripts, and stay updated with global headlines. Personalize your experience with mood-based playlists and progress syncing across devices.

Highlights
  • Podcast discovery and recommendations
  • Smooth playback with queueing
  • AI-generated transcripts and chapters
  • Global news updates
  • Timestamped bookmarks and notes
  • Walking mode for calorie tracking
  • Mood and interest-based listening
Features
Read full description

Brink is a modern podcast player that brings discovery, intelligent listening, and effortless organization together in one beautifully designed experience. Discover podcasts tailored to your interests, keep up with new releases, and revisit the week’s highlights with personalized recommendations and Weekly Catch Up. With Brink, you can: - Discover trending shows, new releases, and personalized recommendations - Ask Siri to find podcasts, play episodes, manage your queue, and control your library - Find shows and episodes directly through system search - Enjoy smooth playback, queue management, offline listening, and synced progress - Generate AI-powered transcripts, chapters, summaries, and listening insights - Save important moments with timestamped bookmarks and personal notes - Use Walking Mode to follow your listening activity and estimated calories burned - Organize episodes with playlists and smart library filters - Continue listening exactly where you left off Brink features a clean, fluid Liquid Glass interface with responsive motion, rich artwork, and fast navigation. Intelligent features are built with privacy in mind, including supported experiences powered securely through Apple’s Private Cloud Compute. Whether you’re discovering your next favorite show, catching up on the week, or listening on a walk, Brink helps you spend less time searching and more time listening. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Hackery4 screens
Brink4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Brink at 97% against Hackery's 0%. Brink also leads on rating (4.7 vs 3.0) and update cadence (every 2 days vs every 4 months). Hackery's advantage is monetization model (free vs freemium). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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 and Brink sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Brink holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Brink has 33 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of Hackery's written reviews are positive against 97% of Brink's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Hackery ships an update every 4 months, Brink every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Hackery versus Brink: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHackeryBrink
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (4 ratings)4.7 (33 ratings) — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews96.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings433 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Vision Pro — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS26.026.0
Further details — not scored
Size12 MB208 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperTim ShimGowtham Oleti

Customer experience

Hackery

All ratings4 ratings
Positive25.0%
Neutral50.0%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral66.7%
Negative33.3%

Brink

All ratings31 ratings
Positive93.5%
Neutral3.2%
Negative3.2%
Written reviews32 reviews
Positive96.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative3.1%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Hackery

One-time1
  • Buy me a coffee$4.99
3 purchases

Brink

Subscriptions2
  • Brink Plus$3.991 Month
  • Brink Plus$14.991 Year
One-time1
  • Brink Plus$69.99

Questions

Is Hackery free?
Hackery is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Brink free?
Brink is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Hackery or Brink?
Brink is rated higher. Hackery averages 3.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Brink averages 4.7 from 33 ratings.
Do Hackery or Brink have ads?
Neither Hackery nor Brink shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Hackery or Brink?
Hackery ships an update every 4 months, and Brink every 2 days. Most recently, Hackery was updated on November 2, 2026 and Brink on October 31, 2026.

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