# React Native Hacker News vs Alpacast

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: React Native Hacker News at none against Alpacast's 3. React Native Hacker News also leads on iOS requirement (9.0 vs 16.4). Alpacast's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 6 weeks). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Alpacast sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. React Native Hacker News asks for nothing beyond the download.

React Native Hacker News ships an update every 6 weeks, Alpacast every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | React Native Hacker News | Alpacast |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/react-native-hacker-news/id1220272464/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1** | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 20 MB | 74 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [George Jose](https://appshunter.io/developer/1220272463) | [Glance, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/881713634) |

## What reviewers say

### React Native Hacker News

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/react-native-hacker-news/id1220272464)

An open-source client for Hacker News, built with React Native. It offers a clean and simple interface for browsing news and articles. View the source code on GitHub.

**Highlights:** Clean interface, Simple navigation, Open source, React Native client, Hacker News access

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Alpacast

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alpacast/id6754826518)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Alpacast Starter | $1.99 | per month |
| Alpacast Plus | $2.99 | per month |
| Alpacast Pro | $5.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is React Native Hacker News free?

React Native Hacker News is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Alpacast free?

Alpacast is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do React Native Hacker News or Alpacast have ads?

Neither React Native Hacker News nor Alpacast shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, React Native Hacker News or Alpacast?

React Native Hacker News ships an update every 6 weeks, and Alpacast every 9 days. Most recently, React Native Hacker News was updated on October 3, 2026 and Alpacast on October 2, 2026.

---

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