Comparison

Hacker Buzz 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

Hacker Buzz

A dark-themed reader for Hacker News stories. Browse new, top, and best stories, and filter by specific categories like Ask and Jobs. Save favorites and share articles easily.

Highlights
  • Dark themed interface
  • Filter stories by New, Top, Best, Ask, Jobs
  • Infinite scroll
  • Collapsible comments
  • Share stories
  • Favorite stories for later
Features
Read full description

Read your favorite Hacker News (https://news.ycombinator.com/) stories in this dark themed app. Filter stories by • New • Top • Best • Share • Ask • Jobs Features • Infinite scroll & collapsible comments • Share any story with anyone • Like a story? Favorite it and read it later!

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

Hacker Buzz4 screens
Pulse for Hacker News3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Hacker Buzz at weekly against Pulse for Hacker News's every 3 weeks. Hacker Buzz also leads on iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.3). 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Hacker Buzz ships an update weekly, Pulse for Hacker News every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Hacker Buzz versus Pulse for Hacker News: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHacker BuzzPulse for Hacker News
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (5 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews71.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings5 — better—
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS9.0 — better15.3
Further details — not scored
Size10 MB38 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperRafal CiesielczukDong Sian Lin

In-app purchases

None

Hacker Buzz

No in-app purchases

None

Pulse for Hacker News

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Hacker Buzz free?
Hacker Buzz is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Pulse for Hacker News free?
Pulse for Hacker News is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Hacker Buzz or Pulse for Hacker News have ads?
Neither Hacker Buzz nor Pulse for Hacker News shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Hacker Buzz or Pulse for Hacker News?
Hacker Buzz ships an update weekly, and Pulse for Hacker News every 3 weeks. Most recently, Hacker Buzz was updated on September 23, 2026 and Pulse for Hacker News on September 11, 2026.

Other comparisons