# Octal for Hacker News vs HackerNoon

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: HackerNoon at none against Octal for Hacker News's 4. HackerNoon also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.0). Octal for Hacker News's advantage is ratings volume (2.9K vs 20) and update cadence (every 11 days vs every 2 months). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Octal for Hacker News sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. HackerNoon asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Octal for Hacker News against 4.7 for HackerNoon. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Octal for Hacker News has 2.9K ratings behind it against 20, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 74% of Octal for Hacker News's written reviews are positive against 73% of HackerNoon's.

Octal for Hacker News ships an update every 11 days, HackerNoon every 2 months. Both last shipped on November 4, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Octal for Hacker News | HackerNoon |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (2.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/octal-for-hacker-news/id1308885491/reviews)** | [4.7 (20 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hackernoon/id6447998105/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.9K** | 20 |
| Positive reviews | **74.0% of reviews** | 72.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 11 days** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 8 MB | 24 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Daniel Wu](https://appshunter.io/developer/1308885370) | [Art Map Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1588140053) |

## What reviewers say

### Octal for Hacker News

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/octal-for-hacker-news/id1308885491)

Access breaking tech news and engage in discussions with a beautifully designed, fast, and user-friendly feed. Vote on stories, submit posts, comment, and manage favorites without ads or subscriptions.

**Highlights:** Vote on stories and comments, Submit new posts, Engage in threaded discussions, Search Hacker News stories, Manage favorites, Customizable news feed filters, Dark Mode support

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Kind Tip | $1.99 | one-time |
| Generous Tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| Premium | $5.99 | one-time |
| Extraordinary Tip | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fantastic app
- 👍 Convenient to use
- 👍 Good UX/UI
- 👍 Elegant, intuitive client
- 👍 Beautifully executed

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Can't even log in my YC account
- 🐛 Occasional refresh issues
- 🐛 Asking for network info permission
- 🐛 Unreliable
- 🐛 Ads

**Reported bugs**

- Login and likes broken on iOS 16.0
- Restore purchase not working
- App icon doesn't change
- Editing a comment works but gives an error
- Can't collapse comments

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Ability to browse history and upvoted stories
- Markdown highlighting for comments
- Ability to select text when tap anywhere to collapse comment is enabled
- Downvote functionality


### HackerNoon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hackernoon/id6447998105)

Access a vast library of technology articles, tutorials, and perspectives on programming, startups, AI, and blockchain. Listen to stories on the go, create personalized playlists, and engage with a vibrant tech community. Discover recommendations tailored to your interests and build your profile.

**Highlights:** Audio player for stories, Cross-device access, Original and user-generated content, Personalized playlists, Community engagement and discussions, Personalized recommendations, User profiles

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Octal for Hacker News free?

Octal for Hacker News is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is HackerNoon free?

HackerNoon is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Octal for Hacker News or HackerNoon?

Octal for Hacker News is rated higher. Octal for Hacker News averages 4.8 out of 5 from 2.9K ratings, while HackerNoon averages 4.7 from 20 ratings.

### Do Octal for Hacker News or HackerNoon have ads?

Neither Octal for Hacker News nor HackerNoon shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Octal for Hacker News or HackerNoon?

Octal for Hacker News ships an update every 11 days, and HackerNoon every 2 months. Most recently, Octal for Hacker News was updated on November 4, 2026 and HackerNoon on November 4, 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.*