HN Pro vs PacketMessage
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
HN Pro
This app provides a streamlined and efficient way to access Hacker News content. It allows users to browse stories, comment, upvote, and manage threads directly from their mobile device, mirroring the functionality of the web application.
- Browse Hacker News stories
- Reply to comments
- Upvote and hide stories
- Collapse comment threads
- Dark mode support
- Access to all HN lists
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HN Pro shows you Hacker News the way it was meant to be. If you want splashy animations and an unnecessary coat of paint, HN Pro may not be for you. But, if you've learned to love that classic orange and beige and want everything to just "work" like the web app, you've come to the right place. Browse your stories, reply to comments, upvote, hide, collapse threads, the list goes on. Do everything that you might want to do using your web browser, right in the palm of your hand. If you login with your account, any threads you collapse or stories you hide carry over to your web browser (and vice versa). Dark mode? Check. Comment replies? Check. Flagging, hiding, upvoting (and "unvoting"?)? Check. Access to all of the lists? Check (including /news, /show, /shownew, /ask, /best, /active, /newest, /classic, and /noobstories). Other features I probably forgot about? Check. Many other improvements are in the pipeline. Have an idea? Shoot me an email at dan@lionheartsw.com. Coming soon: push notifications for comment replies. Stay tuned.
PacketMessage
This app enables licensed amateur radio operators to send reliable messages directly over RF using their radio and a compatible TNC interface. It leverages advanced error correction protocols for robust communication in a decentralized network.
- FX.25 forward error correction
- AX.25 bit-flip error correction
- Software TNC or KISS TNC interface support
- Direct RF message transmission
- Decentralized communication
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PacketMessage fully supports FX.25 forward error correction and AX.25 bit-flip error correction. Send reliable messages over software TNC or KISS TNC interfaces. Decentralized solution, messages travel directly over RF via your radio. PacketMessage is intended to be used by licensed amateur radio operators. A valid amateur radio license, assigned callsign, and a compatible radio are required to send and receive messages. This app does not function as a standalone messenger.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: PacketMessage at 5.0 against HN Pro's 3.5. PacketMessage also leads on device support (3 vs 1). HN Pro's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ratings volume (8 vs 1). On price, update cadence, ads and iOS requirement 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
Both are free to download. PacketMessage sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. HN Pro asks for nothing beyond the download.
PacketMessage holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: HN Pro has 8 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
HN Pro ships an update every 2 weeks, PacketMessage weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | HN Pro | PacketMessage |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.5 (8 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 40.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 8 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 5 MB | 1 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Lionheart Software LLC | Lukasz Skierkowski |
Customer experience
HN Pro
PacketMessage
In-app purchases
HN Pro
No in-app purchases
PacketMessage
- Small Tip$1.99
- Medium Tip$4.99
- Large Tip$9.99
