# hn vs HackerPillar

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: hn at none against HackerPillar's 1. hn also leads on iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. HackerPillar sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per month. hn asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for hn against 5.0 for HackerPillar. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 1 respectively.

hn ships an update weekly, HackerPillar fortnightly. Both last shipped on October 27, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | hn | HackerPillar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hn-hacker-news-reader/id1446189504/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hackerpillar-hn-reader/id6444180018/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2** | 1 |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 14 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Victor Aguilar](https://appshunter.io/developer/1446189503) | [Taha Broachwala](https://appshunter.io/developer/1634174506) |

## What reviewers say

### hn

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hn-hacker-news-reader/id1446189504)

Stay updated with tech news and articles through a clean, simple, and distraction-free reading experience. Focus on content without clutter, ads, or pop-ups.

**Highlights:** Clean and simple interface, Easy navigation, Distraction-free reader mode, Ad-free experience, Focus on content

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### HackerPillar

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hackerpillar-hn-reader/id6444180018)

This app offers a streamlined and focused reading experience for Hacker News. It features a clean feed, readable comment threads, and a reader mode for articles. Users can save stories, read offline, and track discussions.

**Highlights:** Fast Hacker News feed, Readable comment threads, Focused Reader Mode, Saved stories and offline library, Thread tracking, Advanced search (Pro), Home screen widget

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| HackerPillar Pro Monthly | $4.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is hn free?

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

### Is HackerPillar free?

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

### Which has better reviews, hn or HackerPillar?

hn and HackerPillar are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2 and 1 ratings respectively.

### Do hn or HackerPillar have ads?

Neither hn nor HackerPillar shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, hn or HackerPillar?

hn ships an update weekly, and HackerPillar fortnightly. Most recently, hn was updated on October 27, 2026 and HackerPillar on October 27, 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.*