# hn vs HackerBook

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: hn at none against HackerBook's 2. HackerBook's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. HackerBook sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 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 HackerBook. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 3 respectively.

hn ships an update weekly, HackerBook fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | hn | HackerBook |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hn-hacker-news-reader/id1446189504/reviews) | [5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hackerbook/id6467827442/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **3** |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 14 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Victor Aguilar](https://appshunter.io/developer/1446189503) | [Tao Xu](https://appshunter.io/developer/1484566052) |

## 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


### HackerBook

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hackerbook/id6467827442)

Stay updated with the most popular discussions on Hacker News through a streamlined interface. This app makes it effortless to immerse yourself in the tech community's latest conversations.

**Highlights:** Trending topics showcase, Streamlined interface, Tech community buzz, Effortless navigation, Immersive tech discourse

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Exclusive News | $2.99 | per month |
| Tips | $0.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is hn free?

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

### Is HackerBook free?

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

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

hn and HackerBook are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2 and 3 ratings respectively.

### Do hn or HackerBook have ads?

Neither hn nor HackerBook shows ads.

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

hn ships an update weekly, and HackerBook fortnightly. Most recently, hn was updated on October 24, 2026 and HackerBook on October 8, 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.*