hn vs HackerReads
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
hn
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.
- Clean and simple interface
- Easy navigation
- Distraction-free reader mode
- Ad-free experience
- Focus on content
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The hn app is the perfect way to stay up-to-date with all your favorite tech news and articles on Hacker News. Our app features a clean and simple interface that's easy to navigate, so you can focus on the content that matters most to you. With our reader mode, you can enjoy a distraction-free reading experience that's easy on the eyes. No more cluttered pages, ads or annoying pop-ups. Just pure, unadulterated content that's a pleasure to read. Experience the ultimate in simplicity and functionality with the hn app.
HackerReads
This app delivers curated tech and hacking news with AI-powered summaries. It offers a clean, distraction-free reading experience for developers and tech enthusiasts, ensuring you stay updated on important stories without the clutter.
- AI-powered summaries
- Curated top tech stories
- Clean, minimal design
- Smart story tracking
- Dark mode support
- Lightweight and fast
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HackerReads surfaces the most important stories in tech, hacking, and software — without the noise. Built for developers, security enthusiasts, and curious minds, HackerReads delivers a focused, no-frills reading experience — now enhanced with AI-powered summaries. Key Features: AI Summaries Quickly understand each story with concise AI-generated summaries. No need to visit external sites. Curated Top Stories Only the most relevant and widely discussed stories are included, ensuring signal over noise. Clean, Minimal Design A distraction-free interface built for fast scanning and in-depth reading. Smart Story Tracking Automatically checks for new top stories, so you stay updated effortlessly. Dark Mode Support Comfortable reading experience whether you're coding during the day or burning the midnight oil. Lightweight and Fast No ads, no clutter. Just performance and simplicity. Whether you're deep in code or on a short break, HackerReads makes it easy to stay up to date with what matters in the hacker and tech world.
Screenshots
Verdict
hn and HackerReads are too close to call on the numbers: across 9 compared parameters — price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.
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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for hn against 5.0 for HackerReads. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 5 respectively.
hn ships an update weekly, HackerReads every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | hn | HackerReads |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (2 ratings) | 5.0 (5 ratings) |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 5 — better |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Every 5 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 14 MB | 20 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Victor Aguilar | Mahesh Adhikari |
Customer experience
hn
HackerReads
In-app purchases
hn
No in-app purchases
HackerReads
No in-app purchases
