Comparison

Monocle for Reddit vs Hydra

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Monocle for Reddit

Browse and interact with Reddit content in a fast, lightweight, and customizable way. Create personalized feeds, enjoy a powerful media player, and manage multiple accounts with advanced posting and messaging features.

Highlights
  • Customizable Smart Feeds
  • Fast media player with Picture-in-Picture and AirPlay
  • Multi-account support
  • Full Markdown composer
  • Multi-window support
  • Dark Mode support
  • Low Data Mode
Features
Read full description

Monocle offers a comprehensive experience browsing and interacting with Reddit. It is lightweight, fast and aims to make content consumption easy. With Smart Feeds you can create your own customized feeds by selecting topics, setting the sort order and adding a variety of filters. You chose what you want to see. And of course you can also post in your favorite topics, engage in discussions and message your friends. Features: - Switch back and forth between multiple topics without losing your scroll position - Customize content feeds by creating Smart Feeds that can also be shared with others - Super fast media player for showing images, videos and GIFs (full-screen mode available) - Video and GIF scrubbing, Picture-in-Picture, AirPlay®, and more! - Full Dark Mode support - Extensive Contextual Menus integration - Multi window support - view multiple topics and post simultaneously or side by side with you favorite apps! - Share and save images, videos and GIFs - Search for any topics or posts - Search for posts in topics - Full Markdown rendering with tappable links - Today widget showing currently trending posts - Low Data Mode support and much more! If you purchase Monocle Pro you also get the following features: - Add one or more Reddit accounts - Fast and easy account switching - Subscribe to your favorite topics - Full Markdown composer for posting, commenting and messaging - Post text, links, images, GIF (selected videos are automatically converted to GIFs) and drawings made directly on the device - Submit replies to posts and comments - Edit your posts and comments - Upvote/downvote posts and comments - Save posts and comments to read later - Message inbox - Message other users Privacy Policy: https://bastian.codes/privacy-policy/monocle Terms And Conditions: https://bastian.codes/terms-and-conditions/monocle

About

Hydra

This app offers a fast, fluid, and seamless browsing experience for subreddits, designed with a native iOS aesthetic. It provides powerful features for both casual and dedicated users, enhancing media viewing and interaction with content.

Highlights
  • Lightning-fast loading
  • Multireddit support
  • Favorite subreddits
  • Native iOS design
  • Image and video viewer
  • Multiple account support
  • Quick access gestures
Features
Read full description

Hydra is the best client for browsing your subreddits and the ultimate experience on iOS. It's fast, fluid, and designed to make browsing more seamless than ever before. If you're looking for a powerful yet beautifully simple client, Hydra is the way to go. "Hydra makes Reddit feel like a natural part of iOS. Everything just flows." - u/goosewatergoose "This app is what you get when the developer really understands what a great user experience should be. It’s everything the Reddit app isn't" - DAC, UK "Long time Apollo user. Found the app a month ago. Great work so far, just wanted to convey the props" - @gruthsc3 (Discord) Hydra is crafted with a native iOS design, making it feel right at home on your device. It loads fast, responds instantly, and makes browsing an incredibly intuitive experience. Packed with powerful features, it's built to be the ultimate companion for both casual browsing and hardcore Redditors alike. Features that make Hydra shine: - Lightning-fast loading for seamless scrolling and browsing - Multireddit support for organizing and following your favorite topics - Favorite subreddits to keep your go-to communities at your fingertips - A beautifully designed, native iOS experience that feels right at home - Gorgeous image and video viewer for an immersive media experience - Multiple account support so you can switch effortlessly - Quick access gestures to upvote, downvote, reply, and more with a swipe - Markdown support to get the most out of your posts and comments - System share menu integration to easily share content anywhere - Full inbox access for messages and notifications - Private messages support to stay connected with other users - Powerful search to find posts, subreddits, and users in an instant - Customizable themes to match your style - Compact mode for an optimized browsing experience - Highly customizable UI to tailor Hydra to your needs - Blur content and spoilers for a safe browsing experience - Low data mode to keep your usage efficient - Beautiful, intuitive UI/UX that makes using Hydra a delight Hydra is always evolving with new features and improvements based on feedback from the community. If there's something you'd love to see, drop by the /r/HydraApp subreddit and let me know! Hydra is an unofficial client, but it just might be the best one you've ever used. --- This is an unofficial client for the Reddit service (Reddit is a registered trademark of Reddit, Inc., and this app is not affiliated with or endorsed by Reddit). --- Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Monocle for Reddit4 screens
Hydra4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Hydra at 75% against Monocle for Reddit's 20%. Hydra also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.7) and ratings volume (814 vs 14). Monocle for Reddit's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 weeks) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.4). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Monocle for Reddit sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Hydra sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Hydra holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hydra has 814 ratings behind it against 14, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 20% of Monocle for Reddit's written reviews are positive against 75% of Hydra's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Monocle for Reddit ships an update every 2 weeks, Hydra every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Monocle for Reddit versus Hydra: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMonocle for RedditHydra
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.7 (14 ratings)4.8 (814 ratings) — better
Positive reviews20.0% of reviews75.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings14814 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS13.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB79 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperBastian KohlbauerDimitrie Milinovich

Customer experience

Monocle for Reddit

All ratings14 ratings
Positive71.4%
Neutral7.1%
Negative21.4%
Written reviews10 reviews
Positive20.0%
Neutral10.0%
Negative70.0%

Hydra

All ratings814 ratings
Positive95.1%
Neutral1.7%
Negative3.2%
Written reviews153 reviews
Positive75.2%
Neutral5.9%
Negative19.0%

Bugs and requests

Monocle for Reddit

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Hydra

Reported bugs

1 issue
  • Expect some bumps

Requested features

2 requests
  • Customizing the gestures and hiding the username on the tab bar
  • Content blocking, comment images, startup feed, and others

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Monocle for Reddit

One-time1
  • Monocle Pro$4.99
5 purchases

Hydra

Subscriptions1
  • Hydra Pro$2.991 Month
One-time4
  • Nice Tip$1.99
  • Generous Tip$4.99
  • Amazing Tip$9.99
Show 1 more
  • Incredible Tip$19.99

Questions

Is Monocle for Reddit free?
Monocle for Reddit is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Hydra free?
Hydra is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Monocle for Reddit or Hydra?
Hydra is rated higher. Monocle for Reddit averages 3.7 out of 5 from 14 ratings, while Hydra averages 4.8 from 814 ratings.
Do Monocle for Reddit or Hydra have ads?
Neither Monocle for Reddit nor Hydra shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Monocle for Reddit or Hydra?
Monocle for Reddit ships an update every 2 weeks, and Hydra every 3 weeks. Most recently, Monocle for Reddit was updated on November 2, 2026 and Hydra on November 4, 2026.

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