# HACK for Hacker News YC Reader vs Im Banak

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Im Banak at none against HACK for Hacker News YC Reader's 6. Im Banak also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). HACK for Hacker News YC Reader's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs weekly) and device support (4 vs 2). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. HACK for Hacker News YC Reader sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Im Banak asks for nothing beyond the download.

HACK for Hacker News YC Reader ships an update every 3 days, Im Banak weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | HACK for Hacker News YC Reader | Im Banak |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (1.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hack-for-hacker-news-yc-reader/id1464477788/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1.6K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 93.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 days** | Weekly |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 28 MB | 27 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Pranoy Chowdhury](https://appshunter.io/developer/952263202) | [Ministry of Defense](https://appshunter.io/developer/1492903438) |

## What reviewers say

### HACK for Hacker News YC Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hack-for-hacker-news-yc-reader/id1464477788)

This app offers a beautiful and intuitive way to read tech, startup, and STEM news from Hacker News. It provides advanced features like push notifications, threaded comments, and powerful search, with extensive customization options for a personalized reading experience.

**Highlights:** Ad-free and subscription-free reading, Push notifications for replies, Nested threaded comments with collapse, Swipe to upvote and favorite, Submit new posts and drafts, Powerful Algolia-powered search, Customizable themes, fonts, and layout

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Nice Tip | $3.99 | one-time |
| Kind Tip | $6.99 | one-time |
| Hack Premium | $9.99 | one-time |
| Generous Tip | $9.99 | one-time |
| Amazing Tip | $12.99 | one-time |
| Godzilla Tip | $19.99 | one-time |


### Im Banak

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/im-banak/id1492903439)

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is HACK for Hacker News YC Reader free?

HACK for Hacker News YC Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Im Banak free?

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

### Do HACK for Hacker News YC Reader or Im Banak have ads?

Neither HACK for Hacker News YC Reader nor Im Banak shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, HACK for Hacker News YC Reader or Im Banak?

HACK for Hacker News YC Reader ships an update every 3 days, and Im Banak weekly. Most recently, HACK for Hacker News YC Reader was updated on October 24, 2026 and Im Banak on October 10, 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.*