# HACK for Hacker News YC Reader vs Hacko for Hacker News

HACK for Hacker News YC Reader and Hacko for Hacker News both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 93% of HACK for Hacker News YC Reader's written reviews are positive against 67% of Hacko for Hacker News's. HACK for Hacker News YC Reader also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and update cadence (every 3 days vs fortnightly). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. HACK for Hacker News YC Reader sells 6 one-off in-app purchases and Hacko for Hacker News sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for HACK for Hacker News YC Reader against 4.6 for Hacko for Hacker News. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: HACK for Hacker News YC Reader has 1.6K ratings behind it against 31, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 93% of HACK for Hacker News YC Reader's written reviews are positive against 67% of Hacko for Hacker News's.

HACK for Hacker News YC Reader ships an update every 3 days, Hacko for Hacker News fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | HACK for Hacker News YC Reader | Hacko for Hacker News |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (1.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hack-for-hacker-news-yc-reader/id1464477788/reviews)** | [4.6 (31 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hacko-for-hacker-news/id6448201970/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.6K** | 31 |
| Positive reviews | **93.4% of reviews** | 66.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 days** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 28 MB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Pranoy Chowdhury](https://appshunter.io/developer/952263202) | [Andrii Sievrikov](https://appshunter.io/developer/1568000284) |

## 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 |


### Hacko for Hacker News

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hacko-for-hacker-news/id6448201970)

This client offers a unique way to navigate Hacker News discussions, keeping comments readable at any depth. Enjoy smooth navigation, custom boards, search, and a reading list for an enhanced experience.

**Highlights:** Alternative comment tree display, Maintains comment readability, Swipe navigation, Custom boards, Search functionality, Reading list

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tip - Regular Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Tip - Big Tip | $3.99 | one-time |
| Premium | $5.99 | one-time |
| Tip - Large Tip | $6.99 | one-time |
| Tip - Huge Tip | $9.99 | one-time |


## 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 Hacko for Hacker News free?

Hacko for Hacker News is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, HACK for Hacker News YC Reader or Hacko for Hacker News?

HACK for Hacker News YC Reader is rated higher. HACK for Hacker News YC Reader averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.6K ratings, while Hacko for Hacker News averages 4.6 from 31 ratings.

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

Neither HACK for Hacker News YC Reader nor Hacko for Hacker News shows ads.

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

HACK for Hacker News YC Reader ships an update every 3 days, and Hacko for Hacker News fortnightly. Most recently, HACK for Hacker News YC Reader was updated on October 18, 2026 and Hacko for Hacker News on October 16, 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.*