# Hacker News HN Reader vs Hacko for Hacker News

Hacker News HN Reader and Hacko for Hacker News both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 93% of Hacker News HN Reader's written reviews are positive against 67% of Hacko for Hacker News's. Hacker News HN Reader also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs fortnightly) and ratings volume (1.6K vs 31). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Hacker News HN 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 Hacker News HN Reader against 4.6 for Hacko for Hacker News. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hacker News HN 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 Hacker News HN Reader's written reviews are positive against 67% of Hacko for Hacker News's.

Hacker News HN Reader ships an update every 3 days, Hacko for Hacker News fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 13, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hacker News HN Reader | Hacko for Hacker News |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (1.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hacker-news-hn-reader-hack/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 | **93.3% of reviews** | 66.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 days** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | 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

### Hacker News HN Reader

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

This app provides a beautiful and efficient way to read tech, startup, and STEM news from Hacker News. It offers features like push notifications, threaded comments, and powerful search capabilities, all without ads or subscriptions.

**Highlights:** Ad-free and subscription-free reading, Push notifications for replies, Nested threaded comments, Powerful search with Algolia API, Customizable appearance (dark mode, fonts), Submit posts and comments, Article archiving options

**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 |
| Generous Tip | $9.99 | one-time |
| Amazing Tip | $12.99 | one-time |
| Hack Premium | $17.99 | 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 Hacker News HN Reader free?

Hacker News HN 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, Hacker News HN Reader or Hacko for Hacker News?

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

### Do Hacker News HN Reader or Hacko for Hacker News have ads?

Neither Hacker News HN Reader nor Hacko for Hacker News shows ads.

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

Hacker News HN Reader ships an update every 3 days, and Hacko for Hacker News fortnightly. Most recently, Hacker News HN Reader was updated on November 13, 2026 and Hacko for Hacker News on November 3, 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.*