# Hacker News Tech Reader vs Nocturne for Hacker News

The clearest difference is monetization model: Hacker News Tech Reader at free against Nocturne for Hacker News's free with in-app purchases. Hacker News Tech Reader also leads on ratings volume (1.6K vs 1) and update cadence (every 3 days vs every 9 days). Nocturne for Hacker News's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.7). On price, ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Hacker News Tech Reader sells 6 one-off in-app purchases and Nocturne for Hacker News sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Nocturne for Hacker News holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hacker News Tech Reader has 1.6K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Hacker News Tech Reader ships an update every 3 days, Nocturne for Hacker News every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hacker News Tech Reader | Nocturne for Hacker News |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (1.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hacker-news-tech-reader-hack/id1464477788/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nocturne-for-hacker-news/id6801647718/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.6K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 93.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 days** | Every 9 days |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 28 MB | 20 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) | [Vishvak Seenichamy-Venkatesan](https://appshunter.io/developer/6801647720) |

## What reviewers say

### Hacker News Tech Reader

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

This app offers a beautiful and intuitive way to read the latest tech, startup, and STEM news from Hacker News. It features customizable reading options, push notifications, and advanced search capabilities, all without ads or subscriptions.

**Highlights:** Ad-free and subscription-free experience, Push notifications for replies, Nested comment threads, Advanced search with filters, Customizable fonts and themes, Article sharing and archiving, Support for multiple browsers

**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 |
| Hack Premium | $12.99 | one-time |
| Amazing Tip | $12.99 | one-time |
| Godzilla Tip | $19.99 | one-time |


### Nocturne for Hacker News

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nocturne-for-hacker-news/id6801647718)

This app provides an offline-first reading experience for Hacker News, automatically downloading comments for top stories. It allows users to browse various feeds, search content without a signal, and offers a calm, ad-free interface. An optional one-time purchase unlocks advanced features like an offline article reader and additional feed types.

**Highlights:** Offline comment downloads, Browse Top, New, Best of Today, Rising feeds, Search titles, authors, and sites offline, Ad-free and tracker-free experience, Optional Pro features via one-time purchase, Adjustable text size and subtle haptics

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Nocturne Pro Lifetime | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hacker News Tech Reader free?

Hacker News Tech Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Nocturne for Hacker News free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Hacker News Tech Reader or Nocturne for Hacker News?

Nocturne for Hacker News is rated higher. Hacker News Tech Reader averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.6K ratings, while Nocturne for Hacker News averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Hacker News Tech Reader or Nocturne for Hacker News have ads?

Neither Hacker News Tech Reader nor Nocturne for Hacker News shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hacker News Tech Reader or Nocturne for Hacker News?

Hacker News Tech Reader ships an update every 3 days, and Nocturne for Hacker News every 9 days. Most recently, Hacker News Tech Reader was updated on November 6, 2026 and Nocturne for Hacker News on October 31, 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.*