Comparison

The Information vs HN Reader Pro

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

Head to head
About

The Information

Access exclusive, in-depth technology and business reporting from a leading publication. Stay informed with daily briefings, founder profiles, and data analyses on VC deals and emerging fields.

Highlights
  • Exclusive tech and business reporting
  • Daily news analysis
  • Founder profiles and company deep dives
  • Investor relations and VC deal data
  • Access to subscriber-only directory and forum
  • Tech industry events calendar
Features
Read full description

Before it's everywhere, it's in The Information. The Information is the most trusted source for original tech news and business reporting — read first thing every morning by the founders, CEOs, venture capital investors, and operators who move the industry. We break the stories the rest of the internet spends the next 24 hours catching up to. If you care about getting the news first and trusting the source, this is your app. While other outlets aggregate and republish, our reporters develop original scoops you won't find anywhere else: deep investigations into Big Tech, profiles of the founders building the next generation of companies, and rigorous analysis of the deals, fundings, and power shifts shaping technology and business. WHAT WE COVER - AI news — Anthropic, Google, Microsoft, xAI, and the LLM and AI agents race - Semiconductor and AI data center news — Nvidia, chips, and the infrastructure powering the AI boom - Venture capital and startup funding — VC rounds, valuations, and the firms writing the checks - Crypto and fintech — markets, regulation, and the companies redefining money - EV and battery technology — Tesla and the future of transportation - Big Tech — Apple, Amazon, AWS, and Meta - Deals — M&A, private equity, and IPO coverage for people who need the details - Plus enterprise software, cybersecurity, robotics, quantum computing, and the creator economy APP FEATURES - For You: a personalized home feed that surfaces the tech and business news that matters most to you - Breaking news alerts: push notifications the moment a story breaks — read it here before it hits your inbox or your feed - TITV: live and on-demand video, including interviews and analysis with our reporters and the people in the news - Text-to-audio: listen to any article hands-free, on your commute or at the gym - Deep Research: our AI-powered tool to go deeper on any company, topic, or trend - Bookmarking: save articles to read later, across all your devices - Dark mode: a comfortable reading experience, day or night - Org Charts: 30+ exclusive org charts, from Airbnb to YouTube, mapping who really runs the biggest companies - Newsletters: manage subscriptions including The Briefing, Dealmaker, Creator Economy, and more - Podcasts: deep dives on startups, venture capital, and the tech industry with our reporters and guests - Directory & Forum: connect with other subscribers — investors, founders, and operators - Events Calendar: track the biggest moments in tech, from earnings and IPOs to product launches IS THE INFORMATION RIGHT FOR YOU? Our readers also follow Bloomberg, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and TechCrunch — the outlets that often spend the next day catching up to the stories we break first. The real question isn't whether you'll get the news. It's when. Get it here, first. The Information is more than a publication — it's the daily edge for people who can't afford to be last to know on AI, venture capital, crypto, and the deals shaping tech and business. Subscribe in the app and read the news that's first, and most trusted. Questions? support@theinformation.com (or engineering@theinformation.com for technical issues). Terms of Service: theinformation.com/terms Privacy Policy: theinformation.com/privacy

About

HN Reader Pro

A streamlined reader for tech news, offering a comfortable dark mode experience. It displays top stories with integrated article and comment views, plus bookmarking for easy saving. Stay connected with the tech community.

Highlights
  • Dark mode for comfortable browsing
  • Integrated article and comment viewing
  • Bookmark functionality
  • Top stories display
  • Tech community engagement
Features
Read full description

A sleek Hacker News reader with dark mode for comfortable browsing. Features top stories, integrated article and comment viewing on a single page, and bookmark functionality for saving interesting content. Stay informed and engaged with the tech community effortlessly.

Screenshots

The Information4 screens
HN Reader Pro4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: HN Reader Pro at none against The Information's 4. HN Reader Pro also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 3 weeks) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). The Information's advantage is ratings volume (83 vs 1). On price, ads and device support 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. The Information sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $39.99 per month. HN Reader Pro asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

HN Reader Pro holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The Information has 83 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

The Information ships an update every 3 weeks, HN Reader Pro every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
The Information versus HN Reader Pro: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThe InformationHN Reader Pro
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (83 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews28.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings83 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationSubscriptionFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.413.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size57 MB22 MB
Age rating12+17+
DeveloperThe InformationLucas Lima

Customer experience

The Information

All ratings74 ratings
Positive93.2%
Neutral0.0%
Negative6.8%
Written reviews88 reviews
Positive28.4%
Neutral11.4%
Negative60.2%

HN Reader Pro

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

The Information

Reported bugs

10 issues
  • Magic link login doesn't work reliably
  • App sends login link but then rejects it
  • Session logs out after reading one article
  • App crashes when emailing articles
  • Screen goes blank requiring app reboot
Show 5 more
  • Scrolling performance is laggy
  • Font sizing affects all system apps
  • Password authentication fails between app and website
  • Notifications don't work despite being enabled
  • iPad app displays only in portrait mode

Requested features

10 requests
  • Dark mode/night mode for reading
  • Native iPad app with landscape support
  • Bookmark/save articles for later reading
  • Read aloud functionality for articles
  • Push notifications for breaking news
Show 5 more
  • Offline reading capability
  • App widgets for home screen headlines
  • Better font sizing controls
  • Native video player
  • Account management within app

HN Reader Pro

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

4 purchases

The Information

Subscriptions4
  • The Information - Monthly$39.991 Month
  • The Information - Monthly$59.991 Month
  • The Information - Annual$399.001 Year
Show 1 more
  • The Information - Pro1 Year trial$999.001 Year
None

HN Reader Pro

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is The Information free?
The Information is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is HN Reader Pro free?
HN Reader Pro is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, The Information or HN Reader Pro?
HN Reader Pro is rated higher. The Information averages 4.7 out of 5 from 83 ratings, while HN Reader Pro averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do The Information or HN Reader Pro have ads?
Neither The Information nor HN Reader Pro shows ads.
Which is updated more often, The Information or HN Reader Pro?
The Information ships an update every 3 weeks, and HN Reader Pro every 2 days. Most recently, The Information was updated on November 7, 2026 and HN Reader Pro on November 4, 2026.

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