The Information vs HN Reader Pro
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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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
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.
- Dark mode for comfortable browsing
- Integrated article and comment viewing
- Bookmark functionality
- Top stories display
- Tech community engagement
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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
Verdict
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
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.
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.
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.
| Parameter | The Information | HN Reader Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (83 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 28.4% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 83 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 2 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Subscription | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | 13.4 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 57 MB | 22 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | The Information | Lucas Lima |
Customer experience
The Information
HN Reader Pro
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
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- 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
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- 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
The Information
- The Information - Monthly$39.991 Month
- The Information - Monthly$59.991 Month
- The Information - Annual$399.001 Year
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- The Information - Pro1 Year trial$999.001 Year
HN Reader Pro
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is The Information free?
Is HN Reader Pro free?
Which has better reviews, The Information or HN Reader Pro?
Do The Information or HN Reader Pro have ads?
Which is updated more often, The Information or HN Reader Pro?
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