Comparison

WidgetPack vs HNWidgets

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

Head to head
About

WidgetPack

Design custom widgets for your homescreen using the power of Shortcuts. Utilize a variety of built-in elements and effects to personalize your widgets with any information you choose.

Highlights
  • Create custom widgets
  • Utilize Shortcuts integration
  • Modify built-in examples
  • Design from scratch
  • Add images and symbols
  • Apply shadows and effects
Features
Read full description

Create your own Widgets with Shortcuts. With WidgetPack you can use the power of Shortcuts to design your own widgets. Use and modify the built-in examples to get started, or create a widget from scratch and unleash your creativity. WidgetPack has many elements built-in including images, symbols, text and more. All the elements can be transformed with shadow, colors and effects to create exactly the widgets you want. Shortcuts integration means you can take any kind of information and display it on your homescreen.

About

HNWidgets

Features
Read full description

Never miss a beat with the latest Hacker News stories and tech discussions, delivered straight to your iPhone or iPad home screen. HNWidgets provides sleek, customizable widgets that keep you instantly connected to the pulse of the tech world, making it effortless to stay informed without opening the app. Why You'll Love It: Instant HN Updates: Get real-time Hacker News updates with trending stories, top discussions, and breaking tech news delivered directly to your widgets. Customizable Widgets: Choose from various sizes (Medium, Large, and Extra-Large) to perfectly fit your layout and display the content you care about most. Seamless Integration: Enjoy a beautiful, native iOS experience that adapts to your device's theme (Dark & Light mode) and scales flawlessly across all iPhones and iPads. Quick Access: Tap any story in your widget to jump directly into the discussion, letting you dive deeper with a single tap. Perfect For: Tech Enthusiasts: Stay ahead with instant access to the most engaging Hacker News content. Developers & Founders: Keep tabs on industry trends, startup news, and crucial technical discussions throughout your day. Anyone Who Values Productivity: Transform your home screen into an informative dashboard for efficient, at-a-glance updates. Elevate your daily information flow. Download HNWidgets now and bring the vibrant world of Hacker News to your fingertips! Key Changes and Why They're Effective: Stronger Opening Hook: The first line is more direct and benefit-oriented, immediately telling the user what they get. More Keyword Integration: Phrases like "real-time Hacker News updates," "tech news," "developer news," and "startup news" are woven in naturally to improve searchability. Benefit-Oriented Feature List: Changed "Key Features" to "Why You'll Love It" and focused each bullet point on the benefit to the user, not just the feature itself. Action-Oriented Language: Uses stronger verbs and encourages engagement (e.g., "Get instant access," "Choose from," "Enjoy a beautiful"). Clearer Target Audience: "Perfect For" section is more descriptive, directly addressing the needs of developers and founders who are core Hacker News users. Stronger Call to Action: Encourages immediate download and reinforces the app's value.

Screenshots

WidgetPack2 screens
HNWidgets3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: HNWidgets at Free against WidgetPack's $4.99. HNWidgets also leads on iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). WidgetPack's advantage is update cadence (every 8 days vs every 3 months). On ads, in-app purchases 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

HNWidgets is free to download; WidgetPack costs $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

WidgetPack ships an update every 8 days, HNWidgets every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
WidgetPack versus HNWidgets: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWidgetPackHNWidgets
Price$4.99Free — better
Rating3.4 (17 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings17 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 8 days — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS26.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size5 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBouke van der BijlMattia Righetti

In-app purchases

None

WidgetPack

No in-app purchases

None

HNWidgets

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is WidgetPack free?
WidgetPack costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is HNWidgets free?
HNWidgets is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do WidgetPack or HNWidgets have ads?
Neither WidgetPack nor HNWidgets shows ads.
Which is updated more often, WidgetPack or HNWidgets?
WidgetPack ships an update every 8 days, and HNWidgets every 3 months. Most recently, WidgetPack was updated on October 29, 2026 and HNWidgets on October 30, 2026.

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