# Hacker News vs Hacker Pulse

The clearest difference is update cadence: Hacker News at every 5 days against Hacker Pulse's every 3 weeks. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Hacker News sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Hacker Pulse sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Hacker News ships an update every 5 days, Hacker Pulse every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hacker News | Hacker Pulse |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (34 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hacker-news-latest-in-tech/id1573004386/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **34** | — |
| Positive reviews | 79.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 20 MB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.4 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Snap Web Studios](https://appshunter.io/developer/496259214) | [S. Smart Rabbit LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1515248944) |

## What reviewers say

### Hacker News

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hacker-news-latest-in-tech/id1573004386)

Access the latest tech, startup, and science news with a fast and customizable reader. Organize stories by topic, search quickly, and enjoy AI-powered summaries. This ad-free experience syncs across devices and prioritizes your privacy.

**Highlights:** Fast browsing of feeds and comments, iCloud sync for favorites and read status, Customizable story groups by topic, Lightning-fast search, AI-powered story summaries, Ad-free reading experience, Home screen widgets

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Medium Tip | $2.99 | one-time |
| Large Tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| Extra Large Tip | $19.99 | one-time |


### Hacker Pulse

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hacker-pulse-hn-reader/id6802339610)

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Tip | $1.99 | one-time |
| Hacker Pulse Premium | $4.99 | one-time |
| Tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| Generous Tip | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hacker News free?

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

### Is Hacker Pulse free?

Hacker Pulse is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Hacker News or Hacker Pulse have ads?

Neither Hacker News nor Hacker Pulse shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hacker News or Hacker Pulse?

Hacker News ships an update every 5 days, and Hacker Pulse every 3 weeks. Most recently, Hacker News was updated on November 7, 2026 and Hacker Pulse 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.*