# Smashviews vs GistForge

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Smashviews at none against GistForge's 2. Smashviews also leads on ratings volume (5 vs 1). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. GistForge sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Smashviews asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Smashviews against 5.0 for GistForge. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Smashviews has 5 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Smashviews ships an update every 4 days, GistForge weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Smashviews | GistForge |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smashviews/id1625392671/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gistforge-hacker-news-reader/id6768026955/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **5** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Weekly |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 8 MB | 43 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Evan Hedding](https://appshunter.io/developer/1623693042) | [增林 洪](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896402759) |

## What reviewers say

### Smashviews

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smashviews/id1625392671)

Get unbiased news delivered instantly from sources you choose. This app prioritizes user control over content, avoiding algorithmic filtering and data exploitation. Stay informed with real-time updates and easily search or save articles for later.

**Highlights:** User-selected news sources, No algorithmic content filtering, Real-time news delivery, Article search functionality, Save articles for later

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### GistForge

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gistforge-hacker-news-reader/id6768026955)

This app offers AI-generated summaries of Hacker News articles, presented in a full-screen, TikTok-style feed. It provides TL;DRs, reasons to care, and key facts for each story, with options to read the original article or join discussions. It's designed for tech professionals and non-native English speakers seeking concise tech news.

**Highlights:** AI-summarized tech news briefs, TikTok-style scrolling feed, Bilingual content (English/Simplified Chinese), HN-native categories, Tap to read original articles/discussions, Dark mode, No account required

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| GistForge Pro | $1.99 | per month |
| GistForge Pro | $14.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Smashviews free?

Smashviews is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is GistForge free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Smashviews or GistForge?

Smashviews and GistForge are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 5 and 1 ratings respectively.

### Do Smashviews or GistForge have ads?

Neither Smashviews nor GistForge shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Smashviews or GistForge?

Smashviews ships an update every 4 days, and GistForge weekly. Most recently, Smashviews was updated on November 3, 2026 and GistForge on October 31, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*