# Hax for Hacker News vs Hacker News Reader

The clearest difference is update cadence: Hacker News Reader at every 10 days against Hax for Hacker News's every 7 months. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Hax for Hacker News sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Hacker News Reader sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Hax for Hacker News ships an update every 7 months, Hacker News Reader every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hax for Hacker News | Hacker News Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hacker-news-reader-hackernows/id6749719853/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **1** |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 6 MB | 22 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.5** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Luis Fariña Lázaro](https://appshunter.io/developer/1635164816) | [Rodrigo Cardoso](https://appshunter.io/developer/1831862800) |

## What reviewers say

### Hax for Hacker News

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hax-for-hacker-news/id1635164814)

**Features:** Safari Extension, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Medium Tip | $3.99 | one-time |
| Large Tip | $9.99 | one-time |


### Hacker News Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hacker-news-reader-hackernows/id6749719853)

A native iOS application offering a streamlined Hacker News experience. Users can read, vote, comment, and post stories, browse different sections, and organize content with custom groups. It prioritizes speed and privacy.

**Highlights:** Vote, comment, and post stories, Browse Ask, Show, Jobs, and New sections, Read threaded discussions, Submit stories, Create custom story groups, iCloud sync for groups

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Iron | $0.99 | per month |
| Steel | $1.99 | per month |
| Mithril | $2.99 | per month |
| Small Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Medium Tip | $2.99 | one-time |
| Large Tip | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hax for Hacker News free?

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

### Is Hacker News Reader free?

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

### Do Hax for Hacker News or Hacker News Reader have ads?

Neither Hax for Hacker News nor Hacker News Reader shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hax for Hacker News or Hacker News Reader?

Hax for Hacker News ships an update every 7 months, and Hacker News Reader every 10 days. Most recently, Hax for Hacker News was updated on October 4, 2026 and Hacker News Reader on October 24, 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.*