# Hax for Hacker News vs Hacker Reader

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Hacker Reader at none against Hax for Hacker News's 3. Hacker Reader also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 7 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Hax for Hacker News sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Hacker Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.

Hax for Hacker News ships an update every 7 months, Hacker Reader every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hax for Hacker News | Hacker Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[3.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hacker-reader/id6754137305/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **2** |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Size | 6 MB | 65 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.5 | **16.4** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | +9 |
| Developer | [Luis Fariña Lázaro](https://appshunter.io/developer/1635164816) | [Daniel Capistrano Sarinho Paiva](https://appshunter.io/developer/1580657892) |

## 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 Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hacker-reader/id6754137305)

A native iOS client for Hacker News offering a streamlined reading experience with home screen widgets, community interaction, and a beautiful, dark-mode-friendly design. Securely log in to upvote, comment, and bookmark stories.

**Highlights:** Browse all story categories, Upvote stories and comments, Secure login with HN account, Post comments and replies, Bookmark stories, Home screen widgets, Dark mode support

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hax for Hacker News free?

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

### Is Hacker Reader free?

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

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

Neither Hax for Hacker News nor Hacker Reader shows ads.

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

Hax for Hacker News ships an update every 7 months, and Hacker Reader every 2 months. Most recently, Hax for Hacker News was updated on October 27, 2026 and Hacker 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.*