Comparison

Hackers for Hacker News vs Sentro

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

Head to head
About

Hackers for Hacker News

A fast, clean, and distraction-free client for reading Hacker News on iOS devices. It's designed for deep technical discussions and efficient navigation, especially within complex comment threads. Enjoy a smooth and readable experience focused on content.

Highlights
  • Fast, native performance
  • Clean, readable layout
  • Advanced comment collapsing
  • Swipe gestures for actions
  • Light and dark mode
  • Privacy-focused design
Features
Read full description

The best way to read Hacker News on iOS. Fast, clean, and designed for deep technical discussions. Built for people who actually read the comments. Hackers for Hacker News is a powerful, thoughtfully designed Hacker News client for iPhone and iPad. It focuses on speed, clarity, and efficient navigation, making it easy to follow discussions without distractions. Whether you are quickly checking the front page or spending time in long, complex comment threads, Hackers is built to keep the experience smooth and readable. Key features: • Fast, native performance with a lightweight interface • Clean, readable layout optimised for long discussions • Advanced comment collapsing for navigating deep threads • Swipe gestures to vote, reply, and move between stories • Light and dark mode support • Designed with privacy in mind Hackers for Hacker News is built for developers, founders, and curious readers who value thoughtful discussion and high-signal content. The interface stays out of your way so you can focus on what matters: the stories and the comments. If Hacker News is part of your daily routine, this is a better way to read it. Download Hackers for Hacker News and experience Hacker News the way it should be. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Sentro

Get a clearer overview of news with related coverage and quick access to original articles. Summarize news streams, save articles for later, and customize your feed. Offers enhanced control with premium features for a personalized news experience.

Highlights
  • Clear news overview
  • Related coverage from multiple media
  • Short summaries of news streams
  • Access to original articles
  • Save articles for later
  • Customizable feed with premium
Read full description

Í stað þess að sjá sömu fréttina aftur og aftur frá mörgum miðlum færðu skýrara yfirlit, tengdar umfjallanir og fljótlega leið að upprunalegum greinum. Með Sentro geturðu: • séð helstu fréttir dagsins á einum stað • skoðað tengdar fréttir frá fleiri miðlum • lesið stuttar samantektir úr fréttastraumum miðlanna • opnað upprunalegar greinar hjá útgefendum • vistað fréttir til að lesa síðar Sentro+ opnar enn meiri stjórn: • ótakmarkað fréttaflæði • leit að fréttum eftir flokki • fylgstu með flokkum og undirflokkum sem þú hefur áhuga á • hraðari uppfærslur • ótakmarkaðar samantektir • sérsnið eftir miðlum og undirflokkum • ótakmarkaðar vistaðar fréttir • röðun aðalflipa Sentro er sjálfstætt fréttaapp og er ekki tengt einstökum fréttamiðlum. Fréttir eru birtar með uppruna og opnast hjá viðkomandi útgefanda þegar þú vilt lesa greinina í heild. Fréttir á þinn hátt. Skilmálar / Terms of Use: https://sentro.is/skilmalar Persónuverndarstefna / Privacy Policy: https://sentro.is/personuvernd

Screenshots

Hackers for Hacker News4 screens
Sentro4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Sentro at 5.0 against Hackers for Hacker News's 4.6. Sentro also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 5 weeks) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 26.0). Hackers for Hacker News's advantage is ratings volume (433 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

Both are free to download. Hackers for Hacker News sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Sentro sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Sentro holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hackers for Hacker News has 433 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Hackers for Hacker News ships an update every 5 weeks, Sentro every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Hackers for Hacker News versus Sentro: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHackers for Hacker NewsSentro
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (433 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews63.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings433 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS26.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB49 MB
Age rating9+12+
DeveloperWeiran ZhangX2 ehf.

Bugs and requests

Hackers for Hacker News

Reported bugs

12 issues
  • App fails to load posts or comments
  • Login/password reset not working
  • Swipe gestures trigger unintended menu opens while scrolling
  • Links open accidentally during scrolling
  • App crashes on refresh
Show 7 more
  • Comments not loading completely
  • Share functionality duplicates links
  • iOS 14 compatibility dropped in bugfix release
  • Blank page/no content loading
  • Comment markup rendering incorrectly
  • Scrolling lag during background refresh
  • Jerky animations when loading comments

Requested features

15 requests
  • Ability to comment and post
  • User authentication/login support
  • Upvote and downvote functionality
  • Save/bookmark posts for later
  • Search functionality
Show 10 more
  • Show HN category filter
  • Offline viewing/download comments
  • Mark visited posts visually
  • Display full post content, not just titles
  • Font size customization options
  • Replies/threading support
  • Pagination or infinite scroll
  • URL scheme support for Shortcuts
  • Text selection in comments
  • Best feed option

Sentro

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Hackers for Hacker News

Subscriptions1
  • Hackers Supporter$0.991 Month
One-time3
  • Quick Tip$0.99
  • Nice Tip$2.99
  • Generous Tip$6.99
2 purchases

Sentro

Subscriptions2
  • Sentro+ mánaðaráskrift7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Sentro+ ársáskrift7 Days trial$24.991 Year

Questions

Is Hackers for Hacker News free?
Hackers for Hacker News is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Sentro free?
Sentro is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Hackers for Hacker News or Sentro?
Sentro is rated higher. Hackers for Hacker News averages 4.6 out of 5 from 433 ratings, while Sentro averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Hackers for Hacker News or Sentro have ads?
Neither Hackers for Hacker News nor Sentro shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Hackers for Hacker News or Sentro?
Hackers for Hacker News ships an update every 5 weeks, and Sentro every 2 weeks. Most recently, Hackers for Hacker News was updated on October 29, 2026 and Sentro on October 28, 2026.

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