# HNR vs Hacker News Reader

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: HNR at none against Hacker News Reader's 6. HNR also leads on iOS requirement (15.2 vs 18.0). Hacker News Reader's advantage is update cadence (every 10 days vs every 11 months). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Hacker News Reader sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. HNR asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for HNR against 5.0 for Hacker News Reader. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 1 respectively.

HNR ships an update every 11 months, Hacker News Reader every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | HNR | Hacker News Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hnr-hacker-news-reader/id6443591042/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hacker-news-reader-hackernows/id6749719853/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 11 months | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 3 MB | 22 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.2** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Michael Hsieh](https://appshunter.io/developer/1634672514) | [Rodrigo Cardoso](https://appshunter.io/developer/1831862800) |

## What reviewers say

### HNR

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hnr-hacker-news-reader/id6443591042)

Access and read stories from the popular tech news website Hacker News. Browse top or latest articles, save your favorites, share content, and search for specific topics. Offers customizable color themes including dark and light modes.

**Highlights:** Browse top/latest stories, Save favorite articles, Share stories, Search functionality, Customizable color themes, Dark/light mode support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### 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 HNR free?

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

### Is Hacker News Reader free?

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

### Which has better reviews, HNR or Hacker News Reader?

HNR and Hacker News Reader are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2 and 1 ratings respectively.

### Do HNR or Hacker News Reader have ads?

Neither HNR nor Hacker News Reader shows ads.

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

HNR ships an update every 11 months, and Hacker News Reader every 10 days. Most recently, HNR was updated on September 30, 2026 and Hacker News Reader on October 14, 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.*