# HackerPillar vs HN Reader Pro

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: HN Reader Pro at none against HackerPillar's 1. HN Reader Pro also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs fortnightly) and iOS requirement (13.4 vs 26.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. HackerPillar sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per month. HN Reader Pro asks for nothing beyond the download.

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

HackerPillar ships an update fortnightly, HN Reader Pro every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on June 1, 2026 and June 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | HackerPillar | HN Reader Pro |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hackerpillar-hn-reader/id6444180018/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hn-reader-pro/id6596740259/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 1 |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 4 MB | 22 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **13.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Taha Broachwala](https://appshunter.io/developer/1634174506) | [Lucas Lima](https://appshunter.io/developer/1616692702) |

## What reviewers say

### HackerPillar

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hackerpillar-hn-reader/id6444180018)

This app offers a streamlined and focused reading experience for Hacker News. It features a clean feed, readable comment threads, and a reader mode for articles. Users can save stories, read offline, and track discussions.

**Highlights:** Fast Hacker News feed, Readable comment threads, Focused Reader Mode, Saved stories and offline library, Thread tracking, Advanced search (Pro), Home screen widget

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| HackerPillar Pro Monthly | $4.99 | per month |


### HN Reader Pro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hn-reader-pro/id6596740259)

A streamlined reader for tech news, offering a comfortable dark mode experience. It displays top stories with integrated article and comment views, plus bookmarking for easy saving. Stay connected with the tech community.

**Highlights:** Dark mode for comfortable browsing, Integrated article and comment viewing, Bookmark functionality, Top stories display, Tech community engagement

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is HackerPillar free?

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

### Is HN Reader Pro free?

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

### Which has better reviews, HackerPillar or HN Reader Pro?

HackerPillar and HN Reader Pro are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 1 ratings respectively.

### Do HackerPillar or HN Reader Pro have ads?

Neither HackerPillar nor HN Reader Pro shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, HackerPillar or HN Reader Pro?

HackerPillar ships an update fortnightly, and HN Reader Pro every 2 days. Most recently, HackerPillar was updated on June 1, 2026 and HN Reader Pro on June 10, 2026.

---

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