Comparison

HackerPillar vs Hacker News App.

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

Head to head
About

HackerPillar

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
Read full description

HackerPillar helps you read Hacker News with less friction and more focus. Browse top stories in a clean, high-performance feed, open deep discussions with readable comment threads, and switch to Reader Mode for long-form articles. Save stories, read offline, and track threads you care about. Key features: - Fast, modern Hacker News feed - Readable comments with thread controls - Focused Reader Mode - Saved Stories + Offline Library - Thread tracking and activity checks - Advanced search and custom feeds (Pro) - Home screen widget support - Share extension for quick imports HackerPillar Pro unlocks: - HN account actions (login, vote, reply) - Advanced search and custom feeds - Extended reader and tracking features - Additional power-user tools across the app Subscription details: - Title: HackerPillar Pro - Length: Monthly and Yearly - Price: Pricing varies by region and is shown in-app before purchase - Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase - Subscription renews automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period - Manage or cancel in Settings > Apple ID > Subscriptions Privacy Policy: http://smartcodeapps.tech/hackerpillar-privacy-policy/ Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Built for people who read Hacker News every day.

About

Hacker News App.

Features
Read full description

Hacker News, reimagined for iOS. Stay on top of the tech world with a fast, beautiful Hacker News reader built entirely with SwiftUI. Browse stories, read articles in distraction-free Reader mode, dive into discussions, search the entire HN archive, and save articles for offline reading — all in a polished dark interface designed for focused reading. BROWSE YOUR WAY Switch between five feed categories — All, New, Show HN, Ask HN, and Jobs — to find exactly what interests you. A dedicated Top section surfaces the most popular and highest-quality stories of the moment. READ WITHOUT DISTRACTIONS Open any story in Reader mode for a clean, distraction-free article view extracted directly from the source page. Switch to Comments instantly with a sticky tab bar that stays accessible as you scroll — so you never lose your place. SEARCH THE FULL ARCHIVE Powered by Algolia, search across every story ever posted on Hacker News. Trending topics like AI, Rust, Startups, and Open Source are one tap away, and your recent searches are saved for quick access. JOIN THE CONVERSATION Read full threaded comment discussions on any story. See points, authors, timestamps, and discussion counts at a glance. Open stories directly on Hacker News or view linked articles in the built-in browser without leaving the app. SAVE FOR LATER Bookmark any story to build your personal reading list. Articles are automatically cached so you can read them offline anytime. Stories you've already read are visually distinguished so you always know where you left off. Swipe to remove when you're done. DESIGNED FOR READERS A refined dark theme with custom typography (DM Sans and Fraunces) puts the focus on content. Smooth pull-to-refresh, infinite scroll pagination, and snappy navigation make browsing effortless. - Five feed categories: All, New, Show HN, Ask HN, Jobs - Top and Best story rankings - Reader mode — distraction-free article view - Sticky Reader/Comments tab switcher in story detail - Offline reading — bookmarked articles cached automatically - Full-archive search powered by Algolia - Trending topics and search history - Bookmark stories for your personal reading list - Read/unread tracking - Threaded comment views with collapsible threads - In-app browser for linked articles - Home screen widget (small, medium, large) - iPad support with adaptive split-view layout - Pull-to-refresh and infinite scroll - Beautiful dark UI with custom fonts - No ads. No accounts required. No tracking. - Built with SwiftUI and zero third-party dependencies.

Screenshots

HackerPillar4 screens
Hacker News App.4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Hacker News App. at none against HackerPillar's 1. Hacker News App. also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs fortnightly) and iOS requirement (18.6 vs 26.0). HackerPillar's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price and device support 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. HackerPillar sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per month. Hacker News App. asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

HackerPillar ships an update fortnightly, Hacker News App. every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 5 level
HackerPillar versus Hacker News App.: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHackerPillarHacker News App.
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 3 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS26.018.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB5 MB
Age rating17+12+
DeveloperTaha BroachwalaIshan r Malviya

In-app purchases

1 purchases

HackerPillar

Subscriptions1
  • HackerPillar Pro Monthly$4.991 Month
None

Hacker News App.

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is HackerPillar free?
HackerPillar is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Hacker News App. free?
Hacker News App. is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do HackerPillar or Hacker News App. have ads?
Hacker News App. shows ads; HackerPillar does not.
Which is updated more often, HackerPillar or Hacker News App.?
HackerPillar ships an update fortnightly, and Hacker News App. every 3 days. Most recently, HackerPillar was updated on November 3, 2026 and Hacker News App. on October 31, 2026.

Other comparisons