# HackerPillar vs stdout.

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: stdout. at none against HackerPillar's 1. stdout. also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs fortnightly) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). HackerPillar's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

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

HackerPillar ships an update fortnightly, stdout. every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | HackerPillar | stdout. |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hackerpillar-hn-reader/id6444180018/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1** | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Size | 4 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Taha Broachwala](https://appshunter.io/developer/1634174506) | [Hanshuo Tan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1886458485) |

## 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 |


### stdout.

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stdout/id6760907364)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is HackerPillar free?

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

### Is stdout. free?

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

### Do HackerPillar or stdout. have ads?

stdout. shows ads; HackerPillar does not.

### Which is updated more often, HackerPillar or stdout.?

HackerPillar ships an update fortnightly, and stdout. every 4 days. Most recently, HackerPillar was updated on October 3, 2026 and stdout. on October 8, 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.*