# HackerPillar vs HackerFlow

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: HackerFlow at none against HackerPillar's 1. HackerFlow also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs fortnightly) and iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads 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. HackerFlow asks for nothing beyond the download.

HackerPillar ships an update fortnightly, HackerFlow every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | HackerPillar | HackerFlow |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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 | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Size | 4 MB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **18.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Taha Broachwala](https://appshunter.io/developer/1634174506) | [Lev Lekush](https://appshunter.io/developer/1676498153) |

## 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 |


### HackerFlow

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hackerflow-surf-hacker-news/id6795168419)

**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 HackerFlow free?

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

### Do HackerPillar or HackerFlow have ads?

Neither HackerPillar nor HackerFlow shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, HackerPillar or HackerFlow?

HackerPillar ships an update fortnightly, and HackerFlow every 3 days. Most recently, HackerPillar was updated on October 27, 2026 and HackerFlow on October 29, 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.*