# Hack The News vs Hacker Reader

The clearest difference is rating: Hack The News at 5.0 against Hacker Reader's 3.0. Hack The News also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months). Hacker Reader's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and iOS requirement (16.4 vs 26.0). On price, ratings volume, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Hack The News sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Hacker Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.

Hack The News holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 2 respectively.

Hack The News ships an update every 2 weeks, Hacker Reader every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hack The News | Hacker Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hack-the-news-hacker-news/id6447095897/reviews)** | [3.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hacker-reader/id6754137305/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 47 MB | 65 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **16.4** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 17+ | +9 |
| Developer | [Alperen Unal](https://appshunter.io/developer/1499955243) | [Daniel Capistrano Sarinho Paiva](https://appshunter.io/developer/1580657892) |

## What reviewers say

### Hack The News

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hack-the-news-hacker-news/id6447095897)

This app provides a streamlined and intelligent way to consume Hacker News content. It offers AI-powered summaries for articles, a clean native reading interface, and powerful search capabilities. Users can also save articles, browse job postings, and customize their reading experience.

**Highlights:** AI article summaries, Native reading experience, Cross-Hacker News search, Article translation, Bookmark saved stories, Hacker News jobs board, Customizable themes

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Month | $4.99 | per month |
| 6 Months | $23.99 | per 6 months |
| Year | $29.99 | per year |
| Hack The News Premium Lifetime | $149.99 | one-time |


### Hacker Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hacker-reader/id6754137305)

A native iOS client for Hacker News offering a streamlined reading experience with home screen widgets, community interaction, and a beautiful, dark-mode-friendly design. Securely log in to upvote, comment, and bookmark stories.

**Highlights:** Browse all story categories, Upvote stories and comments, Secure login with HN account, Post comments and replies, Bookmark stories, Home screen widgets, Dark mode support

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hack The News free?

Hack The News is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Hacker Reader free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Hack The News or Hacker Reader?

Hack The News is rated higher. Hack The News averages 5.0 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Hacker Reader averages 3.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Hack The News or Hacker Reader have ads?

Neither Hack The News nor Hacker Reader shows ads.

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

Hack The News ships an update every 2 weeks, and Hacker Reader every 2 months. Most recently, Hack The News was updated on October 27, 2026 and Hacker Reader on October 24, 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.*