# Hack The News vs HackStream

Hack The News and HackStream are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

Both are free to download. Hack The News sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and HackStream sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and November 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hack The News | HackStream |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hack-the-news-hacker-news/id6447095897/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **3** | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Size | 53 MB | 13 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Alperen Unal](https://appshunter.io/developer/1499955243) | [FiveSheep OU](https://appshunter.io/developer/1725654318) |

## What reviewers say

### Hack The News

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

This news reader app offers a streamlined experience for Hacker News content. It features AI-powered summaries to quickly grasp article key points and allows for easy browsing, searching, and saving of stories and jobs. Customize your reading with themes and widgets.

**Highlights:** AI article summaries, Native reading experience, Search stories and comments, Article translation, Bookmark articles, Jobs board, Home screen widgets

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

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


### HackStream

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hackstream-hackernews-feed/id6757635951)

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Notifications | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hack The News free?

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

### Is HackStream free?

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

### Do Hack The News or HackStream have ads?

Neither Hack The News nor HackStream shows ads.

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

Hack The News ships an update every 3 weeks, and HackStream every 3 weeks. Most recently, Hack The News was updated on November 8, 2026 and HackStream on November 9, 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.*