# Hacko for Hacker News vs HackerWatch

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: HackerWatch at none against Hacko for Hacker News's 5. HackerWatch also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 67%) and rating (5.0 vs 4.6). Hacko for Hacker News's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 7 months) and ratings volume (31 vs 3). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Hacko for Hacker News sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. HackerWatch asks for nothing beyond the download.

HackerWatch holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hacko for Hacker News has 31 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of Hacko for Hacker News's written reviews are positive against 100% of HackerWatch's.

Hacko for Hacker News ships an update fortnightly, HackerWatch every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hacko for Hacker News | HackerWatch |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (31 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hacko-for-hacker-news/id6448201970/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hackerwatch-hacker-news/id6479969061/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **31** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 7 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 10 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Andrii Sievrikov](https://appshunter.io/developer/1568000284) | [Dakota Kim](https://appshunter.io/developer/1391084970) |

## What reviewers say

### Hacko for Hacker News

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hacko-for-hacker-news/id6448201970)

This client offers a unique way to navigate Hacker News discussions, keeping comments readable at any depth. Enjoy smooth navigation, custom boards, search, and a reading list for an enhanced experience.

**Highlights:** Alternative comment tree display, Maintains comment readability, Swipe navigation, Custom boards, Search functionality, Reading list

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tip - Regular Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Tip - Big Tip | $3.99 | one-time |
| Premium | $5.99 | one-time |
| Tip - Large Tip | $6.99 | one-time |
| Tip - Huge Tip | $9.99 | one-time |


### HackerWatch

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hackerwatch-hacker-news/id6479969061)

Stay updated with the Hacker News community directly from your wrist. Browse top stories, read comments, and view original articles with this Apple Watch companion app. Easily share interesting content with others.

**Highlights:** Browse top stories, Read comments, View original articles, Share content, Apple Watch companion

**Features:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hacko for Hacker News free?

Hacko for Hacker News is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is HackerWatch free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Hacko for Hacker News or HackerWatch?

HackerWatch is rated higher. Hacko for Hacker News averages 4.6 out of 5 from 31 ratings, while HackerWatch averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do Hacko for Hacker News or HackerWatch have ads?

Neither Hacko for Hacker News nor HackerWatch shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hacko for Hacker News or HackerWatch?

Hacko for Hacker News ships an update fortnightly, and HackerWatch every 7 months. Most recently, Hacko for Hacker News was updated on November 3, 2026 and HackerWatch on October 30, 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.*