# Hacko for Hacker News vs Hacker News Reader

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Hacker News Reader at 100% against Hacko for Hacker News's 67%. Hacker News Reader also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6). Hacko for Hacker News's advantage is ratings volume (31 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Hacko for Hacker News sells 5 one-off in-app purchases and Hacker News Reader sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Hacker News Reader 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 1, 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 Hacker News Reader's.

Hacko for Hacker News ships an update fortnightly, Hacker News Reader every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hacko for Hacker News | Hacker News Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (31 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hacko-for-hacker-news/id6448201970/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hacker-news-reader-hackernows/id6749719853/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **31** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 10 MB | 22 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Andrii Sievrikov](https://appshunter.io/developer/1568000284) | [Rodrigo Cardoso](https://appshunter.io/developer/1831862800) |

## 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 |


### Hacker News Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hacker-news-reader-hackernows/id6749719853)

A native iOS application offering a streamlined Hacker News experience. Users can read, vote, comment, and post stories, browse different sections, and organize content with custom groups. It prioritizes speed and privacy.

**Highlights:** Vote, comment, and post stories, Browse Ask, Show, Jobs, and New sections, Read threaded discussions, Submit stories, Create custom story groups, iCloud sync for groups

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Iron | $0.99 | per month |
| Steel | $1.99 | per month |
| Mithril | $2.99 | per month |
| Small Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Medium Tip | $2.99 | one-time |
| Large Tip | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hacko for Hacker News free?

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

### Is Hacker News Reader free?

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

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

Hacker News Reader is rated higher. Hacko for Hacker News averages 4.6 out of 5 from 31 ratings, while Hacker News Reader averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

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

Neither Hacko for Hacker News nor Hacker News Reader shows ads.

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

Hacko for Hacker News ships an update fortnightly, and Hacker News Reader every 10 days. Most recently, Hacko for Hacker News was updated on September 30, 2026 and Hacker News Reader on October 14, 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.*