Comparison

Hydra vs Loop

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Hydra

Experience Reddit browsing with a fast, fluid, and native iOS client. Organize topics, enjoy an immersive media viewer, and utilize quick gestures for seamless interaction. Customize themes and modes for a personalized experience.

Highlights
  • Lightning-fast loading
  • Multireddit support
  • Favorite subreddits
  • Native iOS design
  • Image and video viewer
  • Multiple account support
  • Quick access gestures
Features
Read full description

Hydra is the best client for browsing your subreddits and the ultimate experience on iOS. It's fast, fluid, and designed to make browsing more seamless than ever before. If you're looking for a powerful yet beautifully simple client, Hydra is the way to go. "Hydra makes Reddit feel like a natural part of iOS. Everything just flows." - u/goosewatergoose "This app is what you get when the developer really understands what a great user experience should be. It’s everything the Reddit app isn't" - DAC, UK "Long time Apollo user. Found the app a month ago. Great work so far, just wanted to convey the props" - @gruthsc3 (Discord) Hydra is crafted with a native iOS design, making it feel right at home on your device. It loads fast, responds instantly, and makes browsing an incredibly intuitive experience. Packed with powerful features, it's built to be the ultimate companion for both casual browsing and hardcore Redditors alike. Features that make Hydra shine: - Lightning-fast loading for seamless scrolling and browsing - Multireddit support for organizing and following your favorite topics - Favorite subreddits to keep your go-to communities at your fingertips - A beautifully designed, native iOS experience that feels right at home - Gorgeous image and video viewer for an immersive media experience - Multiple account support so you can switch effortlessly - Quick access gestures to upvote, downvote, reply, and more with a swipe - Markdown support to get the most out of your posts and comments - System share menu integration to easily share content anywhere - Full inbox access for messages and notifications - Private messages support to stay connected with other users - Powerful search to find posts, subreddits, and users in an instant - Customizable themes to match your style - Compact mode for an optimized browsing experience - Highly customizable UI to tailor Hydra to your needs - Blur content and spoilers for a safe browsing experience - Low data mode to keep your usage efficient - Beautiful, intuitive UI/UX that makes using Hydra a delight Hydra is always evolving with new features and improvements based on feedback from the community. If there's something you'd love to see, drop by the /r/HydraApp subreddit and let me know! Hydra is an unofficial client, but it just might be the best one you've ever used. --- This is an unofficial client for the Reddit service (Reddit is a registered trademark of Reddit, Inc., and this app is not affiliated with or endorsed by Reddit). --- Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Loop

An independent podcast player designed for a superior audio experience on Apple devices. It offers features like sleep timers, chapter support, and automatic backups, all within a minimalist and privacy-focused interface.

Highlights
  • Sleep Mode with auto-pause timer
  • Episode chapter support
  • Podcast collections for sequential playback
  • Automatic iCloud backup
  • Privacy-first, no user tracking
  • Offline episode downloads
  • Podcast description translation
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

A simple and intuitive podcast player, without a big company behind it — Loop is an independent podcast player, designed to provide the best possible audio experience on Apple platforms. Loop is a modern and full-featured podcast player with several useful features in a simple and intuitive interface: - Sleep Mode: Dim the player’s brightness and set a timer for automatic pause. - Chapter Support: View episode topics without leaving the player. - Collections: Create collections from your favorite podcasts and listen to the latest episodes of all podcasts in sequence. - Automatic Backup: Your collections and favorite podcasts are always saved in iCloud. - Podcast Discovery: Explore content randomly, with no algorithms behind it. - Apple Standard Experience: A smooth and intuitive experience for Apple ecosystem users. - Privacy First: Your data stays on your device, with no tracking. - Customization: Personalize your Loop experience your way. - Wallpaper Studio: Turn podcast covers into wallpapers. - High-Quality Streaming: Listen to your podcasts in the best quality, without restrictions. - Episode Download: Enjoy your favorite content even offline. - Podcast Description Translation: Learn more about the podcast, even if you don't know the language spoken in it. - Smart Search: Ask Loop to find podcasts related to a topic, and it will find related podcasts powered by Apple Intelligence. Loop is funded by each unit sold. Payment will be charged to your App Store account upon purchase confirmation. Privacy policy: https://loop-app.framer.website/privacy Designed and developed in Brazil.

Screenshots

Hydra4 screens
Loop4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Hydra at Free against Loop's $4.99. Hydra also leads on ratings volume (807 vs 2) and rating (4.8 vs 4.5). Loop's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5) and chart position (#68 vs unranked). On update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Hydra is free to download; Loop costs $4.99 up front. Hydra sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Loop asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Hydra holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hydra has 807 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 75% of Hydra's written reviews are positive against 67% of Loop's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Hydra ships an update every 3 weeks, Loop fortnightly. Both last shipped on October 30, 2026.

Scorecard9 real differences · 2 level
Hydra versus Loop: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHydraLoop
PriceFree — better$4.99
Rating4.8 (807 ratings) — better4.5 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews74.8% of reviews — better66.7% of reviews
Number of ratings807 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
Best chart rank—#68 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Vision Pro — better
Requires iOS16.4 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size75 MB74 MB
Age rating+174+
DeveloperDimitrie MilinovichAugusto Simionato

Customer experience

Hydra

All ratings807 ratings
Positive95.2%
Neutral1.6%
Negative3.2%
Written reviews151 reviews
Positive74.8%
Neutral6.0%
Negative19.2%

Loop

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral33.3%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Hydra

Reported bugs

1 issue
  • Expect some bumps

Requested features

2 requests
  • Customizing the gestures and hiding the username on the tab bar
  • Content blocking, comment images, startup feed, and others

Loop

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Hydra

Subscriptions1
  • Hydra Pro$2.991 Month
One-time4
  • Nice Tip$1.99
  • Generous Tip$4.99
  • Amazing Tip$9.99
Show 1 more
  • Incredible Tip$19.99
None

Loop

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Hydra free?
Hydra is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Loop free?
Loop costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Hydra or Loop?
Hydra is rated higher. Hydra averages 4.8 out of 5 from 807 ratings, while Loop averages 4.5 from 2 ratings.
Do Hydra or Loop have ads?
Neither Hydra nor Loop shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Hydra or Loop?
Hydra ships an update every 3 weeks, and Loop fortnightly. Most recently, Hydra was updated on October 30, 2026 and Loop on October 30, 2026.

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