Comparison

Hacker News Reader App vs LevelUp for Hacker News

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

Head to head
About

Hacker News Reader App

Features
Read full description

Experience Hacker News in a beautifully designed app. Crafted for tech enthusiasts, developers, and startup founders who want the best reading experience for their daily HN browsing. Key Features: Premium Reading Experience: Clean interface with both light and dark modes for comfortable reading any time Smart Reader Mode: Articles are automatically formatted for optimal readability in our in-app browser Intelligent Bookmarking: Save interesting stories locally with one tap for later reading. Multiple Categories: Easily browse different HN sections including Top, New, Best, Ask HN, and Show HN Seamless Browser Integration: Read articles directly in the app with our powerful in-app browser Offline Support: Access your saved articles anytime, anywhere Native iOS Design: Intuitive interface following iOS design guidelines for a familiar experience Perfect for: Software developers staying updated with tech trends Startup founders tracking industry news Tech professionals following important discussions Anyone who loves intelligent tech discourse

About

LevelUp for Hacker News

Features
Read full description

A fresh way to read Hacker News. LevelUp brings stories, discussions, and AI summaries together in a thoughtfully designed reader, and puts the stories you care about right on your Home Screen. Catch up on what’s happening in tech, discover something unexpected, or settle into a discussion that changes how you think. Designed for the way you read Browse stories with a simple swipe or a familiar list. A clean, thoughtfully designed reading experience keeps the focus on the ideas worth your time. A little context goes a long way AI-powered article summaries help you get the key points when time is short. The conversation is part of the story From thoughtful perspectives to wonderfully niche expertise, the comments are often where Hacker News shines. Follow discussions and explore the threads that draw you in. Follow your curiosity Explore top stories, new stories, Ask HN, Show HN, and more. Search for a favorite topic or revisit what the community has been talking about. Watch the topics you care about Add up to five topics, from Rust to PostgreSQL, and see the latest matching stories from the past 30 days gathered in one place. Hacker News on your Home Screen Add the LevelUp widget to keep top stories, new stories, and your watched topics a glance away. Switch tabs right from the widget and tap any story to jump straight in. Keep the good finds Save stories you want to come back to, whether it’s a weekend read, a useful reference, or an idea you’re still thinking about. Make yourself comfortable Find your favorite combination of reading theme, accent color, and text size. From warm Sepia to quiet Midnight, make LevelUp feel like your own little corner of Hacker News. Start reading without an account. Stories, comments, search, bookmarks, watched topics, and widgets are available without signing in. Widgets require iOS 17 or later. LevelUp is an independent Hacker News reader and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Hacker News.

Screenshots

Hacker News Reader App3 screens
LevelUp for Hacker News4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Hacker News Reader App at none against LevelUp for Hacker News's 3. Hacker News Reader App also leads on update cadence (every 3 months vs every 10 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. LevelUp for Hacker News sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Hacker News Reader App asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Hacker News Reader App ships an update every 3 months, LevelUp for Hacker News every 10 months. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 4 level
Hacker News Reader App versus LevelUp for Hacker News: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHacker News Reader AppLevelUp for Hacker News
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 months β€” betterEvery 10 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo β€” betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod β€” betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 β€” better16.4
Further details β€” not scored
Size32 MB59 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperToine Loris* Riedo*Hemant Chaudhary

In-app purchases

None

Hacker News Reader App

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

LevelUp for Hacker News

One-time3
  • 100 Article Summaries$0.99
  • 550 Article Summaries$4.99
  • 1200 Article Summaries$9.99

Questions

Is Hacker News Reader App free?
Hacker News Reader App is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is LevelUp for Hacker News free?
LevelUp for Hacker News is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Hacker News Reader App or LevelUp for Hacker News have ads?
Neither Hacker News Reader App nor LevelUp for Hacker News shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Hacker News Reader App or LevelUp for Hacker News?
Hacker News Reader App ships an update every 3 months, and LevelUp for Hacker News every 10 months. Most recently, Hacker News Reader App was updated on October 27, 2026 and LevelUp for Hacker News on November 4, 2026.

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