# Hacker News Reader App vs LevelUp for Hacker News

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hacker News Reader App | LevelUp for Hacker News |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 10 months |
| Size | 32 MB | 59 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Toine Loris* Riedo*](https://appshunter.io/developer/1740609813) | [Hemant Chaudhary](https://appshunter.io/developer/1785592917) |

## What reviewers say

### Hacker News Reader App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hacker-news-reader-app/id6502296871)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### LevelUp for Hacker News

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/levelup-for-hacker-news/id6739486543)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 100 Article Summaries | $0.99 | one-time |
| 550 Article Summaries | $4.99 | one-time |
| 1200 Article Summaries | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*