Comparison

Hacker News Reader App vs Hacker Reader

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — 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

Hacker Reader

A native iOS client for Hacker News offering a streamlined reading experience with home screen widgets, community interaction, and a beautiful, dark-mode-friendly design. Securely log in to upvote, comment, and bookmark stories.

Highlights
  • Browse all story categories
  • Upvote stories and comments
  • Secure login with HN account
  • Post comments and replies
  • Bookmark stories
  • Home screen widgets
  • Dark mode support
Features
Read full description

Hacker Reader is a beautifully designed native iOS client for Hacker News, featuring home screen widgets, authentication, and a delightful reading experience. BROWSE ALL STORY CATEGORIES • Top Stories - The most popular stories on HN • New Stories - Recently submitted content • Ask HN - Questions and discussions from the community • Show HN - Projects, products, and creations shared by users • Jobs - Opportunities from YC companies and startups INTERACT WITH THE COMMUNITY • Upvote stories and comments with your HN account • Secure login using the official Hacker News website • Post comments and replies to stories and comments • Bookmark stories for later reading HOME SCREEN WIDGETS • Three widget sizes: Small (3 stories), Medium (5 stories), Large (10 stories) • Dark mode support matches your system theme • Tap stories to open directly into the app BEAUTIFUL, NATIVE DESIGN • True dark mode with lights-out black theme • Automatic theme switching follows your system preference • Link previews with Open Graph images • Collapsible comment threads for easy navigation PRIVACY & SECURITY • Your credentials never leave your device • Login uses the official Hacker News website in a secure WebView • Session cookies stored in device keychain via SecureStore • Open source - view the code on GitHub More features coming soon! Hacker Reader is built with modern technologies: React Native, Expo Router, TypeScript, and SwiftUI for widgets. It's designed and developed by an indie developer who loves Hacker News and wanted to create the best possible reading experience. Questions or feedback? Open an issue on GitHub, hit me at X @danielcspaiva or reach out via the support URL. Not affiliated with Y Combinator or Hacker News. Built using the official HN API: https://github.com/HackerNews/API

Screenshots

Hacker News Reader App3 screens
Hacker Reader4 screens

Verdict

The call

Hacker News Reader App and Hacker Reader are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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

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

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 8, 2026 and September 7, 2026 respectively.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
Hacker News Reader App versus Hacker Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHacker News Reader AppHacker Reader
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size32 MB59 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperToine Loris* Riedo*Daniel Capistrano Sarinho Paiva

In-app purchases

None

Hacker News Reader App

No in-app purchases

None

Hacker Reader

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Hacker News Reader App free?
Hacker News Reader App is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Hacker Reader free?
Hacker Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Hacker News Reader App or Hacker Reader have ads?
Neither Hacker News Reader App nor Hacker Reader shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Hacker News Reader App or Hacker Reader?
Hacker News Reader App ships an update every 3 months, and Hacker Reader every 3 months. Most recently, Hacker News Reader App was updated on September 8, 2026 and Hacker Reader on September 7, 2026.

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