# Hacker News Reader App vs HackTheNews

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Hacker News Reader App at none against HackTheNews's 2. HackTheNews's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. HackTheNews sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Hacker News Reader App asks for nothing beyond the download.

Hacker News Reader App ships an update every 3 months, HackTheNews fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hacker News Reader App | HackTheNews |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Size | 32 MB | 39 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Toine Loris* Riedo*](https://appshunter.io/developer/1740609813) | [HackTheNews](https://appshunter.io/developer/1852327292) |

## 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


### HackTheNews

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hackthenews/id6755159012)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| HackTheNews Premium Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| HackTheNews Premium Yearly | $39.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hacker News Reader App free?

Hacker News Reader App is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is HackTheNews free?

HackTheNews is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Hacker News Reader App or HackTheNews have ads?

Neither Hacker News Reader App nor HackTheNews shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hacker News Reader App or HackTheNews?

Hacker News Reader App ships an update every 3 months, and HackTheNews fortnightly. Most recently, Hacker News Reader App was updated on October 11, 2026 and HackTheNews on October 13, 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.*