Comparison

Pulse for Hacker News vs HackerReads

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

Head to head
About

Pulse for Hacker News

Features
Read full description

Welcome to Pulse for Hacker News, the dedicated, high-performance client for the world’s most insightful tech community. Stop settling for slow, cumbersome interfaces. Pulse for Hacker News is engineered from the ground up to be the fastest, smoothest, and most dependable way to read, comment on, and track your favorite discussions across all your devices. - Extreme Fluidity and Speed Our primary focus is performance. Pulse for Hacker News delivers an "extreme fluidity" that transforms your reading experience: Instant Loading: Articles and comment threads load instantly, minimizing wait times and maximizing consumption. Buttery Smooth Scrolling: Navigate even the longest comment threads and front pages without a single stutter. Resource Optimized: Designed to be lightweight, preserving your battery life while delivering maximum speed. - Transparently Open Source We believe in transparency and community contribution. Pulse for Hacker News isn't just a reader; it's a public project built by the community, for the community. Trust and Security: You can inspect every line of code. There are no hidden trackers, no excessive permissions, and absolutely no ads. Your reading is your own. Community Driven: Found a bug? Have an idea for a feature? Our open-source model means you can contribute directly or influence the roadmap. We listen to our users. Contribute Today: Find our complete source code on GitHub (https://github.com/jarvislin/HackerNews-KMP). - Modern Design, Essential Features Pulse for Hacker News strips away the distractions and focuses on what matters: the content. Enjoy a suite of features designed to enhance readability and productivity: Intuitive Navigation: Easily switch between the Top, New, Best, and Ask HN feeds with a simple tap. Readability Mode: Open external articles in a clean, stripped-down view for distraction-free reading. Powerful Comment Threading: Clearly organized comment sections with easy-to-use collapse/expand options to follow conversations effortlessly. Cross-Device Consistency: Whether you’re on iOS or another platform, enjoy a consistent, reliable experience. Adaptive Themes: Choose between beautiful Dark, Light, and AMOLED modes to suit your environment and preferences. Why Download Pulse for Hacker News? If you are a serious Hacker News user who values privacy, speed, and a modern, reliable interface, Pulse for Hacker News is the perfect client for you. It’s an ad-free commitment to making the world’s best tech content accessible, fast, and completely transparent. Download Pulse for Hacker News now and join the community that's building the future of the mobile reading experience.

About

HackerReads

This app delivers curated tech and hacking news with AI-powered summaries. It offers a clean, distraction-free reading experience for developers and tech enthusiasts, ensuring you stay updated on important stories without the clutter.

Highlights
  • AI-powered summaries
  • Curated top tech stories
  • Clean, minimal design
  • Smart story tracking
  • Dark mode support
  • Lightweight and fast
Features
Read full description

HackerReads surfaces the most important stories in tech, hacking, and software — without the noise. Built for developers, security enthusiasts, and curious minds, HackerReads delivers a focused, no-frills reading experience — now enhanced with AI-powered summaries. Key Features: AI Summaries Quickly understand each story with concise AI-generated summaries. No need to visit external sites. Curated Top Stories Only the most relevant and widely discussed stories are included, ensuring signal over noise. Clean, Minimal Design A distraction-free interface built for fast scanning and in-depth reading. Smart Story Tracking Automatically checks for new top stories, so you stay updated effortlessly. Dark Mode Support Comfortable reading experience whether you're coding during the day or burning the midnight oil. Lightweight and Fast No ads, no clutter. Just performance and simplicity. Whether you're deep in code or on a short break, HackerReads makes it easy to stay up to date with what matters in the hacker and tech world.

Screenshots

Pulse for Hacker News4 screens
HackerReads4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: HackerReads at every 5 days against Pulse for Hacker News's every 3 weeks. Pulse for Hacker News's advantage is iOS requirement (15.3 vs 17.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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

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

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pulse for Hacker News ships an update every 3 weeks, HackerReads every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
Pulse for Hacker News versus HackerReads: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPulse for Hacker NewsHackerReads
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (5 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—5 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.3 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size38 MB20 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperDong Sian LinMahesh Adhikari

In-app purchases

None

Pulse for Hacker News

No in-app purchases

None

HackerReads

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Pulse for Hacker News free?
Pulse for Hacker News is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is HackerReads free?
HackerReads is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Pulse for Hacker News or HackerReads have ads?
Neither Pulse for Hacker News nor HackerReads shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Pulse for Hacker News or HackerReads?
Pulse for Hacker News ships an update every 3 weeks, and HackerReads every 5 days. Most recently, Pulse for Hacker News was updated on October 12, 2026 and HackerReads on October 24, 2026.

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