# HN Reader Pro vs GistForge

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: HN Reader Pro at none against GistForge's 2. HN Reader Pro also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs weekly) and iOS requirement (13.4 vs 15.1). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. GistForge sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. HN Reader Pro asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for HN Reader Pro against 5.0 for GistForge. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.

HN Reader Pro ships an update every 2 days, GistForge weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | HN Reader Pro | GistForge |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hn-reader-pro/id6596740259/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gistforge-hacker-news-reader/id6768026955/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 1 |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 days** | Weekly |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 22 MB | 43 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.4** | 15.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Lucas Lima](https://appshunter.io/developer/1616692702) | [增林 洪](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896402759) |

## What reviewers say

### HN Reader Pro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hn-reader-pro/id6596740259)

A streamlined reader for tech news, offering a comfortable dark mode experience. It displays top stories with integrated article and comment views, plus bookmarking for easy saving. Stay connected with the tech community.

**Highlights:** Dark mode for comfortable browsing, Integrated article and comment viewing, Bookmark functionality, Top stories display, Tech community engagement

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### GistForge

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gistforge-hacker-news-reader/id6768026955)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| GistForge Pro | $1.99 | per month |
| GistForge Pro | $14.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is HN Reader Pro free?

HN Reader Pro is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is GistForge free?

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

### Which has better reviews, HN Reader Pro or GistForge?

HN Reader Pro and GistForge are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 1 ratings respectively.

### Do HN Reader Pro or GistForge have ads?

Neither HN Reader Pro nor GistForge shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, HN Reader Pro or GistForge?

HN Reader Pro ships an update every 2 days, and GistForge weekly. Most recently, HN Reader Pro was updated on October 21, 2026 and GistForge on October 24, 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.*