# LevelUp for Hacker News vs HackerReads

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: HackerReads at none against LevelUp for Hacker News's 3. HackerReads also leads on update cadence (every 5 days 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. HackerReads asks for nothing beyond the download.

LevelUp for Hacker News ships an update every 10 months, HackerReads every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | LevelUp for Hacker News | HackerReads |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hackerreads/id6745434040/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **5** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 10 months | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Size | 59 MB | 20 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.4** | 17.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Hemant Chaudhary](https://appshunter.io/developer/1785592917) | [Mahesh Adhikari](https://appshunter.io/developer/1761921713) |

## What reviewers say

### 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 |


### HackerReads

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hackerreads/id6745434040)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is LevelUp for Hacker News free?

LevelUp for Hacker News is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is HackerReads free?

HackerReads is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do LevelUp for Hacker News or HackerReads have ads?

Neither LevelUp for Hacker News nor HackerReads shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, LevelUp for Hacker News or HackerReads?

LevelUp for Hacker News ships an update every 10 months, and HackerReads every 5 days. Most recently, LevelUp for Hacker News was updated on October 18, 2026 and HackerReads 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.*