# LevelUp for Hacker News vs HackStream

The clearest difference is update cadence: LevelUp for Hacker News at weekly against HackStream's every 3 weeks. LevelUp for Hacker News also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.4 vs 26.0). On price, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. LevelUp for Hacker News sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and HackStream sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

LevelUp for Hacker News ships an update weekly, HackStream every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 2, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | LevelUp for Hacker News | HackStream |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Size | 38 MB | 13 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.4** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Hemant Chaudhary](https://appshunter.io/developer/1785592917) | [FiveSheep OU](https://appshunter.io/developer/1725654318) |

## 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 |


### HackStream

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hackstream-hackernews-feed/id6757635951)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Safari Extension, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Notifications | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is LevelUp for Hacker News free?

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

### Is HackStream free?

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

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

Neither LevelUp for Hacker News nor HackStream shows ads.

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

LevelUp for Hacker News ships an update weekly, and HackStream every 3 weeks. Most recently, LevelUp for Hacker News was updated on October 2, 2026 and HackStream on October 2, 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.*