# Hacker News by Emerge vs Hacker Reader

The clearest difference is rating: Hacker News by Emerge at 5.0 against Hacker Reader's 3.0. On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

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

Hacker News by Emerge holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 2 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

Hacker News by Emerge ships an update every 6 weeks, Hacker Reader every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hacker News by Emerge | Hacker Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hacker-news-by-emerge/id6740922950/reviews)** | [3.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hacker-reader/id6754137305/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **5** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 9 MB | 65 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.5 | **16.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | +9 |
| Developer | [Emerge Tools](https://appshunter.io/developer/1571511777) | [Daniel Capistrano Sarinho Paiva](https://appshunter.io/developer/1580657892) |

## What reviewers say

### Hacker News by Emerge

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hacker-news-by-emerge/id6740922950)

Experience Hacker News with a free, open-source client built for a fast, native iOS experience. Optimized for performance and efficiency, it's community-driven and welcomes developer contributions.

**Highlights:** Native iOS experience, Open source and community-driven, Performance and efficiency optimized, Fast and lightweight design, Developer contributions welcome

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Hacker Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hacker-reader/id6754137305)

A native iOS client for Hacker News offering a streamlined reading experience with home screen widgets, community interaction, and a beautiful, dark-mode-friendly design. Securely log in to upvote, comment, and bookmark stories.

**Highlights:** Browse all story categories, Upvote stories and comments, Secure login with HN account, Post comments and replies, Bookmark stories, Home screen widgets, Dark mode support

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hacker News by Emerge free?

Hacker News by Emerge is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Hacker Reader free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Hacker News by Emerge or Hacker Reader?

Hacker News by Emerge is rated higher. Hacker News by Emerge averages 5.0 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while Hacker Reader averages 3.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Hacker News by Emerge or Hacker Reader have ads?

Neither Hacker News by Emerge nor Hacker Reader shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hacker News by Emerge or Hacker Reader?

Hacker News by Emerge ships an update every 6 weeks, and Hacker Reader every 2 months. Most recently, Hacker News by Emerge was updated on October 21, 2026 and Hacker Reader 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.*