# Hacker News Reader vs HackStream

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Hacker News Reader at 18.0 against HackStream's 26.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Hacker News Reader sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and HackStream sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Hacker News Reader ships an update every 10 days, HackStream every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hacker News Reader | HackStream |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hacker-news-reader-hackernows/id6749719853/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1** | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 22 MB | 13 MB |
| Requires iOS | **18.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Rodrigo Cardoso](https://appshunter.io/developer/1831862800) | [FiveSheep OU](https://appshunter.io/developer/1725654318) |

## What reviewers say

### Hacker News Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hacker-news-reader-hackernows/id6749719853)

A native iOS application offering a streamlined Hacker News experience. Users can read, vote, comment, and post stories, browse different sections, and organize content with custom groups. It prioritizes speed and privacy.

**Highlights:** Vote, comment, and post stories, Browse Ask, Show, Jobs, and New sections, Read threaded discussions, Submit stories, Create custom story groups, iCloud sync for groups

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Iron | $0.99 | per month |
| Steel | $1.99 | per month |
| Mithril | $2.99 | per month |
| Small Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Medium Tip | $2.99 | one-time |
| Large Tip | $4.99 | 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 Hacker News Reader free?

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

### Is HackStream free?

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

### Do Hacker News Reader or HackStream have ads?

Neither Hacker News Reader nor HackStream shows ads.

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

Hacker News Reader ships an update every 10 days, and HackStream every 3 weeks. Most recently, Hacker News Reader was updated on October 24, 2026 and HackStream on October 19, 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.*