# HackerWire for Hacker News vs Heaps Reader

The clearest difference is update cadence: Heaps Reader at every 2 days against HackerWire for Hacker News's every 2 weeks. HackerWire for Hacker News's advantage is iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for HackerWire for Hacker News against 5.0 for Heaps Reader. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 3 respectively.

HackerWire for Hacker News ships an update every 2 weeks, Heaps Reader every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | HackerWire for Hacker News | Heaps Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hackerwire-for-hacker-news/id6753936451/reviews) | [5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/heaps-reader/id6760941739/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **3** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 22 MB | 28 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Sabba Petri](https://appshunter.io/developer/1740626041) | [Zachary Brown](https://appshunter.io/developer/1886944364) |

## What reviewers say

### HackerWire for Hacker News

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hackerwire-for-hacker-news/id6753936451)

A fast, native iOS reader for Hacker News offering a clutter-free experience. Enjoy threaded comments, AI summaries, customizable themes, and offline reading without ads or tracking.

**Highlights:** Native, lightning-fast interface, Threaded comments, AI summaries on tap, 17+ handcrafted themes, Offline reading, No ads, no tracking

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Heaps Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/heaps-reader/id6760941739)

Organize and consume RSS feeds and podcasts with a unique swipe-based interface. Enjoy distraction-free reading, article summaries, and offline podcast playback. Seamlessly manage subscriptions and discover content.

**Highlights:** Swipe-based article triage, Reader mode for distraction-free reading, Article summaries with Apple Intelligence, Podcast player with offline downloads, Organize feeds into colorful collections, iCloud sync across devices

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is HackerWire for Hacker News free?

HackerWire for Hacker News is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Heaps Reader free?

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

### Which has better reviews, HackerWire for Hacker News or Heaps Reader?

HackerWire for Hacker News and Heaps Reader are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2 and 3 ratings respectively.

### Do HackerWire for Hacker News or Heaps Reader have ads?

Neither HackerWire for Hacker News nor Heaps Reader shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, HackerWire for Hacker News or Heaps Reader?

HackerWire for Hacker News ships an update every 2 weeks, and Heaps Reader every 2 days. Most recently, HackerWire for Hacker News was updated on October 6, 2026 and Heaps Reader on September 22, 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.*