# Hacker Reader vs HackNe

The clearest difference is update cadence: HackNe at every 5 days against Hacker Reader's every 3 months. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Hacker Reader ships an update every 3 months, HackNe every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 7, 2026 and September 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hacker Reader | HackNe |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 59 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.4** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Daniel Capistrano Sarinho Paiva](https://appshunter.io/developer/1580657892) | [Tansu Asici](https://appshunter.io/developer/1662545647) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### HackNe

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hackne/id6760386490)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hacker Reader free?

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

### Is HackNe free?

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

### Do Hacker Reader or HackNe have ads?

Neither Hacker Reader nor HackNe shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hacker Reader or HackNe?

Hacker Reader ships an update every 3 months, and HackNe every 5 days. Most recently, Hacker Reader was updated on September 7, 2026 and HackNe on September 15, 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.*