# Hacker Reader vs HackerFlow

The clearest difference is update cadence: HackerFlow at every 4 days against Hacker Reader's every 2 months. Hacker Reader's advantage is iOS requirement (16.4 vs 18.0). 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 2 months, HackerFlow every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hacker Reader | HackerFlow |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[1.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hacker-reader/id6754137305/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1** | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 65 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.4** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | +9 | 17+ |
| Developer | [Daniel Capistrano Sarinho Paiva](https://appshunter.io/developer/1580657892) | [Lev Lekush](https://appshunter.io/developer/1676498153) |

## 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


### HackerFlow

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hackerflow-surf-hacker-news/id6795168419)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hacker Reader free?

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

### Is HackerFlow free?

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

### Do Hacker Reader or HackerFlow have ads?

Neither Hacker Reader nor HackerFlow shows ads.

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

Hacker Reader ships an update every 2 months, and HackerFlow every 4 days. Most recently, Hacker Reader was updated on October 9, 2026 and HackerFlow on October 16, 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.*