Comparison

HackStream vs Atlas for Hacker News

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β€” with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

HackStream

Features
Read full description

HackStream is an unofficial Hacker News client designed to streamline your experience.Β  At its core, HackStream has a customizable upvote threshold and you only see stories that meet that level in your feed.Β That way, you can enjoy a clean, focused feed of high-quality posts.Β  ou can bookmark, comment, reply, and upvote directly. Browse new, top, best and more.Β  HackStream keeps you in control of the Hacker News content that matters most to you.

About

Atlas for Hacker News

Features
Read full description

Atlas for Hacker News is a fast, focused way to read Hacker News on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Stay current with Top, New, Best, Ask HN, Show HN, and Jobs feeds, then open any story to read context and discussion without leaving the app. Search is powered by Algolia with advanced filters, and saved stories sync across all your devices via iCloud. Comment threads are built for long discussions: they load in pages so even the biggest stories stay fast, links and code are formatted, comments collapse with a tap, and a Next Comment button jumps between threads. Make it yours with custom color themes, light or dark appearance, your own accent color, and your preferred text size. Back up your saved stories to a file and restore them on any device. Features: - Multiple feed views: Top, New, Best, Ask HN, Show HN, Jobs - Native macOS app with three-column layout - iCloud sync for saved stories across iPhone, iPad, and Mac - Back up and restore saved stories with file export and import - See your saved count, the last iCloud sync time, and sync on demand - Advanced search filters: points, content type, author, story - Save and manage stories for later - Comment threads that load in pages and stay fast on stories with thousands of comments - Formatted comments with tappable links, collapsible replies, OP badges, and a Next Comment button - In-app article reading via Safari view - Custom color themes: Dracula, Nord, Solarized Dark, Monokai, Gruvbox Dark, Terminal Green - Light, dark, and system appearance with a customizable accent color - Adjustable text size Atlas is designed to be lightweight, readable, and distraction-free so you can focus on what matters.

Screenshots

HackStream4 screens
Atlas for Hacker News4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Atlas for Hacker News at none against HackStream's 1. Atlas for Hacker News also leads on device support (3 vs 1). HackStream's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, ads and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. HackStream sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Atlas for Hacker News asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

HackStream ships an update every 3 weeks, Atlas for Hacker News every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 2, 2026 and September 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences Β· 3 level
HackStream versus Atlas for Hacker News: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHackStreamAtlas for Hacker News
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks β€” betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo β€” better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, Mac β€” better
Requires iOS26.026.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size13 MB4 MB
Age rating12+17+
DeveloperFiveSheep OUDominik Prinzensteiner

In-app purchases

1 purchases

HackStream

One-time1
  • Notifications$1.99
None

Atlas for Hacker News

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is HackStream free?
HackStream is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Atlas for Hacker News free?
Atlas for Hacker News is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do HackStream or Atlas for Hacker News have ads?
Neither HackStream nor Atlas for Hacker News shows ads.
Which is updated more often, HackStream or Atlas for Hacker News?
HackStream ships an update every 3 weeks, and Atlas for Hacker News every 3 months. Most recently, HackStream was updated on September 2, 2026 and Atlas for Hacker News on September 17, 2026.

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