# HackStream vs HNPulse

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: HNPulse at 17.0 against HackStream's 26.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. HackStream sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and HNPulse sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

HackStream ships an update every 3 weeks, HNPulse fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | HackStream | HNPulse |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Size | 13 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [FiveSheep OU](https://appshunter.io/developer/1725654318) | [Natascha Abrek](https://appshunter.io/developer/1877114175) |

## What reviewers say

### 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 |


### HNPulse

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hnpulse-hacker-news-and-ai/id6759165025)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Annual Premium | $3.99 | per year |
| Unlimited Insights | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is HackStream free?

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

### Is HNPulse free?

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

### Do HackStream or HNPulse have ads?

Neither HackStream nor HNPulse shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, HackStream or HNPulse?

HackStream ships an update every 3 weeks, and HNPulse fortnightly. Most recently, HackStream was updated on October 28, 2026 and HNPulse on October 25, 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.*