# HackNe vs BetterNews

The clearest difference is update cadence: HackNe at every 5 days against BetterNews's every 2 weeks. 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.

HackNe ships an update every 5 days, BetterNews every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | HackNe | BetterNews |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/betternews/id6786482282/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **5** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Size | 1 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Tansu Asici](https://appshunter.io/developer/1662545647) | [Steven Truong](https://appshunter.io/developer/6786482584) |

## What reviewers say

### HackNe

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

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### BetterNews

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/betternews/id6786482282)

A modern reader for Hacker News, offering enhanced features not found on the original site. It provides personalized feeds, keyword alerts, and a built-in reader with customizable themes and text sizes.

**Highlights:** Personalized Home feed, Keyword alerts, Built-in reader, Customizable themes and text size, Cross-device sync, Search stories and comments

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is HackNe free?

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

### Is BetterNews free?

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

### Do HackNe or BetterNews have ads?

Neither HackNe nor BetterNews shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, HackNe or BetterNews?

HackNe ships an update every 5 days, and BetterNews every 2 weeks. Most recently, HackNe was updated on October 2, 2026 and BetterNews on October 20, 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.*