Comparison

HackNe vs Nautilus for Hacker News

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

Head to head
About

HackNe

Features
Read full description

HackNe for Hacker News is a native iPhone app built for reading Hacker News in a clean, fast, and simple way. Browse the feeds you actually care about: - Top - New - Best - Ask - Show - Jobs Open articles directly inside the app, then jump into the discussion with one tap. Read nested comment threads, check user profiles, and follow the conversation without losing your place. HackNe is designed for people who want a straightforward Hacker News experience that feels at home on iPhone. No clutter, no unnecessary complexity, just stories, comments, and links that matter.

About

Nautilus for Hacker News

Features
Read full description

Nautilus is an independent reader for Hacker News, built around three ideas: remember what you've read, understand what matters, and give you a private research layer around the discussions you care about. The core experience is entirely free — every feed, your full HN account, on-device AI, offline reading, and every research tool below. No ads. No tracking. No account required to browse. UNDERSTAND EVERY THREAD • Cited camps, the crux, and the one comment worth reading — distilled from the whole discussion, not just the top reply. • Source-vs-HN claims and counter-arguments, every claim traceable to a real comment. • Ask a focused follow-up when you need something more specific. NEVER LOSE THE THREAD • New-comment tracking with a quick-jump banner, plus a searchable reading history. • Discussion Lineage traces earlier submissions and closely related prior threads, so you never miss the real conversation. • Thread Explorer maps huge threads visually — comments new since your last visit, OP replies, saved comments, and search matches at a glance. PRIVATE BRIEFING • A short reading queue built from what you read, save, and follow — refreshed privately, on your schedule. • Choose Quick, Standard, or Deep and Nautilus packs your queue to fit. • Built entirely on-device. STORY RULES • Hide, dim, or highlight stories automatically by keyword, domain, author, score, and more — or collect matches, get notified, or exclude them from your Briefing. • See exactly which rule matched and why, with a test preview before you save. RESEARCH TOOLS • Radar: evidence-backed watchlists for technologies, companies, keywords, and repositories, with every claim cited. • GitHub Context: repo facts, README, and license rendered in Nautilus's own reading view — no login required. • Contributor Context: public HN profile facts and relevant prior posts, with transparent match reasons. No reputation scores, ever. YOUR HACKER NEWS ACCOUNT • Vote, reply, comment, favorite, and submit with your own account. • Optional reply notifications and a daily reminder to check the front page. • Your session lives only in the iOS Keychain. ON-DEVICE AI — PRIVATE • TL;DR, explanations, and translation for comments. • Runs entirely on your device. SYNC & OFFLINE • Optional iCloud sync keeps your library, notes, and preferences current across devices — using your own private iCloud database. • Offline packs for stories and articles, ready for on-device reading. EDITIONS • Restyle the entire app instantly with hand-tuned Editions — new colors, type, and texture. • Several Editions are free. A one-time purchase unlocks the full gallery. BUILT FOR iOS • Command Palette and full keyboard shortcuts with a hardware keyboard. • An iPad Research Workspace that expands to three panes when space allows, for reading, notes, and context side by side. • Home Screen widgets, Live Activities, Spotlight search, and Siri Shortcuts. • A Safari extension that finds the HN discussion for the page you're reading. • Localized into dozens of languages, with Dynamic Type and VoiceOver support. PRIVATE BY DESIGN • No ads. No trackers. No analytics. We don't operate a server that could see what you read. • Hide stories and block users to make your feed truly yours. Nautilus is an independent app. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by Hacker News or Y Combinator.

Screenshots

HackNe3 screens
Nautilus for Hacker News4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: HackNe at none against Nautilus for Hacker News's 4. HackNe also leads on iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

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

Both are free to download. Nautilus for Hacker News sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. HackNe asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

HackNe ships an update every 5 days, Nautilus for Hacker News every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on September 15, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Ā· 4 level
HackNe versus Nautilus for Hacker News: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHackNeNautilus for Hacker News
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterEvery 8 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB111 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperTansu Asici君 ē®”

In-app purchases

None

HackNe

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Nautilus for Hacker News

One-time4
  • Nice Tip$1.99
  • Unlock Editions$1.99
  • Generous Tip$4.99
Show 1 more
  • Legend Tip$9.99

Questions

Is HackNe free?
HackNe is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Nautilus for Hacker News free?
Nautilus for Hacker News is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do HackNe or Nautilus for Hacker News have ads?
Neither HackNe nor Nautilus for Hacker News shows ads.
Which is updated more often, HackNe or Nautilus for Hacker News?
HackNe ships an update every 5 days, and Nautilus for Hacker News every 8 days. Most recently, HackNe was updated on September 15, 2026 and Nautilus for Hacker News on September 20, 2026.

Other comparisons