# Heaps Reader vs BetterNews

The clearest difference is update cadence: Heaps Reader at every 2 days against BetterNews's every 2 weeks. BetterNews's advantage is iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Heaps Reader against 5.0 for BetterNews. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 5 respectively.

Heaps Reader ships an update every 2 days, BetterNews every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Heaps Reader | BetterNews |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/heaps-reader/id6760941739/reviews) | [5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/betternews/id6786482282/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 3 | **5** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 days** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 28 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Zachary Brown](https://appshunter.io/developer/1886944364) | [Steven Truong](https://appshunter.io/developer/6786482584) |

## What reviewers say

### Heaps Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/heaps-reader/id6760941739)

Organize and consume RSS feeds and podcasts with a unique swipe-based interface. Enjoy distraction-free reading, article summaries, and offline podcast playback. Seamlessly manage subscriptions and discover content.

**Highlights:** Swipe-based article triage, Reader mode for distraction-free reading, Article summaries with Apple Intelligence, Podcast player with offline downloads, Organize feeds into colorful collections, iCloud sync across devices

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

**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 Heaps Reader free?

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

### Is BetterNews free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Heaps Reader or BetterNews?

Heaps Reader and BetterNews are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 3 and 5 ratings respectively.

### Do Heaps Reader or BetterNews have ads?

Neither Heaps Reader nor BetterNews shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Heaps Reader or BetterNews?

Heaps Reader ships an update every 2 days, and BetterNews every 2 weeks. Most recently, Heaps Reader was updated on October 24, 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.*