Comparison

Hacka 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

Hacka

Features
Read full description

Read Hacker News without any of the disruption, theme it how you like, ignore those you don't want to hear from. Save stories for later. Save comments for later Hacka is a simple and easy to use Hacker News reader (https://news.ycombinator.com) it aims to be customisable and easy to use. Hacka allows you to save stories for later, save comments for later. It allows you to theme your app however you like. It allows you different display modes and accessibility features. It also is able to ignore certain users you do not wish to see comments and stories from

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

Hacka4 screens
Nautilus for Hacker News4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Hacka at every 2 days against Nautilus for Hacker News's every 9 days. Hacka also leads on iOS requirement (18.6 vs 26.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Hacka sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Nautilus for Hacker News sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Hacka ships an update every 2 days, Nautilus for Hacker News every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Ā· 4 level
Hacka versus Nautilus for Hacker News: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHackaNautilus for Hacker News
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterEvery 9 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.6 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB112 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperKyle Adamson君 ē®”

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Hacka

One-time1
  • Unlock Features$0.99
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 Hacka free?
Hacka is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Nautilus for Hacker News free?
Nautilus for Hacker News is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Hacka or Nautilus for Hacker News have ads?
Neither Hacka nor Nautilus for Hacker News shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Hacka or Nautilus for Hacker News?
Hacka ships an update every 2 days, and Nautilus for Hacker News every 9 days. Most recently, Hacka was updated on October 3, 2026 and Nautilus for Hacker News on October 7, 2026.

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