# Hacker News Zero vs HNR

The clearest difference is rating: HNR at 5.0 against Hacker News Zero's 4.6. Hacker News Zero's advantage is update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 11 months) and ratings volume (7 vs 2). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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

HNR holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7 and 2 respectively.

Hacker News Zero ships an update every 6 weeks, HNR every 11 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hacker News Zero | HNR |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hacker-news-zero/id764890985/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hnr-hacker-news-reader/id6443591042/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **7** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 85.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 weeks** | Every 11 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 13 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.2** | 15.2 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [locacha](https://appshunter.io/developer/408814988) | [Michael Hsieh](https://appshunter.io/developer/1634672514) |

## What reviewers say

### Hacker News Zero

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hacker-news-zero/id764890985)

A streamlined mobile client for browsing Hacker News. Offers a simple interface with customizable themes and easy navigation between different sections of the site.

**Highlights:** Simple browsing interface, Dark and light mode themes, Article/comment switcher, Navigate front page, Ask HN, New sections

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### HNR

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hnr-hacker-news-reader/id6443591042)

Access and read stories from the popular tech news website Hacker News. Browse top or latest articles, save your favorites, share content, and search for specific topics. Offers customizable color themes including dark and light modes.

**Highlights:** Browse top/latest stories, Save favorite articles, Share stories, Search functionality, Customizable color themes, Dark/light mode support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hacker News Zero free?

Hacker News Zero is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is HNR free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Hacker News Zero or HNR?

HNR is rated higher. Hacker News Zero averages 4.6 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while HNR averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Hacker News Zero or HNR have ads?

Neither Hacker News Zero nor HNR shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hacker News Zero or HNR?

Hacker News Zero ships an update every 6 weeks, and HNR every 11 months. Most recently, Hacker News Zero was updated on November 6, 2026 and HNR on November 3, 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.*