Comparison

Flamingo Reader vs Pulse for Hacker News

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

Head to head
About

Flamingo Reader

Features
Read full description

Flamingo is a minimalist reader for Hacker News. You can check the sources of this app on Github : https://github.com/kirualex/Flamingo Contributors : - Alexis Creuzot - David Bonnet

About

Pulse for Hacker News

Features
Read full description

Welcome to Pulse for Hacker News, the dedicated, high-performance client for the world’s most insightful tech community. Stop settling for slow, cumbersome interfaces. Pulse for Hacker News is engineered from the ground up to be the fastest, smoothest, and most dependable way to read, comment on, and track your favorite discussions across all your devices. - Extreme Fluidity and Speed Our primary focus is performance. Pulse for Hacker News delivers an "extreme fluidity" that transforms your reading experience: Instant Loading: Articles and comment threads load instantly, minimizing wait times and maximizing consumption. Buttery Smooth Scrolling: Navigate even the longest comment threads and front pages without a single stutter. Resource Optimized: Designed to be lightweight, preserving your battery life while delivering maximum speed. - Transparently Open Source We believe in transparency and community contribution. Pulse for Hacker News isn't just a reader; it's a public project built by the community, for the community. Trust and Security: You can inspect every line of code. There are no hidden trackers, no excessive permissions, and absolutely no ads. Your reading is your own. Community Driven: Found a bug? Have an idea for a feature? Our open-source model means you can contribute directly or influence the roadmap. We listen to our users. Contribute Today: Find our complete source code on GitHub (https://github.com/jarvislin/HackerNews-KMP). - Modern Design, Essential Features Pulse for Hacker News strips away the distractions and focuses on what matters: the content. Enjoy a suite of features designed to enhance readability and productivity: Intuitive Navigation: Easily switch between the Top, New, Best, and Ask HN feeds with a simple tap. Readability Mode: Open external articles in a clean, stripped-down view for distraction-free reading. Powerful Comment Threading: Clearly organized comment sections with easy-to-use collapse/expand options to follow conversations effortlessly. Cross-Device Consistency: Whether you’re on iOS or another platform, enjoy a consistent, reliable experience. Adaptive Themes: Choose between beautiful Dark, Light, and AMOLED modes to suit your environment and preferences. Why Download Pulse for Hacker News? If you are a serious Hacker News user who values privacy, speed, and a modern, reliable interface, Pulse for Hacker News is the perfect client for you. It’s an ad-free commitment to making the world’s best tech content accessible, fast, and completely transparent. Download Pulse for Hacker News now and join the community that's building the future of the mobile reading experience.

Screenshots

Flamingo Reader3 screens
Pulse for Hacker News4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Pulse for Hacker News at every 3 weeks against Flamingo Reader's every 17 months. Flamingo Reader's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.3). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

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

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

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Flamingo Reader ships an update every 17 months, Pulse for Hacker News every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 4 level
Flamingo Reader versus Pulse for Hacker News: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFlamingo ReaderPulse for Hacker News
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 17 monthsEvery 3 weeks β€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod β€” better
Requires iOS13.0 β€” better15.3
Further details β€” not scored
Size4 MB38 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperAlexis CreuzotDong Sian Lin

In-app purchases

None

Flamingo Reader

No in-app purchases

None

Pulse for Hacker News

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Flamingo Reader free?
Flamingo Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Pulse for Hacker News free?
Pulse for Hacker News is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Flamingo Reader or Pulse for Hacker News have ads?
Neither Flamingo Reader nor Pulse for Hacker News shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Flamingo Reader or Pulse for Hacker News?
Flamingo Reader ships an update every 17 months, and Pulse for Hacker News every 3 weeks. Most recently, Flamingo Reader was updated on October 10, 2026 and Pulse for Hacker News on October 12, 2026.

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