# HN Reader vs Octal for Hacker News

The clearest difference is rating: Octal for Hacker News at 4.8 against HN Reader's 1.8. Octal for Hacker News also leads on review sentiment (74% vs 47%) and update cadence (every 11 days vs every 2 months). HN Reader's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 18.0). On price, ads, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Octal for Hacker News holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 1.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Octal for Hacker News has 2.9K ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 47% of HN Reader's written reviews are positive against 74% of Octal for Hacker News's.

HN Reader ships an update every 2 months, Octal for Hacker News every 11 days. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | HN Reader | Octal for Hacker News |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [1.8 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hn-reader-hacker-news-reader/id919243741/reviews) | **[4.8 (2.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/octal-for-hacker-news/id1308885491/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 5 | **2.9K** |
| Positive reviews | 46.7% of reviews | **74.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 11 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 12 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Thomas Ricouard](https://appshunter.io/developer/372456982) | [Daniel Wu](https://appshunter.io/developer/1308885370) |

## What reviewers say

### HN Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hn-reader-hacker-news-reader/id919243741)

Access Hacker News articles and comments offline with background refresh and a convenient Today widget. Save articles to Safari Reading List for later viewing. Open source and developed in Swift.

**Highlights:** Offline reading, Today widget integration, Background refresh, Save to Safari Reading List, Read comments, Open source

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Octal for Hacker News

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/octal-for-hacker-news/id1308885491)

Access breaking tech news and engage in discussions with a beautifully designed, fast, and user-friendly feed. Vote on stories, submit posts, comment, and manage favorites without ads or subscriptions.

**Highlights:** Vote on stories and comments, Submit new posts, Engage in threaded discussions, Search Hacker News stories, Manage favorites, Customizable news feed filters, Dark Mode support

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Kind Tip | $1.99 | one-time |
| Generous Tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| Premium | $5.99 | one-time |
| Extraordinary Tip | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fantastic app
- 👍 Convenient to use
- 👍 Good UX/UI
- 👍 Elegant, intuitive client
- 👍 Beautifully executed

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Can't even log in my YC account
- 🐛 Occasional refresh issues
- 🐛 Asking for network info permission
- 🐛 Unreliable
- 🐛 Ads

**Reported bugs**

- Login and likes broken on iOS 16.0
- Restore purchase not working
- App icon doesn't change
- Editing a comment works but gives an error
- Can't collapse comments

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Ability to browse history and upvoted stories
- Markdown highlighting for comments
- Ability to select text when tap anywhere to collapse comment is enabled
- Downvote functionality


## Frequently asked questions

### Is HN Reader free?

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

### Is Octal for Hacker News free?

Octal for Hacker News is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, HN Reader or Octal for Hacker News?

Octal for Hacker News is rated higher. HN Reader averages 1.8 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while Octal for Hacker News averages 4.8 from 2.9K ratings.

### Do HN Reader or Octal for Hacker News have ads?

Neither HN Reader nor Octal for Hacker News shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, HN Reader or Octal for Hacker News?

HN Reader ships an update every 2 months, and Octal for Hacker News every 11 days. Most recently, HN Reader was updated on November 6, 2026 and Octal for Hacker News on November 6, 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.*