# HN Reader vs Hacker News Tech Reader

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Hacker News Tech Reader at 94% against HN Reader's 47%. Hacker News Tech Reader also leads on rating (4.7 vs 1.8) and update cadence (every 3 days vs every 2 months). HN Reader's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 6) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Hacker News Tech Reader sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. HN Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.

Hacker News Tech Reader holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 1.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hacker News Tech Reader has 1.6K 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 94% of Hacker News Tech Reader's.

HN Reader ships an update every 2 months, Hacker News Tech Reader every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | HN Reader | Hacker News Tech Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [1.8 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hn-reader-hacker-news-reader/id919243741/reviews) | **[4.7 (1.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hacker-news-tech-reader-hack/id1464477788/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 5 | **1.6K** |
| Positive reviews | 46.7% of reviews | **93.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 12 MB | 28 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Thomas Ricouard](https://appshunter.io/developer/372456982) | [Pranoy Chowdhury](https://appshunter.io/developer/952263202) |

## 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


### Hacker News Tech Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hacker-news-tech-reader-hack/id1464477788)

This app offers a beautiful and intuitive way to read the latest tech, startup, and STEM news from Hacker News. It features customizable reading options, push notifications, and advanced search capabilities, all without ads or subscriptions.

**Highlights:** Ad-free and subscription-free experience, Push notifications for replies, Nested comment threads, Advanced search with filters, Customizable fonts and themes, Article sharing and archiving, Support for multiple browsers

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Nice Tip | $3.99 | one-time |
| Kind Tip | $6.99 | one-time |
| Generous Tip | $9.99 | one-time |
| Hack Premium | $12.99 | one-time |
| Amazing Tip | $12.99 | one-time |
| Godzilla Tip | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is HN Reader free?

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

### Is Hacker News Tech Reader free?

Hacker News Tech Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

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

Hacker News Tech Reader is rated higher. HN Reader averages 1.8 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while Hacker News Tech Reader averages 4.7 from 1.6K ratings.

### Do HN Reader or Hacker News Tech Reader have ads?

Neither HN Reader nor Hacker News Tech Reader shows ads.

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

HN Reader ships an update every 2 months, and Hacker News Tech Reader every 3 days. Most recently, HN Reader was updated on November 1, 2026 and Hacker News Tech Reader 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.*