# HN Reader vs Hacki for Hacker News

The clearest difference is rating: Hacki for Hacker News at 4.6 against HN Reader's 1.8. Hacki for Hacker News also leads on review sentiment (88% vs 47%) and update cadence (every 3 days vs every 2 months). HN Reader's advantage is iOS requirement (8.0 vs 18.6). 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.

Hacki for Hacker News holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 1.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hacki for Hacker News has 40 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 88% of Hacki for Hacker News's.

HN Reader ships an update every 2 months, Hacki for Hacker News every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | HN Reader | Hacki for Hacker News |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [1.8 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hn-reader-hacker-news-reader/id919243741/reviews) | **[4.6 (40 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hacki-for-hacker-news/id1602043763/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 5 | **40** |
| Positive reviews | 46.7% of reviews | **88.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 12 MB | 39 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 18.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Thomas Ricouard](https://appshunter.io/developer/372456982) | [Jiaqi Feng](https://appshunter.io/developer/1462586544) |

## 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


### Hacki for Hacker News

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hacki-for-hacker-news/id1602043763)

Access Hacker News content with this open-source client. Browse, search, and submit stories, manage favorites, leave comments, and participate in polls. Enjoy offline reading and receive notifications for replies.

**Highlights:** Hacker News account login, Browse stories by category, Search and submit stories, Favorite and pin stories, Comment and view polls, Offline reading, Reply notifications

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is HN Reader free?

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

### Is Hacki for Hacker News free?

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

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

Hacki for Hacker News is rated higher. HN Reader averages 1.8 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while Hacki for Hacker News averages 4.6 from 40 ratings.

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

Neither HN Reader nor Hacki for Hacker News shows ads.

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

HN Reader ships an update every 2 months, and Hacki for Hacker News every 3 days. Most recently, HN Reader was updated on September 19, 2026 and Hacki for Hacker News on October 17, 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.*