# HN Reader vs Native Reader for Hacker News

The clearest difference is rating: Native Reader for Hacker News at 4.2 against HN Reader's 1.8. Native Reader for Hacker News also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 2 months). HN Reader's advantage is review sentiment (47% vs 20%) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 16.4). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

Native Reader for Hacker News holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 1.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 5 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 47% of HN Reader's written reviews are positive against 20% of Native Reader for Hacker News's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | HN Reader | Native Reader for Hacker News |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [1.8 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hn-reader-hacker-news-reader/id919243741/reviews) | **[4.2 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/native-reader-for-hacker-news/id931789125/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 5 | 5 |
| Positive reviews | **46.7% of reviews** | 20.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 12 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Thomas Ricouard](https://appshunter.io/developer/372456982) | [Cristian Monterroza](https://appshunter.io/developer/796818573) |

## 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


### Native Reader for Hacker News

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/native-reader-for-hacker-news/id931789125)

Explore Hacker News with advanced filtering and customizable text sizes. Share articles easily and hide unwanted stories with a swipe. Enjoy an ad-free reading experience with dark mode options.

**Highlights:** Filter stories by Rank, Points, or Comments, Responsive text sizes, Share articles to social platforms, Swipe to hide stories, Ad-free reading, Dark mode

**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 Native Reader for Hacker News free?

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

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

Native Reader for Hacker News is rated higher. HN Reader averages 1.8 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while Native Reader for Hacker News averages 4.2 from 5 ratings.

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

Neither HN Reader nor Native Reader for Hacker News shows ads.

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

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