Comparison

Stella* vs Hydra

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

Head to head
About

Stella*

This app is a user-oriented information gathering tool that optimizes web content for easy reading on any device. It offers customizable appearance, intuitive navigation, and offline reading capabilities, allowing users to control their information sources without relying on external services.

Highlights
  • Optimized web content rendering
  • Customizable font sizes and themes
  • Intuitive and animated UI
  • Offline article storage
  • Extensible information sources
  • One-handed operation support
Features
Read full description

Stella News Reader is a new generation information-gathering tool that is designed to be completely "User-Oriented". Often the information you get from the web can get easily lost in annoying noise, with the character size lacking consistency from site to site and it being difficult to identify important sections, so finding what is truly necessary can be a struggle. This app is equipped with a powerful embedded optimize engine, and publicly published html contents are automatically converted to the display most appropriate for each device, to make, as it were, one unified application UI. Freed from the need to load unnecessary elements, the app operates at high speeds and as the user can freely change the outer appearance and choose the format that the user feels easiest for them to read, the focus can be purely on the content. Users completely take the initiative in relation to the information with unlimited sources of information and the user can expand the source by adding feeds in the same way as with normal readers. Moreover, the UI has been designed carefully in order to enable optimization of screen sizes and rotations for each device, and through extensive use of animation, operation is highly intuitive. Stella is a completely stand alone reader, and can be used without reliance on external services or accounts. You can use the app without divulging your personal information, receiving junk mails or being faced with the possibility of the providers stopping the service. Key Features: - iPhone 6/6 Plus & iOS 8 are fully supported. - All webpages are concurrently parsed by the app's machine learning engine and, rendered as in human-readable appearance form. - Font sizes and themes are customizable for easy reading. You can also select the same appearance as Safari. - Intuitive & animated UI. You can always keep one-handed operation even on landscape mode of iPhone 6 Plus. - No setup is required. In its initial state, the app shows news that is buzzed on major social media. - Sources are extensible as in the manner you like. The app can also be used as an ordinary RSS reader. - Article storing functionality gives you the ability for offline reading. If original pages are deleted from the net, you can keep them forever. - Folders to classify for later reading. Future Updates: We'll work on diversification of available sources and improvements of the app's in-depth customizability, etc.

About

Hydra

Experience Reddit browsing with a fast, fluid, and native iOS client. Organize topics, enjoy an immersive media viewer, and utilize quick gestures for seamless interaction. Customize themes and modes for a personalized experience.

Highlights
  • Lightning-fast loading
  • Multireddit support
  • Favorite subreddits
  • Native iOS design
  • Image and video viewer
  • Multiple account support
  • Quick access gestures
Features
Read full description

Hydra is the best client for browsing your subreddits and the ultimate experience on iOS. It's fast, fluid, and designed to make browsing more seamless than ever before. If you're looking for a powerful yet beautifully simple client, Hydra is the way to go. "Hydra makes Reddit feel like a natural part of iOS. Everything just flows." - u/goosewatergoose "This app is what you get when the developer really understands what a great user experience should be. It’s everything the Reddit app isn't" - DAC, UK "Long time Apollo user. Found the app a month ago. Great work so far, just wanted to convey the props" - @gruthsc3 (Discord) Hydra is crafted with a native iOS design, making it feel right at home on your device. It loads fast, responds instantly, and makes browsing an incredibly intuitive experience. Packed with powerful features, it's built to be the ultimate companion for both casual browsing and hardcore Redditors alike. Features that make Hydra shine: - Lightning-fast loading for seamless scrolling and browsing - Multireddit support for organizing and following your favorite topics - Favorite subreddits to keep your go-to communities at your fingertips - A beautifully designed, native iOS experience that feels right at home - Gorgeous image and video viewer for an immersive media experience - Multiple account support so you can switch effortlessly - Quick access gestures to upvote, downvote, reply, and more with a swipe - Markdown support to get the most out of your posts and comments - System share menu integration to easily share content anywhere - Full inbox access for messages and notifications - Private messages support to stay connected with other users - Powerful search to find posts, subreddits, and users in an instant - Customizable themes to match your style - Compact mode for an optimized browsing experience - Highly customizable UI to tailor Hydra to your needs - Blur content and spoilers for a safe browsing experience - Low data mode to keep your usage efficient - Beautiful, intuitive UI/UX that makes using Hydra a delight Hydra is always evolving with new features and improvements based on feedback from the community. If there's something you'd love to see, drop by the /r/HydraApp subreddit and let me know! Hydra is an unofficial client, but it just might be the best one you've ever used. --- This is an unofficial client for the Reddit service (Reddit is a registered trademark of Reddit, Inc., and this app is not affiliated with or endorsed by Reddit). --- Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Stella*4 screens
Hydra4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Hydra at 4.8 against Stella*'s 3.5. Hydra also leads on ratings volume (807 vs 18) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). Stella*'s advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Hydra sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Stella* asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Hydra holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hydra has 807 ratings behind it against 18, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 64% of Stella*'s written reviews are positive against 75% of Hydra's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Stella* ships an update every 2 months, Hydra every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Stella* versus Hydra: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStella*Hydra
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.5 (18 ratings)4.8 (807 ratings) — better
Positive reviews64.1% of reviews74.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings18807 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS17.616.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size70 MB75 MB
Age rating4++17
DeveloperOwletLabs LLCDimitrie Milinovich

Customer experience

Stella*

All ratings18 ratings
Positive55.6%
Neutral22.2%
Negative22.2%
Written reviews64 reviews
Positive64.1%
Neutral17.2%
Negative18.8%

Hydra

All ratings807 ratings
Positive95.2%
Neutral1.6%
Negative3.2%
Written reviews151 reviews
Positive74.8%
Neutral6.0%
Negative19.2%

Bugs and requests

Stella*

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Hydra

Reported bugs

1 issue
  • Expect some bumps

Requested features

2 requests
  • Customizing the gestures and hiding the username on the tab bar
  • Content blocking, comment images, startup feed, and others

In-app purchases

None

Stella*

No in-app purchases

5 purchases

Hydra

Subscriptions1
  • Hydra Pro$2.991 Month
One-time4
  • Nice Tip$1.99
  • Generous Tip$4.99
  • Amazing Tip$9.99
Show 1 more
  • Incredible Tip$19.99

Questions

Is Stella* free?
Stella* is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Hydra free?
Hydra is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Stella* or Hydra?
Hydra is rated higher. Stella* averages 3.5 out of 5 from 18 ratings, while Hydra averages 4.8 from 807 ratings.
Do Stella* or Hydra have ads?
Neither Stella* nor Hydra shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Stella* or Hydra?
Stella* ships an update every 2 months, and Hydra every 3 weeks. Most recently, Stella* was updated on November 1, 2026 and Hydra on October 30, 2026.

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