# Native Reader for Hacker News vs HackerWatch

The clearest difference is review sentiment: HackerWatch at 100% against Native Reader for Hacker News's 20%. HackerWatch also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.2) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.4). Native Reader for Hacker News's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 7 months). 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.

HackerWatch holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 3 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 20% of Native Reader for Hacker News's written reviews are positive against 100% of HackerWatch's.

Native Reader for Hacker News ships an update every 2 days, HackerWatch every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Native Reader for Hacker News | HackerWatch |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/native-reader-for-hacker-news/id931789125/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hackerwatch-hacker-news/id6479969061/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **5** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 20.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 days** | Every 7 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 5 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Cristian Monterroza](https://appshunter.io/developer/796818573) | [Dakota Kim](https://appshunter.io/developer/1391084970) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### HackerWatch

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hackerwatch-hacker-news/id6479969061)

Stay updated with the Hacker News community directly from your wrist. Browse top stories, read comments, and view original articles with this Apple Watch companion app. Easily share interesting content with others.

**Highlights:** Browse top stories, Read comments, View original articles, Share content, Apple Watch companion

**Features:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Native Reader for Hacker News free?

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

### Is HackerWatch free?

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

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

HackerWatch is rated higher. Native Reader for Hacker News averages 4.2 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while HackerWatch averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

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

Neither Native Reader for Hacker News nor HackerWatch shows ads.

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

Native Reader for Hacker News ships an update every 2 days, and HackerWatch every 7 months. Most recently, Native Reader for Hacker News was updated on October 3, 2026 and HackerWatch on October 30, 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.*