# 9to5Mac vs Hacker News Tech Reader

9to5Mac and Hacker News Tech Reader both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 94% of Hacker News Tech Reader's written reviews are positive against 41% of 9to5Mac's. Hacker News Tech Reader also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 3 months) and monetization model (free vs freemium). 9to5Mac's advantage is ratings volume (4.8K vs 1.6K). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. 9to5Mac sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $1.99 per month and Hacker News Tech Reader sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for 9to5Mac against 4.7 for Hacker News Tech Reader. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4.8K and 1.6K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 41% of 9to5Mac's written reviews are positive against 94% of Hacker News Tech Reader's.

9to5Mac ships an update every 3 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 | 9to5Mac | Hacker News Tech Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (4.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/9to5mac-breaking-tech-news/id955138289/reviews) | **[4.7 (1.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hacker-news-tech-reader-hack/id1464477788/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **4.8K** | 1.6K |
| Positive reviews | 40.9% of reviews | **93.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 34 MB | 28 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Seth Weintraub](https://appshunter.io/developer/955138288) | [Pranoy Chowdhury](https://appshunter.io/developer/952263202) |

## What reviewers say

### 9to5Mac

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/9to5mac-breaking-tech-news/id955138289)

Stay informed with the latest news for Apple devices and other tech. Enjoy an ad-free reading experience with a clean layout and push notifications for breaking stories. An optional premium subscription offers enhanced features.

**Highlights:** Latest Apple news, Ad-free reading, Push notifications, Dark Theme, Optimized layout, Access to network sites

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Subscription | $1.99 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Informative content
- 📱 Great app for Apple news
- 🌓 Useful dark mode
- 👍 Modern design

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Paywall restricts access
- 🐛 Crashes and bugs
- ⏱️ Slow content loading
- 💸 Expensive subscription
- 🔍 Lack of search functionality

**Reported bugs**

- Subscription issues
- Inconsistent dark mode support
- Unreliable push notifications
- Crashes when opening articles
- Broken Disqus login functionality

**Requested features**

- Dark mode icon support
- Improved notifications
- In-app commenting
- Yearly subscription option
- Faster content updates


### 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 9to5Mac free?

9to5Mac is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Hacker News Tech Reader free?

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

### Which has better reviews, 9to5Mac or Hacker News Tech Reader?

Hacker News Tech Reader is rated higher. 9to5Mac averages 4.7 out of 5 from 4.8K ratings, while Hacker News Tech Reader averages 4.7 from 1.6K ratings.

### Do 9to5Mac or Hacker News Tech Reader have ads?

Neither 9to5Mac nor Hacker News Tech Reader shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, 9to5Mac or Hacker News Tech Reader?

9to5Mac ships an update every 3 months, and Hacker News Tech Reader every 3 days. Most recently, 9to5Mac 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.*