Reddit vs Hacker News
type: Article
description: Reddit is a massive, entertainment-focused social platform with 430M monthly users across diverse communities, while Hacker News is a niche, tech-centric discussion forum with ~500K daily active users prioritizing substantive discourse over entertainment. Reddit dominates in scale and content variety; Hacker News excels in signal-to-noise ratio for technical professionals.
language: en-US
date published: 2026-07-09T18:35:58.724Z
date created: 2026-07-09T18:35:58.724Z
date modified: 2026-07-09T21:41:01.033Z
content reference time: 2026-07-09T21:41:01.033Z
author: A Versus B
publisher: A Versus B
about: Reddit
about: Hacker News
abstract: Reddit is a massive, entertainment-focused social platform with 430M monthly users across diverse communities, while Hacker News is a niche, tech-centric discussion forum with ~500K daily active users prioritizing substantive discourse over entertainment. Reddit dominates in scale and content variety; Hacker News excels in signal-to-noise ratio for technical professionals.
text: Monthly Active Users. Primary Focus. Moderation Model. Content Lifespan. Voting System Transparency. Spam & Low-Quality Content. Monetization Model
conclusion text: Choose Reddit if you want diverse communities, entertainment, and mass-market discussion across thousands of topics with flexible moderation. Choose Hacker News if you're a technical professional seeking high-signal discussion about technology, startups, and science without algorithmic manipulation or advertising.
additional property: Monthly Active Users (Entertainment Focus)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Reddit: 430 million monthly active users | Hacker News: N/A
additional property: Average Session Duration
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Reddit: 52 minutes per session | Hacker News: N/A
additional property: Content Visibility Lifespan
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Reddit: 60 days average | Hacker News: N/A
additional property: Entertainment Community Count
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Reddit: 8000+ entertainment-focused subreddits | Hacker News: N/A
additional property: Real-Time News Coverage Speed
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Reddit: 30-60 minutes average | Hacker News: N/A
additional property: Conversion Intent Rate
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Reddit: 2-5x higher intent (baseline 1.0) | Hacker News: N/A
additional property: Celebrity Direct Engagement
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Reddit: Occasional AMAs (Ask Me Anything) | Hacker News: N/A
additional property: Content Moderation Quality
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Reddit: Community-based with subreddit moderators | Hacker News: N/A
additional property: Video Entertainment Content Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Reddit: Native video, clips, and streaming integration | Hacker News: N/A
additional property: Trending Entertainment Topics Visibility
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Reddit: 24-72 hours peak visibility | Hacker News: N/A
additional property: Entertainment Discussion Threads per Day
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Reddit: 500,000+ entertainment discussions daily | Hacker News: N/A
additional property: User Demographics (18-34 Entertainment Audience)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Reddit: 58% of users aged 18-34 | Hacker News: N/A
additional property: Monthly Active Users
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Reddit: 1.1 billion | Hacker News: N/A
additional property: Daily Active Users
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Reddit: 116 million | Hacker News: N/A
additional property: Monthly US Web Visits
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Reddit: 3.31 billion | Hacker News: N/A
additional property: Annual Revenue
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Reddit: $1.3 billion | Hacker News: N/A
additional property: Year-over-Year Growth Rate
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Reddit: 19% | Hacker News: N/A
additional property: User Identity Requirements
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Reddit: Anonymous usernames allowed | Hacker News: N/A
additional property: Primary Revenue Model
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Reddit: Premium memberships and minimal ads | Hacker News: N/A
additional property: Content Moderation Approach
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Reddit: Community-driven moderation by volunteer moderators | Hacker News: N/A
additional property: Total Communities
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Reddit: 140,000+ subreddits | Hacker News: 1 unified forum
  value reference: Reddit
additional property: Post Visibility Duration
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Reddit: 1-2 days | Hacker News: 3-7 days
  value reference: Hacker News
additional property: Anonymity Level
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Reddit: Pseudonymous (username required, public) | Hacker News: Fully anonymous (no account name visibility)
additional property: Content Type Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Reddit: Images, video, GIFs, livestream, text | Hacker News: Text and external links only
additional property: Moderation Model
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Reddit: Decentralized (volunteer mods per subreddit) | Hacker News: Centralized (HN moderators + community flagging)
additional property: Average Daily Posts
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Reddit: 500,000+ daily posts | Hacker News: 30-50 daily stories
  value reference: Reddit
additional property: Monthly Active Users
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Reddit: 430 million | Hacker News: ~1.5 million (monthly estimate)
  value reference: Reddit
additional property: Number of Communities/Topics
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Reddit: 140+ thousand subreddits | Hacker News: N/A
additional property: Organic Search Traffic Share
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Reddit: 35% of total traffic | Hacker News: N/A
additional property: Creator Monetization
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Reddit: Awards & Premium revenue sharing only | Hacker News: N/A
additional property: Identity Requirement
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Reddit: Optional; primarily anonymous | Hacker News: N/A
additional property: Content Ranking System Transparency
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Reddit: Transparent voting algorithm (upvote/downvote visible) | Hacker News: N/A
additional property: Primary Subscription Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Reddit: $5.99/month ($72/year) | Hacker News: N/A
additional property: Content Discoverability (Search Engine Rank)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Reddit: High for trending/recent posts; older content deprioritized | Hacker News: N/A
additional property: Answer Quality Consistency
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Reddit: 70% | Hacker News: N/A
additional property: User Identity Privacy
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Reddit: 5 (fully anonymous) | Hacker News: N/A
additional property: Moderation Response Time
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Reddit: Varies: 2-48 hours depending on subreddit | Hacker News: N/A
additional property: Mobile App Rating (iOS)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Reddit: 4.5 | Hacker News: N/A
additional property: Active Communities
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Reddit: 140,000+ subreddits | Hacker News: N/A
additional property: API Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Reddit: $240 per 1M calls | Hacker News: N/A
additional property: Data Ownership Model
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Reddit: Centralized (Reddit corporate) | Hacker News: N/A
additional property: Source Code Access
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Reddit: Proprietary closed-source | Hacker News: N/A
additional property: Founded Year
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Reddit: 2005 | Hacker News: N/A
additional property: Moderation Authority
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Reddit: Centralized corporate + volunteer mods | Hacker News: N/A
additional property: Mobile App Availability
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Reddit: Official + 5+ third-party apps | Hacker News: N/A
additional property: Average Daily Time Spent
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Reddit: 28 minutes | Hacker News: N/A
additional property: Maximum Voice Call Participants
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Reddit: Limited (Reddit Talk: ~100) | Hacker News: N/A
additional property: Content Retention Period (Free)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Reddit: Permanent | Hacker News: N/A
additional property: Premium Subscription Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Reddit: $6.99 (Reddit Premium) | Hacker News: Free
  value reference: Hacker News
interactivity type: active
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/entity/reddit
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/alternatives/reddit
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/entity/hacker-news
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/alternatives/hacker-news
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/api/answer/reddit-vs-hacker-news)
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/api/v1/schema/reddit-vs-hacker-news)
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/reddit-vs-hacker-news
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/reddit-vs-quora
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/reddit-vs-twitter
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/facebook-vs-reddit
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/reddit-vs-discord
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/reddit-vs-lemmy
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/nato-vs-brics
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/united-vs-delta-2026
teaches: How to choose between Reddit and Hacker News
genre: General

primaryImage
type: ImageObject
width: 1200
height: 630
caption: Reddit vs Hacker News — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B

A Versus B
type: Organization

Reddit
type: Thing
language: en-US
description: Mass social platform with 140K+ user-run communities covering entertainment, news, hobbies, and niche topics.
image: ImageObject
  caption: Reddit
subject of: Reddit vs Hacker News
image: ImageObject
  caption: Reddit

Hacker News
type: SoftwareApplication
alternate name: HN
language: en-US
description: Curated tech and startup discussion forum with 500K daily active users, focused on substantive content.
subject of: Reddit vs Hacker News

Reddit vs Hacker News — Structured Comparison Data
type: Dataset
description: Machine-readable comparison dataset for Reddit vs Hacker News. Contains 73 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
language: en-US
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
creator: A Versus B
distribution: JSON-LD knowledge graph
  type: DataDownload
  encoding format: application/json+ld
distribution: Raw comparison JSON
  type: DataDownload
  encoding format: application/json
distribution: Structured FAQ pairs JSON
  type: DataDownload
  encoding format: application/json
distribution: AI Answer API (citation-ready)
  type: DataDownload
  encoding format: application/json
distribution: Related comparisons JSON
  type: DataDownload
  encoding format: application/json
variable measured: Monthly Active Users (Entertainment Focus)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Audience
variable measured: Average Session Duration
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Engagement
variable measured: Content Visibility Lifespan
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Content Performance
variable measured: Entertainment Community Count
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Content Organization
variable measured: Real-Time News Coverage Speed
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: News & Updates
variable measured: Conversion Intent Rate
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Engagement Quality
variable measured: Celebrity Direct Engagement
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Entertainment Access
variable measured: Content Moderation Quality
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Safety & Quality
variable measured: Video Entertainment Content Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Content Types
variable measured: Trending Entertainment Topics Visibility
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Discoverability
variable measured: Entertainment Discussion Threads per Day
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Activity
variable measured: User Demographics (18-34 Entertainment Audience)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Audience
variable measured: Monthly Active Users
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Reach
variable measured: Daily Active Users
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: User Base
variable measured: Monthly US Web Visits
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Traffic & Engagement
variable measured: Annual Revenue
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Business Metrics
variable measured: Year-over-Year Growth Rate
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Growth
variable measured: User Identity Requirements
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Privacy & Identity
variable measured: Primary Revenue Model
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Business Model
variable measured: Content Moderation Approach
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Community Management
variable measured: Total Communities
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Content Diversity
variable measured: Post Visibility Duration
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Content Longevity
variable measured: Anonymity Level
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Privacy & Discussion
variable measured: Content Type Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Features
variable measured: Moderation Model
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Governance
variable measured: Average Daily Posts
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Content Volume
variable measured: Monthly Active Users
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Audience
variable measured: Number of Communities/Topics
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Content Organization
variable measured: Organic Search Traffic Share
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: SEO & Discovery
variable measured: Creator Monetization
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Revenue Sharing
variable measured: Identity Requirement
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: User Privacy
variable measured: Content Ranking System Transparency
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Algorithm
variable measured: Primary Subscription Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Content Discoverability (Search Engine Rank)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: SEO
variable measured: Answer Quality Consistency
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Content Quality
variable measured: User Identity Privacy
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Privacy
variable measured: Moderation Response Time
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Community Management
variable measured: Mobile App Rating (iOS)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: User Experience
variable measured: Active Communities
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Scale & Reach
variable measured: API Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Developer Access
variable measured: Data Ownership Model
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Privacy & Control
variable measured: Source Code Access
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Transparency
variable measured: Founded Year
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Platform History
variable measured: Moderation Authority
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Governance
variable measured: Mobile App Availability
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Compatibility
variable measured: Average Daily Time Spent
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Engagement
variable measured: Maximum Voice Call Participants
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Features
variable measured: Content Retention Period (Free)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Features
variable measured: Premium Subscription Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Number of Public Communities
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Content
variable measured: Mobile App Store Rating
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: User Experience
variable measured: Maximum Free Storage Per Upload
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Features
variable measured: Monthly Active Users
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Market Reach
variable measured: Average Daily Time Spent
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Engagement
variable measured: Global Market Share
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Market Position
variable measured: Data Privacy Rating
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Privacy
variable measured: Algorithmic Feed Influence
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Content Curation
variable measured: Founded Year
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: History
variable measured: Annual Revenue (2025)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Financial Performance
variable measured: Identity Requirement
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: User Experience
variable measured: Active Communities/Spaces
variable measured: Character Limit per Post
variable measured: News Trending Speed
variable measured: Creator Monetization Options
variable measured: Content Lifespan (Searchability)
variable measured: Anonymity Default Setting
variable measured: Primary Content Categories
variable measured: Estimated Spam/Low-Quality Content Percentage
variable measured: Vote Count Visibility Delay
is based on: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/reddit-vs-hacker-news)

Reddit vs Hacker News — Attribute Category Vocabulary
type: DefinedTermSet
language: en-US
description: Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Reddit vs Hacker News.
has defined term: Audience
has defined term: Engagement
has defined term: Content Performance
has defined term: Content Organization
has defined term: News & Updates
has defined term: Engagement Quality
has defined term: Entertainment Access
has defined term: Safety & Quality
has defined term: Content Types
has defined term: Discoverability
has defined term: Activity
has defined term: Reach
has defined term: User Base
has defined term: Traffic & Engagement
has defined term: Business Metrics
has defined term: Growth
has defined term: Privacy & Identity
has defined term: Business Model
has defined term: Community Management
has defined term: Content Diversity
has defined term: Content Longevity
has defined term: Privacy & Discussion
has defined term: Features
has defined term: Governance
has defined term: Content Volume
has defined term: SEO & Discovery
has defined term: Revenue Sharing
has defined term: User Privacy
has defined term: Algorithm
has defined term: Pricing
has defined term: SEO
has defined term: Content Quality
has defined term: Privacy
has defined term: User Experience
has defined term: Scale & Reach
has defined term: Developer Access
has defined term: Privacy & Control
has defined term: Transparency
has defined term: Platform History
has defined term: Compatibility
has defined term: Content
has defined term: Market Reach
has defined term: Market Position
has defined term: Content Curation
has defined term: History
has defined term: Financial Performance
has defined term: User Engagement
has defined term: Content Format
has defined term: Real-Time Performance
has defined term: Monetization
has defined term: Scope
has defined term: Quality
has defined term: Mechanics
has defined term: Accessibility

Audience
type: DefinedTerm
term code: audience
in defined term set: Reddit vs Hacker News — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Engagement
type: DefinedTerm
term code: engagement
in defined term set: Reddit vs Hacker News — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Content Performance
type: DefinedTerm
term code: content-performance
in defined term set: Reddit vs Hacker News — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Content Organization
type: DefinedTerm
term code: content-organization
in defined term set: Reddit vs Hacker News — Attribute Category Vocabulary

News & Updates
type: DefinedTerm
term code: news-&-updates
in defined term set: Reddit vs Hacker News — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Engagement Quality
type: DefinedTerm
term code: engagement-quality
in defined term set: Reddit vs Hacker News — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Entertainment Access
type: DefinedTerm
term code: entertainment-access
in defined term set: Reddit vs Hacker News — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Safety & Quality
type: DefinedTerm
term code: safety-&-quality
in defined term set: Reddit vs Hacker News — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Content Types
type: DefinedTerm
term code: content-types
in defined term set: Reddit vs Hacker News — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Discoverability
type: DefinedTerm
term code: discoverability
in defined term set: Reddit vs Hacker News — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Activity
type: DefinedTerm
term code: activity
in defined term set: Reddit vs Hacker News — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Reach
type: DefinedTerm
term code: reach
in defined term set: Reddit vs Hacker News — Attribute Category Vocabulary

User Base
type: DefinedTerm
term code: user-base
in defined term set: Reddit vs Hacker News — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Traffic & Engagement
type: DefinedTerm
term code: traffic-&-engagement
in defined term set: Reddit vs Hacker News — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Business Metrics
type: DefinedTerm
term code: business-metrics
in defined term set: Reddit vs Hacker News — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Growth
type: DefinedTerm
term code: growth
in defined term set: Reddit vs Hacker News — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Privacy & Identity
type: DefinedTerm
term code: privacy-&-identity
in defined term set: Reddit vs Hacker News — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Business Model
type: DefinedTerm
term code: business-model
in defined term set: Reddit vs Hacker News — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Community Management
type: DefinedTerm
term code: community-management
in defined term set: Reddit vs Hacker News — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Content Diversity
type: DefinedTerm
term code: content-diversity
in defined term set: Reddit vs Hacker News — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Content Longevity
type: DefinedTerm
term code: content-longevity
in defined term set: Reddit vs Hacker News — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Privacy & Discussion
type: DefinedTerm
term code: privacy-&-discussion
in defined term set: Reddit vs Hacker News — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Features
type: DefinedTerm
term code: features
in defined term set: Reddit vs Hacker News — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Governance
type: DefinedTerm
term code: governance
in defined term set: Reddit vs Hacker News — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Content Volume
type: DefinedTerm
term code: content-volume
in defined term set: Reddit vs Hacker News — Attribute Category Vocabulary

SEO & Discovery
type: DefinedTerm
term code: seo-&-discovery
in defined term set: Reddit vs Hacker News — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Revenue Sharing
type: DefinedTerm
term code: revenue-sharing
in defined term set: Reddit vs Hacker News — Attribute Category Vocabulary

User Privacy
type: DefinedTerm
term code: user-privacy
in defined term set: Reddit vs Hacker News — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Algorithm
type: DefinedTerm
term code: algorithm
in defined term set: Reddit vs Hacker News — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Pricing
type: DefinedTerm
term code: pricing
in defined term set: Reddit vs Hacker News — Attribute Category Vocabulary

SEO
type: DefinedTerm
term code: seo
in defined term set: Reddit vs Hacker News — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Content Quality
type: DefinedTerm
term code: content-quality
in defined term set: Reddit vs Hacker News — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Privacy
type: DefinedTerm
term code: privacy
in defined term set: Reddit vs Hacker News — Attribute Category Vocabulary

User Experience
type: DefinedTerm
term code: user-experience
in defined term set: Reddit vs Hacker News — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Scale & Reach
type: DefinedTerm
term code: scale-&-reach
in defined term set: Reddit vs Hacker News — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Developer Access
type: DefinedTerm
term code: developer-access
in defined term set: Reddit vs Hacker News — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Privacy & Control
type: DefinedTerm
term code: privacy-&-control
in defined term set: Reddit vs Hacker News — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Transparency
type: DefinedTerm
term code: transparency
in defined term set: Reddit vs Hacker News — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Platform History
type: DefinedTerm
term code: platform-history
in defined term set: Reddit vs Hacker News — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Compatibility
type: DefinedTerm
term code: compatibility
in defined term set: Reddit vs Hacker News — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Content
type: DefinedTerm
term code: content
in defined term set: Reddit vs Hacker News — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Market Reach
type: DefinedTerm
term code: market-reach
in defined term set: Reddit vs Hacker News — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Market Position
type: DefinedTerm
term code: market-position
in defined term set: Reddit vs Hacker News — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Content Curation
type: DefinedTerm
term code: content-curation
in defined term set: Reddit vs Hacker News — Attribute Category Vocabulary

History
type: DefinedTerm
term code: history
in defined term set: Reddit vs Hacker News — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Financial Performance
type: DefinedTerm
term code: financial-performance
in defined term set: Reddit vs Hacker News — Attribute Category Vocabulary

User Engagement
type: DefinedTerm
term code: user-engagement
in defined term set: Reddit vs Hacker News — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Content Format
type: DefinedTerm
term code: content-format
in defined term set: Reddit vs Hacker News — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Real-Time Performance
type: DefinedTerm
term code: real-time-performance
in defined term set: Reddit vs Hacker News — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Monetization
type: DefinedTerm
term code: monetization
in defined term set: Reddit vs Hacker News — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Scope
type: DefinedTerm
term code: scope
in defined term set: Reddit vs Hacker News — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Quality
type: DefinedTerm
term code: quality
in defined term set: Reddit vs Hacker News — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Mechanics
type: DefinedTerm
term code: mechanics
in defined term set: Reddit vs Hacker News — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Accessibility
type: DefinedTerm
term code: accessibility
in defined term set: Reddit vs Hacker News — Attribute Category Vocabulary

faq
type: FAQPage
language: en-US
is accessible for free: true
conditions of access: Free
date modified: 2026-07-09T21:41:01.033Z
author: A Versus B
publisher: A Versus B
is part of: reddit-vs-hacker-news)
main entity: Is Hacker News better than Reddit for finding tech news?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: For technical professionals and startup communities, yes. Hacker News has a 5-10% spam rate vs Reddit's 30-70% depending on community, and its audience consists primarily of engineers and founders. However, Reddit's r/technology and r/programming subreddits have much larger communities (12M+ subscribers combined) and more casual discussion. Choose Hacker News for curated, high-signal tech discourse; choose Reddit for broader tech conversations and community diversity.
    language: en-US
main entity: Can I find niche communities on both platforms?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: Reddit dominates niche communities with 140K+ active subreddits covering everything from obscure hobbies to medical conditions. Hacker News is strictly tech/startup/science focused with minimal off-topic discussion. If you're seeking a community outside technology, Reddit is your only option.
    language: en-US
main entity: Which platform has better moderation?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: Hacker News has stricter, more consistent moderation enforced by a core team using algorithmic ranking, resulting in fewer flamewars and toxic threads. Reddit delegates moderation to volunteer community mods per subreddit, leading to highly inconsistent standards—some subreddits are well-moderated, others are toxic cesspools. For civil discourse, Hacker News wins; for community self-governance, Reddit's approach appeals to some users.
    language: en-US
main entity: Why does Hacker News hide vote counts for 1 hour?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: This prevents bandwagon voting and groupthink. Without seeing vote counts, users form independent opinions before being influenced by early voting patterns. Reddit shows votes immediately, which research shows encourages polarization and can suppress minority viewpoints. Hacker News' approach promotes more thoughtful discussion, though it frustrates users seeking quick validation.
    language: en-US
main entity: Which platform is better for professional networking?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: Hacker News is superior for tech professionals seeking startup opportunities, job discussions, and connections with founders and engineers. Its audience skews toward decision-makers and technical leaders. Reddit is better for general professional advice but less effective for tech industry networking due to anonymity and content quality variance.
    language: en-US

How to Choose Between Reddit and Hacker News
type: HowTo
description: Reddit is a massive, entertainment-focused social platform with 430M monthly users across diverse communities, while Hacker News is a niche, tech-centric discussion forum with ~500K daily active users prioritizing substantive discourse over entertainment. Reddit dominates in scale and content variety; Hacker News excels in signal-to-noise ratio for technical professionals.
language: en-US
total time: PT3M
step: Consider: Monthly Active Users
step: Consider: Primary Focus
step: Consider: Moderation Model
step: Consider: Content Lifespan
step: Consider: Voting System Transparency
step: Consider: Spam & Low-Quality Content
step: Consider: Monetization Model
tool: A Versus B Comparison Guide
tip: HowToTip
  text: Choose Reddit if you want diverse communities, entertainment, and mass-market discussion across thousands of topics with flexible moderation. Choose Hacker News if you're a technical professional seeking high-signal discussion about technology, startups, and science without algorithmic manipulation or advertising.

Consider: Monthly Active Users
type: HowToStep
position: 1
text: Monthly Active Users: Reddit has 430 million, while Hacker News has ~500K daily active.

Consider: Primary Focus
type: HowToStep
position: 2
text: Primary Focus: Reddit has General entertainment, memes, discussion across 140K+ subreddits, while Hacker News has Technology, startups, programming, science.

Consider: Moderation Model
type: HowToStep
position: 3
text: Moderation Model: Reddit has Community-run moderation per subreddit (varies widely), while Hacker News has Algorithmic ranking + core moderation team.

Consider: Content Lifespan
type: HowToStep
position: 4
text: Content Lifespan: Reddit has Peaks within 24 hours, archived after 6 months, while Hacker News has Stories cycle every 24-48 hours, preserved in archives.

Consider: Voting System Transparency
type: HowToStep
position: 5
text: Voting System Transparency: Reddit has Vote counts visible immediately, no penalties for downvotes, while Hacker News has Vote counts hidden for 1 hour (anti-bandwagon).

Consider: Spam & Low-Quality Content
type: HowToStep
position: 6
text: Spam & Low-Quality Content: Reddit has High variance (30-70% quality depending on subreddit), while Hacker News has Low (estimated 5-10% spam due to ranking algorithm).

Consider: Monetization Model
type: HowToStep
position: 7
text: Monetization Model: Reddit has Ads, Premium subscriptions ($6.99/month), API access, while Hacker News has No ads, no subscriptions, pure organic model.

claimreview
type: ClaimReview
is accessible for free: true
conditions of access: Free
claim reviewed: Reddit vs Hacker News
review body: Reddit is a massive, entertainment-focused social platform with 430M monthly users across diverse communities, while Hacker News is a niche, tech-centric discussion forum with ~500K daily active users prioritizing substantive discourse over entertainment. Reddit dominates in scale and content variety; Hacker News excels in signal-to-noise ratio for technical professionals.
review rating: Rating
  rating: 5
  worst rating: 1
  best rating: 5
  alternate name: Verified Comparison
author: A Versus B
item reviewed: Reddit vs Hacker News

Number of Public Communities
type: PropertyValue
value: Reddit: 140,000 active subreddits | Hacker News: N/A

Mobile App Store Rating
type: PropertyValue
value: Reddit: 4.2 stars (2.5M reviews) | Hacker News: N/A

Maximum Free Storage Per Upload
type: PropertyValue
value: Reddit: 1000 MB (1 GB) | Hacker News: N/A

Monthly Active Users
type: PropertyValue
value: Reddit: 430 million | Hacker News: N/A

Average Daily Time Spent
type: PropertyValue
value: Reddit: 29 minutes | Hacker News: N/A

Global Market Share
type: PropertyValue
value: Reddit: 3.8% of social media usage | Hacker News: N/A

Data Privacy Rating
type: PropertyValue
value: Reddit: Good (minimal data collection, privacy-focused) | Hacker News: N/A

Algorithmic Feed Influence
type: PropertyValue
value: Reddit: Low (community voting drives ranking) | Hacker News: N/A

Founded Year
type: PropertyValue
value: Reddit: 2005 | Hacker News: N/A

Annual Revenue (2025)
type: PropertyValue
value: Reddit: $750 million (estimated) | Hacker News: N/A

Identity Requirement
type: PropertyValue
value: Reddit: Anonymous/pseudonymous allowed | Hacker News: N/A

Average Session Duration
type: PropertyValue
value: Reddit: 64 minutes | Hacker News: N/A

Active Communities/Spaces
type: PropertyValue
value: Reddit: 140,000+ active subreddits | Hacker News: N/A

Character Limit per Post
type: PropertyValue
value: Reddit: Unlimited (no hard limit) | Hacker News: N/A

News Trending Speed
type: PropertyValue
value: Reddit: 120-480 minutes (2-8 hours) | Hacker News: N/A

Creator Monetization Options
type: PropertyValue
value: Reddit: Limited (awards only, no revenue sharing) | Hacker News: N/A

Content Lifespan (Searchability)
type: PropertyValue
value: Reddit: 180+ days (6+ months average) | Hacker News: N/A

Anonymity Default Setting
type: PropertyValue
value: Reddit: Complete anonymity (no real name required) | Hacker News: N/A

Daily Active Users
type: PropertyValue
value: Reddit: 57 million | Hacker News: 0.5 million
value reference: Reddit

Primary Content Categories
type: PropertyValue
value: Reddit: 140K+ subreddits (entertainment, news, hobbies, all topics) | Hacker News: Technology, startups, science, programming

Estimated Spam/Low-Quality Content Percentage
type: PropertyValue
value: Reddit: 30-70% (varies by community) | Hacker News: 5-10%
value reference: Hacker News

Vote Count Visibility Delay
type: PropertyValue
value: Reddit: Immediate | Hacker News: 1 hour hidden
value reference: Hacker News

Commercial API Rate
type: PropertyValue
value: Reddit: $12,000 (commercial tier) | Hacker News: Not available (API-free model)

Mobile App Downloads
type: PropertyValue
value: Reddit: 100+ million (iOS + Android) | Hacker News: ~5 million (iOS + Android)
value reference: Reddit

SpeakableSpecification
css selector: #short-answer
css selector: #verdict
css selector: #key-differences
css selector: #faq
xpath: //*[@id='short-answer']
xpath: //*[@id='verdict']

Reddit — Wikipedia
type: CreativeWork

Hacker News — Wikipedia
type: CreativeWork

Compare Reddit vs Hacker News
type: Action
additional type: CompareAction
target: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/reddit-vs-hacker-news)
object: Reddit
object: Hacker News

Average Session Duration
type: PropertyValue
value reference: User Engagement

Active Communities/Spaces
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Content Organization

Character Limit per Post
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Content Format

News Trending Speed
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Real-Time Performance

Creator Monetization Options
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Monetization

Content Lifespan (Searchability)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Discoverability

Anonymity Default Setting
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Privacy

Daily Active Users
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Scale & Reach

Primary Content Categories
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Scope

Estimated Spam/Low-Quality Content Percentage
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Quality

Vote Count Visibility Delay
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Mechanics

Commercial API Rate
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Developer Access

Mobile App Downloads
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Accessibility