Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Hacker News VS Digg

Compare Hacker News VS Digg and see what are their differences

Hacker News logo Hacker News

Hacker News is a social news website focusing on computer science and entrepreneurship. It is run by Paul Graham's investment fund and startup incubator, Y Combinator.

Digg logo Digg

Digg delivers the most interesting and talked-about stories on the Web right now.
  • Hacker News Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-23
  • Digg Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-08

Hacker News features and specs

  • Quality Content
    Hacker News focuses on high-quality, tech-centric content which is often insightful and valuable for those in the tech industry.
  • Community
    The community consists largely of professionals and enthusiasts in tech, providing a knowledgeable and skilled user base for discussions.
  • Upvote System
    The upvote system helps in promoting the most relevant and useful posts, ensuring users see content that is often vetted by the community.
  • Minimalist Design
    The simple, text-based design minimizes distractions and focuses on content and discussions without unnecessary clutter.
  • Diverse Topics
    While mainly focused on technology, Hacker News also covers a variety of subjects including entrepreneurship, science, and more.

Possible disadvantages of Hacker News

  • Echo Chamber Effect
    Given its focused and like-minded community, there is a risk of homogeneous opinions and lack of diverse viewpoints.
  • Moderation Issues
    The manual moderation can sometimes be inconsistent, leading to frustrations around which posts or comments get removed or promoted.
  • Signal-to-Noise Ratio
    Despite the upvote system, some low-quality or irrelevant content can still surface, diluting the overall information quality.
  • Niche Audience
    Its strong focus on tech topics can alienate those who are not as tech-savvy or interested, limiting broader appeal.
  • Limited Features
    The platform offers very basic functionality compared to other modern forums, which might deter users who prefer more advanced features.

Digg features and specs

  • Community-Driven Content
    Digg allows users to submit and vote on news stories, leading to a curated feed of popular content that reflects the interests of its community.
  • Wide Range of Topics
    The platform covers various subjects, from technology and science to entertainment and politics, catering to diverse user interests.
  • Simplified Interface
    Digg features a clean, straightforward design that makes browsing and discovering content easy and enjoyable.
  • Editorial Curation
    Besides user submissions, Digg also features editorially selected content, ensuring high-quality articles and reducing the likelihood of low-effort content.
  • Social Media Integration
    Digg provides social sharing tools that allow users to easily share articles across various social media platforms, increasing content reach.

Possible disadvantages of Digg

  • Decreased Popularity
    Compared to its peak years, Digg has seen a decline in user base and influence, which might affect the freshness and variety of submitted content.
  • Content Overlap
    Due to the editorial curation and popularity algorithms, users may encounter redundancy where similar stories are frequently highlighted.
  • Algorithm Bias
    The platform's algorithmic approach to featuring content can sometimes favor clickbait or sensational stories, potentially overshadowing more substantive news.
  • Limited Engagement Features
    Digg lacks some of the more interactive engagement features that other social platforms offer, such as detailed comment systems or community forums.
  • Competition from Other Platforms
    With the rise of other news aggregation and social media platforms like Reddit and Twitter, Digg faces substantial competition, which can impact user retention and engagement.

Analysis of Hacker News

Overall verdict

  • Good

Why this product is good

  • Hacker News is a popular platform for tech enthusiasts and professionals to discuss and share information on a wide variety of topics, mainly related to technology, startups, and computer science. It's known for its intelligent community and high-quality discussions, which can provide valuable insights and knowledge.

Recommended for

  • Tech enthusiasts
  • Startup founders
  • Developers
  • Entrepreneurs
  • Investors
  • Anyone interested in technology and innovation

Analysis of Digg

Overall verdict

  • Good. Digg is considered a reliable platform for those looking to stay updated with breaking news and trending topics. Its simplicity and curated nature make it accessible and user-friendly.

Why this product is good

  • Digg, as a news aggregator, provides curated content from various sources, aiming to deliver a streamlined and uncluttered reading experience. It is well-regarded for presenting trending topics across a variety of subjects, from technology to politics. Its focus on quality over quantity means users can find popular and relevant articles without sifting through overwhelming amounts of information.

Recommended for

  • People looking for a quick overview of trending news stories
  • Users who appreciate curated content from reputable sources
  • Individuals seeking a clean and straightforward interface
  • Those interested in technology, science, politics, and general current events

Hacker News videos

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Digg videos

Digging For Gold Dig it Surprises Inside Treasure Gold Bar | PSToyReviews

More videos:

  • Review - Digg Digg WordPress Plugin Review
  • Review - How Digg.com's Kevin Rose Crashed My $30,000/m Web Hosting Business

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Hacker News and Digg)
Social Networks
83 83%
17% 17
Social News
90 90%
10% 10
RSS Reader
0 0%
100% 100
Crowdfunding
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Hacker News and Digg

Hacker News Reviews

Best Forums for Developers to Join in 2025
Hacker News is a great place to learn how to code. You'll find many interesting articles about new projects in the open-source community. You can also see what's happening with your favorite programming language or framework daily.
Source: www.notchup.com
Make sure to list your SaaS on these marketplaces to get users
I would highly recommend if you have a SaaS, try to list it here as news this will surely get a good amount of traffic to your SaaS. Hacker News is simple and is maintained by Ycombinator which is a gold mine for startups to get started.
Source: medium.com
15 Best Reddit Alternatives in 2024: Find Your New Online Community
Hacker News, run by Y Combinator, is a popular platform for technology enthusiasts and entrepreneurs.
Great Products for Finding Startup Jobs
Hacker News—Not a job board, per se, but the HN Who’s Hiring post at the start of every month has dozens of engineering-focused job posts. HN also regularly pushes select YC jobs to the front page.
Source: medium.com
18 Best Sites for Finding a Startup Job
Hacker News has a job board that lists jobs exclusively at various startups. Obviously, as Hackers News is associated with Y Combinator, most of the listed startup jobs are at companies that have gone through the accelerator’s program.
Source: tech.co

Digg Reviews

8 Best Facebook Alternatives With Focus On Privacy For 2018
If you primarily use social networks for getting your daily dose of news, you have tons of options at your disposal. Digg, Flipboard, Feedly, Google News, Apple News, etc., are great options. Digg stands out among them due to its interesting curation process. From various media outlets, it provides the most important stories and videos. It’s a thumbs-up-based website and you...
Source: fossbytes.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Hacker News should be more popular than Digg. It has been mentiond 659 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Hacker News mentions (659)

  • Compiler Explorer and the Promise of URLs That Last Forever
    It doesn't matter. URI is basically a format and nothing else. (foo://bar123 would be a URI but not a URL because nothing defines what foo: is.) URLs and URNs are thingies using the URI format; https://news.ycombinator.com is a URL (in addition to being a URI) because there's an RFC that specifies that https: means and how to go out and fetch them. urn:isbn:0451450523... - Source: Hacker News / 3 days ago
  • Unveiling the X Consortium License: Bridging Open Source Fairness and Legal Innovation
    Key historical moments include debates on Hacker News and discussions on Stack Overflow where early adopters highlighted the need for licenses that safeguard intellectual property while encouraging communal improvement. The creators of the X Consortium License combined deep legal expertise with technical experience to create a model that champions fairness, a response supported by communities like the Free... - Source: dev.to / 12 days ago
  • Unveiling the WxWindows Library Licence: A Comprehensive Analysis of Open Source Fair Code Licensing
    This post provides a detailed exploration of the WxWindows Library Licence—a unique open source and fair code licensing model focused on protecting developers and balancing innovation with commercial use. We delve into its history, core concepts (including dual licensing and fair code mechanisms), practical applications, challenges, and future prospects. By integrating insights from industry-standard resources... - Source: dev.to / 12 days ago
  • Unveiling SGI Free Software License B 2.0: A Comprehensive Exploration for Open Source and Fair Code Communities
    Community-Driven Initiatives: A number of open source projects, much like those discussed on platforms such as Hacker News and Stack Overflow, have reported improved developer retention and satisfaction thanks to the clear compensation and anti-exploitation measures. - Source: dev.to / 12 days ago
  • Unveiling OpenMAMA License: A Comprehensive Exploration of Fair Code and Sustainable Open Source Ecosystems
    The OpenMAMA License was conceived at a time when the open source community demanded transparency and protection against corporate exploitation. Traditional licenses, while effective in many ways, often left developers with little control over commercial derivatives. Developers, driven by a need for equitable recognition and reward, began exploring ways to integrate fair compensation into licensing models.... - Source: dev.to / 12 days ago
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Digg mentions (75)

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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Hacker News and Digg, you can also consider the following products

License-Token.com - Monetize your source code while still keeping it open.

Reddit - Reddit gives you the best of the internet in one place. Get a constantly updating feed of breaking news, fun stories, pics, memes, and videos just for you.

Google News - Comprehensive up-to-date news coverage, aggregated from sources all over the world by Google News.

Lobsters - Lobsters is a technology-focused link-aggregation site.

Flipboard - Your Personal Magazine. Find, follow and flip stories that change your world.

Lemmy - Federated link aggregator and Reddit alternative built with Rust