https://hncompanion.com

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HN Companion logoHN Companion
HomeFeaturesFAQDownloadHow It WorksWeb App
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Also available for Firefox and Edge.

Summaries built for HN.Follow the conversation.

A browser extension to read Hacker News faster with context-aware AI
summaries that highlight key debates and contrasting viewpoints. Jump
straight to relevant comments. Fly through threads with keyboard
shortcuts.

No TrackingVim KeybindingsOpen Source
#Download for ChromeTry the Web App
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01

Summaries Built for HN

Get the gist of long discussions with HN-aware AI summaries

  * Understands thread hierarchy and conversation flow
  * Highlights important debates and contrasting viewpoints
  * Captures key perspectives and notable side discussions
  * Surfaces what the community values most

Learn how it worksTry it in the web app
Screenshot showing the summary panel with discussion overview and key
insights
02

Follow the Conversation

Find interesting topics and continue the discussion

  * Jump to specific comments from summary
  * Navigate to other comments by same author
  * User profile info on hover

Screenshot showing comment navigation and author tracking features
03

Fully Customizable

Choose your model, customize your prompts

  * Bring your own API key (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, OpenRouter)
  * Or use free cached summaries
  * Customize system & user prompts

Works with

OpenAI
Anthropic
Google Gemini
OpenRouter
Screenshot showing the settings panel with LLM provider options
04

Keyboard-First Navigation

Vim-inspired keyboard shortcuts

  * j/k to move between sibling comments
  * h/l to navigate the comment tree
  * c to collapse threads instantly

Screenshot showing keyboard shortcuts help panel with vim-style
navigation
05

Privacy First

No tracking. No analytics. No compromises.

  * Generate summaries locally with Ollama
  * Zero analytics or tracking
  * Fully open source (MIT License)

Powered by

OllamaOllamaGitHubGitHub
Screenshot highlighting privacy features with local processing option

See How It Works

Watch a quick demo or see what it looks like in action

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about HN Companion

Expand all
What gets summarized, and where do I see it?

HN Companion adds a summary panel directly on Hacker News. You can
summarize comment threads with a single click, then read a short,
focused overview before you dive in.

How does the summarization understand HN threads?

Unlike generic summarizers, HN Companion preserves the hierarchical
structure of conversations. It tracks parent-child relationships
between comments, captures diverse viewpoints, and identifies where
discussions shift to new topics. This means summaries reflect how HN
discussions actually work -- with context preserved and side
discussions surfaced. Learn more about how it works.

Which browsers are supported?

We officially support Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. The extension is
also compatible with other Chromium-based browsers like Brave, Arc,
and Vivaldi.

Is HN Companion free to use?

Yes! HN Companion is completely free and open source. You can use the
free cached summaries, or bring your own API key for more control
over the AI model used.

How do cached summaries work?

To save you money on API costs, we pre-generate and cache summaries
for popular discussions on our servers. If a cached summary exists
for a thread, you'll get it instantly for free. If not, you can
generate a fresh summary using your own API key.

What permissions does the extension need?

HN Companion only runs on Hacker News pages and stores your settings
locally. It does not send any browsing data or API keys to our
servers.

What if I don't want to install a browser extension?

No problem. You can use the web app instead at app.hncompanion.com,
or use the bookmarklet.

Does the extension collect my data?

No. HN Companion has zero analytics or tracking. Your API keys are
stored locally in your browser and never sent to any server. You can
even run summaries completely locally using Ollama. Learn more in our
Privacy Policy.

Which AI models are supported?

HN Companion supports OpenAI (GPT-4, GPT-3.5), Anthropic (Claude),
Google (Gemini), OpenRouter, and local models via Ollama. You can
also use the free cached summaries without any API key.

How do the keyboard shortcuts work?

HN Companion adds Vim-inspired keyboard navigation to Hacker News.
Use j/k to move between sibling comments, h/l to navigate the comment
tree, and c to collapse threads. Press ? to see all available
shortcuts.

Is HN Companion open source?

Yes, HN Companion is fully open source under the MIT license. You can
view the source code, contribute, or fork the project on GitHub.

Get HN Companion for your browser

Available on all major browsers

Chrome logoAdd to ChromeFirefox logoAdd to FirefoxEdge logoAdd to
Edge

Prefer no install? Try the web app or use the bookmarklet.

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Open source under the MIT License

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