Hackney: Multi-Provider Rideshare Price Comparison App

Hackney is a rideshare price comparison application designed to help users avoid surge pricing and find the cheapest available ride by aggregating data from multiple providers. The app allows users to enter a destination, compare real-time prices and wait times across different services, and then complete the booking within the respective provider's own application.

Core Functionality and User Workflow

The Hackney app streamlines the ride-hailing process into three primary steps:

1. Destination Input: Users enter their destination or select a saved location.
2. Price Comparison: The app displays a side-by-side comparison of prices and estimated wait times from various providers, including Uber, Lyft, Waymo, and Robotaxi.
3. External Booking: To maintain security and finalize the ride, the app directs users to book the ride within the official ride-hailing provider's app.

Additional features include the support for saved places and the ability to share destinations from map applications directly into Hackney.

Technical Implementation and Security

Hackney connects directly to the servers of ride-hailing companies to retrieve pricing data. The developers claim the app is built for security, though it does not maintain an official affiliation with any of the ride-hailing companies it tracks.

Community Discussion and Technical Concerns

Following its introduction on Hacker News, the community raised several technical and legal concerns regarding the app's sustainability and the methods used to access data:

API Access and Terms of Service

Several users pointed out that major ride-hailing companies, particularly Uber, explicitly forbid the use of their APIs for price comparison. This has led to concerns about the potential for account bans or the app's removal from app stores.

"You mentioned that Uber specifically forbids using their API for price comparison. Aren't you worried that they may implement something so you can't use internal APIs?"

Other users suggested that the app relies on reverse-engineered private APIs, which is a practice that Apple's App Store review process typically scrutinizes strictly.

Market Viability and Alternatives

While some users praised the app as a necessary tool for a free market, others questioned its business model and the utility of the app compared to manually switching between apps.

Existing alternatives were mentioned by the community, including Obi (rideobi.com), which operates worldwide, and Sailrides (sailrides.co), a similar service in Ghana.

Naming and Branding

One commenter noted a contradiction in the app's naming, as "Hackney" traditionally refers to licensed black cabs in London—drivers who undergo extensive training—which is the opposite of the ride-hailing model used by Uber and Lyft.