Comparison

CSUSM vs SDSU Safe

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

CSUSM

Stay connected with campus life, academic resources, and events. This app provides personalized experiences, a digital ID, and access to course information, campus maps, and dining details. It also helps you find parking and stay updated on athletics.

Highlights
  • Personalized campus experiences
  • Digital ID and MyCSUSM access
  • Parking information and permit purchase
  • Dining hours and locations
  • Dynamic campus maps
  • Cougar Courses and academic resources
  • Campus event listings
Features
Read full description

Connect with CSUSM on the go with our official campus mobile app! Keep up to date on your classes, never miss a campus event, enjoy access academic resources, and engage with our vibrant campus life all from your phone. This application is an ongoing project and we welcome your feedback. Current features include: Personalized experiences Digital ID MyCSUSM Get the most of your CSUSM Experience Find a parking spot and purchase parking permits Dining hours and locations Campus directory Dynamic campus maps Cougar Athletics game schedules and news Campus discounts Campus events Ace Your Classes Cougar Courses Find an open study space or chat with a librarian Check your campus email

About

SDSU Safe

This official campus safety application provides students, faculty, and staff with enhanced security on university grounds. It offers emergency contact options, real-time location sharing with friends, incident reporting, and access to support resources and campus maps.

Highlights
  • Emergency contacts
  • Friend Walk location sharing
  • Report incidents
  • Support resources access
  • Campus map navigation
  • Safety notifications
Read full description

SDSU Safe is the official safety app of San Diego State University. It is the only app that integrates with SDSU’s safety and security systems. Campus Security has worked to develop a unique app that provides students, faculty and staff with added safety on the SDSU campus. The app will send you important safety alerts and provide instant access to campus safety resources. SDSU Safe features include: - Emergency Contacts: Contact the correct services for the SDSU area in case of an emergency or a non-emergency concern - Friend Walk: Send your location to a friend through email or SMS on your device. Once the friend accepts the Friend Walk request, the user picks their destination and their friend tracks their location in real time; they can keep an eye on them to make sure they make it safely to their destination. - Report an Incident: Multiple ways to report a safety/security concern directly to SDSU Police. - Support Resources: Access support resources in one convenient app to enjoy a successful experience at SDSU. - Be Prepared: Enhance your safety with the set of tools provided in one convenient app. - Campus Map: Navigate around the SDSU area. - Safety Notifications: Receive instant notifications and instructions from SDSU Police when on-campus emergencies occur. Download today to ensure you’re prepared in the event of an emergency.

Screenshots

CSUSM4 screens
SDSU Safe4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: CSUSM at every 4 months against SDSU Safe's every 12 months. CSUSM also leads on ratings volume (25 vs 3). SDSU Safe's advantage is rating (3.0 vs 2.8) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

SDSU Safe holds the better App Store score, 3.0 against 2.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: CSUSM has 25 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

CSUSM ships an update every 4 months, SDSU Safe every 12 months. The most recent releases landed on July 7, 2026 and June 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
CSUSM versus SDSU Safe: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCSUSMSDSU Safe
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.8 (25 ratings)3.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews18.2% of reviews—
Number of ratings25 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 4 months — betterEvery 12 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size15 MB23 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperCalifornia State University San MarcosSan Diego State University

Customer experience

CSUSM

All ratings25 ratings
Positive44.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative56.0%
Written reviews11 reviews
Positive18.2%
Neutral9.1%
Negative72.7%

SDSU Safe

All ratings3 ratings
Positive33.3%
Neutral33.3%
Negative33.3%

In-app purchases

None

CSUSM

No in-app purchases

None

SDSU Safe

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is CSUSM free?
CSUSM is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is SDSU Safe free?
SDSU Safe is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, CSUSM or SDSU Safe?
SDSU Safe is rated higher. CSUSM averages 2.8 out of 5 from 25 ratings, while SDSU Safe averages 3.0 from 3 ratings.
Do CSUSM or SDSU Safe have ads?
Neither CSUSM nor SDSU Safe shows ads.
Which is updated more often, CSUSM or SDSU Safe?
CSUSM ships an update every 4 months, and SDSU Safe every 12 months. Most recently, CSUSM was updated on July 7, 2026 and SDSU Safe on June 5, 2026.

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