DPPL Mobile vs Cicada Safari
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
DPPL Mobile
Manage your library account, renew borrowed items, and search the catalog. Access digital content, discover library events, and receive personalized recommendations. The app also features a digital library card for convenient checkouts.
- Renew items
- Manage account
- Search catalog
- Access digital content
- Find library events
- Digital library card
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Renew items, manage your account, search the catalog, get digital content, find library events, and get personalized recommendations. Try out the new Des Plaines Public Library app, with faster load times and an added library card feature. Store your card in the app for easier checkouts in person. Still haven’t registered for a library card? Come to our downtown Des Plaines location to register today! Your library card from any Illinois public library may also be registered here to check out materials from our consortium of area libraries. Electronic materials require a Des Plaines Public Library card. See our website for more info, https://dppl.org/patron-services/get-a-library-card
Cicada Safari
Contribute to scientific research by documenting periodical cicada emergences. Submit photos to help map the range of Brood X and verify cicada life cycles.
- Document cicada emergences
- Submit photos for scientific data
- Map Brood X range
- Verify cicada life cycles
- Contribute to scientific research
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People have been recording periodical cicada emergences for nearly four centuries. These maps have been critical in verifying the cicadas’ long life cycles and the relationships of the broods to each other. Help us map the 2021 emergence with Cicada Safari! Your submitted photos will be used to determine the range of Brood X across several states.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: DPPL Mobile at 67% against Cicada Safari's 29%. DPPL Mobile also leads on iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.6). Cicada Safari's advantage is rating (4.3 vs 4.0) and update cadence (monthly vs every 6 months). 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Cicada Safari holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 20 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 67% of DPPL Mobile's written reviews are positive against 29% of Cicada Safari's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
DPPL Mobile ships an update every 6 months, Cicada Safari monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | DPPL Mobile | Cicada Safari |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.0 (5 ratings) | 4.3 (20 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews — better | 28.6% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 5 | 20 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 36 MB | 20 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Des Plaines Public Library | Mount St. Joseph University |
Customer experience
DPPL Mobile
Cicada Safari
Bugs and requests
DPPL Mobile
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Cicada Safari
Reported bugs
16 issues- App crashes frequently
- Map loads blank or is unusable
- Photos/videos not uploading or getting approved
- Sign-up/login issues (birthdate field, password reset)
- App freezes or shuts down unexpectedly
Show 11 moreShow fewer
- Camera freezes or doesn't respond
- Geotagging errors
- App layout issues on modern phones
- Login button too small/unmovable
- Cannot use iPhotos/camera roll photos
- App not responding after clicking map icons
- Microphone/camera permission issues
- Marker clustering makes map useless
- Duplicate notifications for photo status
- App forces portrait orientation
- Safari freezes during password reset
Requested features
11 requests- Provide explanations for photo rejections
- Allow uploading photos/videos from camera roll
- Fix location accuracy for approved photos
- Add functionality for Joro Spider tracking
- Allow users to edit location after submission
Show 6 moreShow fewer
- Improve map functionality (e.g., marker clustering)
- Add social media features (favorites, following)
- Allow downloading videos
- Improve camera zoom functionality
- Provide better guidance on geotagging
- Add contact option for support
In-app purchases
DPPL Mobile
No in-app purchases
Cicada Safari
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is DPPL Mobile free?
Is Cicada Safari free?
Which has better reviews, DPPL Mobile or Cicada Safari?
Do DPPL Mobile or Cicada Safari have ads?
Which is updated more often, DPPL Mobile or Cicada Safari?
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