Cicada Safari vs HP Library
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
HP Library
Access your local library's catalog to search for books, movies, and digital content. Manage your account, renew items, and register for events directly from your device.
- Search catalog for books and movies
- Reserve new releases
- Manage library account
- Renew borrowed items
- Access digital content (eBooks, eAudiobooks)
- Register for library events
- Use eCard for on-site checkouts
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Stay connected to Highland Park Public Library from home and abroad. Register for events, search for books and movies, renew your items and much more. Download the app today and experience your library like never before! • Looking for the newest releases? Browse our new books and movies and reserve your copy with just the tap of a finger. • Log in to the app with your library card number and PIN to keep track of your account on the go! Renew material, manage your holds, review your loan history and check your account balance, too. • Check out material on site with your eCard. • Explore our entire catalog. Search, read reviews, find similar items and locate a copy to pick up from Highland Park Public Library. • Access digital content in one convenient location. Search for eBooks, eAudiobooks, movies and more from OverDrive, RBDigital, Kanopy, hoopla and other content providers. • Discover a new skill and connect with your community at one of our amazing events! Filter by event type or age group and register right from the app. Add events to your calendar or share them with your friends on Facebook.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Cicada Safari at 4.3 against HP Library's 3.3. Cicada Safari also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 9 months) and ratings volume (20 vs 4). HP Library's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.6). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases 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 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cicada Safari has 20 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 29% of Cicada Safari's written reviews are positive against 33% of HP Library's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Cicada Safari ships an update monthly, HP Library every 9 months. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.
| Parameter | Cicada Safari | HP Library |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.3 (20 ratings) — better | 3.3 (4 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 28.6% of reviews | 33.3% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 20 — better | 4 |
| Update frequency | Monthly — better | Every 9 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 11.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 20 MB | 36 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Mount St. Joseph University | City of Highland Park Public Library |
Customer experience
Cicada Safari
HP Library
Bugs and 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
HP Library
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Cicada Safari
No in-app purchases
HP Library
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Cicada Safari free?
Is HP Library free?
Which has better reviews, Cicada Safari or HP Library?
Do Cicada Safari or HP Library have ads?
Which is updated more often, Cicada Safari or HP Library?
Other comparisons
