# Cicada Safari vs HP Library

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.

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. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Cicada Safari | HP Library |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.3 (20 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cicada-safari/id1446471492/reviews)** | [3.3 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hp-library/id1528215821/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **20** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 28.6% of reviews | **33.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 9 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 20 MB | 36 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Mount St. Joseph University](https://appshunter.io/developer/1213097502) | [City of Highland Park Public Library](https://appshunter.io/developer/1528215823) |

## What reviewers say

### Cicada Safari

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cicada-safari/id1446471492)

Contribute to scientific research by documenting periodical cicada emergences. Submit photos to help map the range of Brood X and verify cicada life cycles.

**Highlights:** Document cicada emergences, Submit photos for scientific data, Map Brood X range, Verify cicada life cycles, Contribute to scientific research

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Great idea for scientific endeavor
- 👍 Informative about cicadas
- 🤩 Fun and cool app
- 😊 Exciting to contribute data
- ✨ Visually appealing app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes frequently
- 🐌 Slow loading times
- ❌ Photos rejected without explanation
- 🗺️ Map is unusable/blank
- 🚫 Cannot upload photos/videos

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- 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


### HP Library

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hp-library/id1528215821)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Cicada Safari free?

Cicada Safari is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is HP Library free?

HP Library is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Cicada Safari or HP Library?

Cicada Safari is rated higher. Cicada Safari averages 4.3 out of 5 from 20 ratings, while HP Library averages 3.3 from 4 ratings.

### Do Cicada Safari or HP Library have ads?

Neither Cicada Safari nor HP Library shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Cicada Safari or HP Library?

Cicada Safari ships an update monthly, and HP Library every 9 months. Most recently, Cicada Safari was updated on October 25, 2026 and HP Library on October 24, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*