Cicada Safari vs HPPL
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.
HPPL
Access library resources and services remotely. Discover new materials, manage your account, and register for programs. Your digital library card is available for easy checkouts.
- Search and browse library collection
- Manage account, renew items, place holds
- Stream and download digital media
- Access digital library card
- Register for programs and events
- Reserve meeting rooms
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Access Highland Park Public Library, anytime, anywhere. Use the HPPL app to discover new items, place holds, access digital materials, reserve meeting rooms, manage your account, register for programs, and access Library services on your mobile device. Features: • Search the collection and browse new books, movies, music, and more • Check due dates, renew items, and place holds • Stream and download eBooks, audiobooks, movies, TV shows, music, and more • Access your digital library card from your device, use to check out items • Add your digital library card to Apple Wallet • Add and manage multiple household accounts • Find storytimes, author appearances, and other programs • Register for programs and events, and easily view your registrations • Reserve meeting rooms
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Cicada Safari at 4.3 against HPPL's 3.3. Cicada Safari also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 12 months) and ratings volume (20 vs 4). 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 HPPL's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Cicada Safari ships an update monthly, HPPL every 12 months. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Cicada Safari | HPPL |
|---|---|---|
| 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 12 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 20 MB | 45 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Mount St. Joseph University | City of Highland Park Public Library |
Customer experience
Cicada Safari
HPPL
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
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- 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
HPPL
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Cicada Safari
No in-app purchases
HPPL
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Cicada Safari free?
Is HPPL free?
Which has better reviews, Cicada Safari or HPPL?
Do Cicada Safari or HPPL have ads?
Which is updated more often, Cicada Safari or HPPL?
Other comparisons
