Cyclone Insider vs ISU Cyclones
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Cyclone Insider
Stay updated with Iowa State Cyclones news, scores, and analysis. Access exclusive content, live game coverage, photos, and videos from a trusted local source. Manage your subscription easily through your device settings.
- Latest news and headlines
- Live game coverage
- Exclusive commentary and analysis
- Award-winning photos and videos
- Scores, stats, and rosters
- Tweet integration
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Coverage of the Iowa State University Cyclones has never been better. Catch all the latest news, headlines, opinions, live game coverage, photos, videos, tweets, scores, stats and rosters for the Cyclones — all in one place, brought to you by the authoritative source of the best local coverage, The Des Moines Register. With exclusive commentary, insider analysis and award-winning photos and videos from The Des Moines Register’s team, the app is your one-stop shop for all coverage of the Cyclones. • This app is free to download and all users can access a sampling of free articles every month. • Subscriptions are charged to your account at confirmation of purchase and automatically renew each month or year, unless turned off in your account settings at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage your subscriptions and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to your Account Settings after purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when you purchase a subscription, where applicable. See "Subscription Support" in the app's Settings for more details and customer service contact information. MORE INFORMATION • Terms of service - https://cm.desmoinesregister.com/terms/ • Privacy Notice/Your California Privacy Rights - https://cm.desmoinesregister.com/privacy/ • Help Center: https://help.desmoinesregister.com
ISU Cyclones
Stay connected with Iowa State University athletics. Access exclusive video content, engage with interactive social media, and get real-time scores and stats for all games. Receive custom alerts for important Gameday information.
- Exclusive video content
- Interactive social media integration
- Live scores and stats
- Play-by-play information
- Custom Gameday notifications
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Iowa State University, in partnership with SIDEARM Sports is excited to bring you the official ISU Cyclones app that is a must-have for fans headed to campus or following the Cyclones from afar. With exclusive video, interactive social media, and all the scores and stats surrounding the game, the ISU Cyclones app covers it all! + SOCIAL STREAM - View social media content. + SCORES & STATS - All available scores, stats, and play-by-play information that fans need and expect during live games + NOTIFICATIONS - Custom alert notifications to let fans know everything surrounding Gameday
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ISU Cyclones at none against Cyclone Insider's 4. ISU Cyclones also leads on ads (none vs shown). Cyclone Insider's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.3) and review sentiment (64% vs 35%). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and device support 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. Cyclone Insider sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. ISU Cyclones asks for nothing beyond the download.
Cyclone Insider holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.1K and 386 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 64% of Cyclone Insider's written reviews are positive against 35% of ISU Cyclones's.
Cyclone Insider ships an update monthly, ISU Cyclones every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Cyclone Insider | ISU Cyclones |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (1.1K ratings) — better | 4.3 (386 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 63.6% of reviews — better | 35.4% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1.1K — better | 386 |
| Update frequency | Monthly — better | Every 5 weeks |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 184 MB | 271 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | USA TODAY Co., Inc. | SIDEARM Sports |
Customer experience
Cyclone Insider
ISU Cyclones
User reviews
Cyclone Insider
From 1.1K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Great app for ISU sports info
- 💡 Provides inside information on Cyclones
- 🚀 Excellent reporting and coverage
Room to improve
- 🐛 App not working/loading issues
- 🔒 Articles now behind paywall
- 💡 Could be updated more frequently
ISU Cyclones
From 386 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 📱 Comprehensive coverage of all ISU athletics
- 🎥 Ability to watch games and coaches' shows on-demand
- 📍 Reliable schedule updates and event notifications
- 👨👩👧👦 Great resource for out-of-state fans and families
- 📊 In-depth articles and stats on student athletes
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and loading failures
- 🎬 Video streaming unreliable and slow
- 🔋 Excessive battery drain in background
- 📺 Screen rotation functionality broken
- 📰 Outdated event information and late postings
Bugs and requests
Cyclone Insider
Reported bugs
2 issues- App not working on iPad
- Loading errors on various devices
Requested features
2 requests- Restore play-by-play updates
- Make all articles accessible without subscription
ISU Cyclones
Reported bugs
11 issues- App won't launch or crashes on startup
- Video playback stuck on loading spinner
- Screen rotation disabled after updates
- Login keyboard blocks submit button
- Streaming stops randomly and restarts from beginning
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- Radio playback randomly stops mid-broadcast
- Landscape mode video playback unavailable
- Chromecast functionality missing despite promises
- Premium content inaccessible after login
- App freezes during video playback
- Slow performance and unresponsive touch controls
Requested features
8 requests- Chromecast support for streaming to TV
- Ability to skip to specific times in radio broadcasts
- Search functionality by sport
- Landscape mode video viewing
- Access to archived/on-demand games library
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- Reduced ads for premium subscribers
- Better session persistence (remember user location)
- Customizable sport preferences and notifications
In-app purchases
Cyclone Insider
- 1 Month of App Access$3.991 Month
- Cyclone Insider3 Months trial$9.991 Month
- 1 Year of App Access$35.991 Year
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- 1 Month of App Access1 Year trial$39.991 Year
ISU Cyclones
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Cyclone Insider free?
Is ISU Cyclones free?
Which has better reviews, Cyclone Insider or ISU Cyclones?
Do Cyclone Insider or ISU Cyclones have ads?
Which is updated more often, Cyclone Insider or ISU Cyclones?
Other comparisons
