Hawk Central vs ISU Cyclones
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Hawk Central
Get comprehensive coverage of the University of Iowa Hawkeyes, including news, scores, opinions, and exclusive analysis. Access award-winning photos and videos from top local sources, all in one convenient app.
- Latest news and headlines
- Exclusive commentary and analysis
- Award-winning photos and videos
- Real-time scores
- Opinion pieces
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Coverage of the University of Iowa Hawkeyes has never been better. Catch all the latest news, headlines, opinions, photos and scores for the Hawkeyes — all in one place, brought to you by the authoritative sources of the best local coverage, The Des Moines Register and the Iowa City Press-Citizen. With exclusive commentary, insider analysis and award-winning photos and videos from The Des Moines Register and Iowa City Press-Citizen team, the Hawk Central app is your one-stop shop for all coverage of the Hawkeyes. • 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://cn.desmoinesregister.com/privacy/ • Help Center: https://help.hawkcentral.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 review sentiment: Hawk Central at 80% against ISU Cyclones's 35%. Hawk Central also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.3) and ratings volume (2.1K vs 386). ISU Cyclones's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence, device support and iOS requirement 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. Hawk Central sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. ISU Cyclones asks for nothing beyond the download.
Hawk Central holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hawk Central has 2.1K ratings behind it against 386, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of Hawk Central's written reviews are positive against 35% of ISU Cyclones's.
Hawk Central ships an update every 3 weeks, ISU Cyclones every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Hawk Central | ISU Cyclones |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (2.1K ratings) — better | 4.3 (386 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 80.3% of reviews — better | 35.4% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 2.1K — better | 386 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — 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
Hawk Central
ISU Cyclones
User reviews
Hawk Central
From 2.1K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Great information
- 👍 Excellent reporting
- 👍 Thorough Hawkeyes news
- 👍 Balanced, in-depth coverage
- 👍 Timely and accurate information
Room to improve
- 🐛 Crashes and loading issues
- 🔒 Inconsistent login and access to subscription content
- 💰 Overpriced subscription
- 📉 Declining content quality and quantity
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
Hawk Central
Reported bugs
3 issues- Frequent crashes and loading errors
- Subscription access issues
- Compatibility problems on older devices
Requested features
3 requests- Improve sign-in process
- Provide better customer support
- Increase free content access
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
Show 6 moreShow fewer
- 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
Show 3 moreShow fewer
- Reduced ads for premium subscribers
- Better session persistence (remember user location)
- Customizable sport preferences and notifications
In-app purchases
Hawk Central
- 1 Month of App Access1 Month trial$9.991 Month
- 1 Year of App Access1 Year trial2 variants$39.991 Year
ISU Cyclones
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Hawk Central free?
Is ISU Cyclones free?
Which has better reviews, Hawk Central or ISU Cyclones?
Do Hawk Central or ISU Cyclones have ads?
Which is updated more often, Hawk Central or ISU Cyclones?
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