# Hawk Central vs ISU Cyclones

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hawk Central | ISU Cyclones |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (2.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hawk-central/id908833409/reviews)** | [4.3 (386 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/isu-cyclones/id1148751660/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.1K** | 386 |
| Positive reviews | **80.3% of reviews** | 35.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 184 MB | 271 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [USA TODAY Co., Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/404843797) | [SIDEARM Sports](https://appshunter.io/developer/329195539) |

## What reviewers say

### Hawk Central

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hawk-central/id908833409)

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.

**Highlights:** Latest news and headlines, Exclusive commentary and analysis, Award-winning photos and videos, Real-time scores, Opinion pieces

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 Month of App Access | $9.99 | per month |
| 1 Year of App Access | $39.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great information
- 👍 Excellent reporting
- 👍 Thorough Hawkeyes news
- 👍 Balanced, in-depth coverage
- 👍 Timely and accurate information

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and loading issues
- 🔒 Inconsistent login and access to subscription content
- 💰 Overpriced subscription
- 📉 Declining content quality and quantity

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent crashes and loading errors
- Subscription access issues
- Compatibility problems on older devices

**Requested features**

- Improve sign-in process
- Provide better customer support
- Increase free content access


### ISU Cyclones

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/isu-cyclones/id1148751660)

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.

**Highlights:** Exclusive video content, Interactive social media integration, Live scores and stats, Play-by-play information, Custom Gameday notifications

**Features:** Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 📱 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

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 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

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hawk Central free?

Hawk Central is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is ISU Cyclones free?

ISU Cyclones is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Hawk Central or ISU Cyclones?

Hawk Central is rated higher. Hawk Central averages 4.7 out of 5 from 2.1K ratings, while ISU Cyclones averages 4.3 from 386 ratings.

### Do Hawk Central or ISU Cyclones have ads?

Hawk Central shows ads; ISU Cyclones does not.

### Which is updated more often, Hawk Central or ISU Cyclones?

Hawk Central ships an update every 3 weeks, and ISU Cyclones every 5 weeks. Most recently, Hawk Central was updated on October 22, 2026 and ISU Cyclones on October 17, 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.*