# Hawk Central vs Mat Bracket Challenge

The clearest difference is ads: Mat Bracket Challenge at none against Hawk Central's shown. Mat Bracket Challenge also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.6). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Hawk Central sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Mat Bracket Challenge sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Hawk Central ships an update every 3 weeks, Mat Bracket Challenge fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hawk Central | Mat Bracket Challenge |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (2.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hawk-central/id908833409/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **2.1K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 80.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 186 MB | 51 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [USA TODAY Co., Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/404843797) | [Jacob Anderson](https://appshunter.io/developer/6792960985) |

## 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


### Mat Bracket Challenge

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mat-bracket-challenge/id6792960983)

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Draft League Seats ×5 | $4.95 | one-time |
| Draft League Seats ×11 | $10.90 | one-time |
| Draft League Seats ×20 | $19.90 | one-time |
| Draft League Seats ×22 | $21.90 | one-time |
| Draft League Seats ×24 | $23.90 | one-time |
| Draft League Seats ×25 | $24.90 | one-time |
| Draft League Seats ×26 | $25.90 | one-time |
| Draft League Seats ×27 | $26.90 | one-time |
| Draft League Seats ×28 | $27.90 | one-time |
| Draft League Seats ×30 | $29.90 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hawk Central free?

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

### Is Mat Bracket Challenge free?

Mat Bracket Challenge is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Hawk Central or Mat Bracket Challenge have ads?

Hawk Central shows ads; Mat Bracket Challenge does not.

### Which is updated more often, Hawk Central or Mat Bracket Challenge?

Hawk Central ships an update every 3 weeks, and Mat Bracket Challenge fortnightly. Most recently, Hawk Central was updated on November 1, 2026 and Mat Bracket Challenge on October 17, 2026.

---

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