Comparison

Cluster vs Flare

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Cluster

Create private groups to share photos and videos with specific people. Ideal for families, friends, or colleagues to share moments securely without broadcasting to a wider audience. Access your shared memories across mobile devices and the web.

Highlights
  • Create private sharing groups
  • Share photos and videos
  • Invite specific members
  • Web and mobile access
  • Relevant notifications
  • Secure and private sharing
Features
Read full description

* Featured as “New and Noteworthy” by Apple * Cluster makes it possible to create private groups where you share moments through photos and videos with the people you care about. Create a group with family, a group of friends, coworkers, people from your home town, or anyone else! Great for: • New Moms! Share photos of a new baby with close friends and family without spamming everyone on other social networks • College Students! Share memories with friends not appropriate for Facebook • Families! Keep in touch even if you’re not in the same place. Tons of people already trust Cluster. Here’s why: • Private & secure: Only invited members of the group can see what you post. • An app for everyone: Access Cluster through gorgeous mobile apps and the web. • Relevant notifications: Know when people you invited post new things to the group. How it works: 1. Create a group. 2. Add the people you care about. 3. Share photos, videos and notes together. People LOVE Cluster: • “The app is fantastic! Me and my sister were so happy to find it. We made a group of the whole family and its great. My big brother is living in Europe, my sister traveling for the next 4 months and the rest of the family lives in Chile. They upload pictures and we can see how and what they are doing. Its very simple to use (even our grandmother is in the group!).” • “I downloaded 10 different photo sharing apps, not including your Cluster app. I needed an app that allowed the creation of multiple albums, other users could join from anywhere, was password protected and SIMPLE. I deleted every app except your Cluster app. All the other apps were either too difficult to explain...to someone 8 hours away, too complicated to set up and/or upload, they limited the number of albums a user can create, required Bluetooth or wifi to share, or required a social media account to set up. Your app served all the purposes that I need. It is great, fabulous, fun & simple! Keep up the good work!” • “I really like the privacy of the app and the fact that only people invited or with the code can access our pictures.” • “I want to thank you all for such a wonderful product - it really has brought us all even closer together. The constant banter, the photo streams, the comedy...all of it...it's been awesome. So, as far as my feedback goes, I'd say this is an awesome program and we'll continue using it for as long as it's available!” The press LOVES Cluster: • Featured by the Apple App Store (“New and Noteworthy”), NYTimes, TechCrunch and many more! Cluster Club is a monthly or annual subscription to give admins more control over their groups. Check it out by visiting the Settings → Subscription Settings section of the app. By purchasing a subscription you agree to Cluster's Terms of Use: https://cluster.co/terms/ and Privacy Policy: https://cluster.co/privacy/

About

Flare

This app streamlines group management by consolidating communication, event planning, and engagement tools. It offers features like group chats, event RSVPs, attendance tracking, photo albums, and payment collection, making it ideal for various organizations.

Highlights
  • Group chats and announcements
  • Event creation and attendance tracking
  • Photo albums and highlights
  • Polls and points system
  • Ticket sales and payment collection
  • File sharing and roster management
Features
Read full description

Flare is the ultimate app for groups. Flare keeps your group connected, organized, and engaged—all in one app. Whether you’re running a student organization, campus council, alumni network, or a national community, Flare makes communication effortless and events unforgettable. Why Flare? Tired of juggling endless group chats, scattered files, and disorganized calendars? Flare brings everything together: messages, events, attendance, photos, polls, points and more. With privacy controls and high‑quality features, it’s the smarter way to manage your community. Key Features & Benefits: ▶ Events & Attendance – Create and share events with details, RSVPs, and reminders. Track attendance with QR codes, passcodes, geolocation, or ticketing. ▶ Group Chats & Announcements – Keep everyone in the loop with customizable chats and a dedicated announcement wall. Optional message approval gives admins control when needed. ▶ Albums & Highlights – Upload high‑quality photos (up to 5000px), save your favorite photos, and share approved highlights. ▶ Engagement Tools – Polls, points system, birthday reminders, and alumni engagement. ▶ Payments Made Easy – Sell tickets or collect payments with Venmo integration. ▶ Seamless Organization – Share files, manage rosters, connect with alumni, and build lasting group connections. Built for Privacy & Control: - Protect your chats with screenshot blocking and admin notifications - Admin can delete messages and suspend members - Settings to approve messages, highlights, and membership requests. Join 500,000+ users already using Flare to simplify communication and boost engagement!

Screenshots

Cluster4 screens
Flare4 screens

Verdict

The call

Cluster and Flare both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 96% of Flare's written reviews are positive against 57% of Cluster's. Flare also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 6) and update cadence (every 2 days vs every 2 months). Cluster's advantage is device support (4 vs 2) and ratings volume (22K vs 6.3K). On price, rating and ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Cluster sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Flare asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Cluster against 4.9 for Flare. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 22K and 6.3K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 57% of Cluster's written reviews are positive against 96% of Flare's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Cluster ships an update every 2 months, Flare every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
Cluster versus Flare: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterClusterFlare
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (22K ratings)4.9 (6.3K ratings) — better
Positive reviews56.6% of reviews96.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings22K — better6.3K
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank—#54 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size35 MB130 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCluster Labs, Inc.Flare App, Inc.

Customer experience

Cluster

All ratings21,986 ratings
Positive96.3%
Neutral1.6%
Negative2.1%
Written reviews235 reviews
Positive56.6%
Neutral9.4%
Negative34.0%

Flare

All ratings6,329 ratings
Positive97.5%
Neutral0.9%
Negative1.7%
Written reviews422 reviews
Positive96.0%
Neutral1.9%
Negative2.1%

User reviews

Cluster

From 22K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🚀 Great for sharing photos and videos
  • 🔒 Allows private sharing with selected groups
  • 💡 Helpful for keeping family connected
  • 👍 Simple and effective interface

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
  • 🐛 Issues with photo/video uploads
  • 🐛 Unreliable notifications
  • 🐛 Glitchy performance after updates
  • 🔍 Lack of search and organization features

Flare

From 6.3K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Efficient communication
  • 🔒 Secure and private
  • 👍 Organized and user-friendly
  • 🎨 Great features like photo albums and calendars
  • 💪 Comprehensive for large groups

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional technical issues with notifications and loading
  • 🔒 Strict privacy settings can be limiting
  • 💻 Lack of desktop/web version

Bugs and requests

Cluster

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • App crashes on launch for some users
  • Photos and videos fail to upload consistently
  • Notification issues - not receiving updates
  • Compatibility problems with newer Android devices
  • Unexpected errors when trying to access accounts

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add ability to edit/delete posts
  • Improve photo/video upload reliability
  • Implement better notification system
  • Add option to create galleries/albums within groups
  • Enhance search and filtering capabilities

Flare

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Notifications not always working properly
  • Difficulty removing screenshots and photos

Requested features

3 requests
  • Ability to remove albums and events
  • More customization options for admins
  • Integration with personal calendars

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Cluster

Subscriptions6
  • Cluster Friend$4.991 Month
  • Cluster Family$9.991 Month
  • Cluster Pro$19.991 Month
Show 3 more
  • Cluster Friend$49.991 Year
  • Cluster Family$99.991 Year
  • Cluster Pro$199.991 Year
None

Flare

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Cluster free?
Cluster is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Flare free?
Flare is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Cluster or Flare?
Flare is rated higher. Cluster averages 4.8 out of 5 from 22K ratings, while Flare averages 4.9 from 6.3K ratings.
Do Cluster or Flare have ads?
Neither Cluster nor Flare shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Cluster or Flare?
Cluster ships an update every 2 months, and Flare every 2 days. Most recently, Cluster was updated on September 24, 2026 and Flare on September 25, 2026.

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