Cluster vs Garmin Messenger™
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Create private sharing groups
- Share photos and videos
- Invite specific members
- Web and mobile access
- Relevant notifications
- Secure and private sharing
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* 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/
Garmin Messenger™
Communicate globally with friends and family, even without cell service. Pair with a compatible satellite communicator for secure messaging and SOS capabilities. Enjoy automatic network switching for reliable connectivity and real-time location sharing.
- Global messaging
- Interactive SOS
- Group messaging
- Photo and voice messaging
- Automatic network switching
- Real-time location sharing (LiveTrack)
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Stay in touch with friends and family. Enjoy the security and connectivity of global messaging with the Garmin Messenger™ app. Pair with your compatible inReach® satellite communicator for fast, easy direct messaging and interactive SOS that’s not limited to cellphone coverage areas (active satellite subscription required). The app supports group messaging as well as photo and voice messaging when paired with a compatible Garmin device (1). Automatic switching between internet, cellular, and satellite networks gives you the best connectivity and efficiency for all your messaging. When you have connectivity, the app will work seamlessly even if your inReach device is turned off. Invite your friends and family to download the app to stay connected and keep the conversation going on and off the trail. With the use of the LiveTrack™ feature, loved ones can follow your location in real time (2) and see data such as distance, time and elevation. (1) See compatible devices at garmin.com/p/893837#devices (2) When used with your compatible smartphone and the Garmin Earthmate® app or when used with your compatible inReach® technology-enabled Garmin device. Note: Some jurisdictions regulate or prohibit the use of satellite communication devices. It is the responsibility of the user to know and follow all applicable laws in the jurisdictions where the device is intended to be used.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Cluster at 56% against Garmin Messenger™'s 15%. Cluster also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.6) and device support (4 vs 1). Garmin Messenger™'s advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 6) and chart position (#63 vs unranked). On price, ratings volume, update cadence 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
Both are free to download. Cluster sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Garmin Messenger™ asks for nothing beyond the download.
Cluster holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 22K and 13K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 56% of Cluster's written reviews are positive against 15% of Garmin Messenger™'s.
Cluster ships an update every 4 weeks, Garmin Messenger™ every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 16, 2026.
| Parameter | Cluster | Garmin Messenger™ |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (22K ratings) — better | 4.6 (13K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 56.4% of reviews — better | 15.5% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 22K — better | 13K |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | — | #63 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 37 MB | 107 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Cluster Labs, Inc. | Garmin |
Customer experience
Cluster
Garmin Messenger™
User reviews
Cluster
From 22K App Store ratingsWhat 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
Garmin Messenger™
From 13K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Excellent app
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Great messaging functionality
- 👍 Seamless cellular and satellite communication
- 🚀 Consolidated messaging experience
Room to improve
- 🐛 Activation and verification issues
- 🐛 Pairing problems with InReach devices
- 🐛 Buggy and unstable app
- 👎 Difficult to use and navigate
- 👎 Lack of support for older InReach models
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
Garmin Messenger™
Reported bugs
4 issues- No verification code received
- App freezes during activation
- Inconsistent behavior between app and device
- Messaging not working in areas with no cell coverage
Requested features
5 requests- Ability to message non-Messenger contacts
- Improved contact management and syncing
- Apple Watch compatibility
- Ability to delete messages on paired devices
- Better integration with Garmin Explore app
In-app purchases
Cluster
- Cluster Friend$4.991 Month
- Cluster Family$9.991 Month
- Cluster Pro$19.991 Month
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- Cluster Friend$49.991 Year
- Cluster Family$99.991 Year
- Cluster Pro$199.991 Year
Garmin Messenger™
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Cluster free?
Is Garmin Messenger™ free?
Which has better reviews, Cluster or Garmin Messenger™?
Do Cluster or Garmin Messenger™ have ads?
Which is updated more often, Cluster or Garmin Messenger™?
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