# Cluster vs BuyNothing

The clearest difference is rating: Cluster at 4.8 against BuyNothing's 4.3. Cluster also leads on review sentiment (56% vs 27%) and ratings volume (22K vs 2.1K). BuyNothing's advantage is update cadence (every 8 days vs every 4 weeks) and chart position (#204 vs unranked). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Cluster sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and BuyNothing sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Cluster holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cluster has 22K ratings behind it against 2.1K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 56% of Cluster's written reviews are positive against 27% of BuyNothing's.

Cluster ships an update every 4 weeks, BuyNothing every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Cluster | BuyNothing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (22K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cluster/id596595032/reviews)** | [4.3 (2.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buynothing/id1557679959/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **22K** | 2.1K |
| Positive reviews | **56.4% of reviews** | 26.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | **Every 8 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#204** |
| Size | 37 MB | 76 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Cluster Labs, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/596595035) | [Buy Nothing Project, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1557679961) |

## What reviewers say

### Cluster

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cluster/id596595032)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cluster Friend | $4.99 | per month |
| Cluster Family | $9.99 | per month |
| Cluster Pro | $19.99 | per month |
| Cluster Friend | $49.99 | per year |
| Cluster Family | $99.99 | per year |
| Cluster Pro | $199.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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


### BuyNothing

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buynothing/id1557679959)

**Currently charting:** #204 Top Free · Social Networking (US App Store)

Connect with your local community to give, receive, share, lend, and borrow items. This app fosters a gift economy, building connections through sharing, inspired by the BuyNothing® Project.

**Highlights:** Give and receive items locally, Lend and borrow goods, Hyper-local community sharing, Gift economy model, Build community connections, Express gratitude

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Buy Nothing Subscription | $3.99 | per month |
| Buy Nothing Pro | $3.99 | per month |
| Sustaining Member | $5.49 | per month |
| Sustaining Member | $6.99 | per month |
| Buy Nothing Pro | $38.49 | per year |
| Buy Nothing Subscription | $38.49 | per year |
| Sustaining Member | $54.99 | per year |
| Sustaining Member | $69.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🤝 Friendly community interactions
- ♻️ Promotes sustainability and reducing waste
- 🌍 Global reach beyond local groups
- 🏠 Hyper-local focus when set up properly
- 📦 Smooth gifting and receiving process

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and unreliable app functionality
- 📍 Difficulty filtering for local posts
- 🔑 Login and account issues
- 💬 Inconsistent notifications and messaging
- 💰 Paywall for key features

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent app crashes and freezes
- Login issues and inability to reset passwords
- Inconsistent location settings and radius
- Unreliable notifications and messaging
- Inability to edit or update posts

**Requested features**

- Search function to find specific posts
- Ability to edit and update posts
- Improved organization and sorting of posts
- Syncing across multiple devices
- More robust moderation and community tools


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Cluster free?

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

### Is BuyNothing free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Cluster or BuyNothing?

Cluster is rated higher. Cluster averages 4.8 out of 5 from 22K ratings, while BuyNothing averages 4.3 from 2.1K ratings.

### Do Cluster or BuyNothing have ads?

Neither Cluster nor BuyNothing shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Cluster or BuyNothing?

Cluster ships an update every 4 weeks, and BuyNothing every 8 days. Most recently, Cluster was updated on October 16, 2026 and BuyNothing on October 14, 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.*