# Cluster vs The Livable Forest®

The clearest difference is rating: Cluster at 4.8 against The Livable Forest®'s 3.9. Cluster also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (22K vs 7). The Livable Forest®'s advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Cluster sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and The Livable Forest® sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $20.00 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Cluster holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cluster has 22K ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Cluster ships an update every 2 months, The Livable Forest® every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and July 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Cluster | The Livable Forest® |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (22K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cluster/id596595032/reviews)** | [3.9 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-livable-forest/id6475384735/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **22K** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | 56.6% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 35 MB | 90 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Cluster Labs, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/596595035) | [The Livable Forest LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1724119570) |

## 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


### The Livable Forest®

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-livable-forest/id6475384735)

Discover real-time community happenings in the Houston area. Get local updates, event information, and curated guides for neighborhoods, shopping, and family fun. Stay informed with personalized notifications and engage with interactive drops.

**Highlights:** Live neighborhood updates, Local event discovery, Curated guides, Personalized notifications, Interactive drops and check-ins, Follow trusted local voices

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Solstice Society Monthly | $20.00 | per month |
| Community Membership Monthly | $100.00 | per month |
| Solstice Society Yearly | $199.00 | per year |
| Community Membership Annual | $549.00 | per year |
| Vendor Membership | $600.00 | per year |
| Exclusive Pinned Post Option | $700.00 | per month |
| All-Inclusive Marketing | $800.00 | per month |
| The Livable Forest® | $100.00 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Cluster free?

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

### Is The Livable Forest® free?

The Livable Forest® is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Cluster or The Livable Forest®?

Cluster is rated higher. Cluster averages 4.8 out of 5 from 22K ratings, while The Livable Forest® averages 3.9 from 7 ratings.

### Do Cluster or The Livable Forest® have ads?

The Livable Forest® shows ads; Cluster does not.

### Which is updated more often, Cluster or The Livable Forest®?

Cluster ships an update every 2 months, and The Livable Forest® every 2 weeks. Most recently, Cluster was updated on September 27, 2026 and The Livable Forest® on July 9, 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.*