Cluster vs PhotoCircle
A side-by-side look at Cluster and PhotoCircle for collecting photos and videos at your event. Prices and features below come from each app's own published pages and link to their sources, so you can compare them directly.
Or compare both with Our Event Album
Give guests one simple QR code, unlimited uploads, and a polished live album without subscriptions or app downloads.
- ✓Unique QR code for your event
- ✓Printable sign templates (PDF)
- ✓Unlimited photo & video uploads
- ✓Custom welcome page
Pricing at a glance
Published plans are shown separately from add-ons. Verified competitor prices use your selected currency, otherwise their listed currency.
Free
Free to get started: up to 10 groups with 1,000 photos each.
- ·Private groups for invited people
- ·Photo and video sharing
- ·Comments/discussion around shared photos
- ·Up to 10 groups with 1,000 photos each
Friends & Family
Free/personal app experience. FAQ says no imposed overall limit for people, photos, or videos, but default per-upload and video-length limits still apply.
- ·Private invite-only Circles
- ·No imposed overall people/photo/video limit in FAQ
- ·Default 40-photo upload batch limit
- ·Default 60-second video clips
- ·Standard media quality: 3 MP photos / 720p videos
PhotoCircle+
- ·Ad-free for subscriber only
- ·Videos up to 4 minutes
- ·Search by Circle name and captions
- ·Upload up to 200 photos at a time
- ·Download all media in a Circle at once
- ·Web slideshow
Business
- ·Workspace portal
- ·Branding
- ·Roles and permissions
- ·Moderation
- ·File upload
- ·Watermarking
Our Event Album is $39 USD, one-time
One payment for one event album.
Feature comparison
Marks reflect each company's published pages as we checked them.
| Feature | Cluster | PhotoCircle |
|---|---|---|
| Capture | ||
| QR code upload Guests scan a QR code to upload photos and videos to the event gallery — no app, no account. | Not verifiedGuests join by invite link, including on a table card; QR codes are not mentioned. | ~Members can be added by a shareable link or a scannable QR code; they join a Circle in the app. |
| No app required Guests contribute via a web browser; there is nothing to download or install. | ~Free plan: "Web App: Not included". The web app comes with PhotoCircle+ and premium plans. | |
| Customization | ||
| Custom branding Personalise how the gallery looks, for example with your names, colours, fonts or a theme. | Not verified | |
| Watermarks Add a watermark or overlay to photos in the gallery. | Not verified | |
| Guest experience | ||
| Live slideshow A real-time slideshow of guest photos you can cast to a screen at the reception. | Not verified | ~PhotoCircle+ web slideshow with music, layouts and titles; not a live event slideshow. |
| Guest messaging / well-wishes Guests leave written well-wishes or messages alongside their photos. | ~Cluster supports private group discussion around shared photos, but not wedding guestbook well-wishes as a dedicated event feature. | Not verified |
| Comments & likes Guests can like and comment on photos in the gallery. | ||
| Management | ||
| Download all Download all photos and videos from the event at once (e.g. a single ZIP). | on PhotoCircle+ ($1.29) | |
| Moderation / approval Hosts can review, approve or hide uploads before they appear publicly. | ~Admins can limit posting and inviting to admins; no approval step is described. | |
| Event albums / photo books Create a designed event album or printed photo book. | Not verified | |
| Media | ||
| Video support Guests can upload videos, not just photos. | ||
| Metrics | ||
| Uploads limit Maximum photos/videos guests can upload to the gallery. Blank = unlimited. | Not verified | ~No imposed overall Friends & Family limit, but uploads are limited to 40 photos at a time by default and 200 at a time with PhotoCircle+/premium. |
| Storage / active duration How long the gallery stays live and uploads are kept. Blank = unlimited / forever. | Not verified | |
| Guest limit Maximum number of guests/contributors. Blank = unlimited. | Not verified | |
| Max video length Longest single video a guest can upload. Blank = no limit. | Not verified | ~Default video length is 60 seconds; PhotoCircle+ and premium users can upload videos up to 4 minutes. |
| Privacy | ||
| Private gallery The gallery is not public: only people given access, for example through the event's QR code or private link, can view or upload. | ||
✓ supportedx not offered, per the company~ partial? unconfirmedNot verified not verified in the sources we checked
What Our Event Album includes
- ✓Unique QR code for your event
- ✓Printable sign templates (PDF)
- ✓Unlimited photo & video uploads
- ✓Custom welcome page
Pros and cons
- ✓Web, iOS and Android access
- ✓Private groups are the core use case
- ✓Supports photo and video sharing for families and friend groups
- ✓Comments and discussion around shared photos
- ✓Free to start: up to 10 groups with 1,000 photos each
- xGuests join by invite link; QR codes are not mentioned
- xPaid plans are App Store in-app purchases
- xNo live slideshow is mentioned on its site
- xNo upload approval step is described
- ✓Free Friends & Family version with no imposed overall photo, video, or member limit in the FAQ
- ✓iOS and Android apps; web app with PhotoCircle+ or premium plans
- ✓Private invite-only Circles for photos, videos, comments, and reactions
- ✓PhotoCircle+ adds download-all, web slideshow, search, longer videos, and larger batch uploads
- ✓Organization premium plans add branding, roles, moderation, file upload, watermarking, and Canva integration
- xOn the free plan guests use the app: its plan table says "Web App: Not included"
- xFree/default photos are compressed to about 3 MP and videos to 720p
- xDefault video length is 60 seconds and default batch upload limit is 40 photos
- xOrganization plans are priced per seat per year
- xNot wedding-specific: no printable wedding QR signs or RSVP found
What people say
Real reviews, each linked to its source.
“I would say go elsewhere and find a better app that has actual support.”
“I used this app for cataloging and for approvals on sorting while being able to share within the catatogories To invite accordingly. It was simple and handy.”
“Second, the limit to how many photos you can upload or how long videos are is incredibly small.”
Or consider Our Event Album
If you are choosing betweenClusterandPhotoCircleyou can also compare Our Event Album: one QR code, no guest app, unlimited uploads, and one flat price.
- ✓Unique QR code for your event
- ✓Printable sign templates (PDF)
- ✓Unlimited photo & video uploads
- ✓Custom welcome page
- ✓6 months of secure hosting
- ✓Download all photos during your hosting period
Frequently asked questions
Which costs more, Cluster or PhotoCircle?
PhotoCircle is the cheaper of the two, starting at $1.29 against Cluster's $4.99. For comparison, Our Event Album is $39 one-time with no subscription.
How much does Cluster cost?
Cluster starts at $4.99 in-app purchase, with a limited free tier as well.
How much does PhotoCircle cost?
PhotoCircle starts at $1.29 monthly, with a limited free tier as well.
What else could I consider besides Cluster and PhotoCircle?
Our Event Album is another option: QR-code photo and video uploads with no guest app, a live slideshow, unlimited uploads, and a one-time $39 with no subscription.
More head-to-head comparisons
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Set up your own album today
One QR code. No guest apps. One flat price, no subscriptions.
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