Cluster vs SmugMug
Cluster
cluster.co
SmugMug
smugmug.comSide by side
| Figure | Cluster | SmugMug |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $10/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 4 | 12 |
| Spec score · Photo Storage Services | 8.1 (#25) | 8.6 (#11) |
| Spec score · Photo Sharing Software | 8.2 (#16) | 8.6 (#8) |
| Company | Cluster is one of the independent apps built and maintained by Fotoloce, a small independent company. | LinkedIn lists SmugMug as a privately held photography company founded in 2002 with headquarters in Mountain View, California and 51–200 employees. |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, California, United States | Mountain View, California, United States |
| Integrations | Subscriptions are purchased through the Apple App Store or Google Play; the maker does not list other integrations on the pages reviewed. | Official integrations include Adobe Lightroom, Flickr uploads and Dropbox uploads. |
| Storage | Cluster says photos are stored in redundant cloud locations and accessed over an encrypted connection. | Its plans include unlimited full-resolution JPEG photo storage, and RAW file storage is offered as an add-on. |
| Support | Users can submit a support request through Cluster's help center. | SmugMug advertises 24/7 human customer support and provides a support center and contact channel. |
Plans
Cluster
- FreeFree
- FamilyPrice not published
- FriendPrice not published
- ProPrice not published
SmugMug
- Direct$20 a month
- Portfolio$23.50 a month
- Pro$37 a month
- SmugMug Source RAW add-on$10 a month
- SmugMug Source RAW storage add-on$10 a month
- Direct$20 a month
- Portfolio$23.50 a month
- Pro$37 a month
- Direct$240 a year
- Portfolio$282 a year
In their own words
Cluster
Cluster provides private group sharing for friends and family outside social media. Members create groups for photos, videos, comments, and chat, with album access limited to invited users. Owners can share a private invitation link, and recipients can request to join. Notifications show when something new is added, while members can see who viewed or liked posts. Group photos can be turned into printed photo books. Cluster runs on Android, iOS, and the web, with no desktop app listed. Its free plan allows up to 10 groups, 1,000 photos per group, and 50 members per group; free video uploads are limited to one minute and SD quality. Cluster says photos are stored in redundant cloud locations and accessed over encrypted connections. Its policy describes SSL communications, does not guarantee complete security, and allows data downloads and deletion requests. Cluster is maintained by Fotoloce.
SmugMug
SmugMug is a photography service for storing, sharing, and selling images. Its plans include unlimited full-resolution JPEG storage; RAW storage is a separate add-on priced at $10 a month for up to 1TB, then $6/mo for each additional TB. The Direct plan is $20 a month billed annually and includes privacy controls, digital delivery, Lightroom integration, and 24/7 live human support. Portfolio costs $23.50 a month billed annually and adds print and digital download sales, website templates, and order fulfillment. Pro costs $37 a month billed annually and adds custom pricelists, coupons and packages, client favoriting, and customer download limits. Subscribers can manage photos with iOS and Android apps, or use macOS and Windows apps for automatic uploads. Integrations include Adobe Lightroom and uploads from Flickr and Dropbox. Privacy settings, passwords, watermarks, and right-click protections help control access to photos and galleries. SmugMug offers a 14-day trial but no free plan.