cackles vs clubhouse
Clubhouse was social audio for strangers. Cackles is social audio for friends.
tl;dr
Clubhouse built public stages where you listened to people you didn't know. Cackles builds private rooms where you hang out with people you do know. Plus, Cackles is alive and thriving — with video portals, listening parties, and a community that's actually growing.
the rise and fall of clubhouse
Remember early 2021? Clubhouse was the hottest app on the planet. Invite-only, celebrity rooms, FOMO everywhere. Then... it just faded. By 2022 it had lost 60%+ of its users.
Clubhouse's fundamental problem: It was built around strangers talking on public stages. Once the novelty wore off, there was no reason to come back. You didn't have a community there — you had an audience.
What people actually wanted: A way to casually hang out with their actual friends using voice. Not a TED talk. Not a stage. Just... talking. That's exactly what Cackles is.
the core experience
Clubhouse: Public or semi-public rooms organized by topic. Speakers on a stage, listeners in the audience. Raise your hand to speak. It's a performance, not a conversation.
Cackles: Private audio rooms for your Bubble (your crew). Everyone's equal — no stage, no audience, no hand-raising. Just friends talking.
↳ Clubhouse is a conference. Cackles is your couch.
still alive?
Clubhouse: Technically still exists. Laid off most staff. Pivoted multiple times. User base is a fraction of its peak.
Cackles: Actively developed. Growing community. Regular updates. New features like video portals and listening parties.
↳ Cackles is being built with love. Clubhouse is on life support.
video & music
Clubhouse: Audio only. No video component. No native music features.
Cackles: Audio-first with 10-second video portals for quick visual moments. Built-in listening parties with synced music playback — everyone hears the same song at the same time.
↳ Cackles found the sweet spot between audio-only and full video calls, and makes music a first-class feature.
at-a-glance comparison
| cackles | Clubhouse | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Your friend group | Public audiences |
| Room type | Private (Bubble members) | Public/semi-public |
| Status | Alive and growing 🟢 | Barely alive 🔴 |
| Video | 10-second portals | None |
| Music | Synced listening parties | No native support |
| Notifications | Push when room starts | Notifications for followed rooms |
| Speaking | Everyone talks equally | Raise hand → get invited to stage |
| Discovery | Your crew (by design) | Explore page, topics |
| Vibe | Couch with friends | Conference stage |
| Price | Free (Infinity available) | Free |
| Platform | iOS | iOS, Android |
who should choose cackles
- You want spontaneous audio hangouts with your actual friends
- You want push notifications when your crew is online
- You love the idea of listening parties and video portals
- You want an app that's actively being built and improved
- You tried Clubhouse and thought "this would be cool if it was just my friends"
FAQ
Is Clubhouse dead?
Not technically — you can still download it and find rooms. But its user base, development pace, and cultural relevance have declined dramatically since 2021.
What happened to Clubhouse?
It was built around strangers performing for audiences. Once the novelty wore off and Twitter Spaces launched as a competitor, there wasn't enough reason to keep opening the app.
Is Cackles the new Clubhouse?
No — and that's the point. Cackles isn't trying to recreate Clubhouse. It's solving a completely different problem: making it effortless for friend groups to hang out over voice.
Does Cackles have public rooms?
yes! you can create public rooms that anyone on cackles can discover and join, or keep them private within your bubble. most people use a mix of both — public rooms to meet new people, private rooms for their crew.
the social audio app that's actually alive
your crew. your rooms. one tap. hang out for real.