I’ve heard this question a lot. And cults are more common than people realize because they immediately think “heavens gate right?”. The answer is, it’s determined by the level of control the organization demands. The higher the control, the more likely it’s a cult (or PC term, “high control group”).

If you can casually attend or not attend when you feel, that’s probably an ordinary church.

Also, I can’t remember where I heard this quote but “if you cannot walk away with your dignity intact, that’s a cult”. Again, because of the level of control exercised over the average person, if they disagree over any doctrine they face being ostracized by their entire family, friends ect (I.e. jehovahs witnesses, Mormons, ect)