11 best community software online platform solutions

Looking for the right online community platform to host your company's community?

Selecting the best online community software can feel difficult, considering that aspects like ease of use, customer support, platform flexibility as well as many other aspects are in play. To ease the pressure of this big decision, we've reviewed the top 11 online community software solution companies offering their services.

Find out the full details, including the good, bad, and the ugly -- of the top-rated solutions available there. We've provided a wealth of information regarding what to be looking for in an online community platform , so you're able to make the right decision for your company.

What is the the online community software solutions offered by companies?

Online community platforms are software solutions that allow you to create an electronic space for users to connect, learn and connect with others.

The different platforms offer strengths and weaknesses. Understanding your needs will help you narrow down your options when we look at the most popular online communities and their functionality. We'll get started!

What are the key features to be looking at in a platform that is a part of a community

Community software solutions have a fundamental community component, as well as other options that are beneficial and help achieve specific objectives. When choosing a solution, you should look for an option that is suitable to benefit your company both now and for the future.

Focus on the whole package, not just on particular functions. Instead, think about the entire package, and see the way it integrates into the longer-term goals of your company.

Here's what to be looking for in a quality community software program:

Simple and simple to learn. It's likely that you'll spend many hours developing and managing your community. It is important to have a pleasant user experience. You must ensure that the platform you choose to use is intuitive and lets you work effectively. Also, of course, you want it to be simple to use and enjoyable for your customers to utilize!

Easy to use. Your members should be able to quickly sign in when organizing an event or want to engage. There are fewer obstacles for logging in to the system and the easier it is for members will want to take part.

Connects to the rest of your organization. A majority of communities belong to a larger ecosystem of products: online courses, coaching, and training materials. Every product should share the same brand look and feel, and it must be simple to navigate from one space to the next.

includes sales and marketing capabilities. There is no way to grow the community of a person that no one is aware of. The ideal platform would provide tools to promote your membership, selling memberships, and selling other items.

Informative analytics. To provide a excellent experience for your members that draws them in and keeps them engaged, it is important to know what's working and what isn't. Analytics tools give you all you need to know regarding your member's behavior and preferences so you can focus your efforts on the most efficient ways.

11 best online community software solution firms

Now, let's review the top online community softwares that are currently in use.

1.

The main benefits are:

Simplicity. makes it super simple to build and run your community online. You can make your community as a stand-alone product or employ it as a value-add to your courses or coaching program.

Multiple tiers. You can create free and paid communities to create an "membership funnel" for your business. The free membership you offer can draw new customers, by providing them with the opportunity to communicate with you and fellow peers. Then, use 's robust marketing tools to sell your paid community, where members can access exclusive content and benefits.

Deep integration with your marketing and sales tech platform. One of the things that sets apart the HTML0 suite is its comprehensive set of tools for building businesses. As a user, you have access to all the range of tools, which include:

• Website builder
• Builder of landing pages
• Software for marketing emails
• Funnel builder
• Order pages and payment processing
• Host of the podcast

With , all your tools are built to be integrated to eliminate to worry about building tech integrations or diagnosing breakdowns. Simply sign up, and you're set to rock and roll.

It is a complete solution that will also save you money. By investing in single-use products or creating your own technology stack, you can effortlessly invest hundreds of dollars each month. With , you have just one cost per month that will cover all the things you require to run an effective online business.

The Basic plan is $119 a month and includes 3 digital products (a community and two others) with up to 10,000 contacts. If you are unable to use the basic plan, you are able to upgrade to the Growth plan for $159 per month. That gives you 15 products and up to 25,000 contacts.

Try for 14 days for no cost.

It has everything your online business will require. Everything you need in one location.        Yes! Let's go!

2. Facebook groups

If you're a Facebook user likely are part of at least at least one Facebook group. Facebook allows you to create private groups where you can connect with your audience either for business or personal reasons.

Facebook group memberships are completely free but there are hidden costs in terms of credibility and trust. Trust in the company has decreased by 66% over recent years.

For example, after building a Facebook group for hosting the community Kathryn Aragon discovered that many of her members weren't actively making use of Facebook. To increase the number of members who joined the group, she needed to transfer her community over to another site.

The key advantages that come with Facebook as a platform for community arethe following:

Private. The content within the group is only viewed by other members.

Discussion. Posts and comments permit members to debate issues in real-time. Group updates are distributed directly to members. This can help streamline communications.

Member management. Group administrators can easily manage group members as well as permissions.

The downsides are that there is no ownership (that's an issue) as well as no directory for members and website management. Members aren't really Facebook'scustomers. They're Facebook's customers. Let's not forget the great Facebook outage of October, 2021 that led small companies across the world to immediately lose access to their communities as well as their customers.

Another big complaint from community owners is the lack of direct support, with only support forums offered for troubleshooting.

3. Discord

Since it gained traction in the realm of gaming, Discord has been a thriving community platform that is accessible to all kinds of players. The aim of the platform is to build areas where people can come together with each other over similar passions.

Discord is an online software for community solution firm, Discord offers real-time video and audio calls. Additionally, it offers custom roles to distinguish members and administrators.
 Given its gamer and geeky roots, the aesthetics have a dark theme and may not align with your brand's style. There aren't numerous options to brand your members' area.

It includes the following functions:

AI-Powered Bots. Bots can be programmed to greet new members and personalize the experience. Users will notice that there is an automated system that interacts with them. However, you are able to create enjoyable experiences using the bot while also providing valuable details.

Reliable, secure private channels. Discord isn't tied to time, so it can feel like you're in the same space. Discord is renowned for its security and all channels are private, allowing members to feel safe in their discussions.

Moderator Academy. It is an extensive source for veteran and novice moderators looking to upgrade their community management skills.

On the downside, the process of setting up your Discord community could be a bit difficult. It's a steep learning curve which means you may not achieve maximum benefit from the service. Your Discord server is also with the other communities you have members in, so you'll be competing for their attention.

Discord is available free of charge. Just download the software and then set it up. Upgrade the version to Discord Nitro ($99.99 annually) to access more emojis larger uploads, higher-quality video and additional upgrades.

4. Mighty Networks

Mighty Networks offers an online platform for courses with a built-in community feature. The system is robust, and lets you customize branding as well as features that encourage community engagement.

It is the key to Mighty Networks features include:
 

Mobile access. The online community platform has an app for mobile devices that makes it easy for participants to interact with each other on the go. In fact, it's easier to engage with your mobile device than via the web.

Email alerts. Members receive email notifications whenever there's a new activity in the community. This gives them a quick nudge to log in and check out what might not have noticed.

Branding. Mighty Network allows you to create a branded area that shares the same style and appearance to your website. Just apply your logo's color to tabs, buttons, text links, and action icons.

It is important to remember it is important to note that Might Networks is a community-focused platform. If you're looking to develop other types of products to grow your business it may be necessary to purchase other applications and software that host them.

5. Hivebrite

Hivebrite is a community management system that is all-in-one that is specifically designed for education and nonprofit organisations. It serves over 500 organisations such as Vanderbilt University, WWF, and Sabin Vaccine Institute.

The company doesn't list their pricing on their website. To test Hivebrite for yourself, you'll have to register for Demos, which is an indication they offer only corporate pricing plans.

However, they offer attractive features. The community you manage can be completely brand-named. Additionally, it allows you to manage your community, content, and marketing tools all in one spot.

Some of Hivebrite's standout features:

Live stream. It's possible to livestream community members to host real-time meetings.

Rights of access. With Hivebrite, it is possible to grant different access rights to various users, such as graduates and students. You can also create tiers of membership that offer greater access to paying members.

Modular capabilities. As your community evolves, you can switch on various features. Options include events, forums networks, group, messaging center, media center as well as a job board, or directory.

One of the challenges with this platform is connecting it to your existing database as well as other technologies. In most cases, you'll need engage an IT expert to complete the APIs for synchronizing it to other software.

6. Tribe.so

Tribe is a community-building platform, with an app ecosystem, direct integrations with third party companies, as well as instruments to incorporate the community into other products as well as websites. The use cases for Tribe include education of customers, customer success, service support for customers with brands, brand management, as well as customer feedback.

With Tribe the main functions take care of essential community components. Applications can enhance your abilities. Examples:

• Slack gives admins and moderators the ability to receive notifications about various events.
• Zapier is a way to connect your group with additional tools that are part of your technology stack.
• Google Analytics helps you measure activities in your local community.

Tribe is a collection of the following attributes:

Social-sharing. Tribe includes Open Graph tags that allow social sharing. It is easy to share content outside the community and generate interest from prospective members.

Integration. Third-party integrations with nearly 30 apps allow you to integrate your community and the tools that you're using already.

Modification Panel. Tribe gives you the option to let users edit, or reject posts made by users. You can also archive old posts to ensure your feed stays tidy.

Tribe is completely free the first 100 members. The Plus Plan is $59 per month, includes users to use Plus applications and up to 2,500 users. To get the best benefit from the app, users will have move to the Premium Plan with a monthly cost of $299. This will allow you to remove the Tribe branding, access its webhooks and API, and expand to 25,000 members.

7. Circle.so

Circle allows you to build an online community for your courses and coaching programs, as well as customer service. It aims to simplify the community-building process by equipping members with content creation tools and private spaces, manage discussions, and monetize your membership. It is loaded with features and allows you to build a brand-named space that matches your website.

A few of the most memorable features offered by Circle include:

Integrations that are easy. Circle is compatible with tools from third parties, such as the email marketing software Slack, Wordpress, and  it allows you to market your group or integrate it with other tools.

Secret and private spaces. You can create separate spaces for different categories in your membership. For instance, you might be able to create one area that is for core members, while another is reserved for premium members.

Searchable member directory. It allows members to connect to one another by creating profiles that are customized and also search filters.

Circle costs $35 per month and includes an 4% transaction fee per user. The basic plan provides the bare essentials for the community you have created, which includes discussion forums and private messages. Upgrade to the Professional Plan ($89 monthly with a transaction fee per user) to access courses, live streaming, as well as advanced analytics.

There may be a need to cover the cost of additions like additional administrator spaces, more space, white-labeling of email, and a custom one-sign-on (SSO).

8. Vanilla Forums

Vanilla Forums is created to enable mid-sized and enterprises to provide outstanding customer service. It is frequently used to provide support for customers, customer service, product marketing, and brand awareness.

Vanilla delivers a pleasant user experience, integration with your current tech stack and flexible customization to fit your branding.

Principal characteristics of Vanilla Forums are:

Knowledge base. You can create an online Help Center that is self-service in your community. It houses your user guides and help documents.

Customization of surveys. With Vanilla Forums you are able to distribute customized surveys to your audience to receive directly comments.

Open source community. You can download Vanilla's Open Source code for no cost, and then create your own community. Feeling techy? You can even contribute to the code.

This website is not ideal for creators who are independent and solopreneurs. Pricing is not listed on the website. If you're interested in the platform, you can make an appointment with an agent for sales.

9. WildApricot

WildApricot is an all-in-one system that was originally created to serve associations and nonprofits. Its users now include clubs, associations, and state and local chapter organizations.

Wild Apricot has a self-serve style that lets you personalize the entire experience of your group. The gamification system and reputation system lets you create good content, make member-friendly features available, and enable moderation automation.

It includes these key characteristics:

Event Management. Plan events such as online auctions, virtual conference, or webinars. Get sponsors to support your occasion. Also, you can create your own event calendar and organize event registration.

Donations. With WildApricot, you are able to accept donations as well as track progress towards your fundraising goals. You can also export the records of your donations to make it easier to track and manage donations.

CRM. Like , WildApricot has a CRM (customer relationship management) tool that includes an extensive member directory which can be used from anywhere.

Third-party tools are required for marketing and running your company. Most will integrate with WildApricot, including WordPress, Mailchimp, and Zapier. Payment processing, however, is available only to U.S. and Canada residents.

You are able to test WildApricot at no cost for as long as you have 50 contacts. Your price will then increase when your network grows

• $100 for 100 contacts
• 60 dollars a month for 250 contacts
• $500 contacts for $110 per month. contacts
• $190 a month for 2 000 contacts

10. Disciple Media

Disciple Media is a community-based platform that consists of three parts: a console for managing the content you publish on your mobile device or desktops, an app for mobile where members can engage in a web-based community offering users an opportunity to connect on desktop.

The platform is designed to be used by creators, founders, and other influencers looking to develop their own brand social network.

Disciple Media includes the following features:

Different layouts. You can store and share content from one central location. Utilize groups, folders, and lists to create custom structures for your community.

Mobile app. Disciple Media is an equivalent to a social network by the fact that its mobile application user experience is geared towards customers. There is a web app, but it has limited capabilities compared to the mobile application.

In-app purchases. Disciple lets you create sponsorships and in-app purchases and make your users subscribers.

Cost of Disciple will depend on the amount of participants and the choice of mobile or web or both:

• Web only: $46 a month for 100 people
• For mobile only, $458 a month for 500 subscribers
• Web and mobile Mobile: $504 per 500 members

Add-ons include API, whitelabeling, and whitelabeling, and. You'll also pay more for community coaching as well as member support as well as mastermind-related features.

11. Vibely.io

Vibely.io was created by two ex- Asana staffers, Teri Yu and Theresa Lee who wanted at disrupting the community of creators with a positive approach. Their tagline "Built with women in mind, not by gamer dudes" provides a sense of what they're looking for.

Vibely.io is a creator-controlled online community platform, which allows creators to communicate with fans and collect the content that users create.

Vibely.io's most popular features include:

The commitment to positiveness. Vibely guarantees no spam, trolls, or violence. They aim to create a space where everyone belongs.

Challenges and tools for accountability. The app includes the leaderboards, challenges and trackers to keep everyone motivated.

Ambassadors. Vibely lets you appoint individuals in your community who will assist you in welcoming and managing your members.

It is possible to create an Vibely community at no cost, with no limit on the amount of ambassadors, members or super administrators. But on the free plan it is not possible to accept regular payments. The Mastermind plans allows for payments, as well as takes a 10% cut of your revenue.

The best online community software solution business

There's a lot to consider in deciding on the ideal online community-building platform. It is essential to have the right tools for building markets, sell, and build your community, and the platform needs to be user-friendly for both you and your members.
 
 From our evaluations, there's many good choices however one stand out as a complete business platform.

Only allows you to develop and monetize a active community, along with other digital offerings like online coaching and courses. It also gives you all the resources you require to sell and market these products, so you can expand and grow an effective knowledge-based enterprise.

If your goal is to start a forum, you could consider any of the community platforms we've reviewed. Depending on the size of your community, that alternative might be pricey (or even completely free).

But free software solutions are subject to external algorithms and rules while limiting the potential for growth. They don't offer the features that you require and typically limit the amount of users that you are able to take on.

The community you create is yours. Your guidelines, terms and conditions as well as the cost of membership, either paid or free.

If you're trying to establish an online community, this is the perfect solution for you. With video walkthroughs and tutorials, you can get online fast. Through University You have access to the basics of running an online community, for free to everyone who wants it.

Begin your no-cost 14-day trial of now!