11 best community software online platform solutions

Looking for the right online community platform that can host your business's branded community?

It is a difficult task to choose the best online community software can feel complicated, given that factors like user-friendliness, the ability to assist customers, the flexibility of platforms, and many more are at stake. To alleviate the pressure of this important selection, we've looked at the top eleven online community software companies available on the market.

Read on to get the complete details -- including the best, worst, and the ugly -- of the top solutions out there. There are plenty of tips regarding what to search at in the web-based community platform to ensure you're making the right option for your needs.

What companies are they?

Community platforms online are programs that let you create an online community where members can connect and learn from other members.

The different platforms offer strengths and weaknesses. Understanding your needs can help you in narrowing down the possibilities as we look through the most popular communities on the internet as well as their features. So let's go!

What are the most important aspects to consider when you are an integral part of a larger community

Community software solutions have an essential community feature, along with additional functions to enhance your experience and help achieve specific objectives. If you are choosing a software solution, you must choose one that works alongside your business today and in the near future.

Be focused on the complete bundle, not only on particular aspects. Instead, think about all aspects of the package and think about how it integrates into the longer-term objectives of your company.

What to look for in a good community-based software item:

Simple and simple to master. You'll have to spend lots of time building or managing your team. You'll want to be able to take pleasure in the conversations. You must ensure that the platform can be intuitive that allows your to work efficiently. Of course, you would prefer it to be simple and fun for your users to utilize!

Simple to access. Members must be able to easily sign-in when they are organising an event or looking to take part. There are fewer obstacles for logging into the system that members can overcome, the more likely they will be to participate.

Connects to the rest of your business. Most communities are connected to a whole ecosystem of products that includes online classes, coaching, and tools for training. All of it must be labeled using the same design and look in addition to it is easy to travel from one area to another.

includes sales and marketing features. You can't grow an online community that no one knows about. Ideally, the platform should include tools for advertising your membership, as well as selling memberships , and growing sales for other products.

Analytics that are insightful. To provide a amazing experience that appeals to customers and keep the members interested, it is essential know what aspects are working and not. Analytics tools provide all information you require about how your members behave and preferences to help you focus your efforts to deliver your members with the best service possible.

11 of the most reputable community software online solution companies

We'll now look over the best online community software that are currently in use.

1.

Benefits of this include:

The simple. makes it super easy to build and run your community online. Your community can be an individual product, or utilize to add value to your classes or coaching.

Different levels. You can create community groups that are either free or you pay to create"the "membership funnel" for your company. The free membership you offer can draw prospective customers with the chance to interact with the other members of your group and with the people you. Use the tools of marketing that are powerful to promote the paid-for community which members have access to the most relevant content and benefit.

Deep integration to your marketing and sales technology systems. One of the aspects that differentiates the HTML0 suite is the extensive set of business-building tools. If you sign-up as a user, you will gain access to all the tools available that includes:

• Builder for websites
• The creator of landing pages
• Software to send marketing emails
• Funnel builder
• Payment processing and order pages
• Podcast host

All your software have been designed to integrate which means you don't have to go through the stress of integrating tech or identifying breakdowns. Just sign up, and then you're all set to rock and roll.

A complete and integrated solution also saves you cash. If you decide to invest in one-off items and creating your own technology stack, you will quickly invest hundreds of dollars every month. By paying just one bill per month, which contains everything you need to start managing a profitable online business.

The Basic plan cost $119 a month and comprises 3 digital services (a community and two others) and more than 10,000 people. Once you've outgrown the basic plan and want to upgrade, you can switch to the expansion plan at $159 each month. It gives you 15 products as well as up to 25,000 contacts.

You can try it for 14 days at absolutely no cost.

It has everything your online business could need. It covers everything you need to know. Yes! Let's go!

2. Facebook groups

If you're an avid Facebook participant, chances are you belong to at the very least at least one Facebook group. Facebook allows users to set up private groups that permit interaction with other people for either private or business reasons.

Group membership on Facebook is completely cost-free, however there are hidden fees regarding reliability and trust. The trust of the public in the business has declined to 66% over recent times.

In this instance, when she set up a Facebook group which would be hosting the community, Kathryn Aragon discovered that many of her members had stopped engaged on Facebook. To boost the number of members who joined her community She decided to move the community to another platform.

The biggest benefits of Facebook as a social media platform include the following benefits:

Security. The content within the group can only be viewed by members of the group.

discussion. Posts and comments allow members to discuss subjects in real-time. Updates from the group are immediately sent to the participants. This helps in streamlining communication.

Members management. Administrators of groups can manage their members as well as the rights of the members.

The downsides are that there is no control (that's an problem) as well as the absence of a directory for members as well as website management. The members aren't the site'scustomers. They're Facebook's customers. Remember the great Facebook outage in October 2021. Small businesses across the globe to instantly lose access to their communities and their clients.

A major complaint of community owners is the absence of direct support, as they are the sole forums with support that can help troubleshoot.

3. Discord

In the gaming world, Discord has grown into a well-known community platform for all kinds of gamers. Its goal is to create areas where players can gather to share similar passions.

An online community-focused software service, Discord offers real-time video as well as audio chats. Additionally, it offers customized roles that distinguish between admins and members. Given its gamer and techie origins, the aesthetics have an edgy look, and could or might not be in line with your brand's style. Discord doesn't give you numerous options to brand the members' areas.

It includes the following functions:

AI-Powered Bots. Bots can be programmed to greet new members and customize the user experience. Members will know this is an automated system that communicates with them however, you can make your experience enjoyable using the bot while also providing valuable details.

Reliable, secure private channels. Discord doesn't have a time limit so it's like being in the same room. It is known for its security and privacy. The channels are completely private, that allows users to be at ease in discussions.

Moderator Academy. It is an extensive guide for both veteran and first-time moderators who want to improve their management of their communities.

However, the process of setting up your Discord community could be a bit difficult. It means you'll need to get your head around the concept, and you may not achieve the maximum benefit from the platform. It's possible you're Discord server also is part of your other communities with members in. That means you'll have to compete with them for their attention.

Discord is free to download. It is enough to install the application and install it. Upgrade to Discord Nitro ($99.99 each year) in order to gain access to more emoticons and uploads with more capacity, along with high-resolution video and other upgrades.

4. Mighty Networks

Mighty Networks offers the online platform for online courses that have a built-in communities feature. The platform is sturdy with the ability to customize branding and other tools that encourage participation in the community.

Key Mighty Networks features include:
   

Mobile access. The community website has an application for mobile devices that allows users to communicate with fellow users in the field. Actually, it's much simpler to interact with members on your phone than online.

Email alerts. Members are notified via email when there's new community activity. They get a brief signal to login and explore what they may not have noticed.

Branding. Mighty Network allows you to develop a branding space with a similar design and look to your website. Apply your brand's colors on the tabs, button hyperlinks, text and icons.

It's crucial to know that Might Networks is a community-focused platform. If you are planning to develop different kinds of merchandise in order for your company you may need to purchase other applications as well as software to host them.

5. Hivebrite

Hivebrite is described as an all-in-one , community management tool specifically designed to serve nonprofit and educational institutions. It supports over 500 organizations such as Vanderbilt University, WWF, and Sabin Vaccine Institute.

The company doesn't show their pricing on their site. For a chance to test Hivebrite it is necessary to sign up to avail Demos, which signifies that they have the only pricing for corporate clients.

However, they come with attractive functions. Your community is able to be branded. This lets you manage the community's members, content as well as marketing tools all in one spot.

Some of Hivebrite's standout features:

Live stream. It's possible to livestream live to members of the community as well as organize in real-time gatherings.

access rights. With Hivebrite, it is possible to grant different access rights to different categories of users like graduates and students. Additionally, you can create different levels of membership with more access to members that are paying.

Modular features. As your community grows, you can add or remove features. The options include forums, events groups, networks message center, media center and an employment board or directory.

One of the challenges with this platform is connecting it to your database and other technologies. Most likely, you'll need hire an IT expert to set up the APIs to sync the platform with various tools.

6. Tribe.so

Tribe is a platform for community building that has an app community, direct integrations with third party companies, and also methods to incorporate communities into other apps and sites. Examples of use include education for customers and customer satisfaction and also help for customers, support for relationship management, branding as well as feedback from customers.

In Tribe the primary tools will take care of essential community elements. The applications can help you improve your skills. Examples:

• Slack lets administrators and moderators to receive notifications of various activities.
• Zapier integrates your community with other tools in your tech stack.
• Google Analytics helps you measure activities in your local community.

Tribe comes with the following attributes:

Social sharing. Tribe includes Open Graph tags that facilitate social sharing. This makes it easy to share content with others in the community, and to draw attention from prospective users.

Integration. Third-party integrations with more than 30 applications allow the integration of your community using the tools you're using already.

Modification Panel. Tribe gives you the option to let users editor remove the content created by them. Also, you can archive old material to keep your feed clean.

Tribe is free for the first 100 members. Its Plus Plan costs $59 per month, includes additional apps and up to 2,500 members. For the most benefit out of the application you'll need to move into the Premium Plan for $299 a month. It will let you eliminate the Tribe brand, make use of its webhooks and API, and expand to 25,000 members.

7. Circle.so

Circle lets you build communities around your classes coaching, or customer service. It aims to simplify community building by equipping members with content creation tools and private areas that facilitate discussion, and even monetize your membership. It is loaded with capabilities and lets you design a space with your brand name to be a match to your site.

One of the most memorable features that are offered by Circle are:

Integrations that are straightforward. Circle plays nicely with the Third-party software like those for email marketing, Slack, Wordpress, and other tools, allowing users to advertise their community or combine the two different software.

Spaces are private and secure. You can create distinct spaces for various categories within your membership. For instance, you might be able to have one space for your core members and an additional space reserved that is reserved for premium members.

Searchable member directory. Members can benefit from the network by establishing custom profile fields as well as filters for searching.

Circle starts at $35 a month and includes the 4 percent transaction fee per user. The Basic plan gives you only the essentials of your community, including messages and conversations. Make the upgrade to the Premium Plan ($89 per month, with a 1 percentage transaction fee per user) to access Live streaming classes as well as online courses and advanced analytics.

There may be a need to cover additional costs for features like additional administrators, extra areas, white-labeling of emails along with customized single-sign-on (SSO).

8. Vanilla Forums

Vanilla Forums was been developed to help medium-sized companies and large enterprises to provide outstanding customer service. The site is often utilized for customer support, customer experience products, marketing for the product, as well as brand awareness.

Vanilla provides a fantastic experience for users, seamless integration with your existing tech stack, as well as adaptable customization that fits the style of your business.

Key features of Vanilla Forums include:

Knowledge Base. You can create Self-Service Help Centers in your community. It houses your help guides for your users as well as other documents.

Surveys can be customized. With Vanilla Forums you can send customized surveys to your audience for immediate responses.

Open source community. It is possible to download Vanilla's open source software at absolutely nothing, and afterwards manage your own community. Feeling techy? You can provide the source code.

This isn't a good fit for entrepreneurs who are solo or self-employed, and pricing cannot be accessible on the website. If you're interested in using the platform, make an appointments to talk to any of the sales reps.

9. WildApricot

WildApricot can be described as an integrated system which was designed initially for non-profit associations and non-profit groups. Today, its users include clubs, associations, as well as state and local chapter associations.

Wild Apricot has a self-serve layout, which lets you customize the entire experience of your group. The gamification system and reputation system allows you to create quality content, make member-friendly features available, and makes moderation more simple.

It includes these essential aspects:

Event Management. Plan events such as virtual auctions, online conference, webinars and many more. Find sponsors for your occasion. Also, you can publicly display your calendar and manage an event's registration.

Donations. With WildApricot, you can accept donations and discuss progress in achieving the goals you have set for donations. In addition, you are able to export your donations so that you can keep track of and manage the donation.

CRM. Like , WildApricot offers the CRM (customer relationship management) tool, with an extensive member directory that can be used from any location.

There are third-party applications that you'll require for managing your marketing company. A majority of these tools will be compatible with WildApricot which includes WordPress, Mailchimp, and Zapier. Furthermore this payment processing feature is available only for U.S. and Canada residents.

WildApricot is a service that is free which allows you to test it for at no cost for as many as 50 contacts. It will increase in the event that the number of people you reach

• A month of $48 for 100 contacts
• A month's rent of $60 for 250 contacts
• A month's rent of $110 for 500 contacts
• For a month, $190 is the cost for 2000 contacts.

10. Disciple Media

Disciple Media is a social platform comprising three elements consisting of a console that manages your content for mobile or desktopdevices, a mobile application which allows users to interact in a web-based community offering users the possibility of connecting via desktop.

The platform is designed for use by creators, entrepreneurs and influencers looking to establish their own brand social media platform.

Disciple Media includes the following features:

Multi-layouts. You can store and distribute content from a central place. Make use of groups, folders and lists to build customized structures for your community.

Mobile app. Disciple Media is an equivalent to a social network because the mobile application features are designed to appeal to users. There is a web app that is available, however it offers limited options compared with the mobile app.

In-app purchases. Disciple lets you purchase in-app items along with sponsorships which means you are able to convert your clients into customers.

The price of Disciple will depend on the amount of members and the choice you make either mobile or web, or both:

• Web-only: $46 per month per 100 members
• Mobile only. $500 a month at $458 for 500 subscribers
• Mobile and Web 504 dollars for 500 users

These add-ons include API, whitelabeling, as well as additional administrative users. It is also possible for community coaches assistance as well as Mastermind-related tools.

11. Vibely.io

Vibely.io was created by two former Asana employees, Teri Yu and Theresa Lee and they wanted to disrupt the creator communities using a positive approach. Their slogan "Built solely by women, and not run by gamers" will give you an idea of the tone they'll try to create.

Vibely.io is a creator-controlled internet community platform that lets creators communicate with their users as well as collect the content that users create.

Vibely.io's most well-known features are:

A commitment to positive thinking. Vibely is committed to not allowing trolls, spam, or violence. Vibely aims to provide an environment where everyone is welcome.

tools for accountability and problems. This includes leaderboards, challenges and trackers that ensure that everyone is informed and on track.

Ambassadors. Vibely allows you to designate individuals in your community who will aid in the welcoming of and management of members.

You can create a Vibely community without cost and there's no limit on the number of members, members and ambassadors. super administrators. On the basic plan it's not possible to take recurring payments. The Mastermind system allows for payment to be accepted, and takes 10 percent of the revenue.

The best web-based community software business

There are a variety of aspects to be considered in deciding on the best platform for community building online. You will require tools for the creation, marketing and market your organization, as well as the platform should be suitable for you as well as the group members.
   
    Based on our reviews, there are many good options, but one stands out for its complete business solution.

It allows you to create and monetize a active community. It also lets you sell other digital products like online coaching and courses. Additionally, it provides you with the necessary tools to market and market these items to allow you to grow and grow into an effective knowledge-based company.

If your intention is to start a forum, you could choose to join one of the communities we've looked into. According to the size of your community the cost could be affordable (or perhaps for free).

But free software solutions are subject to external algorithmic and governing rules, while restricting the potential for growth. They lack the capabilities you need and often cap the number of participants they will allow.

The community you create is yours. Rules, rules and conditions are yours to costs no matter if you pay for it or not.

If you're seeking to build your online presence, this is your one-stop solution. With the help of video guides and tutorials that will help you get started in a short time. Through University you can access the fundamentals of managing an online community that is free for anyone that wants to.

Begin your no-cost 14-day trial as of today!

Article was first seen on here