Online communities have become an integral part of how we communicate with each other today. If you’re a brand with an online presence, an untapped community might be just waiting to emerge, but you need the right platform to host it.
What are the best community platforms? The highest-rated and the best online community platforms are Discourse, Vanilla, Tribe, Mighty Networks, and Peerboard.
However, there are hundreds of options out there to choose from, depending on what you need for people to connect with your brand.
Creating a space for your customers, audience, and followers to connect will drive greater awareness of your brand and give you insight into what people are thinking.
If you’re looking for the perfect place to host an online community, check out our list of favorites.
What Does A Good Community Platform Have?
A community platform offers a place for your brand’s followers or users to connect through discussion, support, or action.
What that means for each business might be entirely different, so finding the right suitable platform is essential. Consider these questions when choosing yours:
- How much do I want to spend building and moderating a community forum?
- Can it be integrated with other aspects of my business, like the website or apps people use?
- How much customization is allowed to get the forum exactly how I want it?
- Is there a limit on how many people can join?
How to Build an Online Community for Your Business
With the answers to those questions in mind, you’ll quickly know which platforms can deliver before you start searching. To help you out, we’ve listed some of the more comprehensive options that can tick all of your boxes.
Benefits of an Online Community
- Connect and network with like-minded individuals for personal or professional growth.
- Share knowledge and collaborate on projects within an organized, user-friendly environment.
- Access support and encouragement from a community of peers with shared interests.
- Boost online community engagement and loyalty for brands or organizations through deeper relationships.
The Best Online Community Platforms For Your Brand
If you’re eager to set up an online forum for your audience to connect through, you want to make sure you do it right the first time.
We’ve rated some of the leading platforms for creating an online community with your brand attached. Check out their pros, cons, and noteworthy community features.
#1 Skool
Skool is an online community platform designed to make learning and community engagement seamless. It integrates course content, community interaction, and gamification to create an engaging experience for members.
With Skool, you can easily manage your community, share content, and encourage member interaction through a simple and intuitive interface that feels like a social network.
Special Features
- Integrated course and community platform;
- Gamification elements like points and leaderboards to boost engagement;
- Live events and webinar hosting capabilities;
- Customizable member profiles;
- Easy-to-use moderation tools;
- Comprehensive analytics and reporting;
- Mobile-friendly design for on-the-go access
Who Should Use It?
Skool is ideal for educators, course creators, and business owners who want to combine learning and community engagement in one platform. It’s perfect for those looking to foster a tight-knit community around educational content.
Whether you’re running an online school, a membership site, or a mastermind group, Skool provides the tools you need to create a thriving online community.
Pros
- Combines course content and community in one platform, simplifying management.
- Engaging gamification features that keep members active and involved.
- Clean, user-friendly interface that resembles popular social networks.
Cons
- Limited customization options compared to other platforms.
- Higher price point for premium features and larger communities.
- Community-driven learning with active engagement.
- Hands-on courses for interactive education.
- Guided learning paths for clear progression.
#2 Heartbeat
Heartbeat is a comprehensive community management platform designed to bring people together through engaging and interactive features. It supports both synchronous and asynchronous communication, making it ideal for diverse types of online communities.
Heartbeat’s modern and intuitive interface provides a seamless user experience, allowing members to connect, collaborate, and share content effortlessly.
Special Features
- Real-time chat and messaging features;
- Customizable member roles and permissions;
- Event management and scheduling tools;
- Integrated video conferencing and webinars;
- Advanced analytics to track community engagement;
- Content sharing and media support;
- Mobile app for on-the-go access
Who Should Use It?
Heartbeat is perfect for community managers, educators, and business owners who want to build and nurture a vibrant online community. It’s particularly useful for those who need robust communication and collaboration tools.
Whether you’re running a professional network, a learning community, or a social group, Heartbeat provides the features you need to create a dynamic and engaging environment.
Pros
- Comprehensive communication tools that support real-time interaction.
- Flexible and customizable to fit the needs of different types of communities.
- Strong event management features for organizing and hosting events.
Cons
- Can be overwhelming for new users due to the wide range of features.
- Higher learning curve compared to simpler community platforms.
#3 Tribe
Tribe is a customizable community platform that works on web and mobile browsers and is designed to look like popular social media platforms for ease of use.
Your members will enjoy a host of ways to communicate with each other, including media, comments, and posts, and you’ll be able to moderate easily or use automated functions.
Special Features
- Notification tools and activity feeds for your members;
- Replies, upvotes, comments, and more;
- Loads of gamification features;
- Supports all types of posts and media;
- Ability to export all member and content data;
- SEO tools inbuilt;
- Automated and manual moderation systems in place
Who Should Use It?
Some of the world’s biggest organizations rely on Tribe, including ASUS and IBM, and it’s a favorite among IT, software, and technology-related names.
However, just about any online business looking for a premium community platform to use will find some value in Tribe.
Pros
- Great features in their premium plans like having a custom domain or an unlimited number of community members.
- One of the most customizable platforms out there so you can tailor it to your brand.
Cons
- Some issues with spam getting through and not being able to monitor bots as effectively as others.
- Ongoing support from Tribe can be lacking at times.
#4 Mighty Networks
As one of the biggest names in community platforms, Mighty Networks makes it easy to create an online forum for your brand.
Using this platform, you can do it all including online courses and sales pages created for your business plus Facebook groups or a single Facebook group, live chat, comments, and activity feeds for your members.
Special Features
- Creates more than just forums with options to make online courses, sales pages, and other online courses.
- Use questions, polls, comments, images, video, and sound on this online forum.
- Community members get access to different member categories, sub-groups, and a live activity feed.
- It is app-friendly for iOS and Android and has web-based access.
Who Should Use It?
The entire Mighty Networks philosophy is about helping out the small guy, which includes entrepreneurs and everyday creators, and providing a one-stop-shop to do it all.
There are features here that most business types could employ, but if you’re looking for a community that’s focused on rich media and communication, it’s a great choice.
Pros
- Incredibly user-friendly for both the person creating the community and the members within it.
- This is a great option for businesses that want a lot of media sharing on their community pages.
Cons
- Some features are missing in the payment section that could be updated, like adding an affiliate program.
- With lots of options to choose from, some people might feel overwhelmed looking through all of their choices.
#5 PeerBoard
PeerBoard is a simple piece of software used to create a feature-rich community for followers on your website, and you can do it all without knowing how to code.
The platform allows you to create a community forum similar to Reddit, where people can connect and view a categorized news feed. The forum is accessible through your website.
Special Features
- A WordPress plugin that lets you create the basis of your community forum in around 20 minutes.
- Users can opt to get email integrations to receive updates on recent posts or interest points.
- Real-time conversations are possible using the threads, and many levels of conversation are possible thanks to replies.
- In-site integrations that allow your users to engage in the community without leaving to a third-party platform or host.
Who Should Use It?
PeerBoard is a great choice for businesses that want to host an online community on their website without using a third-party platform.
It’s great for small—to mid-sized businesses and those who find a Reddit-style environment best for their users’ communication needs.
Pros
- The forum will be integrated into your website so it looks and feels organic to visitors.
- There’s no need to know coding or technical stuff just to create a community online.
Cons
- Some of the modern features are still missing, like the ability to mention other members to contact them.
- As there are many updates being made, this platform may have more bugs than others while things are being ironed out.
#6 BuddyBoss
BuddyBoss is a unique alternative to a community platform. Rather than being a standalone platform, it’s a WordPress-based community one.
Using Buddy Boss, you’ll be able to offer the basics like a discussion board, social groups, and private messaging but with cool extras including gamification and integration with other WordPress plugins.
Special Features
- Ability to create branded mobile apps that link to your forum.
- WordPress plugins let you do whatever you want and enjoy thousands of integrations.
- The connection to the membership platform means you can sell access to your community through other avenues if you want it to be limited.
Who Should Use It?
If you want your online community to be engaged with features like badges, awards, and points, BuddyBoss’s gamification potential will appeal to you.
This is also a great fit for people who want to sell access to their online forum as part of their learning resources or sales pages, as it makes it easy.
Pros
- The WordPress community software has a plug-in for almost anything your site needs, so it’s more expandable than most.
- Many advanced extras exist that other platform creators don’t offer, including creating your app.
Cons
- It can be a costly piece of software, especially if you want to add mobile functionality, which is another few hundred a month on its own.
- Those without tech skills or previous working knowledge of WordPress will suffer to get the most out of this.
#7 Vanilla
Also known as Vanilla Forums, this best online community platform has an open-source version and paid plan version.
Using this platform, you can create unique themes to match your brand, have a gamification system, create groups and sub-communities, moderate as needed, and have loads of integrations.
Special Features
- In-depth moderation features like merging, demerit points, and banning users.
- Create events for the community with the use of RSVP and scheduling possible.
- The free version is an open-source platform that’s constantly updated by others, or three paid plans are available.
- Integration with WordPress, Zendesk, Workforce, and more in this community plan.
Who Should Use It?
Vanilla is a comprehensive community platform that suits all sizes and types of businesses. Their three plans start at 250,000 page views and up to over a million, so you can get exactly what your online community needs to thrive.
Pros
- It has an open-source version that costs nothing, so you can try it out and use its basic functions.
- Lots of opportunities for integration, including the use of WordPress plugins.
Cons
- Some users reported having too many options for changing settings which could easily overwhelm them.
- It is another site that is constantly being improved and updated, but with the major downside of lots of ongoing bugs.
#8 Discourse
Discourse is one of the most recognized names in online community platforms and one of the longest-running.
The open-sourced software also has a cloud-hosted alternative. The platform is focused on creating forums for discussions and is both mobile responsive and web page friendly.
Special Features
- A reporting dashboard so you get insight into how your online community is functioning.
- A detailed moderating system that lets you flag content, edit, delete, and ban users.
- Posting on discussion boards, email replies, and personal messaging are allowed.
- Range of plugins that let you extend the possibilities of the online forum and make it as functional as possible.
Who Should Use It?
Any brand looking for a simple place to host an online community and not looking for anything too flashy will find Discourse to be the best.
Using this open-source platform requires some tech knowledge, but you’ll have to pay for hosting and maintenance if you want those extras.
Pros
- As open-source software, this is completely free, but there are other costs you might have to factor in.
- This trusted online platform has built-in protection against spammers and bots, which means you have less to worry about.
Cons
- With ongoing updates, some areas get buggy, so be patient as you use them.
- Some people found it complicated to set up at first, meaning some tech knowledge is required.
Other Online Community Platforms Of Interest
#9 Discord
Discord is an awesome communication platform for communities to chat, collaborate, and have fun together. It lets you create organized spaces with text, voice, and video chats, share files, and use cool bots to enhance the experience. Plus, you can host events, make new friends, and grow your community in a fun and welcoming environment. It’s basically a one-stop shop for bringing people together online.
#10 Circle
Circle is a super handy platform for building online communities, letting you create a space that feels like your own little corner of the internet. It’s all about easy organization, with customizable sections and categories, making it a breeze to find and join relevant discussions. You can also connect with others, share resources, and host events. It’s perfect for fostering connections and collaboration in a user-friendly environment.
- All-in-One Solution
- Monetization Features
- Effortless Integration
Related Questions
Access to an online community could be just the thing your website is missing, but it’s not the only way you can enable customers to connect.
We’ve answered some FAQs about other methods of online communication that businesses can use so you can see what’s right for you.
Best Membership Site Platforms
What is a CCM Tool?
A customer communication management (CCM) tool is a software platform that you can use to store, organize, and utilize your customer’s contact details with a range of communication methods for community management.
Some of the most popular platforms for CCM include Adobe Experience Manager Forms, Tango+, Papyrus Platform, and Quadient Inspire.
What is a Form Builder?
An online form builder is a tool that helps you create forms for visitors to your website to utilize.
Most of them operate with a form-building wizard that lets you drag and drop questions, edit designs and colors, and change the structure of the forms, then easily insert them into your website.
Does My Business Need Email Hosting?
Email hosting isn’t always necessary for a business but it can provide a secure and easily accessible place to host your emails.
If using web hosting in conjunction with email hosting and they both come from a sole provider, it can provide a one-stop solution for all of your online dealings.
Resources:
- Medium.com
