11 of the best online community software platform solutions

You are looking for the best online community platform that can host your company's community?

The process of selecting the ideal software for your community can be overwhelming, as elements such as ease of use customer support, platform flexibility, and more are on the line. To alleviate the stress that comes with this major choice, we've examined the best 11 community software solutions offering their services.

Check out the article to learn the full details, including the good, the bad and the ugly--of the top solutions in the marketplace. There are plenty of tips on what you should be looking for in an online community platform , so you're able to make the right option for your needs.

What are online community software solution companies?

Platforms for online community are computer-based solutions which allow you to build an electronic space for users to interact, share knowledge, and interact with each other members.

Each platform has its own strengths. Knowing your priorities can help narrow the options as we review the most popular online communities as well as their features. We'll get started!

What are the key features to be looking for in a community platform

Community software solutions have a fundamental community component, as well as other functions that enhance the experience and help achieve specific objectives. If you are looking for a solution, make sure to choose the right solution with your organization now and into the future.

Don't focus exclusively on individual functions. Instead, think about the whole package and consider how the program fits into the long-term vision of your company.

Here's what to look for in a good community software solution:

Intuitive and easy to learn. You'll be spending a great deal of time building as well as managing the community. It is important to have a pleasant user experience. Make sure the platform is intuitive and helps you efficiently. Also, of course, you would like it to be simple to use and enjoyable for your customers to use!

Easy to use. Members should be able to quickly sign in when organizing an event, or when they would like to join in. The fewer hurdles there are to getting into the platform, the more likely members will be to participate.

Integrates with the rest of your organization. A majority of communities belong to a larger ecosystem of products: online courses as well as coaching and other training tools. Every product should share the same brand look and feel, and it must be simple to get from one place to the next.

includes sales and marketing capabilities. There is no way to grow an online community that nobody is aware of. Ideally, the platform should provide tools to promote your group by selling memberships, as well as upselling your other products.

Informative analytics. To provide a excellent experience for your members that draws them in and keep them interested, it is important to know the things that are working and not. Analytics tools provide you with the information you need about your members behavior and preferences so you can focus your efforts in the best ways.

11 top online community software solution firms

We'll now look over the top online community softwares currently available.

1.

Benefits of this include:

The simplicity. makes it super simple to build and run your community online. Your community can be an independent product, or utilize it as a value-add to your coaching or courses.

Multiple levels. You can create both paid and free communities in order for creating a "membership funnel" for your company. Your free membership can attract prospective customers with the help of providing them an opportunity to connect with you and fellow peers. Use's extensive marketing toolset to upsell your community that is paid for, so members can access premium content or benefits.

Deep integration into your marketing and sales tech system. One of the things that sets apart is the complete set of business-building tools. As a user, you get access to the entire range of tools, which include:

• Website builder
• Build a landing page
• Email marketing software
• Funnel builder
• Order pages and payment processing
• Host of the podcast

With , all your tools are designed to work together to eliminate problems with developing tech integrations, or diagnosing issues. Just sign in, and then you're all set to roll.

A complete and integrated solution also saves you money. If you invest in one-off items and creating your own technology stack, you will quickly pay hundreds of dollars every month. With , you have just one cost per month that will cover all the things you require to run a successful online business.

The Basic plan costs one hundred dollars per month, and it comprises 3 digital services (a community and two others) as well as up to 10,000 contacts. Once you've outgrown the Basic plan, you can upgrade to the Growth plan at $159 a month. This gives you 15 items and up to 25,000 contacts.

Try it for free for 14 days

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

2. Facebook groups

If you're a Facebook member likely belong to at the very least some Facebook group. Facebook allows you to create private groups where you can interact with people for personal or business reasons.

Facebook's groups are for free, however, there are hidden charges regarding the trust of users and their reputation. The trust of the public in the business has dropped 66% in recent times.

In this case, for instance, following the creation of a Facebook group for hosting the members of her community, Kathryn Aragon discovered that many of her members weren't longer engaging on Facebook. In order to increase engagement the group, she needed to transfer the group to a different platform.

The main benefits that come with Facebook as a social media platform arethe following:

Security. The content within the group can only be accessible to other members.

Discussion. Posts and comments enable members to talk about topics in real time. Updates from the group are sent directly to members. This will help in streamlined communication.

Member management. Administrators of groups can manage group members as well as permissions.

Some of the negatives are lack of ownership (that's a biggie) as well as no directory for members or management of the website. The members aren't Facebook'scustomers. They're Facebook's customers. Let's not forget the great Facebook outage in October 2021. This caused small businesses around all over the globe to lose access to their communities as well as their customers.

Another major issue cited by owners of community groups is the absence of direct support, with just support forums available to help troubleshoot.

3. Discord

Since it gained traction in the realm of gaming, Discord has grown into a very popular social network that is accessible to all kinds of users. The aim of the platform is to build spaces where people can connect with each other over common interest.

A community-based online software solution company, Discord offers real-time video and audio conversations. Also, the platform offers customized roles for distinguishing members from administrators.
 Due to its gaming and techie origins, the aesthetics have a dark theme, which may or may not match your business's aesthetics. Discord doesn't give you many options for branding your members' area.

It provides the following benefits:

AI-Powered Bots. Bots can be programmed to welcome new members and customize the experience. Users will notice that there is a bot interacting with them. However, you are able to create enjoyable experiences using it while providing useful details.

Reliable, secure private channels. Discord doesn't have a time-lag and therefore it feels like you're in the same room. Discord is renowned for its security and all channels are secure, which allows members to feel safe when they talk.

Moderator Academy. This is a complete resource for first-time and veteran moderators looking to upgrade their management of their communities.

However, creating your Discord community isn't easy. It's a steep learning curve, and you might not achieve the most out of the service. Your Discord server will also be in the same group as other communities you have members participating in, meaning it will be competing for interest.

Discord is available free of charge. Simply download the app and then set it up. It is also possible to upgrade to Discord Nitro ($99.99 per year) to access more emojis, bigger uploads, high-resolution video, as well as a couple of other improvements.

4. Mighty Networks

Mighty Networks offers an online platform for courses with built-in community features. The system is robust, and can be customized to fit your needs and functions that foster community involvement.

It is the key to Mighty Networks features include:
 

Mobile access. The online community platform has an app for mobile devices that allows users to connect with members at the move. Actually, it's much more convenient to connect via your smartphone than on the internet.

Email alerts. Members receive email notifications for any new activity on the site. This gives them a quick signal to login and see what they might have missed.

Branding. Mighty Network allows you to create a branded area that shares the same look and feel to your site. Just apply your logo's color on tabs, buttons actions, and text icons.

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

5. Hivebrite

Hivebrite is an all-in-one community management platform that is specifically designed for education and nonprofit groups. It is used by more than 500 organizations such as Vanderbilt University, WWF, and Sabin Vaccine Institute.

They don't display their prices on their site. To test Hivebrite for yourself, you'll have to register for a demo--a strong signal that they are only offering corporate pricing plans.

However, they have attractive features. Your community is able to be brand-named. And, it lets you manage your community's content, and marketing tools in one place.

A few of the most notable features offered by Hivebrite:

Live stream. It's possible to livestream to community members and hold real-time events.

Rights of access. With Hivebrite, it is possible to grant different access rights to distinct categories of users like students and alumni. You can also create tiers of membership, with greater access to paying members.

Modular capabilities. As your community develops, you may turn on different features. Options include events, forums networks, group, media center, messaging, and a job board or directory.

One challenge with this platform is connecting it to your database , and with other technology. Most likely, you'll need to hire an IT expert to set up the APIs for synchronizing the platform with various tools.

6. Tribe.so

Tribe is a programmable community platform that has an app ecosystem, directly integrations with third party companies, as well as tools to embed the community into other products and sites. Use cases include customer education the customer's experience, success for customers, support for customers, customer relationships, brand leadership, and customer feedback on products.

With Tribe, the core tools take care of essential community components. Applications can enhance your abilities. For example:

• Slack provides moderators and admins the ability to receive notifications about various events.
• Zapier connects your community to other tools in your tech stack.
• Google Analytics helps you measure the activity of your community.

Tribe is a collection of the following attributes:

Social sharing. Tribe includes Open Graph tags that enable social sharing. This makes it easy to share content outside the community, and to draw attention from potential members.

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

Moderation panel. Tribe gives you the option to let users alter, or deny posts made by users. You can also archive old content in order to keep your feed clean.

Tribe is completely free the first 100 members. The Plus Plan is $59 per month, lets you use Plus apps and more than 2,500 members. Though to get the most out of the app, you'll have to move to the Premium Plan at $299 a month. It will let you remove the Tribe branding, use the Tribe API as well as webhooks as well as increase membership to 25,000.

7. Circle.so

Circle lets you build communities around your classes, coaching, or customer service. It is designed to ease the community-building process by equipping you to create content and private areas, facilitate discussion, and even monetize your membership. It is loaded with capabilities and lets you make a space with a logo to match your website.

The most notable features of Circle include:

Easy integrations. Circle works well with other tools from third parties, such as the email marketing software Slack, Wordpress, and  it allows you to market your community , or even integrate the two with other software.

Secret and private spaces. You can create separate areas for different groups within your membership. In this case, for instance, you could create a space specifically for core members as well as a separate space for premium members.

Searchable member directory. Members can connect by establishing custom profile fields and search filters.

Circle starts at $35 a month, plus the 4% transaction cost per user. The Basic plan offers all the basic features for your community, including discussion forums and private messages. Make the upgrade to the Premium Plan ($89 a month and 1% transaction fee per user) to access Live streaming courses, online classes as well as advanced analytics.

There may be a need to shell out extra money for additions like additional administrators, extra areas, email white-labeling as well as custom one-sign-on (SSO).

8. Vanilla Forums

Vanilla Forums has been created to enable mid-sized and enterprise organizations to offer outstanding customer service. It is frequently used to provide support for customers, customer service, product marketing, and branding awareness.

Vanilla provides a good user experience, integration into your existing tech stack, as well as flexible customizations to suit your brand.

The most important aspects of Vanilla Forums are:

Knowledge base. You can create Self-Service Help Centers within your community that includes user guides and Help documents.

Customization of surveys. With Vanilla Forums, you can send out customized surveys to your audience to receive immediate feedback.

Open source community. You are able to download Vanilla's open source code for free and create your own community. Do you have a passion for technology? Contribute to the source code.

The platform may not be ideal for creators who are independent and solopreneurs, and pricing cannot be displayed on the website. However, if you're interested it's possible to schedule an appointment to talk to an agent for sales.

9. WildApricot

WildApricot is an all-in-one system that was originally created specifically for associations and non-profit organizations. Now, its users 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 helps you promote good content, let members access features, and make moderation easier.

It contains these important characteristics:

Event management. Plan events such as virtual auctions, online webinars, conferences and more. You can also find sponsors to support your event. Also, you can create your own event calendar and set up event registrations.

Donations. With WildApricot, it is possible to accept donations and communicate progress toward your donation goals. You can also export your donation records so that you can monitor and track donations.

CRM. Like , WildApricot offers the CRM (customer relationship management) tool that includes a robust member directory that can be used from anywhere.

You'll need third-party tools to manage your marketing business. The majority of them will work with WildApricot such as WordPress, Mailchimp, and Zapier. Also, payment processing can only be used by U.S. and Canada residents.

WildApricot is a free service that allows you to try it for no cost as long as you have 50 contacts. Your price will then increase when your network grows

• $100 for 100 contacts
• A month's rent of $60 for 250 contacts
• A month's rent of $110 for 500 contacts
• $190 a month for 2 000 contacts

10. Disciple Media

Disciple Media is a community-based platform comprised of three components: a console for managing your content on mobile or desktops, an app for mobile where members can engage with each other, and the community on the web, which gives people the opportunity to interact on their desktops.

It's designed for creators, founders and other influencers looking to develop their own brand social network.

Disciple Media includes the following attributes:

Multi-layouts. You can store and access content through one central location. Make use of groups, folders and lists to build custom structures to your group.

Mobile application. Disciple Media is like a social networking site by the fact that its mobile application user experience is geared towards the users. It also has a web-based app however it is limited in options compared with the mobile app.

In-app purchase. Disciple lets you drive in-app purchases and sponsorships and turn your members into customers.

Cost of Disciple will depend on the amount of participants as well as your preference of mobile, web or both:

• Web-only: $46 per month for 100 users
• Only mobile: $458 a month for 500 users
• Mobile and web Mobile: $504 per 500 members

The add-ons are API whitelabeling, API additional administrative users. You'll also pay more for community coaching as well as member support and mastermind functions.

11. Vibely.io

Vibely.io was created by two ex- Asana staffers, Teri Yu and Theresa Lee who wanted to challenge the communities of creators with a positive approach. Their tagline "Built exclusively by females, and not gamer dudes" gives you an idea of the vibe they're going for.

Vibely.io is an online community platform, which allows creators to communicate with their fans, and also collect the content that users create.

Vibely.io's best features are:

A commitment to positive thinking. Vibely is committed to not allowing spammers, trolls or any kind of violence. The goal is to provide a space where everyone belongs.

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

Ambassadors. Vibely allows you to appoint members of your community as ambassadors to help you welcome and manage members.

Create a Vibely community for free and there is no limit to the amount of ambassadors, members, or super administrators. But on the free plan, you can't accept the recurring payment. The Mastermind plan unlocks payments and also takes 10 percent of your revenue.

The most effective online community software solution firm

There's a lot to consider in deciding on the ideal online community-building platform. You need tools to build, market, and sell your community. The platform should be suitable to both the members.
 
 Based on our reviews, there are plenty of good options However, one stands out as a complete business platform.

Only empowers you to create and market a vibrant and active community, along with other digital goods like classes online and coaching courses. It also gives you all the tools you need to market and sell the products so that you are able to grow and expand to become a successful knowledge-based business.

If you're looking to create a forum, you might choose among the various community platforms we've reviewed. Depending on the size of your group, that alternative may be reasonable (or even completely free).

But free software solutions will subject you to outside algorithms and rules while limiting the growth possibilities. They don't offer the features you'll need, and they often limit the number of participants that you are able to take on.

With , your community is yours. You set the guidelines, terms and conditions as well as the cost, regardless of whether it is either paid or free.

If you're trying to establish an online community, then this is the perfect solution for you. With video walkthroughs and tutorials that will help you get up and running fast. Through the University, you have access to fundamentals of running and an online community. It is available free to all users.

Get your complimentary 14-day trial as of today!