11 of the best online community software solution platforms

Looking for the right online community platform for hosting your business's branded community?

The process of selecting the ideal software for your community can be daunting, given that factors such as ease of use the ability to support customers, flexibility of platforms, and more are on the line. In order to ease the burden of this big decision, we've reviewed the top 11 online community software solutions offering their services.

Find out all the details--the good, bad, and the ugly -- of the top solutions on the market. We've provided a wealth of information regarding what to consider when choosing an online community platform , so you'll be able to make the ideal decision for your company.

What are the online community software solutions offered by companies?

Platforms for online community are software solutions that allow you to create a digital space for members to interact, share knowledge, and interact with each others.

The different platforms offer strengths and weaknesses. Understanding your needs can help narrow the choices as we go through the most popular online communities and their functionality. Let's dive in!

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

Community software solutions have a core community functionality with other options that are beneficial and help achieve specific objectives. To choose, look for the right solution to benefit your company today and in the near future.

Focus on the whole package, not just on particular aspects. Instead, think about the entire package, and see how well the software integrates into the longer-term goals of your business.

This is what you should seek out in a great community software solution:

Easy to operate. It's likely that you'll spend much of your time building or managing your group. You'll want to be able to appreciate the interaction. Make sure the platform can be intuitive and allows you to work efficiently. Of course, you would like it to be easy and enjoyable for your members to use!

Accessible and simple. Your guests must be able quickly login when you're organizing an event or are looking to participate. There are fewer obstacles for logging in to the system that the less likely it will be to participate.

Integrates with the rest of your business. Most communities are part of an entire ecosystem of goods: online courses as well as coaching and other training materials. Everything needs to have the same branded look and feel, and it must be simple to navigate from one space to another.

includes sales and marketing capabilities. There is no way to grow an online community that nobody is aware of. The ideal platform would include tools for promoting your community, selling memberships, and selling other items.

Insightful analytics. To provide a excellent experience for your members that draws them in and keeps them engaged, you have to understand the things that are working and not. Analytics tools can provide the information you need about your members behavior and preferences so you can target your efforts in the best ways.

11 of the top community software online solution companies

Let's take a look at the best online community software today available.

1.

Key benefits of include:

Simplicity. makes it super simple to build and run your community online. It is possible to make your community a standalone product or use it to enhance your training or coaching programs.

Multiple tiers. You can create community groups that are free or paid for creating a "membership funnel" to promote your company. The free membership you offer can draw new customers, by providing them with an opportunity to connect with your company and other peers. Utilize's powerful marketing toolsets to promote your community that is paid for, so members can access the best content or benefit.

A deep integration into the sales and marketing tech platform. One of the features that distinguish it is the complete set of business-building tools. As a user, you are able to access the complete range of tools, which include:

• Builder for websites
• Landing page builder
• Email marketing software
• Funnel builder
• Order pages and payment processing
• Host of the podcast

With , all your tools are built to be integrated which means you don't have to deal with problems with building tech integrations or identifying breakdowns. Simply sign up, and then you're all set to rock and roll.

A complete and integrated solution also saves you money. Investing in one-off products and creating your own technology stack, you will easily invest hundreds of dollars each month. By paying only one monthly cost that includes everything you need to run an online company that is successful.

The Basic plan is $119 per month. It comes with 3 digital items (a community, and two other) with up to 10,000 contacts. When you outgrow the Basic plan, you may upgrade to the Growth plan at $159 a month. That gives you 15 products and up to 25,000 contacts.

Try for 14 days for no cost.

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

2. Facebook groups

If you're an avid Facebook user, you probably belong to at least at least one Facebook group. Facebook lets you create private groups where you can communicate with your followers to discuss business or personal issues.

Facebook group memberships are completely free but there are hidden costs with regard to trust and reputation. Public trust in the company has dropped 66% in recent years.

In this case, for instance, following the creation of an Facebook group to host the members of her community, Kathryn Aragon discovered that many of her members were no actively using Facebook. To increase the number of members who joined her community, she decided to shift her community over to another site.

The main advantages of Facebook as a community platform are:

Private. The content within the group is only seen by members of the group.

Discussion. Posts and comments permit members to debate topics in real time. Any group updates are sent directly to members. This helps to streamline communication.

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

Some of the negatives are lack of ownership (that's a biggie) and there is no member directory and website management. They aren't the site'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 be denied access to their communities as well as their customers.

A major complaint of owners of community groups is the absence of support that is direct, as there are just support forums available for troubleshooting.

3. Discord

After gaining popularity in the realm of gaming, Discord has become a popular community platform with all sorts of users. The aim of the platform is to build areas where people can come together around common passions.

Discord is an online software for community solution firm, Discord offers real-time video as well as audio chats. Also, the platform offers customized roles to distinguish members and administrators.
 Given its gamer and techno-related roots, its aesthetics have a dark theme that may or might not be in line with your company's design. Discord doesn't give you many options for branding your members' area.

It offers the following features:

AI-Powered Bots. The bots can be programmed to greet new members and customize the experience. Members will know it's an actual bot that is interacting with them. You are able to create enjoyable experiences using it , while also offering useful information.

Reliable, secure private channels. Discord does not have a time-lag and therefore it feels like you're in the same space. It's known for its security and all channels are secure, which allows users to feel secure during their conversations.

Moderator Academy. This is a complete resource for first-time and veteran moderators to level up their community management skills.

On the downside, setting up your Discord community can be complicated. It's a steep learning curve that could mean you won't be able to get the most out of Discord's platform. It's possible that your Discord server will be alongside all of the other communities your members are participating in, meaning it will be competing for attention.

Discord is available free of charge. Simply install the application and install it. It is also possible to upgrade the version to Discord Nitro ($99.99 annually) to get access to more emojis larger uploads, higher-quality video, and a few other improvements.

4. Mighty Networks

Mighty Networks offers an online course platform with an integrated community feature. The platform is robust and lets you customize branding as well as functions that foster community involvement.

The Key Mighty Networks features include:
 

Mobile access. This community site online has a mobile app that allows users to connect with members at the move. In fact, it's simpler to interact on your phone than online.

Email alerts. Members are notified via email 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 make a brandable website that is similar in style and appearance to your website. Apply your brand's colors to buttons, tabs, text links, and action icons.

It's crucial to know it is important to note that Might Networks is a community-focused platform. If you're looking to develop different kinds of products for your company You may have to invest in other apps as well as software for hosting them.

5. Hivebrite

Hivebrite can be described as an all-in-one platform for community management specifically designed for educational and non-profit groups. It serves more than 500 institutions such as Vanderbilt University, WWF, and Sabin Vaccine Institute.

The company doesn't list their pricing on their website. To evaluate Hivebrite it is necessary to sign up for an initial demo. This is a clear indication that they only offer price plans for corporations.

However, they come with attractive functions. Your community can be fully branding. And, it lets you manage your community, content and tools for marketing in one place.

A few of the most notable features offered by Hivebrite:

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

Access rights. With Hivebrite, you can assign different access rights to different users, such as students or alumni. You can also create tiers of membership that offer greater access to paying members.

Modular capabilities. As your community grows, you are able to switch on various features. There are options for forums, events, networking, groups, messaging center, media center and a job board or directory.

One of the challenges with this platform is the integration with your database and other tech. Most likely, you'll need employ an IT specialist to create the APIs that sync the platform with various tools.

6. Tribe.so

Tribe is a customizable community platform, with an app ecosystem, directly integrations with third party companies, as well as ways to integrate the community within other products and websites. The use cases for Tribe include education of customers, customer success, service support for customers, brand leadership, and product feedback.

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

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

Tribe includes the following features:

Social Sharing. Tribe includes Open Graph tags that facilitate social sharing. It is easy to share content with others in the community and generate interest from potential members.

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

Moderation panel. Tribe gives you the possibility to accept, edit, or reject posts from users. Additionally, you can archive old content to keep your feed clean.

Tribe is available for free to as many as 100 members. The Plus Plan costs $59 per month, includes users to use Plus applications and up to 2,500 users. To get the best from the app, you'll be required move to the Premium Plan at $299 a month. It will let you remove the Tribe branding, use its webhooks and API, as well as increase membership to 25,000.

7. Circle.so

Circle can help you create a community around your courses as well as coaching or customer service. It's goal is to streamline the process of building communities by allowing you to create content and private spaces, drive discussion, and even monetize your membership. It comes with a variety of options and lets you make a space with a logo to match your website.

The most notable features of Circle include:

Easy integrations. Circle is compatible with the third-party software, like tools for marketing via email, Slack, Wordpress, and  it allows you to market your community , or even integrate the two with other software.

Private and secret spaces. You can create distinct areas for various groups within your membership. In this case, for instance, you could have one space to accommodate core members as well as a separate space for premium members.

Searchable member directory. You can help members network to one another by creating customized profile fields as well as search filters.

Circle is priced at $35 per month plus an 4% transaction fee per user. The basic plan provides the bare essentials for the community you have created, which includes conversations and private messaging. Upgrade to the Professional Plan ($89 per month, with a transaction cost per user) to unlock Live streaming courses, online classes and more advanced analytics.

It is possible that you will have to shell out extra money for additions like additional administrators, extra space, white-labeling of email, as well as custom one-sign-on (SSO).

8. Vanilla Forums

Vanilla Forums was created to enable mid-sized and enterprise organizations to offer outstanding customer service. The platform is often utilized for the support of customers, customer experience as well as product marketing and the promotion of brands.

Vanilla delivers a pleasant user experience, integration with your existing tech stack, and flexible customization to fit the style of your business.

Key features of Vanilla Forums include:

Knowledge base. You can create Self-Service Help Centers within your community that contains user guides as well as assistance documents.

Survey customization. With Vanilla Forums it is possible to send customized surveys to your audience to receive directly comments.

Open source community. You can download Vanilla's Open Source code for free and manage your own community. Are you tech-savvy? You can even contribute to the code.

This platform is less ideal for creators who are independent and solopreneurs. Pricing cannot be available on the site. However, if you're interested you may schedule an appointment to talk to one of the sales representatives.

9. WildApricot

WildApricot is an all-in-one application that was originally created specifically for associations and non-profit organizations. Today, it is used by clubs, associations and local and state chapter associations.

Wild Apricot has a self-serve design that lets you customize every aspect of your community. Its gamification and reputation system lets you create good content, unlock member features, and automate moderation.

It includes these key attributes:

Event Management. Plan events such as online auctions, virtual webinars, conferences and more. You can also find sponsors for your events. It is also possible to create your own event calendar and organize event registration.

Donations. With WildApricot, you can accept donations and share progress towards your goals for donations. It is also possible to export your donation records to make it easier to track and manage the donations.

CRM. Like , WildApricot provides an CRM (customer relationship management) software that comes with the most comprehensive member directory, which can be accessed from anywhere.

You'll need third-party tools for marketing and running your company. They will most likely integrate with WildApricot which includes WordPress, Mailchimp, and Zapier. Also, payment processing is only available for U.S. and Canada residents.

WildApricot is a free service that allows you to try it for free with up to 50 contacts. Prices will rise as your community grows:

• $48 a month for 100 contacts
• A month's rent of $60 for 250 contacts
• A month's rent of $110 for 500 contacts
• One month at $190 per 2 000 contacts

10. Disciple Media

Disciple Media is a platform for community interaction that consists of three parts that include a console to manage your content on mobile or desktop, the mobile app where members can engage, and the web community, which gives people the opportunity to interact on their desktops.

The platform is designed to be used by entrepreneurs, creators, and influential personalities who wish to create their own brand-name social network.

Disciple Media includes the following features:

Multi-layouts. You can store and distribute content from a central place. Utilize groups, folders, and lists to build an individual structure for your community.

Mobile application. Disciple Media is similar to a social network by the fact that its mobile application experiences are geared toward customers. The web application is available, but it has limited capabilities compared to the mobile app.

In-app purchases. Disciple lets you create sponsorships and in-app purchases, so you can convert your customers into subscribers.

Cost of Disciple depends on the number of participants and the choice of mobile or web or both:

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

Add-ons include API white labeling, API whitelabeling, and. There is also a cost for community coaching, member support, and mastermind functions.

11. Vibely.io

Vibely.io was created by two former Asana staffers, Teri Yu and Theresa Lee, who looked at disrupting the community of creators positively. Their slogan "Built by women, not by gamer dudes" will give you an idea of what they're looking for.

Vibely.io is a creator-controlled internet community platform, which allows creators to interact with users and gather user-generated content.

Vibely.io's top features include:

Commitment to positivity. Vibely guarantees no trolls, spam, or violence. They aim to create an environment that is inclusive of everyone.

Challenges and tools for accountability. This app offers challenges, leaderboards, and trackers that keep everybody in the loop and motivated.

Ambassadors. Vibely allows you to appoint leaders in your community to help you welcome and manage your members.

It is possible to create a Vibely community for free, with no limit on the number of people who are members, ambassadors and super administrators. On the free plan it is not possible to accept the recurring payment. The Mastermind plans allows for payments, and also takes a 10% cut of the revenue.

The top online community software firm

There are a variety of factors to take into consideration in deciding on the ideal online community platform. There are tools needed to create, market, and sell your community, and the platform should be suitable to both your members.
 
 As you can see from our evaluations, there's plenty of good options However, one stands out as an all-in-one business platform.

Only allows you to develop and profit from a active community, along with other digital goods like online coaching and courses. Furthermore, it provides all the resources you require to sell and market the products so that you can expand and grow an effective knowledge-based enterprise.

If you're looking to create a forum, it's possible to choose one of the other community platforms we've reviewed. According to how big your community it may be reasonable (or perhaps free).

Free software options are subject to external rules and algorithms, while also limiting your growth potential. They don't offer the features that you require and typically limit the number of participants they will accept.

With , your community is yours. You set the guidelines, terms and conditions as well as the price, whether you pay or not.

If you're trying to establish an online community, then this is the perfect solution for you. With video walkthroughs and tutorials, you can get online in a short time. Through University there is access to basic aspects of running an online community. It is available accessible to all users.

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