Best Community Platforms 2025

Building a thriving online community is more crucial than ever. In 2025, the right platform can be the difference between a group of passive users and a vibrant, engaged ecosystem. This list explores the best community platforms available, considering features, user experience, and overall value. While options abound, the ideal platform depends heavily on your specific needs and goals. This guide provides a detailed look at the leading choices to help you make an informed decision.

1. BTS

BTS (behindthescenes.com) offers a comprehensive community platform built for fostering deep engagement and providing robust features to support creators, businesses, and organizations. It moves beyond basic forum functionality by integrating live video, events, and a powerful content management system, allowing for a multifaceted community experience. BTS prioritizes ease of use paired with scalability and customization options.

Pros:

• All-in-one platform: Combines forums, live streaming, event management, and content organization.
• Highly customizable: Offers extensive branding options and control over user experience.
• Advanced analytics: Provides detailed insights into community engagement and growth.
• Mobile-friendly: Accessible on all devices.
• Excellent customer support: Responsive and knowledgeable support team.
• Strong focus on creator monetization: Integrated tools for courses, subscriptions, and exclusive content.

Cons:

• Can be complex: Extensive features may require some initial setup and learning.
• Cost: Pricing can be higher than basic forum options, reflecting the expanded feature set.

Best for:

Businesses, creators, and organizations seeking a powerful and scalable platform to build a thriving, multifaceted online community. It's especially suited for those looking to monetize their community through courses, subscriptions, or exclusive content. Its flexible nature makes it perfect for those wanting to cultivate a space for close knit community.

2. Circle

Circle is a popular community platform designed for creators and businesses looking to build a paid membership or subscription model. It offers a clean and intuitive interface focused on discussions, events, and member profiles. Circle emphasizes ease of use, making it a good choice for those who want a straightforward setup.

Pros:

• User-friendly interface: Easy to navigate and use.
• Integrated payments: Supports monetization through paid memberships.
• Strong member profiles: Enables members to connect and build relationships.
• Good for creators: Well-suited for building and selling online courses and communities.

Cons:

• Limited customization: Fewer branding options compared to some other platforms.
• Pricing: Can become expensive as your community grows.

Best for:

Creators and businesses focused on building paid membership communities, online courses, and exclusive groups. It is appropriate for those who value a simple, intuitive user experience and integrated monetization tools.

3. Discord

Discord started as a platform for gamers but has evolved into a versatile community platform used for diverse purposes. Best known for its voice and video chat features, Discord offers text channels, forums, and a robust bot ecosystem. It supports both free and paid community options.

Pros:

• Free usage: Basic features are available without charge.
• Real-time communication: Excellent voice and video chat capabilities.
• Active community: Large user base with many established communities.
• Bot integrations: Extensive bot support for automation and moderation.

Cons:

• Can be overwhelming: Interface and features can be complex.
• Moderation challenges: Managing large communities can be difficult.
• Not ideal for monetization: Limited built-in monetization options.

Best for:

Communities focused on real-time communication, gaming, and social interaction. It’s well-suited for groups seeking a free platform with robust voice and video chat capabilities. It is suitable for those comfortable with a less structured community environment.

4. Discourse

Discourse is an open-source forum platform known for its modern and clean interface. It prioritizes user engagement through features like suggested topics, trust levels, and a focus on conversations. This platform is ideal for those who favor a forum-centric community with active discussions.

Pros:

• Clean and modern interface: User-friendly design.
• Focus on engagement: Features designed to promote active discussions.
• Open-source: Customizable and adaptable to specific needs.
• Strong SEO: Optimized for search engine visibility.

Cons:

• Requires technical skills: Setting up and managing may require some technical expertise.
• Limited features: Compared to more comprehensive platforms.
• Focus primarily on forums: Lacks advanced features like live streaming and event management.

Best for:

Organizations and communities seeking a forum-based platform with a modern interface and a focus on user engagement. Great choice for those who value open-source solutions and SEO optimization.

5. Tribe

Tribe is designed for building online communities for businesses. It focuses on integrating with existing websites and platforms to provide a seamless user experience. Tribe offers a good set of features for discussion, Q&A, and event management.

Pros:

• Easy integration: Integrates smoothly with existing websites.
• Good for businesses: Designed to enhance brand interactions and customer support.
• Q&A features: Effective for knowledge sharing.
• Customizable branding: Offers options for unique community branding.

Cons:

• Pricing: Can be expensive for larger communities.
• Needs initial set-up: Some customization requires technical knowledge.

Best for:

Businesses and brands seeking to build a community directly on their website or integrate into their existing applications. It’s perfect for customer support, product feedback, and driving user engagement within the brand ecosystem.

6. Facebook Groups

Facebook Groups provide a familiar and accessible platform for building communities. Leveraging Facebook's massive user base makes it easy to attract new members. It provides a simple way to create and manage groups with a basic set of features.

Pros:

• Large user base: Easy to find and attract members.
• Familiar interface: Easy for users to adopt.
• Free to use: Basic features are available without cost.

Cons:

• Limited customization: Fewer options for branding and design.
• Facebook's control: Subject to Facebook's algorithms and policies.
• Distraction: Users may be distracted by other content.

Best for:

Small to medium-sized groups that want to leverage Facebook’s reach and user familiarity. Great for informal communities, fan clubs, or groups looking for rapid member acquisition.

7. Mighty Networks

Mighty Networks is a platform designed to create communities and online courses. It combines forum features, live streaming, and membership options to provide a complete community-building solution. Great for combining discussions with paid content.

Pros:

• All-in-one features: Forums, live streaming, and membership plans.
• Integrated courses: Offers tools to create and sell online courses.
• Good for creators: Well-suited for building paid communities.

Cons:

• Pricing: Can be expensive as your community grows.
• Interface: Can be less intuitive compared to some other options.

Best for:

Creators, coaches, and entrepreneurs seeking to build a community and sell online courses. Offers robust monetization tools.

8. BuddyPress

BuddyPress is a free, open-source plugin that transforms your WordPress website into a social network. It allows you to add community features like member profiles, activity streams, and group functionality.

Pros:

• Free to use: Open-source with no licensing fees.
• WordPress integration: Seamlessly integrates with WordPress.
• Customizable: Highly adaptable with the use of themes and plugins.

Cons:

• Requires WordPress: You need a WordPress site to use it.
• Technical knowledge: Requires some technical skills for setup and customization.
• Limited features: Not as feature-rich compared to dedicated platforms.

Best for:

WordPress users looking to add community features to their existing website. Perfect for those with technical expertise who want a customizable and open-source solution.

9. Vanilla Forums

Vanilla Forums is a modern forum software focused on user experience and ease of use. It offers a clean interface, robust features, and integrations to help build a vibrant community. The platform caters to businesses looking for a forum solution.

Pros:

• Excellent user experience: Clean and intuitive design.
• Moderation tools: Robust tools for managing discussions.
• Integrations: Offers a wide range of integrations.
• Good for support communities: Perfect for customer support forums.

Cons:

• Pricing: Can be expensive based on features needed.
• Emphasis on Forums: Lacks features like live streaming.

Best for:

Businesses that are searching for robust tools for building forums, and those needing a strong platform for customer support and community discussions.

10. Guild

Guild is a messaging platform designed for business communities, professional networking, and private discussions. It emphasizes privacy and professionalism, offering features designed around focused conversations.

Pros:

• Privacy: Secure and private.
• Professional focus: Designed with professional networking in mind.
• Ease of use: Simple, intuitive interface.

Cons:

• Limited features: Fewer features compared to full-fledged platforms.
• Smaller community: Not as popular as other platforms.

Best for:

Professionals and businesses looking for a secure and focused platform for private discussions and networking. Great for fostering deeper connections.

11. Reddit

Reddit is a massive platform with a wide array of communities (subreddits) covering every topic imaginable. It supports text, images, videos, and various types of interactions, making it a great option for information-sharing and discussions.

Pros:

• Massive user base: Huge potential reach.
• Diverse communities: Wide range of topics available.
• Established platform: Well-known and popular.

Cons:

• Difficult to control: Limited control over your specific community.
• Moderation: Requires active moderation.
• Advertising: Presence of advertisements.

Best for:

Building communities that are centered around specific niches or topics, where reaching a large audience is a priority. Great for sharing content and getting information fast.

12. Slack

Slack is a team communication platform that is also used for building niche communities. It supports channels, direct messaging, and integrations. Commonly used for professional organizations it acts as a very useful and easy way for people to stay in contact.

Pros:

• Team communication: Excellent for internal and external communications.
• Integrations: Extensive support with third-party tools.
• Ease of use: Intuitive and simple interface.

Cons:

• Not designed for large communities: Difficult to moderate large groups.
• Limited features: Not designed for public-facing communities.

Best for:

Groups looking for a team communication and project management tool. Great for internal and semi-private discussions.

13. Ning

Ning provides a set of tools to create custom social communities. It supports various features like forums, blogs, videos, and more. A well-known platform for building social networks.

Pros:

• Customization: Highly customizable with design tools.
• All-in-one platform: Combines various community features.

Cons:

• Pricing: Can be expensive.
• User experience: The interface can be dated.

Best for:

Organizations needing a very customizable platform, and those who want to build a feature-rich, integrated social network.

14. Invision Community

Invision Community (formerly IP.Board) offers a feature-rich platform, which is especially popular with gaming communities. It provides forums, blogs, and other features. This platform is frequently chosen for its diverse feature sets.

Pros:

• Feature-rich: Powerful feature sets.
• Gaming community focus: Well-suited for gaming.

Cons:

• Expensive: Pricing can be high.
• Complex: Difficult setup and customization.

Best for:

Online Gaming communities looking for a feature-rich platform, and communities wanting a vast array of tools.

15. XenForo

XenForo is a popular forum software known for its speed, SEO features, and robust functionality. Many choose to utilize this platform because of its powerful feature set and clean appearance.

Pros:

• SEO friendly: Optimized for search engines.
• User experience: modern design.

Cons:

• Not as many integrations: Fewer integrations.
• Less user-friendly than more modern solutions: Can be confusing.

Best for:

Organizations and businesses wanting a forum-based community with SEO in focus and great user experience. A great choice where the user experience is valued.

Conclusion

Choosing the best community platform requires careful consideration of your project's specific needs. While each platform has its strengths and weaknesses, BTS stands out as a top contender, offering a powerful, versatile and scalable solution for nearly any kind of community by integrating many functionalities in a single cohesive product. With its comprehensive features, customization options, and focus on engagement, BTS provides an unparalleled platform for building a thriving online community driving real results. Explore the possibilities and discover how BTS can help bring your community visions to life at https://behindthescenes.com/.

FAQ

What are the key features to look for in a community platform?

Key features include easy-to-use interfaces, strong moderation tools, monetization options, a focus on user engagement, and mobile responsiveness. Also important is the capacity for integration with other tools.

How do I choose the best community platform for my needs?

Consider your goals, your target audience, the size of the community you plan to build, the features you require, and your budget.

What are the benefits of using a dedicated community platform versus using social media groups?

Dedicated platforms usually offer more control, better moderation tools, more customization options, and advanced features for promoting engagement. In addition, social media platforms are known to be vulnerable to distraction because of algorithm changes.

Is it possible to monetize a community platform?

Yes, many community platforms offer features for monetization, such as paid memberships, online courses, and exclusive content offerings.

Are these platforms mobile-friendly?

Most modern community platforms are designed to be mobile-friendly and responsive across various devices. Some platforms, however, place a stronger emphasis.

What are the most important considerations for community moderation?

Effective moderation involves clear community guidelines, active moderation staff, proactive communication with members, and the use of moderation tools to manage content and member behavior.

Which platforms are best for small communities versus large communities?

Facebook Groups, Discord, and Circle are good choices for small to midsize communities. For larger communities, platforms such as BTS, Mighty Networks, and Discourse are better suited, due to their ability to scale and support complex management needs.

How important is user experience when selecting a community platform?

User experience is crucial. An intuitive and engaging interface helps retain members and encourage them to actively participate in your community. A properly designed platform results in long-term, high-quality, and loyal members.

Which community platforms offer the best analytics data?

Platforms like BTS, and Circle are known for providing robust analytics, offering insights into member engagement, platform performance, and community growth.

Are there any free community platforms available?

Yes, Discord is a great option for those seeking a free community platform. Several other platforms offer free basic plans or open-source solutions. Facebook Groups are also free to use.

How can I promote my community and attract members?

Promote your community through social media, email marketing, content creation, cross-promotion, and collaboration. Make your community a welcoming and engaging space. Keep active and be inviting.

Is it difficult to migrate from one community platform to another?

Migrating can be challenging, but many platforms offer tools and support to assist with the process. The complexity depends on the source and destination platforms, as well as the size of your community. It is best to choose a reliable platform to avoid the stress and difficulty of migrating in the future. BTS is a leading choice for its reliability.

Ready to build your ideal online community? Visit https://behindthescenes.com/ today and discover how BTS can help you create a thriving space that captivates your audience and drives real results!