| Logo | Name | Overview | |
|---|---|---|---|
![]() | Ableton | A Berlin-based company that builds a digital audio workstation, hardware controllers, and educational programs for musicians and producers around the ... Pricing: Custom | |
![]() | Bettermode | A modular platform for building branded customer portals, support forums, and engagement hubs with AI-enhanced search, moderation, and analytics. Pricing: Free | |
![]() | Circle | A hosted platform for branded membership sites that brings together discussions, live events, courses, payments, and native mobile apps. Pricing: Paid; Paid from | |
![]() | Coral Project | An open-source commenting and community platform that helps publishers foster engaged, privacy-focused conversations and manage discussions at scale. Pricing: Custom | |
![]() | Discourse | Discourse is modern forum software designed to foster civilized discussions and community engagement. Pricing: Paid; Paid from $20/mo | |
![]() | Flarum | A lightweight, open-source forum platform focused on speed, mobile-first design, and extensibility through a rich extension ecosystem. Pricing: Free | |
![]() | Forem | An open-source, blogging-first platform that hosts thousands of member-run communities for long-form posts, discussions, and community building. Pricing: Free | |
![]() | GroupApp | An all-in-one platform that combines curriculum tools, peer interaction, events, and program management to run courses, memberships, and coaching unde... Pricing: Free | |
![]() | Heartbeat | An all-in-one hosted platform to run conversations, courses, events, and paid memberships on your own domain. Pricing: Paid; Paid from $40/ye | |
![]() | Help a Reporter Out | A platform that matches journalists with expert contributors and distributes free daily media query opportunities to subscribers. Pricing: Custom | |
![]() | Higher Logic | A platform for associations and businesses to build and manage member and customer communities using AI-driven engagement and analytics. Pricing: Free | |
![]() | Hivebrite | A customizable, all-in-one solution to build, manage, and grow professional, educational, and nonprofit communities with branded spaces and mobile acc... Pricing: Custom | |
![]() | inSided | A platform for B2B SaaS that increases retention and self-service by combining peer communities, a knowledge base, and product feedback workflows. Pricing: Custom | |
![]() | Invision Community | A customizable platform for building forums, support hubs, subscription areas and fan spaces with integrated commerce and moderation tools. Pricing: Custom | |
![]() | Khoros | Khoros provides community software that enables like-minded customers and partners to connect and engage in a safe environment. Pricing: Free | |
![]() | Lu.ma | Create and host events online, sell tickets, invite guests, and discover nearby happenings from one simple service. Pricing: Free | |
![]() | MEE6 | A versatile bot that automates moderation, community engagement, and customizable utilities for online chat servers. Pricing: Custom | |
![]() | Mighty Networks | A creator-focused platform to build and monetize engaged member communities with courses, live events, chat, and branded mobile apps. Pricing: Paid; Paid from $49/mo | |
![]() | Mobilize (now Forj) | A community and learning platform built for associations and professional networks to boost member engagement, retention, and revenue. Pricing: Custom | |
![]() | Movement | A no-code platform for creators, coaches and businesses to build fully white‑labeled web and mobile community apps with deep customization and flexibl... Pricing: Custom | |
![]() | NodeBB | A next-generation, mobile-first discussion platform that enables communities to host real-time, customizable conversations. Pricing: Free | |
![]() | Open Collective | Provides legal and financial infrastructure for community groups and projects to receive funding, administer shared budgets, and publish transparent f... Pricing: Free | |
![]() | Patreon | A platform that helps creators earn recurring revenue and build direct relationships with their most engaged supporters through paid memberships and e... Pricing: Free | |
![]() | Peerboard | An LMS-integrated community add-on that enables moderated, gamified spaces for peer-to-peer knowledge sharing and increased learner engagement. Pricing: Paid | |
![]() | Pensil | A customizable platform for building branded online communities that combines discussion spaces, gated content, live sessions, and member engagement f... Pricing: Free | |
![]() | Republic | A global investment marketplace that gives retail and institutional investors access to private offerings, token launches, and other alternative asset... Pricing: Custom | |
![]() | SoundCloud | A global platform that connects independent artists, DJs, and audio creators with audiences through a large catalog and community-driven discovery fea... Pricing: Custom | |
![]() | StartupBlink Services | A global research and mapping platform that helps public and private organizations analyze, promote, and grow regional and national startup ecosystems... Pricing: Custom | |
![]() | Strava | A mobile-first social fitness platform that records workouts, produces detailed activity maps and metrics, and connects athletes around the world. Pricing: Paid; Paid from $2.08/mo | |
![]() | Streamlabs | A suite of live-streaming tools that helps creators broadcast, customize on-screen experiences, and monetize across major platforms. Pricing: Custom | |
![]() | Talkyard | A discussion and Q&A platform for building community forums, comment sections, and knowledge bases with moderation and collaboration features. Pricing: Custom | |
![]() | The Dots | A professional networking platform focused on connecting creative professionals, teams, and employers for collaboration, discovery, and job opportunit... Pricing: Free | |
![]() | Tribe | A modular, AI-enhanced platform for building branded customer communities, support forums, and knowledge hubs. Pricing: Custom | |
![]() | Unglue | A community-driven site that helps fund and convert digital books into openly licensed titles available for anyone to read and preserve. Pricing: Free | |
![]() | Uscreen | A platform that helps creators monetize video content and livestreams while delivering native mobile and TV apps plus built-in community features. Pricing: Paid; Paid from $149/mo | |
![]() | Vanilla Forums | A hosted community platform that helps teams reduce support load, capture product feedback, and drive user engagement through peer-to-peer self-servic... Pricing: Free | |
![]() | Higher Logic Vanilla | Higher Logic Vanilla is an all-in-one community platform designed to enhance customer engagement and support. Pricing: Paid | |
![]() | vestbee | A matchmaking and program-management service helping founders connect with backers, join growth programs, and partner with enterprise teams across cen... Pricing: Custom | |
![]() | XenForo | A robust, extensible discussion engine for building moderated online communities with strong moderation, discovery, and customization capabilities. Pricing: |
Not all tools offer the same features. Most include a free plan or trial, so you should be able to give them a try.
While we could compile a list of features for each tool, the reality is that every platform has its own unique capabilities. Tools in the same category can differ significantly in what they offer, making it challenging to compare them side by side based solely on a feature list. Even if we spotlight certain aspects, the true utility of a tool can only be gauged through direct use.
Many of these companies understand the importance of trying before buying, which is why free trials are often available. Taking advantage of these trials not only gives you experience with the tool's functionalities but also helps you understand if it suits your particular needs. Whether you're looking for project management software or an email marketing platform, actually using a tool can provide insights no feature list can.
If budget constraints are a concern, don't overlook the potential for negotiation. While listed prices serve as a general guide, you might be surprised how willing businesses are to offer discounts to new customers. Sometimes, a simple conversation can lead to a better deal, not only making it more affordable for you but also building an initial rapport with the company. Don't hesitate to reach out and ask!
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