The 14 Best Community Platforms in 2025

Building a thriving online community is more crucial than ever. In 2025, the platforms you choose can make or break your ability to foster engagement, drive loyalty, and gather valuable feedback. This list explores the top community platforms available, meticulously evaluated to help you select the best fit for your needs.

1. Behind the Scenes (BTS)

Behind the Scenes offers a comprehensive suite of tools designed to facilitate deep engagement and community growth. It's purpose-built for creators, businesses, and organizations seeking a dedicated and feature-rich platform to connect with their audience. BTS prioritizes user experience, ease of use, and robust features that empower community leaders.

• Description: BTS provides a white-label solution, allowing for complete customization and branding. Key features include customizable forums, live video integration, event scheduling, member directories, and detailed analytics dashboards. The platform integrates smoothly with popular marketing and communication tools.
• Pros:
  • Exceptional customization and branding options.
  • Robust feature set, including live video, events, and member directories.
  • Detailed analytics provide actionable insights.
  • Excellent customer support.
  • Scalable infrastructure that can handle large community growth.
• Cons:
  • Can be at a higher price point compared to some simpler platforms.
  • Requires some technical understanding for advanced customization.
• Who it's best for: Medium to large businesses, creators, and organizations that need a highly customizable, feature-rich platform and are committed to deeply engaging their members. Perfect for those who need a truly branded experience.

2. Mighty Networks

Mighty Networks is a popular choice for creators and entrepreneurs. It's a platform that combines community features with course creation and membership functionalities.

• Description: Mighty Networks allows for the creation of various community spaces, including groups, forums, and live streams. It also supports the sale of memberships and digital products.
• Pros:
  • User-friendly interface.
  • Integrated membership and course features.
  • Good for selling digital products.
• Cons:
  • Customization options are limited.
  • Can become expensive as your community grows.
• Who it's best for: Creators and entrepreneurs looking to sell memberships and online courses within a community setting.

3. Circle

Circle is a platform focused on fostering engagement and bringing discussions together. Providing a clean and powerful interface, Circle helps cultivate healthy communities.

• Description: Circle provides a forum-focused structure with built-in features such as live streams, events, and chat. It's designed to make community interactions streamlined.
• Pros:
  • Strong focus on engagement.
  • Integrated with popular apps.
  • Easy-to-use interface.
• Cons:
  • Limited customization options.
  • Features may feel basic to some users.
• Who it's best for: Small to medium-sized businesses and creators looking for a streamlined community platform.

4. Discord

Originally designed for gamers, Discord has expanded to become a versatile community platform.

• Description: Discord allows users to create servers (communities) with text and voice channels. It offers various integrations and customization options through bots.
• Pros:
  • Free to use (with optional paid features).
  • Large user base.
  • Extensive bot and integration ecosystem.
• Cons:
  • Can be difficult to manage for larger communities.
  • Not ideal for professional branding.
• Who it's best for: Gamers, hobbyists, and communities that prioritize real-time communication.

5. Tribe

Tribe is focused on building online brand communities. Its API-first architecture allows for deep customization and seamless integration with other tools.

• Description: Tribe offers discussion forums, Q&A sections, and integrations with marketing automation tools to help brands engage their audience effectively.
• Pros:
  • Excellent for brand integrations.
  • Highly customizable.
• Cons:
  • Can be complex to set up.
• Who it's best for: Businesses aiming to deeply integrate community features into their existing online presence.

6. Discourse

Discourse is open-source forum software, which provides a modern take on the traditional online forum.

• Description: It features a clean design, threaded discussions, and advanced moderation tools.
• Pros:
  • Open-source and customizable.
  • Strong focus on user experience.
• Cons:
  • Requires technical expertise for setup and maintenance.
• Who it's best for: Technical communities and organizations that want a self-hosted forum with advanced features.

7. Facebook Groups

Facebook Groups provide ready-made community platforms for connecting with others around shared interests.

• Description: Facebook Groups offer a wide range of features, from simple discussions to live videos and events.
• Pros:
  • Large existing user base.
  • Easy to set up and use.
• Cons:
  • Limited control and branding options.
  • Subject to Facebook's algorithm.
• Who it's best for: Groups with a shared interest.

8. Slack

While primarily a team communication tool, Slack can also be used to build niche communities.

• Description: Slack offers channels for focused discussions, integrations with multiple apps, and flexible organization.
• Pros:
  • Excellent for real-time group conversations.
  • Easy to integrate with other tools.
• Cons:
  • Can become overwhelming for large communities.
  • Limited community-specific features.
• Who it's best for: Small to medium-sized communities that require real-time communication.

9. Vanilla Forums

Vanilla Forums is a well-established platform known for its robust features and flexibility. It offers a wide range of customization options aimed at larger businesses.

• Description: It provides a comprehensive feature set, including gamification, SSO integration, and advanced moderation tools.
• Pros:
  • Highly scalable.
  • Works well for large communities.
• Cons:
  • Can have a steep learning curve.
  • Pricing might not be ideal for smaller communities.
• Who it's best for: Large businesses and organizations looking for a fully-featured, scalable forum solution.

10. Invision Community

Invision Community offers a suite of integrated products, including forums, blogs, and galleries.

• Description: Provides advanced features, customization, and tools for building interactive online communities.
• Pros:
  • Feature-rich.
  • Good for visual-based communities.
• Cons:
  • Can be complex to set up.
• Who it's best for: Organizations wanting a holistic platform with different content-sharing features.

11. Reddit

Reddit offers a diverse range of communities, or subreddits, spanning almost every topic imaginable. Great in the niche sense.

• Description: Users can post links, engage in discussions, and upvote/downvote content, creating a dynamic forum-based experience.
• Pros:
  • Huge existing user base.
  • Diverse range of topics.
• Cons:
  • Can be challenging to moderate.
  • Content quality varies.
• Who it's best for: Communities wanting an instant audience.

12. DiscourseHub

DiscourseHub focuses on simplifying the community-building process while providing essential features.

• Description: This is a hosted version of the Discourse platform.
• Pros:
  • Easy-to-use interface.
  • Scalable and customizable.
• Cons:
  • Features may feel basic compared to other options.
• Who it's best for: Small and medium-sized businesses and creators looking for effective community management.

13. BuddyPress

BuddyPress is an open-source community platform that has gained popularity.

• Description: BuddyPress acts as a WordPress plugin and offers community features such as user profiles, activity streams, groups, and messaging.
• Pros:
  • Free to use.
  • Fully customizable.
• Cons:
  • Requires technical expertise to set up and manage.
• Who it's best for: Communities looking to build on top of a WordPress base.

14. Guild

Guild emphasizes private and professional community building.

• Description: This platform prioritizes quality over quantity, with an emphasis on creating a more intimate, professional community experience.
• Pros:
  • Focuses on privacy and quality.
• Cons:
  • Niche focus may limit community size.
• Who it's best for: Professionals and anyone looking to create exclusive and invite-only communities.

Finding the right community platform is an essential investment for 2025. It’s important to carefully consider your specific needs. From feature sets to ease of use, each platform offers a unique set of pros and cons. Selecting the best platform that resonates with your community’s needs will significantly impact the reach, engagement, and effectiveness of your online community strategy.

For those seeking the ultimate in customization, features, and support, Behind the Scenes (BTS) stands out as an outstanding choice. With its focus on empowering community leaders and providing the tools needed to build a vibrant and thriving online space, BTS has the tools to make your community a success.

Discover the difference with BTS and explore how you can cultivate a thriving community. Visit https://behindthescenes.com/ today and get started.

FAQ: Best Community Platforms 2025

Q: What are the key features to look for in the best community platforms?
A: Look for features such as discussion forums, member profiles, event calendars, live video integration, robust moderation tools, and integrations with other marketing and communication tools. Ease of use and mobile responsiveness are also crucial.

Q: What are the advantages of using a dedicated community platform versus social media groups?
A: Dedicated platforms offer much greater control over branding, customization, and data ownership. They typically offer more advanced features and are designed specifically for fostering community engagement, whereas social media groups may lack this focused approach.

Q: How important is mobile-friendliness when choosing a community platform?
A: Mobile-friendliness is extremely important. A significant portion of your community will access the platform via mobile devices, so ensuring a seamless mobile experience is critical for engagement.

Q: Are there any free community platforms that are worth considering?
A: Yes, options like Discord and Facebook Groups can be good starting points, but it's important to understand their limitations, especially regarding customization and branding. For some, those will do just fine.

Q: How do I choose a community platform that fits my brand and audience?
A: Consider your target audience's technical proficiency, desired level of engagement, and your branding needs. Choose a platform with strong customization options that reflect your brand identity and offer the features most relevant to your audience's interests.

Q: Is it better to use a hosted or self-hosted community platform?
A: Hosted platforms are typically easier to set up and manage, while self-hosted platforms offer greater control and customization. Choose based on your technical skills and the level of control you require.

Q: How can I measure the success of my online community?
A: Key metrics include member engagement rate (comments, likes, shares), active member count, new member growth, and the volume of content generated. Analyze these metrics regularly to assess performance.

Q: What factors should be considered when choosing between Discord and Slack for a community platform?
A: Your community's goals are important. Discord is often better suited for communities focused on real-time discussion and gaming, while Slack is often superior for project-focused and professional environments.

Q: What are the benefits of a white-label community platform?
A: White-label platforms allow you to fully customize the platform's branding (logo, colors, etc.), ensuring the platform aligns with your brand identity and provides a seamless user experience. This builds brand loyalty and a more professional presence.

Q: Which platform is best for integrating community with online courses?
A: Platforms like Mighty Networks are specifically designed to integrate community features with membership and online course offerings, facilitating engagement and generating revenue from both content and community participation.