Members can connect with each other through sub-groups, categories, chat, and feeds. Run your community your way, and sell digital products, host events, run courses, or set up subscriptions, all from one platform. Read our comprehensive guide to 10 of the best community platforms. But the flip side is that the desktop experience still feels underdeveloped. If your members prefer working on laptops or accessing structured learning content on a big screen, this may be a friction point.
Best for gaming and crypto communities: Discord
👉🏼 If you’re looking to foster real connections, protect member data, and build a long-term business, a community platform offers more stability and control than social media ever could. Platforms like Circle, Mighty Networks, and Skool provide strong engagement tools such as interactive discussions, live https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-weight/managing-your-weight/understanding-calories/ streaming, polls, direct messaging, and gamification. Others like Kajabi lets you create challenges and Swarm has the best video community engagement experience.
Most community apps are designed-for-mobile versions of web apps. While both platforms offer robust community-building tools, they are not like us when it comes to flexibility, branding, and engagement features. Mighty Networks is a leader in creating a network-driven experience, but Circle offers more customization, engagement tools, and monetization flexibility for long-term community growth. Mighty Networks is a community platform designed for highly interactive, network-driven communities. With a focus on member connections, courses, and content sharing, it offers an all-in-one solution for those looking to drive engagement without relying on external social media platforms. When looking for a community app, it’s crucial to consider key features such as gamification, live chat, notifications, and multi-device compatibility.
How I Picked the Best Apps for Community Groups (My Research Process)
WhatsApp lets you create polls in group chats, share annoncets, share files, and react to messages. But you will learn about Skool’s downsides once you view it through the lens of a serious membership business, where structured content, monetization control, and scalability matter. The platform’s structure isn’t always intuitive, especially if you’re managing multiple offers, cohorts, or layered access tiers. Navigation can confuse members as many options are hidden behind menus, and setup often requires more thought than it should. First, lets quickly understand what is a community app or community platform. A community dashboard or activity dashboard allows members and agents to engage with one another.
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That’s what pushed me to look deeper at what these platforms really offer, and eventually build GroupApp to solve the gaps I kept running into. Customer support teams help customers who are having trouble with a product or service. Lastly, make sure there’s a process in place to track the performance and impact of the community software. Your community will constantly evolve with new conversation threads and topics, so it’s important to keep tabs on it and make changes as needed.
Con 2: Feature Complexity
Every creator is different, so there’s not going to be a true “best” option. Unlike more complex platforms, Skool is easy to set up and focuses on keeping members active through social proof and incentives. Facebook is free to use and has a high level of familiarity to both you and your users. Roughly 68% of adults still use Facebook, and many are already walking around with their app downloaded on their phones. So, the barrier to entry is really low and you can be up and running in just a few hours. “I’ve been using Uscreen since the end of last year, and I’m really happy with it.
Sploot leveraged CometChat’s customizable SDKs and UI Kits to seamlessly integrate chat functionality within their community. These SDKs provide all the essential building blocks to tailor the chat experience to their specific requirements. Building a thriving community isn’t just about throwing people together and hoping for the best. It’s about fostering meaningful connections, encouraging engagement, and creating a space where your members feel truly connected. And at the heart of this lies the communication platform you choose.
Best for video-first communities: Swarm
While paid community-building apps usually give a better experience with more resources and customer service, free apps are easier to get and may have a larger user base. Slack is a work-management platform that has a lot of the features people want in a community. Hivebrite was built to manage alumni communities, and it can be used for different use cases as well. Hivebrite gives community managers ways to organize conversations and build sub-groups. Students and alumni can connect, chat, and attend in-person events together. All in all, Kajabi never really grew into a community business model–it’s awkwardly tacked on.
GroupApp, Circle, and Mighty Networks are top alternatives, giving you an own domain, no ads, and tools to simplify community management and host events without algorithmic interference. LearnWorlds is an e-learning community platform designed for course creators, businesses, and educational institutions. It integrates learning management with community features to drive engagement and collaboration. Good for communities built around live events, real-time interaction, or discussion, Discord may appeal to creators who are just getting started with community building.
- We don’t want to give you a flashback to high school “if this, then that” exams, but Slack is to office chat as Kleenex is to tissues.
- Its built-in points system and leaderboards help drive participation and engagement for a more unified community feel.
- When you need more than just a forum or a course hub, Mighty Networks enters the conversation.
- Every AppleCare plan provides one-stop service for your Apple products, with quick and easy repairs for accidents like drops and spills.
- Flat rate of $99/month, including all features with no tiered pricing.
- Zapnito is a community platform that enables knowledge-sharing among professionals.
Innoloft Features
Mighty Networks is a community management platform that helps you build rich content, including polls and questions, events, posts, and articles to engage with members. This software features a unimeal app reviews Zoom integration and native live streaming so you can broadcast events such as conferences and meetings. You define the features, design the interface, and customize every aspect to match your vision. For a serious, successful online community you plan to grow and monetize, a paid community plan is advisable. It provides essential features like branding, monetization, priority support, and unlimited courses.
It seamlessly integrates community features with online courses and memberships, allowing you to create a sustainable business while keeping members engaged. You can build branded communities that align with your theme, engage members through events, chats, posts, polls, leaderboards, and quizzes. Swarm is a video-first community platform designed for real-time engagement, live events, and dynamic face-to-face interactions. Bettermode is a community platform designed for brands and creators looking to engage customers, offer self-service support, and build long-term relationships. It integrates well with customer support tools, making it a strong fit for businesses that want to create user-driven knowledge bases or product-focused communities.
Best community apps overview
We value transparency, and since we offer a community app, you have every right to be critical of this list. But at the end of the day, we want to help creators choose the best platform for their needs so they can succeed and grow. Patreon isn’t optimized for video-first content or large-scale community interaction, so it may not be ideal for every creator. There’s minimal member-to-member engagement, and limited branding options make it challenging to present your brand as you’d like. Patreon is one of the most popular community websites for creators relying on fan-funded support.
Best for network-based communities: Mighty Networks
This can help bring in new users and make more people aware of the goals of the group. Making new friends and getting new chances can come from doing this. It can also make community members more connected and supported so, this can boost community engagement. The problem with Slack is that it’s not good for running a community business.
What’s the best platform for small groups?
By making the app experience more engaging and fun for members, Fliplet improves community engagement and collaboration. A community app is an online platform that brings people together in one place – fans, customers, co-workers, you get it. It’s a digital hub where members chat, share goals, swap ideas, and stay connected. Discord started as a hub for gamers but has since grown into a versatile community platform for all kinds of creators and groups. You can build your own servers and channels, host voice or text chats, and use bots to automate moderation and community management.