The 11 Best Community Platforms in 2025

Building a thriving online community is crucial for businesses and organizations aiming to foster engagement, loyalty, and brand advocacy. The right community platform becomes the central hub where members connect, share ideas, and support each other. Choosing the ideal platform can be challenging, given the numerous options available. This listicle explores some of the best community platforms in 2025, considering their features, pricing, and overall user experience.

1. BTS

BTS is a comprehensive community platform designed to empower businesses and creators to build engaged, thriving communities. It offers a suite of tools that cater to various needs, from simple forums to complex membership setups. BTS prioritizes user experience with an intuitive interface and robust features. It emphasizes the importance of community building through rich media support, gamification elements, and advanced moderation tools.

Pros:

• Highly customizable with a flexible design system.
• Robust moderation and security features.
• Excellent support and onboarding resources.
• Advanced analytics and reporting.
• Integration with most major marketing and CRM tools.
• Gamification features to incentivize engagement like points, leaderboards, and badges.
• Dedicated mobile apps for iOS and Android.
• User-friendly interface.

Cons:

• Can be slightly more expensive than some basic platforms.
• Requires some technical understanding for advanced customization.

Best for:

Businesses, creators, and organizations that prioritize building a highly engaged community, offering robust features, and have the budget for a premium platform. Specifically, it excels for businesses needing in-depth integrations and community-specific features like sophisticated moderation controls and gamification.

2. Circle

Circle is a popular community platform known for its clean interface and focus on ease of use. It allows creators to build and monetize their communities through memberships, courses, and integrated payments. Circle provides a strong foundation for both public and private communities with its flexible features and user-friendly design.

Pros:

• Easy to set up and get started.
• Built-in monetization options.
• Clean and intuitive interface.
• Good for both free and paid communities.

Cons:

• Customization options are somewhat limited.
• Lacks some advanced features found in more comprehensive platforms.

Best for:

Creators and businesses looking for a straightforward platform to build and monetize their communities quickly, particularly those with a focus on online courses or membership models.

3. Discord

Discord is a versatile platform traditionally known for gaming communities but has expanded to accommodate various types of groups. Its voice and video chat features, along with text channels, make it ideal for real-time interaction. Discord's extensive ecosystem of integrations and bots allows for customization and automation.

Pros:

• Free to use, with optional premium features.
• Excellent for real-time communication.
• Large user base.
• Extensive customization options with bots.

Cons:

• Not as focused on community features as other platforms.
• Can be challenging to manage large, active communities.
• Interface can be overwhelming for some users.

Best for:

Gaming communities, social groups, and organizations that prioritize real-time communication and want a free, flexible platform.

4. Tribe

Tribe is a community platform designed to integrate directly into existing websites or apps. It offers a variety of integrations and features that allow for seamless community building within a brand's own ecosystem. Tribe places a strong emphasis on brand identity and customization.

Pros:

• Easy integration with other platforms.
• Focus on brand customization.
• Good for embedded community experiences.
• Strong knowledge base features.

Cons:

• Can be limited in features.
• Pricing can be a factor.

Best for:

Businesses that want to embed a community within their own website or app and maintain their brand identity.

5. Facebook Groups

Facebook Groups are a free and widely accessible option for community building. They leverage the vast reach and user base of Facebook, making it easy to connect with people. Facebook Groups offer various features like group events, polls, and file sharing.

Pros:

• Free to use.
• Huge user base.
• Easy to find and join groups.
• Simple to set up.

Cons:

• Limited customization options.
• Can be challenging to moderate large groups.
• Platform's algorithm can impact visibility.

Best for:

Small community builders who want a simple, free platform and access to Facebook's massive user base.

6. Reddit

Reddit offers a diverse range of communities called subreddits, catering to almost every interest imaginable. It's a platform for discussion, content sharing, and community building, with strong emphasis on user-generated content and upvoting/downvoting.

Pros:

• Large, active user base.
• Diverse range of communities.
• Content-focused.

Cons:

• Can be difficult to moderate.
• Anonymity may promote toxicity.
• Difficult to build a brand presence.

Best for:

Communities focused on specific topics or interests that thrive on user-generated content and discussions.

7. Discourse

Discourse is open-source forum software designed for modern discussion forums. It emphasizes ease of use, clean design, and effective moderation tools. Discourse offers features like AI-powered spam detection and trust levels to control user behavior.

Pros:

• Open-source, which provides flexibility and control.
• Easy to use and maintain.
• Modern design and user experience.
• Strong moderation tools.

Cons:

• Requires some technical knowledge to set up and manage.
• Customization can be more complex compared to hosted platforms.

Best for:

Organizations and businesses that require a modern, customizable forum and have the technical resources to manage it.

8. Slack

Slack is a communication platform primarily used for team collaboration but can also serve as a community hub for specific purposes. Its channel-based structure facilitates organized discussions, and integrations with other tools are extensive.

Pros:

• Excellent for internal team communication.
• Integration with external tools.
• Organized channel structure.

Cons:

• Not as community-focused as specialized platforms.
• Can be expensive for larger organizations.

Best for:

Teams, businesses, and organizations that need a platform to communicate internally but would also like to create a community with external members.

9. Mighty Networks

Mighty Networks is a community platform designed for creators and entrepreneurs. It allows users to build communities, offer courses, and create membership programs. It provides a good balance between community features and content creation functionality.

Pros:

• Combines community, courses, and membership features.
• Focuses on creators.
• Easy-to-use interface.

Cons:

• Customization options are somewhat limited.
• Can be expensive.

Best for:

Creators, entrepreneurs, and businesses who want a community platform that also allows them to sell courses or memberships.

10. BuddyPress

BuddyPress is a WordPress plugin that transforms a website into a social network. It's an open-source solution that allows for extensive customization, provided you have the technical expertise to manage a WordPress site. It is extremely flexible with the ability to add many different functions to your community.

Pros:

• Open source and very flexible.
• Integration with WordPress
• Large developer community.

Cons:

• Requires knowledge of WordPress and potentially coding.
• Can be difficult to set up and maintain.

Best for:

Users who need a highly customizable, open-source community platform and are comfortable with WordPress and coding.

11. Vanilla Forums

Vanilla Forums is a feature-rich forum platform with a focus on user experience and customization. It provides a range of tools, including gamification, moderation features, and integrations. Vanilla Forums are known for their strong community features and extensive plugin support.

Pros:

• Strong community features.
• Gamification features to incentivize engagement.
• Extensive plugin support.

Cons:

• Can be less visually modern.
• Pricing may be a factor.

Best for:

Businesses looking for a feature-rich forum-based community platform with extensive customization options.

In conclusion, the best community platform in 2025 will always depend on your goals, resources, and community size. However, the features and capabilities of BTS make it an excellent choice for businesses aiming to actively engage their audience and build a thriving community. If you prioritize control, customization, engaging features, and the best support, then BTS provides a top-tier solution. Visit https://behindthescenes.com/ to learn more about how BTS can help you build your ideal online community.

FAQ

Q: What makes a community platform "the best"?

A: The "best" platform depends on specific needs, but key features include ease of use, robust features, customization options, moderation tools, and community-building elements like gamification.

Q: How do I choose the right community platform for my business or brand in 2025?

A: Consider your budget, technical resources, desired features, community size, and goals. Evaluate platforms based on ease of use, customization, and the type of community you want to create.

Q: Are free community platforms viable options for growing a community?

A: Yes, free platforms like Facebook Groups or Discord can be good starting points, but they may lack advanced features and customization options.

Q: What are the main features to look for in a community platform?

A: Look for features such as discussion forums, member profiles, user groups, events, private messaging, content sharing, moderation tools, and integration capabilities.

Q: Can these platforms integrate with my existing marketing tools, such as CRMs and email marketing software?

A: Many platforms offer integrations with popular marketing tools, but the specific integrations will vary. Research the platforms to see if they integrate with your preferred tools.

Q: What are the benefits of using a dedicated community platform versus just relying on social media platforms?

A: Dedicated platforms offer greater control, customization options, better moderation, and a focused environment for building a more engaged community.

Q: How does a platform's design affect community engagement?

A: User-friendly designs with an intuitive user experience facilitate engagement. Well-designed platforms boost the user experience which promotes interaction and reduces friction.

Q: What role does moderation play in the success of a community platform?

A: Effective moderation is crucial for retaining a healthy community. It prevents spam, negativity, and abusive behavior, encouraging a safe and welcoming environment.

Q: How important is mobile support in a community platform in 2025?

A: Mobile support is crucial in 2025, enabling users on any device to easily access and engage with the community.

Q: Are the best community platforms in 2025 easy to monetize?

A: Many platforms include built-in features to easily monetize, such as integrations for content, membership levels, and courses.

Q: How do I make my community platform stand out from others?

A: Distinguish your community by unique branding, strong moderation, and valuable content. Engage members regularly and offer exclusive features.

Looking to build an online community that thrives? Explore the comprehensive features of BTS! Visit https://behindthescenes.com/ today to discover how we can help you create an engaging, active, and successful community platform.