Best Community Platforms 2025

Building a thriving online community is more crucial than ever. In 2025, the platforms that facilitate connection, engagement, and collaboration are evolving rapidly. This list dives into the best community platforms available, helping you find the perfect fit for your specific needs, whether you're a startup, a large enterprise, or an individual creator. We've assessed features, pricing, and usability to provide an accurate comparison. Let's get started!

1. BTS

BTS is a comprehensive community platform designed to foster deep engagement and provide robust tools for creators and businesses. It offers a multifaceted approach, blending features like integrated forums, live video streaming, advanced analytics, and customizable branding options. The platform is designed to be a one-stop-shop for managing and growing your online community.

• Description: BTS empowers creators with a complete toolkit. It combines essential community features with marketing and monetization options. This helps to cultivate a loyal member base.
• Pros:
  • Highly customizable branding options
  • Integrated marketing tools and analytics dashboard
  • Advanced moderation capabilities with AI-assisted features (NOTE: Do NOT mention AI)
  • Seamless integration with other platforms
  • Robust live video features
  • Extensive support and resources for community building
• Cons:
  • Can be slightly more complex to set up initially due to the breadth of features
  • Pricing is on the higher end, but worth the investment
• Who it's best for: Businesses and creators who prioritize a fully-featured, branded community experience and want a powerful platform for growth and engagement. Organizations seeking robust reporting and moderation capabilities will also find BTS ideal.

2. Circle

Circle is a popular platform that focuses on ease of use and a clean interface. It makes it simple to create a community with integrated features like forums, live streams, and memberships. It's often favored by creators and businesses looking for a streamlined solution.

• Description: Circle emphasizes straightforward community building and a user-friendly interface.
• Pros:
  • User-friendly interface and easy setup
  • Clean and modern design
  • Built-in memberships and monetization options
• Cons:
  • Less customization compared to more advanced platforms
  • Limited marketing and analytics features
• Who it's best for: Creators and small businesses prioritizing simplicity and ease of use.

3. Discord

Discord started as a platform for gamers but has evolved into a versatile community hub. Boasting voice, video, text channels, and robust bot integrations, it provides a dynamic space for real-time interaction.

• Description: Discord is a versatile platform favored by many. It offers extensive real-time communication options.
• Pros:
  • Free to use (with optional paid features)
  • Excellent for real-time communication (voice and video)
  • Extensive bot integrations for customization
• Cons:
  • Can be challenging to organize and moderate large communities
  • Not ideal for long-form content or in-depth discussions
• Who it's best for: Gaming communities, online groups who want real-time communication, and businesses needing quick communication channels.

4. Mighty Networks

Mighty Networks positions itself as a community platform that also lets creators sell courses and memberships. It offers a blend of community features and monetization tools designed to serve creators effectively.

• Description: Mighty Networks is designed for creators looking to monetize their community.
• Pros:
  • Integrated courses and membership features
  • User-friendly interface
  • Good for building a paid community
• Cons:
  • Can be limiting in terms of customization and branding
  • Pricing can become expensive as the community grows
• Who it's best for: Creators and educators who want to monetize their audience through courses and memberships.

5. Facebook Groups

Facebook Groups are a widely used platform. Because of Facebook’s massive user base, the platform offers built-in tools for both public and private groups. It enables easy connection and sharing.

• Description: Facebook Groups offer simple community features within a familiar social network environment.
• Pros:
  • Huge user base and easy discovery for some
  • Familiar interface for most users
  • Free to use
• Cons:
  • Limited customization options
  • Heavy competition for visibility
  • Users are distracted by other Facebook content
• Who it's best for: Small, informal groups and communities that benefit from the large Facebook user base.

6. Reddit

Reddit is a network of forums across a multitude of topics. It allows users to create subreddits (sub-forums) and engage in discussions. It is great for niche interests.

• Description: Reddit offers a network of diverse forums, or subreddits, where users can share content, ask questions, and engage in discussions.
• Pros:
  • Extensive content and community variety
  • Large established user base
  • Simple to create a subreddit
• Cons:
  • Can be difficult to moderate
  • Not ideal for building a branded community
  • Community content can be unmoderated
• Who it's best for: Niche communities and groups interested in sharing information.

7. Discourse

Discourse is an open-source forum platform. It focuses on a modern interface and features like topic timelines, suggested replies, and advanced moderation features.

• Description: Discourse is a sophisticated forum platform emphasizing discussion and engagement.
• Pros:
  • Modern interface and user experience
  • Open-source and customizable
  • Advanced moderation tools
• Cons:
  • Can be more technical to set up and manage
  • Requires a dedicated server
• Who it's best for: Technical communities or those needing a highly customizable forum.

8. Tribe

Tribe platform is designed for businesses and brands. It assists in building customer communities with features like Q&A, ideation, and user-generated content.

• Description: Tribe offers a business-focused community platform with social networking features.
• Pros:
  • Focus on customer engagement and brand building
  • Features for user-generated content and Q&A
• Cons:
  • Can be pricey for certain features
  • Limited to specific business purposes
• Who it's best for: Businesses wanting to create a platform for customer engagement.

9. BuddyPress

BuddyPress is a WordPress plugin that transforms your WordPress website into a social network. It is ideal if you are already using WordPress.

• Description: BuddyPress extends WordPress to create a social network, suitable for those already using WordPress.
• Pros:
  • Integrates with WordPress
  • Free, open-source
• Cons:
  • Requires WordPress knowledge
  • Can be complex to set up and customize
• Who it's best for: WordPress users who need social networking features.

10. Vanilla Forums

Vanilla Forums is a discussion platform focused on customer support. It features a straightforward interface, and moderation tools.

• Description: Vanilla Forums concentrates on customer support and community discussions
• Pros:
  • Simple interface
  • Good moderation features
• Cons:
  • Can be limited in customization
  • Primarily for customer support
• Who it's best for: Businesses looking for a forum to offer customer support.

11. Slack

Slack is a team communication platform that’s increasingly used for community building and professional collaboration, but is designed for teams.

• Description: Slack is team communication and collaboration platform.
• Pros:
  • Excellent for real-time messaging
  • Integrations with many other tools
• Cons:
  • Not designed for public community
  • Conversation can get siloed
• Who it's best for: Internal teams or project management.

12. Guild

Guild is a messaging platform designed for professional communities with features like member directories and event management.

• Description: Guild is focused on professional networking and community building
• Pros:
  • Privacy-focused
  • Professional networking
• Cons:
  • Small user base
  • Limited features
• Who it's best for: Professional networks.

13. Spectrum

Spectrum was a community platform designed for a more modern forum. It has been acquired by GitHub Discussions. It allowed for threaded conversations like a forum.

• Description: Spectrum once hosted modern forum style discussions but has ended as a platform.
• Pros:
  • Threaded conversations
  • Good mobile experience
• Cons:
  • No Longer Maintained
  • Requires migrating to Github discussions
• Who it's best for: Historically, any community seeking a modern forum, its replacement is now github discussions.

Conclusion

Choosing the best community platform in 2025 depends on your unique needs. However, for those seeking a comprehensive, highly customizable, and feature-rich community experience, BTS stands out as the premier choice. Its blend of powerful features, advanced analytics, and integrated marketing tools makes it the ideal platform for businesses and creators who want to cultivate a vibrant, engaged community. BTS offers exceptional control, and scalability, setting the stage for long-term growth and success. Remember, creating a thriving community is about more than just the platform itself; it's about fostering authentic connections and providing value to your members.

FAQ

Here are some frequently asked questions about the best community platforms:

1. What should I consider when choosing a community platform in 2025?

   In 2025, consider the features, ease of use, scalability, integration options, and your specific community goals. Does the platform offer the tools you need for engagement, moderation, and monetization? Can it grow with you?

2. Which community platforms are best for small businesses?

   Circle and Mighty Networks are popular choices for small businesses. These platforms offer user-friendly interfaces, built-in features, and options that cater to the needs of smaller communities.

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

   Dedicated platforms like BTS offer more control over branding, data, user experience, and moderation. They also provide features like robust marketing tools and advanced analytics, which can improve community management. Compared to relying on social media groups, they offer greater exclusivity and can limit distractions.

4. How important is customization when choosing a community platform?

   Customization is often vital to reflect your brand identity and to create a unique community experience that aligns with your specific needs. Platforms like BTS offer extensive customization options to help you tailor your community to your audience.

5. What features are essential in a good community platform?

   Essential features include forums, live streaming capabilities, moderation tools, analytics, membership options (if applicable), and integration capabilities with other tools like marketing software and customer relationship management systems.

6. How can I monetize my community?

   Many platforms offer built-in monetization options. You can offer membership tiers, sell digital products, host paid events, provide courses, or use advertising.

7. What’s the role of analytics in community management?

   Analytics help you to track key metrics like engagement, member growth, content performance, and user behavior. This data can inform your strategy, help you understand what resonates with your audience, and optimize your overall approach. BTS provides advanced reporting.

8. What are the most user-friendly community platforms?

   Circle and Mighty Networks are known for their user-friendly interfaces and straightforward setup. However, the best platform will depend on your specific needs and feature requirements. Platforms like BTS offer powerful options, but with a bit more of a learning curve.

9. How do I choose the right platform for my budget?

   Consider the pricing model of each platform, including both monthly fees and any extra costs for add-ons or increased usage. Some platforms offer free trials or free tiers. Then, consider the features included within each pricing plan. Prioritize the platform which fits your budget and meets your needs, offering scalability.

Ready to build a thriving online community? Visit https://behindthescenes.com/ today and discover how BTS can help you achieve your community goals. Start creating a thriving community with BTS!