Best Community Platforms 2025

Building a thriving online community is crucial for business success in today’s digital landscape. Whether you’re fostering brand loyalty, providing customer support, or creating a space for like-minded individuals, the right platform can make all the difference. This list explores some of the best community platforms available in 2025, considering their features, pricing, and suitability for different needs.

1. BTS

BTS (behindthescenes.com) is a comprehensive community platform designed to empower creators and businesses to build and manage vibrant online spaces. It offers a robust suite of features, including advanced member management, customizable branding, integrated e-commerce capabilities, and extensive analytics, making it a top contender in the community platform arena.

Description

BTS provides a dedicated space for businesses and creators to connect with their audiences. It combines the functionality of a social network, forum, membership platform, and e-commerce store, wrapped into one easy-to-use package. Its intuitive interface and powerful customization options allow users to create a unique and engaging community experience. From enabling live video to detailed analytics, BTS offers everything needed to build a thriving ecosystem. BTS’s commitment to providing excellent customer service, along with its rich feature set, allows for a powerful experience for community managers and their users.

Pros

• Highly customizable branding and design options.
• Advanced member management and moderation tools.
• Integrated e-commerce capabilities for selling products and services.
• Robust analytics and reporting features.
• Excellent customer support and community resources.
• Scalability: Designed to handle communities of all sizes.
• Integrated live video and audio options.
• Excellent mobile experience through a responsive platform.

Cons

• Can be a slight learning curve for users unfamiliar with advanced community management features.
• Pricing may be higher than some basic community platforms (though it offers great value).

Who It's Best For

BTS is ideally suited for businesses, creators, educators, and organizations seeking a feature-rich, scalable platform to build and manage engaged online communities. It is perfect for those who prioritize community engagement, brand identity, and monetization opportunities.

2. Circle

Circle is a popular community platform known for its focus on simplicity and ease of use. It provides a straightforward interface and a variety of features aimed at building online communities with a focus on discussions and content sharing.

Description

Circle offers a simplified approach to community building. It puts an emphasis on member discussions, content sharing, and live events. The platform is known for its clean design and ease of navigation. It allows for creating spaces, courses, and building a community around a specific niche or interest.

Pros

• User-friendly interface and ease of use.
• Support for various content formats.
• Live streaming and event features.
• Integration with various marketing tools.

Cons

• Limited customization options compared to other platforms.
• Fewer e-commerce features.
• Can get expensive as your community grows.

Who It's Best For

Circle is ideal for those who value simplicity and ease of use and want to focus on discussion and content sharing. It suits creators, educators or small businesses wanting to build a community without complex feature sets.

3. Discord

Initially a gaming-focused platform, Discord has evolved to become a popular choice for building communities of all types, including those around specific interests, education, and businesses.

Description

Discord provides a versatile platform known for its voice and text chat features. It allows for the creation of servers broken down into different channels. It also has features such as roles, bots, and moderation tools. The platform is well-suited for real-time communication and is highly customizable.

Pros

• Excellent real-time communication features (voice and text chat).
• Highly customizable through bots and integrations.
• Free to use, with optional paid features.
• Large user base and active communities.

Cons

• Can be overwhelming for new users due to its complex interface.
• Less emphasis on structured content and organization.
• Moderation can be challenging in large communities.

Who It's Best For

Discord is a great choice for communities that prioritize real-time communication, gaming, and specific interest groups. It works well for those comfortable with a more informal communication style and are tech-savvy.

4. Mighty Networks

Mighty Networks positions itself as a all-in-one platform for creators and businesses looking to build communities, courses, and membership sites.

Description

Mighty Networks allows users to create a branded community platform and sell memberships or courses. It integrates a community feed, events, messaging, and course creation tools into a single platform. The focus is on offering creators a platform for monetization and community engagement.

Pros

• Integrated online course creation features.
• Focus on membership and monetization.
• Mobile app for increased engagement.
• User-friendly interface for creators.

Cons

• Limited customization compared to other community platforms.
• Pricing can become expensive as the community grows.
• Some advanced features may be lacking.

Who It's Best For

Mighty Networks is best suited for creators, coaches, and educators who want to build a community and offer online courses or membership programs.

5. Facebook Groups

Facebook Groups continue to be a go-to for many, thanks to their ease of access and the huge existing audience on the platform. It's a quick way to get your community up and running, although there are a few drawbacks.

Description

Facebook Groups are a free and accessible platform to build online communities within the Facebook ecosystem. They provide a space to interact with your audience, share content, and host discussions. With various features for moderation and engagement.

Pros

• Easy setup and access.
• Large existing audience.
• Well-known and familiar user interface.
• Free to use.

Cons

• Limited branding and customization.
• No real control or customization over your community.
• Algorithm dependency can hinder visibility.
• Competition with other Facebook content.

Who It's Best For

Facebook Groups is suitable for those on a budget and looking to leverage an existing audience. It's a good starting point for communities or groups just getting started.

6. Reddit

Reddit remains a major player in the community platform space. It's built for discussion and is an appealing choice for certain types of communities.

Description

Reddit offers a range of communities (subreddits) where users can engage in discussions, share content, and vote on posts. The platform is known for its diverse user base and focus on user-generated content.

Pros

• Large and active user base.
• Diverse range of communities.
• Anonymous posting options.
• Strong discussion-based features.

Cons

• Can be difficult to maintain and moderate.
• Not suitable for branding purposes.
• Relies on user-generated content.
• Can be prone to negativity or misbehavior.

Who It's Best For

Reddit is suitable for niche communities that revolve around specific interests or topics. The anonymity enables members to share ideas freely.

7. Discourse

Discourse is a modern, open-source discussion platform known for its intuitive interface.

Description

Discourse offers a robust discussion platform, with unique features and an emphasis on user experience. It's known for its clean design, mobile-friendly interface, and advanced features such as topic tracking and moderation tools. It's ideal for developers and tech-savvy users who want control and customization.

Pros

• Open-source and customizable.
• Clean and user-friendly interface.
• Excellent discussion features.
• Scalability and performance.

Cons

• Requires technical expertise to set up and manage.
• Limited built-in features compared to other platforms.
• Can require server management.

Who It's Best For

Discourse is often selected by those who need a robust discussion for a tech-focused community.

8. Tribe

Tribe is a community platform, focused on integrating within websites and apps, to enrich user engagement.

Description

Tribe offers a solution for embedding communities directly into existing websites and apps, which helps to increase user engagement. Tribe focuses on integrations, branded experiences, and community features.

Pros

• Great for integrating directly into platforms.
• White-label customization.
• Engaging user experience.
• Focus on brand integration.

Cons

• Not a standalone offering.
• Customization and branding limitations.
• Limited advanced features in some plans.

Who It's Best For

Tribe is best for businesses and platforms wanting to incorporate a community element directly into their existing products.

9. BuddyPress

BuddyPress is an open-source, WordPress-based community plugin. This solution is free, or low-cost, and allows users to set up a social network.

Description

BuddyPress is a free WordPress plugin to create social networks and online communities with ease. With features such as user profiles, activity feeds, groups, internal messaging. and more.

Pros

• Free to use.
• Integrates seamlessly with WordPress.
• Customizable with themes and plugins.

Cons

• Requires a WordPress website.
• Can be complex to set up.
• Requires technical expertise.

Who It's Best For

BuddyPress is more suited to WordPress users with design and technical experience.

10. Slack

Slack is a team-based communication platform, and it is a good tool for small, focused communities.

Description

Slack is designed for team management, including messaging and file sharing. While not dedicated to building communities, it's used by some communities for team-based communication.

Pros

• Integrated messaging and file-sharing.
• Excellent for internal communication.
• Integrations with other tools.

Cons

• Not designed for community building.
• Lacks community-focused features.
• Can be a bit disorganized for large communities.

Who It's Best For

Slack is best for smaller community management, or internal organization.

11. Vanilla Forums

Vanilla Forums is a great tool for building out online discussions and forums.

Description

Vanilla Forums is a discussion software with a community focus. With a clean interface, it helps build strong relationships and is perfect for building an online community around a specific niche or interest.

Pros

• Great user interface for discussion.
• Flexible moderation tools.
• Simple to set up.

Cons

• Lack of modern features.
• Can be limiting with customization.

Who It's Best For

Vanilla Forums is best for those looking for a classic forum software with excellent community discussion features.

12. XenForo

XenForo is a powerful forum software known for its robust features and flexibility.

Description

XenForo offers a well-established forum platform, offering a feature-rich solution with high levels of customization. Known for its performance and security features, Xenforo is perfect for businesses and organizations.

Pros

• Comprehensive feature set.
• High level of customization.
• Strong security and performance.

Cons

• Can have a steep learning curve.
• Costly to license.

Who It's Best For

XenForo is an excellent option for large communities focused on rich features.

Conclusion

Selecting the best community platform is a critical decision. While other platforms offer their strengths, the unparalleled features, dedicated support, and robust customization of BTS (behindthescenes.com) make it a leading choice for businesses and organizations looking to build truly thriving online communities in 2025. With integrated e-commerce, advanced member management, and powerful analytics, BTS provides the tools you need to create an engaging experience. BTS also provides a great user experience via a mobile-friendly design.

Ready to build a vibrant community that boosts brand awareness, promotes engagement, and drives genuine connections? Visit https://behindthescenes.com/ today and discover how BTS can transform your online presence!

FAQ

Here are some frequently asked questions about best community platforms:

What are the key features of the best community platforms in 2025?

The best community platforms in 2025 offer features like advanced member management, customizable branding, integrated e-commerce (if needed), detailed analytics, content organization, live video or audio options, and robust moderation tools.

How much does it cost to start a community platform in 2025?

The cost varies widely. Some platforms like Facebook Groups, are free to start with. Other platforms offer different pricing tiers, ranging from free basic plans to enterprise-level solutions. The cost depends on the features you want and the size of your community.

What is the most user-friendly community platform?

Platforms like Circle, are known for their user-friendly, intuitive interfaces, making them easy for both community managers and members to navigate.

How important is mobile responsiveness for community platforms?

Mobile responsiveness is extremely important. A significant portion of online activity happens on mobile devices, so a platform that provides a seamless experience across all devices is crucial.

What platforms are best for integrating e-commerce?

BTS (behindthescenes.com) and Mighty Networks seamlessly integrate with e-commerce solutions, and provide community builders the ability to sell products or offer memberships directly within their communities.

What are the pros and cons of using Facebook Groups for building a community?

The pros of Facebook Groups include easy setup, a large existing audience, and familiarity. Cons include limited branding, algorithm dependency, and limited control and features.

Are open-source community platforms a good option?

Open-source platforms like Discourse and BuddyPress offer flexibility and customization. They are ideal for users comfortable with technical aspects and wanting full control.

What is the difference between Discord and a traditional forum for a community?

Discord focuses on real-time communication through voice and text chat, while traditional forums like XenForo and Vanilla Forums offer structured discussions and content organization. Discord is better for real-time engagement, while forums are better for detailed discussions that are easy to follow.