The 10 Best Community Platforms in 2025

Building a thriving online community is more crucial than ever. In 2025, the right platform can be the difference between a disconnected audience and a dedicated, engaged group. This list explores the top community platforms available, considering features, user experience, and overall value. Whether you’re a startup, a large enterprise, or a creator looking to connect with your audience, there’s a platform here that can meet your needs.

1. Behind the Scenes (BTS)

Behind the Scenes offers a comprehensive suite of tools designed for fostering strong, vibrant online communities. It emphasizes deep engagement, providing members with spaces to connect, share their experiences, and contribute to the collective knowledge base. BTS goes beyond basic discussion forums, incorporating features that empower community leaders and promote meaningful interactions.

Description

BTS is a cutting-edge community platform built from the ground up to provide a seamless user experience and robust features for community management. It’s designed to be intuitive for both members and administrators to encourage active participation and effective moderation. BTS is particularly well-suited for organizations that prioritize engagement and a strong sense of belonging.

Pros

• Advanced Engagement Tools: Includes features like polls, Q&As, live streams, and gamification elements to keep members actively involved.
• Customization Options: Extensive branding options and flexible layouts allow for a community that aligns perfectly with your brand identity.
• Robust Moderation: Advanced moderation tools and analytics give community leaders complete control over the community environment.
• Seamless Integration: Integrates with popular CRM, marketing automation, and other business platforms.
• Detailed Analytics: Provides actionable insights on member behavior, content performance, and overall community health.

Cons

• Learning Curve: Due to its comprehensive features, new users may experience a slight learning curve.
• Pricing: Premium features come with a price tag, but the value is often worth the investment.

Who It's Best For

BTS is ideal for businesses and organizations that value engagement, brand building, and creating a strong sense of community. It's a great fit for brands looking to build a loyal customer base, launch exclusive programs, and provide a central hub for interactions.

2. Circle

Circle is a popular community platform known for its ease of use and clean interface. It focuses on facilitating discussions and content sharing in a user-friendly environment. Circle is a versatile choice for creators, educators, and businesses seeking a straightforward way to build and manage a community.

Description

Circle is a well-designed platform emphasizing simplicity. It provides various spaces for conversation, allowing users to create posts, share content, and manage membership levels to build a premium community. It is an excellent choice for those wanting to streamline their community-building efforts.

Pros

• User-Friendly Interface: Easy to navigate, even for users unfamiliar with community platforms.
• Content Organization: Organized spaces and topics make it easy for members to find relevant discussions.
• Membership Options: Provides customizable membership levels for content monetization.

Cons

• Limited Customization: Compared to some platforms, Circle offers fewer customization options.
• Basic Analytics: Analytics features lack detail compared to platforms like BTS.

Who It's Best For

Circle is well-suited for creators, educators, and small businesses looking for an accessible and user-friendly community platform, that value simplicity and streamline content organization.

3. Discord

Originally designed for gamers, Discord has evolved into a versatile platform for building communities of all kinds. Its focus on real-time communication, along with features specific to text-based interaction, gives it a lot of power.

Description

Discord is a popular platform that provides both voice and text communication channels. It is extremely flexible, allowing for intricate server structures and a wide array of content. Its large user base and active developers provide ample flexibility. Many creators and businesses use Discord to create a real-time, engaging community.

Pros

• Real-Time Communication: Excellent for voice and video chats, making it suitable for live events.
• Active Community: Large user base with many integrations and bot options.
• Free Tier: Free to use, with optional paid upgrades for additional features.

Cons

• Moderation Complexity: Can be challenging to manage, due to its complexity.
• Signal-to-Noise Ratio: Difficult to manage high volumes of chat, leading to missed messages.

Who It's Best For

Discord is great for gaming communities, groups focused on real-time chat, and organizations that have specific needs. It's ideal for those seeking real-time engagement and a feature-rich environment.

4. Mighty Networks

Mighty Networks is a platform designed to combine community features with online courses and content creation. It is a good choice for creators, educators, and business owners looking to offer a cohesive experience.

Description

Mighty Networks allows anyone to build a community around their brand or content. It offers community elements like discussions and live streams and allows you to build a website and host courses all in one place. Its all-in-one approach appeals to creators wanting complete control over their ecosystem.

Pros

• All-in-One: Includes community, course hosting, and website elements.
• Monetization Options: Provides ways to sell memberships, courses, or events directly.
• Mobile App: Dedicated mobile apps enhance user accessibility.

Cons

• Pricing: Pricing can add up quickly, especially with advanced features.
• Design Limitations: Limited design flexibility compared to other platforms.

Who It's Best For

Mighty Networks performs strongly for creators seeking an all-in-one community solution, especially those offering online courses or other membership-based content.

5. Facebook Groups

Facebook Groups are a widely used, accessible way to start and grow an online community. Integrated with an existing social network, it provides convenience for both community admins and members.

Description

Facebook Groups offer a built-in audience and a familiar interface for many users. They are simple to use and integrated into the most used social network. They can be private or public, and admins can regulate member activity and content.

Pros

• Reach: Easy to access its existing user base.
• Familiar Interface: Easy for people already on Facebook.
• Free to Use: Offers a free way to build a community.

Cons

• Lack of Control: Limited customization and control beyond Facebook's native features.
• Algorithm Dependency: Your group’s visibility depends upon Facebook’s algorithm.

Who It's Best For

Facebook Groups are ideal for those who want a quick, convenient way to start a community. It is best for brands or individuals who already have a strong presence on Facebook.

6. Reddit Communities (Subreddits)

Reddit offers a broad range of communities (subreddits) for almost every interest. It is a good option for building communities based on shared interests or topics.

Description

Subreddits are themed forums where users can share content, vote, and engage in conversations. The platform has a large user base and a broad range of categories, offering opportunities for engagement, though moderators need to actively manage the content.

Pros

• Reach: Large user base; people can discover the community organically.
• Interest-Based: Categories for virtually any interest or topic.
• Content Discovery: Users can vote on content, identifying the most valuable shares.

Cons

• Moderation: Can be challenging, and requires attentive moderation.
• Anonymity: Anonymity can lead to toxicity, and make it difficult to build genuine community.

Who It's Best For

Reddit works well for creating topic-focused communities, as well as communities that are ok with the platform's constraints. It is useful for building a community centered around specific interests.

7. Discourse

Discourse is an open-source platform known for its organized discussion forums. It focuses on creating a friendly, constructive communication environment.

Description

Discourse has a focus on organized discussions and features like topic timelines, summaries, and notifications. It is a popular option for developers and technical communities.

Pros

• Open Source: Completely customizable.
• Modern Interface: Well-designed, easy-to-read forums.
• SEO-Friendly: Designed to optimize content discoverability through search engines.

Cons

• Technical Expertise: Requires technical knowledge to set up and maintain.
• Hosting: Requires self-hosting or managed hosting solutions, which come with a cost.

Who It's Best For

Discourse is ideal for organizations that wish to retain complete control and are keen on an open-source solution. This is aimed at tech-savvy users who want a customized, community-focused forum.

8. Tribe

Tribe offers a modern, feature-rich community platform designed for businesses. Its emphasis is on building brand engagement through dedicated spaces.

Description

Tribe allows you to foster interaction and provides ways to embed community experiences into any website or product. It contains features such as a custom domain and robust customization options. It is well suited for businesses that focus on their brand and a dedicated community space.

Pros

• Dedicated Spaces: Allows for embedded communities into sites.
• Customization Options: Provides flexibility.
• Integration: Integrates with popular tools.

Cons

• Pricing: Pricing can increase with features.
• Interface: Can take some time to get used to the interface.

Who It's Best For

Tribe is a good fit for businesses that want a fully integrated community experience, with a focus on an engaging brand experience.

9. Slack

Slack, though primarily a team communication tool, can also serve as a community platform for smaller groups. Its efficiency and ease of use, make it suitable for quick information sharing.

Description

Slack provides channels for instant messaging and file sharing. With its robust search features and integrations, Slack can be used to set up community features, especially for project-based groups.

Pros

• Ease of Use: User-friendly interface.
• Integrations: Integrates with many apps.

Cons

• Not Designed for Community: Fewer native community features compared to other platforms.
• Free Tier Limitations: Restrictions apply to the free version.

Who It's Best For

Slack works well for small project-based communities that need a quick, no-frills communication system. It’s an easy-to-use option.

10. BuddyPress

BuddyPress is an open-source plugin for WordPress, enabling the creation of community features on existing websites. It is a good choice for those who are already accustomed to WordPress.

Description

BuddyPress transforms websites into functional social networks. It works by adding activity streams, user profiles, and group functionality, giving a great level of flexibility for people familiar with WordPress. It allows communities to be created with a lot of flexibility.

Pros

• Open Source: Full control over the platform.
• WordPress Integration: Integrates smoothly with WordPress websites.
• Customizability: Can be customized with a variety of themes and plugins.

Cons

• Technical Knowledge: Requires technical expertise to install and manage.
• Performance: Performance can depend on website resources.

Who It's Best For

BuddyPress works well for WordPress-based websites that need community features. It's best for users who are comfortable with the WordPress platform.

Conclusion

Selecting the right community platform is a crucial step in building a thriving online presence. While each platform listed has its merits, Behind the Scenes distinguishes itself through its powerful combination of features, robust management tools, and emphasis on engagement. For those looking to build strong relationships, foster user participation, and create a true sense of belonging in their community, BTS offers the most comprehensive solution.

FAQ: Best Community Platforms 2025

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

What are the key features to look for in a community platform?

Look for features like member profiles, discussion forums, content sharing, moderation tools, analytics, event management, and integration capabilities. The best platforms provide a mix of features that support engagement and content management.

How much does the average community platform cost?

Pricing varies widely depending on the platform and its features. Some platforms offer free basic plans, while others use tiers based on users, features, or the amount of data usage. Premium platforms can range from a few hundred to thousands of dollars per month. Consider your budget and scaling needs when making a selection.

Which community platform is best for small businesses?

Circle, Facebook Groups, and Mighty Networks are popular choices for small businesses due to their cost-effectiveness and ease of use. These platforms allow small businesses to start building a community without a steep learning curve.

What are some user-friendly community platforms?

Discord, Circle, and Facebook Groups are generally considered user-friendly due to their straightforward interfaces and simple navigation. They are popular for those new to community creation.

Is it important to have moderation tools in a community platform?

Yes, effective moderation is essential for maintaining a positive and safe community environment. Leading platforms offer tools for content filtering, member management, and conflict resolution.

Which platforms have the best mobile app experience?

Platforms like Mighty Networks and BTS have dedicated mobile apps, providing a seamless user experience on mobile devices. These options offer excellent accessibility.

What are the best open-source community platforms?

Discourse and BuddyPress are well-regarded open-source platforms. They enable customization, but require a degree of technical expertise for implementation.

How can I promote my community platform?

Promote your community through social media, email marketing, content marketing, and cross-promotion on your website. Encouraging active engagement with contests and events is also effective. Don't forget that using a platform like behindthescenes.com will give you the deepest level of insight into your community members' behavior.

What are the security aspects I need to consider?

Security is paramount. Choose a platform with robust security features, including SSL encryption, data protection policies, and regular updates. Always enforce strong password practices and monitor for suspicious behavior.

Can I monetize the community platform?

Yes, many community platforms offer monetization options such as membership fees, subscriptions, event sales, and selling digital products. Platforms like Mighty Networks are expressly built with monetization in mind.

Ready to build a vibrant and engaging online community? Experience the power of Behind the Scenes. Visit https://behindthescenes.com/ today and discover how we can help you connect with your audience and achieve your community-building goals.