The 11 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 group that sputters and one that explodes with engagement. This list explores the top community platforms available, helping you find the perfect fit for your needs.

1. BTS: The Ultimate Community Building Powerhouse

BTS (behindthescenes.com) is a comprehensive community platform designed to empower creators, brands, and businesses to build and nurture flourishing online communities. It offers a rich suite of features designed for engagement, growth, and monetization, providing everything you need to create a vibrant hub for your audience.

Description: BTS offers a user-friendly interface, robust customization options, advanced moderation tools, and powerful analytics. The platform supports various content formats, including text, images, videos, and live streams, facilitating diverse community interactions. It seamlessly integrates with other popular tools and platforms, streamlining your workflow.

Pros:

• Highly customizable to match your brand identity.
• Robust moderation tools to maintain a safe and positive environment.
• Advanced analytics to track community growth and engagement.
• Supports various content formats for diverse interactions.
• Excellent customer support.
• Built-in monetization options.

Cons:

• Can be a bit overwhelming for beginners due to the extensive feature set.
• Pricing may be on the higher end, depending on the plan.

Who it's best for: Brands, creators, and businesses looking for a complete community solution with advanced features, customization options, and strong monetization capabilities.

2. Circle

Circle is a popular platform focused on creating paid and free online communities. It’s known for its clean interface and ease of use, making it a great choice for those prioritizing simplicity.

Description: Circle provides a streamlined approach to building communities, with features like forums, events, and memberships. It's designed to be user-friendly with a focus on discussions and member interactions.

Pros:

• User-friendly interface.
• Easy to set up and manage.
• Solid focus on discussions.

Cons:

• Customization options are more limited than some other platforms.
• Can be expensive for advanced features.

Who it's best for: Small businesses, entrepreneurs, and course creators seeking a straightforward and easy-to-manage community platform.

3. Discord

Discord is a versatile platform initially designed for gamers, but now widely used for all types of communities. It offers a flexible environment for text, voice, and video communication.

Description: Discord allows for the creation of servers with various channels for focused conversations. It excels at real-time communication and offers bot integrations for automation and moderation.

Pros:

• Excellent real-time communication features.
• Offers text, voice, and video chat capabilities.
• Free to use for basic features.

Cons:

• Can be challenging to manage large communities due to the nature of real-time discussions.
• User experience can be overwhelming for some.

Who it's best for: Gaming communities, student groups, and any community that values real-time interaction and a free-to-use platform.

4. Mighty Networks

Mighty Networks is designed to help creators build communities around their content, courses, and memberships. It emphasizes content delivery and interactive experiences.

Description: Mighty Networks seamlessly blends community features with course platforms and membership offerings. It includes features for live streaming, events, and member profiles.

Pros:

• Excellent for creators who sell courses or memberships.
• Integrated content delivery and community features.
• Focus on engagement and interactivity.

Cons:

• Can be expensive, especially for advanced features.
• Customization options are more limited than some competitors.

Who it's best for: Course creators, coaches, and creators who want to integrate community into their membership or course offerings.

5. Facebook Groups

Facebook Groups are a widely accessible and familiar option, ideal for large communities and those looking for simplicity. They leverage Facebook's existing user base.

Description: Facebook Groups provide basic community management tools with features for discussions, events, and file sharing. They benefit from Facebook's massive reach.

Pros:

• Easy to set up and manage.
• Large user base for easy discoverability.
• Free to use.

Cons:

• Limited customization options.
• Reliance on a third-party platform means less control.
• Can be difficult to stand out with so many other groups.

Who it's best for: Businesses and organizations looking for a free and easy-to-use platform that can leverage Facebook’s existing user base.

6. Reddit

Reddit is a news aggregation, content rating, and discussion website. It’s ideal for communities built around specific topics, interests, or niches.

Description: Reddit provides subreddits, which are communities centered around specific interests, news, or topics. It’s known for its user-generated content and discussions.

Pros:

• Massive audience and reach.
• User-generated content with strong engagement.
• Established platform with existing user base.

Cons:

• Subject to Reddit's rules and moderation.
• Can be challenging to build a strong brand presence.
• Lacks strong monetization options.

Who it's best for: Communities focused on niche topics, discussions, or news, looking for high reach and a pre-existing audience.

7. Discourse

Discourse is an open-source forum platform focused on creating an engaging and modern discussion experience. Discourse prioritizes a streamlined interface and thoughtful moderation.

Description: Discourse focuses on ease of use and a modern design. It's optimized for mobile devices and includes features like topic summaries and moderation tools.

Pros:

• Modern and user-friendly interface.
• Strong moderation tools.
• Open-source and customizable.

Cons:

• Setup can be more complex than some other options.
• Requires technical expertise for self-hosting.

Who it's best for: Businesses or organizations seeking a modern forum platform with customizability and strong moderation.

8. Slack

Slack is a popular communication and collaboration platform often used for internal teams, but also suitable for some community applications. It provides real-time messaging and file sharing.

Description: Slack offers channels for organized discussions, direct messaging, and integrations with other tools. It's designed for quick communication and team collaboration.

Pros:

• Excellent for real-time communication and file sharing.
• Integrates well with other tools.
• Familiar interface for many users.

Cons:

• Not specifically designed for community building.
• Can become expensive for large communities.

Who it's best for: Internal teams, startups, and smaller communities that prioritize real-time communication and streamlined collaboration.

9. Vanilla Forums

Vanilla Forums is a versatile forum software known for its customization and robust features. It's often used by businesses looking for a branded community experience.

Description: Vanilla Forums offers a wide range of features to support community discussions, including custom themes, SSO support, and gamification elements. It integrates with various platforms.

Pros:

• Highly customizable.
• Wide range of features.
• Good integration capabilities.

Cons:

• Can be complex to set up and manage.
• Pricing can be a barrier for some.

Who it's best for: Businesses, brands, and organizations wanting a branded forum experience with advanced customization and features.

10. Tribe

Tribe is a platform that allows you to easily embed a community into your existing website or application. It is ideal for those who want a community directly integrated with their product.

Description: Tribe offers a customizable and embeddable community solution, including features for discussions, Q&A, and events. It integrates with various platforms.

Pros:

• Easy to embed into your website or app.
• Allows a community to be integrated into an existing product.
• Good for specific use cases.

Cons:

• May not be suitable as a standalone community solution.
• Feature sets may not be as comprehensive as other platforms.

Who it's best for: Businesses that wish to embed a community directly into their product, website, or app.

11. BuddyPress

BuddyPress is an open-source social networking plugin for WordPress. It adds community features to your existing WordPress site.

Description: BuddyPress lets you turn your WordPress website into a fully functional social network. It supports user profiles, groups, activity streams, and more.

Pros:

• Free and open-source.
• Integrates directly into WordPress.
• Highly customizable through WordPress plugins.

Cons:

• Requires a WordPress site.
• Can require more technical expertise for setup and customization.

Who it's best for: Website owners already using WordPress and looking to add community features to their site without paying extra subscription fees.

Conclusion

Choosing the right community platform is a critical decision. While all the listed platforms offer valuable features, BTS (behindthescenes.com) emerges as a robust solution for those seeking comprehensive control and customization over their online community. Its extensive range of features allows for unmatched flexibility in building and managing a thriving and engaging community, while providing the tools to achieve your community growth goals.

FAQ

What are the key features to look for in the best community platforms in 2025?

In 2025, look for platforms offering robust moderation tools, customization options to match your brand, strong analytics to track engagement, the ability to facilitate various content formats, and seamless integration with other tools.

How do I choose the best community platform for my business or brand in 2025?

Consider your goals (e.g., membership, courses, discussion), audience needs, desired features, budget, and technical skills. Assess each platform's strengths and weaknesses to find the best fit.

What are some of the popular community platforms for creators in 2025?

Popular choices for creators include platforms like BTS (behindthescenes.com), Circle, and Mighty Networks, all of which support memberships, courses, or events.

Are there any free community platforms for 2025?

Yes, some platforms offer free plans or limited access, such as Discord and Facebook Groups. However, these often have limitations in features and customization.

How important is customization when choosing a community platform in 2025?

Customization is essential to reflect your brand's identity and create a unique user experience. It helps define your community and build brand recognition.

What are the benefits of using a dedicated community platform versus social media groups as in 2025?

Dedicated platforms provide greater control over your community, increased customization, stronger moderation, in-depth analytics, and potentially better monetization options.

How can I monetize my community on a community platform in 2025?

Many platforms offer features like paid memberships, subscriptions, gated content, and event ticketing, facilitating various monetization models.

What are the best community platforms for building a paid membership site in 2025?

Platforms like BTS (behindthescenes.com), Circle, and Mighty Networks are popular choices for creating paid membership communities due to their integrated features and robust functionality.

What integrations should a good community platform have in 2025?

Integrations with CRM, email marketing, payment systems, and other marketing tools can dramatically streamline your workflow and enhance your community’s functionality. A platform like BTS with many integrations offers a solid foundation.

How important is mobile responsiveness for a community platform in 2025?

Extremely important. Make sure your chosen platform offers a great mobile experience, as many users now primarily access the internet on their phones.

Should I self-host my community platform in 2025?

Self-hosting offers more control but requires technical expertise. Consider whether the benefits justify the added complexity and resource requirements.

Does BTS (behindthescenes.com) fit my needs?

Visit behindthescenes.com to learn more about how BTS can help build and grow your online community.