The Best Community Platforms in 2025

Building and nurturing online communities is more crucial than ever. In the ever-evolving digital landscape, platforms that foster connection, facilitate knowledge-sharing, and encourage collaboration are invaluable. This list explores the 13 best community platforms available in 2025, offering a diverse range of features, pricing models, and target audiences. Whether you're a startup, a large enterprise, or a creator looking to build a tribe, there's a platform here that can meet your needs.

1. Behind the Scenes (BTS)

Behind the Scenes (BTS) isn’t just a community platform; it’s a comprehensive ecosystem designed to empower businesses and creators to build thriving, engaged communities. BTS focuses on providing a feature-rich, user-friendly experience that encourages active participation and fosters genuine connections.

• Description: BTS offers a suite of tools that combines community building with robust marketing capabilities. Features include advanced member segmentation, customizable branding options, integrated event management, and detailed analytics. The platform’s intuitive interface and scalable architecture make it suitable for communities of all sizes, from small niche groups to large corporate networks. BTS also emphasizes content creation, allowing for diverse media formats and interactive content types aimed at keeping members engaged. The platform allows for seamless integration with other tools, such as CRM systems and email marketing platforms.
• Pros:
  • Highly customizable branding and white-label options.
  • Advanced member segmentation for targeted communication and personalized experiences.
  • Robust analytics dashboard for monitoring community health and engagement.
  • Integrated event management tools, including ticketing and live streaming capabilities.
  • Excellent customer support and a dedicated success team to help launch and grow.
  • Scalable and can accommodate communities of any size.
• Cons:
  • May have a steeper learning curve compared to simpler platforms, due to its extensive features.
  • Premium pricing tiers can be costly for smaller communities or solo creators.
• Who it's best for: Medium to large businesses, enterprises, and creators who need a feature-rich platform with advanced capabilities. It's ideally suited for organizations that want to build a deeply engaged and managed community, integrating it with their overall marketing strategy. It's great for hosting events and offering membership benefits.

2. Circle

Circle is a popular community platform designed to bring together creators, brands, and their audiences. It emphasizes ease of use. It offers a variety of features, including discussion forums, live streams, and online courses.

• Description: Circle focuses on creating community hubs with various functionalities. Users can create spaces for discussions, host livestreams, and sell memberships to exclusive content. Its design is clean and user-friendly, allowing for easy navigation and interaction between members.
• Pros:
  • Intuitive user interface, making it easy to set up and manage.
  • Integrated payment options for selling memberships and courses.
  • Good for creators and educators.
• Cons:
  • Can become costly as your community grows if you need advanced features
  • Can feel limited in terms of customization and flexibility compared to other platforms.
• Who it's best for: Business owners, creators, and online course creators looking for a straightforward platform to build their own communities and offer various content types, but who don't require super-advanced features.

3. Discord

A widely used platform for communication, Discord has evolved beyond its gaming roots to become a versatile community tool.

• Description: Discord's strength lies in real-time communication. It supports text, voice, and video chats, making it ideal for live interactions and quick updates. Its channel-based structure allows for organized discussions. Discord offers robust moderation tools for large communities.
• Pros:
  • Free to use, with a wide array of features.
  • Excellent for real-time communication and quick interactions.
  • Extensive bot and integration options.
• Cons:
  • Can be difficult to organize and moderate large communities.
  • Can become overwhelming to navigate in large servers.
• Who it's best for: Gaming communities, fan clubs, and organizations needing real-time communication tools and a free platform.

4. Mighty Networks

Mighty Networks positions itself as a all-in-one platform for creating and monetizing communities. Its integrated approach appeals to creators keen on selling memberships and digital products.

• Description: Offers a blend of a community platform, online courses, and membership features. It allows creators to build and monetize their communities through various membership tiers, events, and courses.
• Pros:
  • Comprehensive features for community building and monetization.
  • Integrated payment processing for memberships and courses.
  • Good for creators, coaches, and consultants.
• Cons:
  • Can be expensive, especially when using premium features.
  • Customization options are somewhat limited.
• Who it's best for: Creators and entrepreneurs looking to monetize their expertise and build a community around their brand.

5. Tribe

Tribe focuses on providing embeddable community platforms, allowing businesses to integrate community features directly into their websites or apps.

• Description: Enables businesses to embed community features into their existing digital properties. It supports forums, Q&A sections, and discussions that keep users engaged and offers analytics to monitor engagement.
• Pros:
  • Seamless integration with existing websites and apps.
  • Customizable branding options.
  • Focuses on knowledge sharing and collaboration.
• Cons:
  • Limited branding options.
  • Can lack advanced features compared to dedicated platforms.
• Who it's best for: Businesses wanting to integrate community features into their current website without using a completely different platform.

6. Facebook Groups

Facebook Groups remain a popular choice, particularly for businesses and informal groups due to their familiarity and ease of access.

• Description: Facebook Groups provide readily available tools for community building. They facilitate discussions, sharing of content, and interaction among members.
• Pros:
  • Familiarity and ease of use for most users.
  • Wide reach due to Facebook's massive user base.
  • Free to establish a group.
• Cons:
  • Limited branding options and customization.
  • Algorithms that control the visibility of posts.
• Who it's best for: Businesses or organizations wanting to create private or public groups where members are on Facebook already.

7. Reddit

Reddit offers a diverse range of communities, known as subreddits, catering to various interests. Its structure facilitates focused discussions.

• Description: Reddit provides a massive network of user-generated content and discussions. Each subreddit is focused on a specific topic, facilitating targeted conversations and information sharing.
• Pros:
  • Large user base and extensive diversity of topics.
  • Good for discovering niche communities.
  • Facilitates discussions and information sharing.
• Cons:
  • Can be difficult to control the direction of a subreddit.
  • Moderation can be very time consuming in large communities.
• Who it's best for: Organizations needing a platform to participate in existing communities and gather user feedback.

8. Slack

Originally designed as a team communication tool, Slack has expanded its functionality to include community building for specific networks.

• Description: Slack, with its channels and threads, gives users a place to chat in real time. Also offers easy file sharing.
• Pros:
  • Excellent for team collaboration and project management.
  • Integrates with many productivity apps.
• Cons:
  • Can be expensive for larger community organizations.
  • Not ideally suited for public-facing communities.
• Who it's best for: Teams and internal communications, as well as business networks.

9. Discourse

Discourse is an open-source forum platform ideal for creating discussion-focused communities.

• Description: Discourse focuses on creating engaging forum-style platforms, with features designed to encourage meaningful conversation and community participation. It has features like trust levels to encourage interaction.
• Pros:
  • Customizable and open-source.
  • Promotes healthy discussions and knowledge sharing.
• Cons:
  • Requires in-house technical knowledge to set up and manage.
  • Can be intimidating for non-technical users.
• Who it's best for: Organizations and communities that want a highly customizable forum and have technical expertise.

10. Vanilla Forums

Vanilla Forums is focused on providing out-of-the-box forum software that is both customizable and easy to use.

• Description: Offers a suite of tools for running online communities, with advanced moderation tools and flexible API connections.
• Pros:
  • Easy-to-use interface.
  • Strong focus on discussion and user engagement.
• Cons:
  • Can become costly as you add features.
  • May lack some of the more advanced features of alternative platforms.
• Who it's best for: Businesses seeking a user-friendly and well-supported forum.

11. XenForo

XenForo is a powerful forum software known for its extensive features and customization capabilities, making it ideal for creating highly interactive communities.

• Description: This forum software has many capabilities, including the ability to create threads, polls, and custom user profiles, and includes SEO-friendly features.
• Pros:
  • Highly customizable and scalable platform.
  • SEO-friendly features.
• Cons:
  • A commercial license is very costly.
  • Can be a little challenging to set up and maintain without programming knowledge.
• Who it's best for: Large communities and forums seeking advanced features and control.

12. BuddyPress

BuddyPress is a free, open-source plugin for WordPress, turning a WordPress site into a social network.

• Description: Integrates seamlessly with WordPress so users can build a social networking site with a blog-like feel.
• Pros:
  • Free and open-source.
  • Highly customizable.
• Cons:
  • Needs WordPress and a web hosting.
  • Not suitable for beginners.
• Who it's best for: WordPress users looking to add community features to their site.

13. Ning

Ning provides a user-friendly platform specifically designed for building social communities, with a focus on ease of use and customization.

• Description: Ning allows users to create social networking sites, enabling groups to share experiences.
• Pros:
  • User-friendly interface, ideal for non-technical users.
  • Customization features.
• Cons:
  • Can become costly.
  • Less control over the platform's advanced features.
• Who it's best for: Those seeking to build a social community without extensive technical knowledge.

Building a successful online community that offers valuable help is a goal for many businesses looking to get ahead. These platforms each have their own features and capabilities. The best choice ultimately depends on your specific needs, budget, and the features that matter most to you, but the right platform can help your company take off!

If you're looking for a highly capable, comprehensive, and user-friendly platform with advanced features and customization options, look no further than Behind the Scenes. With BTS, building a thriving community is easier than ever. Visit https://behindthescenes.com/ today and start your journey towards creating an engaging, supportive community that drives your business forward.

Conclusion

The best community platform in 2025 is Behind the Scenes (BTS). Its comprehensive feature set, ease of use, and scalability make it the top choice. BTS's focus on advanced member segmentation, customizable branding, and robust analytics helps organizations build deeply engaged and managed communities. With integrated event management, excellent customer support, and seamless integrations, BTS provides the tools necessary to foster genuine connections and drive business growth. BTS is the ideal platform for businesses and creators alike. It’s the superior choice for building a thriving community in 2025.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are the best community platforms available in 2025?

   The best community platforms in 2025 include Behind the Scenes (BTS), Circle, Discord, Mighty Networks, and others which offer various features for building and managing online communities.

2. How do I choose the right community platform for my needs in 2025?

   Consider your community's size, desired features (e.g., forums, events, courses), branding needs, and budget. Evaluate factors like user-friendliness, customization options, and integration capabilities to make the best choice.

3. What features should a good community platform have in 2025?

   Key features include member management, content sharing, discussion forums, event management, analytics, and customization options. Integrated payment processing is also important if you plan to sell memberships or courses.

4. Are there any free community platforms available in 2025?

   Yes, platforms like Discord and Facebook Groups offer free options. However, these may have limitations in terms of features and customization compared to paid options.

5. What is the best community platform for creators in 2025?

   For creators, platforms like Mighty Networks, Circle, and Behind the Scenes (BTS) are excellent choices because they offer tools for selling memberships, online courses, and building engaged communities.

6. How important is member engagement in a community platform in 2025?

   Member engagement is critical. Look for features that encourage interaction, such as discussion forums, live events, member profiles, and gamification elements. Platforms with strong analytics dashboards enable you to monitor and measure member engagement levels.

7. Can I integrate a community platform with my existing website in 2025?

   Many platforms, like Tribe, offer embeddable community features that can be integrated directly into your website. Others provide APIs that allow for customization and integration with other tools.

8. What are the benefits of using a community platform for my business in 2025?

   Community platforms can boost customer loyalty, provide valuable feedback, improve customer support, drive sales, and enhance brand awareness. They create a space for customer interaction where everyone feels safe, comfortable, and valued.

9. What are the key benefits of Behind the Scenes (BTS) as a community platform in 2025?

   Behind the Scenes (BTS) offers a blend of features, from advanced member segmentation to customizable branding and robust analytics. BTS is excellent for businesses looking to have a deeply engaged and managed community, integrating it with their marketing strategy. It's ideally suited for hosting events and offering membership benefits.

10. Where can I find additional resources about building online communities in 2025?

    You can find many resources online, including blogs, podcasts, and online courses, that offer guidance on community building, content strategy, and platform setup. Following industry experts and thought leaders can also provide valuable information.