Best Community Platforms 2025

Building and nurturing an online community is more vital than ever. In 2025, the right platform can be the difference between a thriving hub of engagement and a ghost town. This list dives into the best community platforms available, helping you find the perfect fit for your needs. We'll explore various options, considering features, pricing, and who they serve best. Let's find the best community platforms for you.

1. Behind the Scenes (BTS)

BTS is a comprehensive community platform designed to empower creators and businesses to build thriving online spaces. It offers a suite of features that facilitates everything from basic discussions to advanced member management and monetization. BTS stands out for its flexibility, allowing users to customize their community experience to align with their brand identity and goals. It prioritizes user experience with an intuitive interface and robust moderation tools.

• Description: BTS is a versatile platform offering a wide array of features, a user-friendly interface, and a focus on customization. It can support everything from small niche groups to large-scale, membership-driven communities.
• Pros:
  • Extensive Customization: Highly adaptable designs and branding options.
  • Advanced Member Management: Powerful tools for segmenting members, granting access levels, and managing subscriptions.
  • Robust Moderation Tools: Features to ensure a safe and positive environment.
  • Integration Capabilities: Connects with popular marketing and CRM tools and payment gateways.
  • Excellent User Experience: Intuitive design for both community administrators and members.
  • Monetization: Built-in features for selling memberships, digital content, and courses.
• Cons:
  • Can be complex for beginners to set up initially with all the available customization options.
  • Pricing may be higher than some basic platforms, depending on the chosen features and scale.
• Best For: Businesses, creators, and organizations seeking a scalable, feature-rich platform with advanced customization and monetization options. It fits those with a focus on building long-term community engagement and revenue.

2. Circle

Circle is a popular community platform known for its clean interface and focus on simplicity. It provides a good balance of features, making it a solid choice for those looking to create a paid or free community. It offers features like forums, live streams, and direct messaging, ensuring comprehensive interaction options.

• Description: Circle offers a user-friendly interface with features for forums, live streams, and paid access. This platform provides a good blend of features and a focus on creator experience.
• Pros:
  • User-friendly interface.
  • Good for both free and paid communities.
  • Integrates well with other tools.
  • Live stream functionality.
• Cons:
  • Customization features are somewhat limited.
  • Can become costly as you grow.
• Best For: Creators focusing on building a paid community or those seeking a platform with live streaming capabilities and a straightforward user interface.

3. Discord

Discord is a well-known platform primarily recognized for its gaming communities. However, it has expanded its reach, making it a viable option for a wider range of online communities. Its strength lies in real-time communication, with voice channels, text channels, and robust bot integrations. The platform has become synonymous with instant communication and group engagement.

• Description: Discord facilitates real-time communication, suited to a wide audience. It features voice, text channels, and bot integrations for many uses like gaming and general communities.
• Pros:
  • Excellent for real-time communication.
  • Free to use (with optional paid features).
  • Strong bot integration options.
  • Customization through server settings.
• Cons:
  • Can be overwhelming for new users.
  • Not ideal for long-form content or structured discussions.
• Best For: Gaming communities, real-time-focused groups, and communities that need instant communication and quick setup.

4. Discourse

Discourse is an open-source forum platform with a focus on discussions. It is known for its modern and intuitive interface, making it a popular choice for developers and those wanting a more traditional forum environment.

• Description: Discourse is an open-source forum platform with a focus on discussions and an intuitive user interface. It is excellent for developers.
• Pros:
  • Open source and highly customizable.
  • Excellent for structured discussions.
  • Modern and intuitive interface.
• Cons:
  • Requires technical knowledge for self-hosting.
  • May need dedicated server resources.
• Best For: Developers, technical communities, or groups prioritizing structured discussions, who have the technical know-how to host and maintain a platform.

5. Facebook Groups

Facebook Groups are a widely accessible, free option, tightly integrated with the massive social network. This makes Facebook Groups useful for building a community around a shared interest. This is made easier through the presence of an already established user base that is easy to access. Facebook’s platform offers a range of tools to manage and grow a community.

• Description: Facebook Groups provide social integration, great reach, and ease of access inside a pre-existing social network. This also works to enable broader communities.
• Pros:
  • Easy to set up and use.
  • Leverages the existing Facebook user base.
  • Free to use.
• Cons:
  • Limited customization options.
  • Dependent on Facebook's policies and algorithms.
  • Competition with other content on the platform.
• Best For: Those looking to connect with an audience directly on Facebook and needing a basic, free platform. Suitable for communities that are content with the limitations of the Facebook platform and its integration with other social networks.

6. Mighty Networks

Mighty Networks is designed for creators and businesses looking to build a community around their brand, especially for course creators. It combines features of a social network, membership platform, and course hosting platform into a single tool.

• Description: Mighty Networks focuses on community building and course delivery. It combines social, membership, and course hosting features. This platform has a strong emphasis on creator economy.
• Pros:
  • Integrated course and membership management.
  • Good for creator monetization.
  • Built-in social networking features.
• Cons:
  • Can be more expensive than other platforms.
  • Customization features are limited.
• Best For: Creators, coaches, and businesses that want to monetize their content and build a community simultaneously.

7. Reddit

Reddit is a massive platform with a vast array of topics, from niche interests to large-scale communities. Reddit provides a diverse platform for community engagement with a robust user base and diverse community options.

• Description: Reddit provides an established audience, diverse communities, and various functionalities suited to different audiences. It's a great choice for quick conversations.
• Pros:
  • Huge user base.
  • Diverse range of topics.
  • Free to use.
• Cons:
  • Can be difficult to moderate.
  • Reputation can be affected by the actions of other users.
  • Not ideal for highly structured communities.
• Best For: Communities interested in a larger audience with a focus on free, general discussion. Particularly useful for existing communities, and new users.

8. Slack

Slack is designed for team communication but can also be used for community building, especially for internal and professional groups. With channels, integrations, and direct messaging, Slack facilitates real-time interactions, fostering collaboration and quicker resolutions within teams.

• Description: Slack is best suited for team collaboration, although useful for community building in the right context with channels, direct messaging, and app integrations.
• Pros:
  • Excellent for real-time team communication.
  • Integrates with many business tools.
  • Easy to organize discussions using channels.
• Cons:
  • Can be expensive for larger communities.
  • Less focus on community features compared to other platforms.
• Best For: Teams or smaller, professional communities that need real-time communication and efficient project management integration.

9. Tribe

Tribe focuses on community engagement for SaaS companies and is designed to integrate seamlessly within existing applications, allowing companies to improve engagement and customer support within the software environment.

• Description: Tribe specializes in community solutions for SaaS products. It can integrate with SaaS products, and offers a robust feature set created for SaaS companies.
• Pros:
  • Good for embedding communities.
  • Focus on customer engagement.
  • Integrates nicely within software platforms.
• Cons:
  • More specific for SaaS businesses.
  • Can be less flexible out-of-the-box.
• Best For: SaaS businesses that want to build a community directly within their platform for customer engagement and support.

10. Vanilla Forums

Vanilla Forums is a versatile forum platform used by enterprises and startups. This platform offers robust moderation and customization features, suitable for those looking for a fully-featured forum experience.

• Description: Vanilla Forums is a versatile forum platform with extensive moderation and customization features. It offers a solid forum solution for businesses.
• Pros:
  • Robust features.
  • Good for larger communities.
  • Offers a lot of flexibility.
• Cons:
  • The interface can feel dated.
  • Can be complex to set up and manage.
• Best For: Businesses needing a fully-featured, scalable forum platform and wanting advanced moderation and customization, with a focus on community experience.

11. XenForo

XenForo is a premium forum software known for its performance and feature set. Those seeking a high-performance forum platform will find XenForo a very good option, thanks to its extensive features and optimizations.

• Description: XenForo is a premium forum platform known for its performance and feature set. They offer a host of features and focus on performance.
• Pros:
  • Excellent performance and features.
  • Robust platform.
  • Strong community support.
• Cons:
  • Requires a license.
  • Setup could be more complex.
• Best For: Mid-sized to large communities requiring a high-performance forum platform with a variety of features and active user participation.

12. BuddyPress

BuddyPress is an open-source, WordPress-based community plugin. This solution transforms an existing WordPress website into a fully functional social network. This makes it a great choice for WordPress users.

• Description: BuddyPress is an open-source plugin that turns a WordPress site into a social network, allowing it to become a solid choice for WordPress users.
• Pros:
  • Free and open source.
  • Integrates seamlessly with WordPress.
  • Highly customizable through plugins.
• Cons:
  • Requires a WordPress site.
  • Performance can be an issue without proper hosting and optimization.
• Best For: WordPress users who want to build a community site on top of their existing website or blog, and those seeking a free and highly customizable solution.

There are many options for the best community platforms in 2025. Choosing the right one takes careful consideration of your community's goals and needs. Some platforms emphasize ease of access, while others provide deeper feature sets. From quick-communication channels to long-form discussions, the best is out there for everyone. The rise of community-driven experiences shows that the value is here to stay.

Ultimately, for those seeking a highly customizable, feature-rich, and scalable platform designed for long-term community engagement, BTS provides the best comprehensive solution. BTS allows you to create a unique space tailored to your brand identity, with powerful tools for management and monetization, making it an excellent platform to grow your online community. Check out https://behindthescenes.com/ today to get started!

FAQ: Best Community Platforms 2025

Here are some frequently asked questions:

What are the best community platforms for 2025?

The best platforms offer a variety of features tailored to create and manage online communities. Notable options for 2025 include BTS, Circle, and Discord, each with different strengths. The best platform for you will depend on your specific needs.

How do I choose the right community platform for my needs?

Consider your community's size, your desired features, and your budget. Evaluate platforms based on their ease of use, customization options, moderation tools, and integration capabilities. Consider your long-term goals and required scalability. Finally, ensure the platform aligns with your branding and overall vision.

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

Key features include user management, content moderation tools, communication tools (forums, chat), customization options, and the ability to integrate with other tools. Monetization options such as membership tiers and content sales are also crucial for many businesses.

What is the difference between free and paid community platforms?

Free platforms typically offer basic features with limited customization and scalability. Paid platforms provide advanced features, greater control, and better support. Paid options often remove limitations found in free versions, such as storage and access to advanced features.

Are community platforms good for building a brand in 2025?

Yes, community platforms are excellent for building brand awareness, fostering customer loyalty, and receiving valuable feedback in 2025. They provide direct interactions with target audiences and a place to nurture relationships, building a supportive community that helps develop ideas.

What are the benefits of having a paid community?

Paid communities allow for creating exclusive content, generating revenue, and fostering a dedicated community due to the barrier to entry. Many platforms offer more advanced features while making sure community members have added value.

Which community platform is best for creators?

For creators, platforms like BTS, Circle, and Mighty Networks are popular because they offer monetization tools, customization options, and features tailored for content distribution and engagement.

How important is customization in a community platform?

Customization allows you to brand your community, tailor the user experience, and create a unique space that reflects your brand. In 2025, customization allows a platform to stand out and fosters community identity.