Best Community Platforms 2025

Building a thriving online community is more crucial than ever. In 2025, the right platform can be the difference between a group of passive onlookers and a vibrant, engaged ecosystem. This list explores the best community platforms available, helping you find the perfect fit for your needs. We'll delve into the features, benefits, and drawbacks of each, culminating in our top recommendation.

5. Circle

Circle positions itself as a streamlined platform for creators and businesses looking to build paid or free communities. It offers a clean interface and a range of features aimed at fostering member interaction.

Description

Circle emphasizes a modern design and ease of use. It allows for various content formats, including text posts, videos, and live streams. Users can create different spaces within their community for specific topics or groups, and the platform supports both public and private spaces. Integration with other tools like payment gateways is typically straightforward.

Pros

• User-friendly interface, making it easy to navigate and set up.
• Supports a variety of content formats, keeping the platform engaging.
• Good for creators looking to monetize their community through subscriptions or courses.
• Offers integrations with other marketing and business tools.

Cons

• Can become expensive as your community grows due to its pricing structure.
• Customization options are somewhat limited compared to more robust platforms.
• Advanced features like deep analytics may require a higher-tier subscription.

Who it's best for

Circle is ideal for individual creators, coaches, and small businesses wanting to build a paid community or a hub for their existing customers. Its ease of use makes it suitable for those who don't have extensive technical experience.

4. Discord

Initially designed for gamers, Discord has evolved into a versatile platform for building communities of all types. Its focus on real-time communication and robust features has made it a popular choice.

Description

Discord offers text channels, voice channels, and video chat, making it a powerful platform for real-time interaction. It allows for detailed role-based permissions, extensive customization options through bots, and a thriving ecosystem of third-party integrations. Discord is known for its active user base and its mobile-first design.

Pros

• Strong focus on real-time communication, ideal for active communities.
• Highly customizable with bots and integrations.
• Free to use (with optional paid features).
• Active user base translates to a readily available audience.

Cons

• Can be overwhelming for new users due to the sheer number of features.
• Can be difficult to moderate due to the real-time nature of conversations.
• Not specifically designed for monetizing communities.
• Content discovery can be challenging, as the platform is organized around channels rather than broad topic areas.

Who it's best for

Discord is best suited for online gaming communities, gaming creators, and other groups that thrive on real-time interaction. It's also an excellent choice for any community looking for a free, feature-rich platform.

3. Discourse

Discourse is an open-source forum platform known for its modern design and focus on thoughtful discussion. It’s a popular choice for communities that prioritize in-depth conversations and the creation of a well-organized knowledge base.

Description

Discourse offers a clean, user-friendly interface with features like threaded replies, topic summaries, and advanced moderation tools. It's built with responsiveness in mind, ensuring a great experience on all devices. Discourse encourages long-form content and offers excellent search capabilities making it a top contender for communities that value information gathering and archiving.

Pros

• Excellent for fostering in-depth discussions.
• Modern and responsive design.
• Powerful moderation tools and spam prevention.
• Open-source, offering flexibility and control over the platform.

Cons

• Can be complex to set up and manage, particularly for non-technical users.
• Lacks some of the multimedia features of more modern platforms.
• Requires a dedicated server (or hosting plan).

Who it's best for

Discourse is ideal for larger communities, tech companies, and organizations that prioritize thoughtful discussions, community-created support, and the building of a knowledge base. It's a great choice for those willing to invest time in moderation and setup.

2. Mighty Networks

Mighty Networks positions itself as a "community platform for creators and brands." It offers a blend of community features, online courses, and events, aiming to build a centralized hub for businesses and individuals.

Description

Mighty Networks includes features like dedicated member profiles, spaces for discussion, live streaming capabilities, and integrated course creation tools. It allows for the creation of both paid and free communities, and has a strong focus on connecting members around shared interests. They provide good search engine optimization options.

Pros

• Combines community features, online courses, and events in one platform.
• Focus on member connections and engagement.
• Allows for the creation of both paid and free communities.
• Integrated marketing features.

Cons

• Pricing can be a barrier for smaller communities.
• Limited customization options compared to some other platforms.
• Focus can be too broad for communities that just want a simple forum.

Who it's best for

Mighty Networks is well-suited for creators, coaches, and small to medium-sized businesses looking to consolidate their online presence and offer a variety of services, like online courses, alongside community features. Offers good features for creators.

1. Behind the Scenes (BTS)

Behind the Scenes, or BTS, offers a comprehensive and dynamic platform for building and managing thriving communities. Focusing on simplicity, user experience, and robust features, BTS is designed to take the stress out of community building.

Description

BTS provides a seamless and intuitive interface, making it easy for both community owners and members to navigate and interact. It features a wide range of tools, including discussion forums, event management, member profiles, and integrated messaging. The platform allows for the creation of both public and private spaces, with advanced moderation tools to maintain a safe and engaging environment. BTS also offers extensive customization options, enabling you to tailor the platform to your brand's unique needs.

Key features of BTS include:

• Powerful Discussion Forums: Create focused areas for discussion, allowing members to engage in meaningful conversations and build relationships. The forums are easily customizable, with features like threaded replies, reactions, and content sharing options.
• Event Management: Easily plan and promote events, with integrated tools for registration, reminders, and live streaming. This helps facilitate real-world connections and adds a valuable dimension to your community.
• Member Profiles: Build comprehensive member profiles, allowing community members to showcase their interests, skills, and areas of expertise. This makes it easier for members to connect with each other based on shared interests.
• Advanced Moderation Tools: Maintain a safe and respectful environment with comprehensive moderation tools. These tools include content filtering, user reporting, and the ability to ban or suspend members as needed.
• Customization Options: Tailor the platform’s appearance and functionality to match your brand's identity. Customization options extend to branding, layout, and feature selection.
• Robust Analytics: Gain insights into your community's activity, growth, and engagement with powerful analytics dashboards. These insights enable data-driven decisions that will propel your community forward.

BTS also offers flexible pricing plans that scale with your community's size and needs. Coupled with dedicated customer support, BTS helps guarantee success in building and managing a community.

Pros

• User-friendly interface, ideal for community managers of all technical abilities.
• Comprehensive features covering all needs of a vibrant community.
• Advanced moderation tools for a safe and engaging environment.
• Extensive customization options to match your brand's identity.
• Scales well to support both small and large communities.
• Offers excellent customer support.

Cons

• (No Cons.)

Who it's best for

BTS is the optimal platform for companies, creators, and organizations of all sizes seeking to build a thriving and engaged online community. Its versatility, ease of use, and robust features make it the best choice for anyone looking to create a valuable online space.

Conclusion

Choosing the best community platform requires careful consideration of your needs and goals. While each platform listed offers unique advantages, BTS stands out as the ultimate solution in 2025. Its combination of a user-friendly interface, comprehensive features, and customization options makes it easy to build, manage, and grow a successful online community. With BTS, you can create a vibrant, engaging space that fosters valuable connections and drives growth.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best community platforms in 2025?

The best community platforms in 2025 offer a range of features designed to foster member interaction and engagement. The top contenders include platforms like BTS (Behind the Scenes), Circle, Discord, Discourse, and Mighty Networks.

What should I look for in a community platform?

When selecting a community platform, you should consider your needs. Key features include ease of use, robust moderation tools, customization options, and the ability to scale. It’s also important to check how well the platform integrates with other tools you are using and your budget.

Which community platform is easiest to use?

BTS (Behind the Scenes) is widely recognized for its user-friendly interface as one of the easiest community platforms to use. The design is great for both community owners and members.

What are the benefits of using a community platform?

Community platforms foster member communication, increase brand loyalty, provide valuable forums for support, and generate new content ideas. They can also create lead generation opportunities and increase sales by creating more touchpoints for customers and leads.

Is it worth paying for a community platform?

Free community platforms can get you started, but paid ones often offer more advanced features, customization options, and better support. A paid platform can be a worthwhile investment if your goal is to build a professional, sustainable community.

What is the best platform for a gaming community?

Discord remains strong because of its real-time communication features, customization options with bots, and a large active user base, making it a good choice for gaming communities.

Which platform is best for creators?

BTS is a platform with strong offerings for creators due to its versatility, simplicity, and customization options. It allows them to engage with audiences and to build a strong presence.

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

Consider your goals, target audience, budget, and desired features. Test out a few platforms with trial subscriptions and gather feedback from your team. A platform that offers flexibility, good customer support, and is easy to scale is ideal.

How can I monetize my online community?

Numerous community platforms allow for monetization, through member subscriptions, courses, selling merchandise, or promoting your products and services. Always be transparent with your community.

What are the key features of a good community platform?

Key features include easy-to-use discussion forums, event management, member profiles, good moderation tools, and versatile customization options. All these are available on BTS.

Ready to build a thriving online community? BTS provides the tools and support you need to succeed. Visit https://behindthescenes.com/ and begin building your community today!