Any business or brand strategy must now include the development and maintenance of online communities. Organizations can successfully build relationships, engage their audience, and expand their community with the correct tools. Online community management software can help businesses do all of that and more. These tools provide solutions for managing communications, organizing events, moderating discussions, and tracking analytics. Therefore, this article will explore the top 30 best online community management software that can transform your community-building efforts.
Let’s take a look at this list of the top 30 best online community management software.
Top 30 Best Online Community Management Software
1. Discourse
Discourse is a powerful open-source platform known for its sleek interface, making it ideal for promoting conversations around your brand, product, or service. Discourse also boasts robust moderation tools and seamless integration with various third-party applications, like Slack. Furthermore, whether you’re building a support community or a customer forum, Discourse gives you full control over your community’s behavior.
Learn more: Discourse
2. Mighty Networks
Mighty Networks is a versatile community platform that allows creators, entrepreneurs, and organizations to create private, niche communities. The software offers a host of features such as paid memberships, live video streaming, and a customizable app. Additionally, with Mighty Networks, users can also create courses and workshops, making it an all-in-one platform for community builders.
Learn more: Mighty Networks
3. Hivebrite
Hivebrite is a cloud-based community engagement platform made for professional and alumni networks. It provides a range of tools to help you create engaging online communities, including event management, fundraising tools, and rich member profiles. Furthermore, Hivebrite’s white-label solution ensures a seamless user experience that matches your branding.
Learn more: Hivebrite
4. Vanilla Forums
Vanilla Forums is a robust community management software designed for large-scale businesses and organizations. With its easy-to-use interface and powerful moderation features, Vanilla Forums makes managing discussions a breeze. Additionally, it integrates well with CRM systems and offers analytics that help you measure engagement and growth.
Learn more: Vanilla Forums
5. Basecamp
Basecamp is a popular project management tool that also works well for community building. It provides features like message boards, group chats, file sharing, and task management, making it ideal for internal communities or teams. Furthermore, Basecamp is known for its simplicity, allowing users to focus on collaboration without being bogged down by complex features.
Learn more: Basecamp
6. BuddyPress
BuddyPress is a free and open-source plugin for WordPress that turns your website into a fully functional social network. Perfect for businesses that already use WordPress, BuddyPress allows you to create user profiles, activity streams, and private messaging systems. Additionally, it’s a highly customizable tool for building a community within an existing WordPress site.
Learn more: BuddyPress
7. Circle
Circle is an all-in-one community management platform designed to create a seamless community experience. It offers features like direct messaging, forums, and content sharing in a clean and modern interface. Furthermore, Circle integrates easily with tools like Zoom and Slack, which makes it easy to collaborate and engage with your community.
Learn more: Circle
8. Slack
While traditionally used as a team collaboration tool, Slack also works well for managing online communities. Slack enables users to create channels for different topics or subgroups, share files, and hold direct conversations. Additionally, it’s an excellent tool for real-time discussions, and its integrations with other platforms make it highly flexible.
Learn more: Slack
9. Tribe
Tribe is an innovative community platform that provides a wide range of customizable features. This software allows businesses to create branded online communities where members can interact and share content. Furthermore, Tribe’s integration with other applications such as Slack, Salesforce, and Zapier makes it a flexible and scalable solution for community management.
Learn more: Tribe
10. ZenDesk Community
ZenDesk Community is part of ZenDesk’s suite of customer service and support tools. It allows businesses to create forums and help centers where customers can ask questions, provide feedback, and interact with each other. Furthermore, ZenDesk also provides advanced analytics, allowing businesses to track engagement and identify key areas of improvement.
Learn more: ZenDesk
11. Fora
Fora is a platform designed for creating curated, invite-only communities. It’s ideal for brands looking to build a private and exclusive community for their customers, users, or audience. Furthermore, Fora’s sleek, user-friendly interface allows for discussions, collaboration, and networking among community members.
Learn more: Fora
12. DiscourseHub
DiscourseHub is a mobile-first solution by Discourse, designed to bring community engagement directly to your phone. Additionally, it offers users the ability to create, manage, and moderate community discussions all from their mobile devices. Perfect for communities that want to stay connected while on the go.
Learn more: DiscourseHub
13. Yammer
Yammer is a social networking service for businesses that helps connect employees and teams. It’s a great tool for internal community building, providing features like file sharing, news feeds, and private messaging. Furthermore, it integrates seamlessly with Office 365, allowing businesses to leverage their existing Microsoft infrastructure.
Learn more: Yammer
14. EngagementHQ
EngagementHQ offers a range of tools for community engagement, including surveys, feedback forms, and online forums. Furthermore, the platform is used by local governments, municipalities, and organizations to connect with their communities and gather insights. Additionally, its wide array of features makes it a top choice for engagement-driven communities.
Learn more: EngagementHQ
15. Sprinklr
Sprinklr is a customer experience management platform that offers a suite of tools for community management. The platform allows businesses to manage social media channels, engage with customers, and measure community sentiment across multiple platforms. Furthermore, it’s designed for enterprises looking for a holistic approach to community engagement.
Learn more: Sprinklr
16. Khoros Community
Khoros is a leading digital customer engagement platform. Furthermore, it allows businesses to manage both customer service interactions and community engagement in one place. Additionally, Khoros provides tools for creating user-generated content, moderating forums, and tracking engagement metrics to improve overall community experiences.
Learn more: Khoros
17. Facebook Groups
While not a traditional software solution, Facebook Groups remains one of the most popular community-building platforms. Furthermore, Facebook’s robust group features allow users to create private and public groups where members can share content, discuss topics, and connect. Additionally, its wide reach makes it easy for businesses to target specific groups of people.
Learn more: Facebook Groups
18. Podia
Podia is a platform that enables creators to build and grow their online communities by offering memberships, online courses, and digital products. Additionally, it’s an excellent solution for creators who want to foster a dedicated following and monetize their expertise. Podia allows creators to host discussions, webinars, and engage in real-time with their communities.
Learn more: Podia
19. Chime
Chime is an all-in-one solution for managing your community. Additionally, it integrates live chat, discussions, and other community-building tools into a single platform. Furthermore, Chime’s intuitive interface allows for easy communication, and its seamless integration with other business systems makes it a great option for businesses of all sizes.
Learn more: Chime
20. SocialEngine
SocialEngine provides a fully customizable platform to build a social network from scratch. Furthermore, it’s highly flexible, offering extensive customization options, including templates, themes, and plugins. Additionally, SocialEngine is perfect for businesses looking to create a branded community with complete control over the design and functionality.
Learn more: SocialEngine
21. Discourse
Discourse offers a flexible, open-source forum software that can be customized for both small and large communities. Known for its modern interface and easy navigation, it allows for high levels of engagement, from threaded discussions to private messaging. Furthermore, it also integrates seamlessly with various external tools to enhance the user experience.
Learn more: Discourse
22. Circle.so
Circle is a community platform that enables creators, brands, and businesses to foster intimate, exclusive communities. Furthermore, it allows for content creation, event hosting, and more in a sleek, minimalist design. Additionally, Circle is ideal for those looking to create private communities where members can interact in a personalized environment.
Learn more: Circle.so
23. Flock
Flock is a team communication and collaboration tool that doubles as a community management platform. Furthermore, with Flock, users can create channels, send direct messages, and manage tasks. Additionally, it’s an excellent option for managing internal teams or project-based communities.
Learn more: Flock
24. Teachable
Teachable is a platform for creators looking to build an online community around courses, webinars, and digital products. Additionally, it provides all the tools necessary to build, market, and sell online content. Teachable allows course creators to interact with their students, fostering engagement and community growth.
Learn more: Teachable
25. Bevy
Bevy is a community management platform designed for managing in-person and virtual events. Additionally, with its event-centric focus, Bevy helps businesses and organizations create memorable community experiences. Furthermore, the platform includes features for event creation, ticket sales, and attendee engagement.
Learn more: Bevy
26. Zoho Connect
Zoho Connect is a social intranet and team collaboration platform that can also be used to manage communities. Additionally, it includes features for group chats, file sharing, and collaborative workspaces, making it an excellent option for businesses looking to manage internal communities effectively.
Learn more: Zoho Connect
27. EngageBay
EngageBay is an integrated marketing, sales, and customer support platform with a focus on community engagement. Furthermore, the platform offers tools for email marketing, live chat, and marketing automation, helping businesses grow their communities and improve customer interactions.
Learn more: EngageBay
28. Reddit
Reddit has long been a hub for online communities. Furthermore, while it’s not a traditional community management tool, it provides users with a platform to create subreddits around various interests. Additionally, Reddit’s open forums make it a great space for fostering discussions, Q&A sessions, and engagement.
Learn more: Reddit
29. Interact
Interact is a platform that allows businesses to create quizzes to engage their community and generate leads. Furthermore, it’s a fun, interactive tool that fosters engagement while allowing businesses to better understand their community’s preferences and behaviors.
Learn more: Interact
30. Workplace by Facebook
Finally, Workplace is Facebook’s dedicated tool for internal communication and community building. It provides businesses with the same features as Facebook, but in a private, secure environment. Additionally, Companies can create groups, share files, and communicate across departments effectively.
Learn more: Workplace by Facebook
Conclusion
In conclusion, Choosing the best online community management software mostly depends on your specific goals, whether they are to create a brand community, promote internal teamwork, or boost customer interaction. Therefore, These top 30 best online community management software offer numerous features meant to appeal to different needs, allowing businesses develop relationships and grow their communities efficiently.