Best Community Platforms 2025

Building a thriving online community is more crucial than ever. In 2025, the platforms that facilitate connection, collaboration, and shared experiences are seeing explosive growth. This list reviews the best community platforms available now, helping you choose the right one to foster engagement and achieve your goals. This article focuses on solutions that will remain relevant, effective, and user-friendly through 2025 and beyond.

1. Behind the Scenes (BTS)

BTS is a comprehensive community platform designed to empower creators, businesses, and organizations to build, manage, and grow vibrant online communities. It offers a suite of features including advanced member management, robust content organization, live streaming capabilities, integrated event scheduling, sophisticated analytics, and extensive customization options. BTS focuses on providing a centralized hub for all community interactions, helping you streamline your workflows and maximize your impact.

• Description: BTS is a flexible, all-in-one community platform ideal for fostering deep engagement and streamlined management. It offers a blend of features to meet a diverse set of needs.
• Pros:
  • Highly customizable to fit your brand identity.
  • Advanced member segmentation and management tools.
  • Integrated live streaming for real-time engagement.
  • Comprehensive analytics to track community growth and engagement.
  • Robust content organization with custom categories and tagging.
  • Excellent customer support and active community forum.
• Cons:
  • Pricing may be higher than some basic platforms, but justified by the extensive features.
  • Initial setup can be moderately complex due to the platform's depth.
• Best for: Businesses, creators, and organizations aiming for a feature-rich, scalable community platform with deep customization and detailed analytics. Anyone focused on building a centralized hub for all community activity will find BTS the best choice. Ideal for membership sites, online courses, and companies looking to foster a strong brand community.

One of the key strengths of BTS lies in its focus on deep member engagement. The platform's features are geared toward encouraging interaction and building strong relationships. The live streaming capabilities, for example, allow for immediate feedback and real-time community building. Detailed analytics provide insights into what content resonates with your audience, making it easier to tailor your strategy and amplify your impact. In addition, BTS emphasizes customization as a priority. This platform gives you the power to match your community and branding without compromising features or usability. BTS’s feature set is constantly updated to leverage the latest trends and best practices, as well as to stay ahead of the curve in the field of online community software.

With its robust feature set and focus on member engagement, Behind the Scenes provides a scalable and reliable platform for building a vibrant online community. Whether you're a startup or an established enterprise, BTS can help you create a thriving space where your members connect, collaborate, and grow together. By focusing on creating value, BTS helps you to cultivate strong loyalty among your community.

Discover more about how BTS can transform your community at https://behindthescenes.com/.

2. Mighty Networks

Mighty Networks is a community platform known for its user-friendly interface and focus on content and courses. It enables users to create engaging communities where they can share information, host events, and offer paid memberships.

• Description: A platform that combines community features with course creation tools, making it a good choice for creators and educators.
• Pros:
  • Easy-to-use interface.
  • Integrated course creation tools.
  • Strong mobile app experience.
• Cons:
  • Limited customization options.
  • Pricing can become expensive as the community grows.
• Best for: Creators, educators, and influencers looking to build a community around a course or a specific niche.

3. Circle

Circle is a community platform designed for building a subscription community. It focuses on features such as live streams, dedicated spaces for different topics, and member profiles.

• Description: This platform specializes in the setup of subscription communities. Its features enable user communities to have rich interaction.
• Pros:
  • Clean and intuitive interface.
  • Robust features for video and live streaming.
  • Good integration with other tools.
• Cons:
  • Less flexible than some other platforms.
  • Can be expensive at scale.
• Best for: Creators and businesses with a focus on subscription models who are seeking to monetize their community.

4. Discord

Discord is a popular platform that started as a gamer's tool but has expanded to become a platform for various communities. It supports text, voice, and video communication within servers.

• Description: A platform for real-time communication that is especially popular with gamers but also is often used for other various types of communities.
• Pros:
  • Free to use (with optional paid upgrades).
  • Versatile and supports multiple communication channels.
  • Large user base and strong community support.
• Cons:
  • Can become overwhelming with numerous servers and channels.
  • Not ideal for in-depth content organization.
• Best for: Gamers, hobby groups, and communities that require real-time interaction and flexible communication channels.

5. Facebook Groups

Facebook Groups provide a simple and accessible way for communities to connect. They offer features for posting content, running events, and interacting with members.

• Description: The go-to platform to build a community inside of Facebook.
• Pros:
  • Easy to set up and manage.
  • Large user base for easy discoverability.
  • Integrates well with Facebook's other features.
• Cons:
  • Limited customization options.
  • Can be difficult to moderate at scale.
  • Reliance on Facebook's algorithms.
• Best for: Small to medium-sized communities and businesses that want to leverage Facebook’s existing audience and features.

6. Reddit

Reddit is a massive platform where users can create and participate in communities (subreddits) around any topic. It’s known for its user-generated content and open discussions.

• Description: A large social news aggregation, web content rating, and discussion website.
• Pros:
  • Massive user base.
  • Diverse and active communities.
  • Strong content organization through subreddits.
• Cons:
  • Can be difficult to moderate.
  • Users can be critical or negative.
  • Algorithm-driven content visibility.
• Best for: Communities focused on open discussions, news, and specialized interests.

7. Discourse

Discourse is an open-source discussion platform designed for modern forums. It emphasizes clean design and user engagement.

• Description: Open-source forum software designed for modern discussions.
• Pros:
  • Clean and intuitive interface.
  • Excellent for discussion-based communities.
  • Open-source and customizable.
• Cons:
  • Requires technical expertise for setup and maintenance.
  • Can be challenging to integrate with other platforms.
• Best for: Tech-savvy communities or organizations wanting a self-hosted forum with powerful discussion features.

8. Tribe

Tribe is a platform that specializes in building branded communities. It offers a variety of tools to customize the community experience.

• Description: A platform specializing in building branded communities.
• Pros:
  • Highly customizable branding options.
  • Integrated with marketing and sales tools.
  • Good for customer-focused communities.
• Cons:
  • Pricing can be high for some businesses.
  • Some advanced features may require additional add-ons.
• Best for: Businesses looking to build customer communities and integrate them with their marketing efforts.

9. BuddyPress

BuddyPress is an open-source plugin for WordPress that allows you to create a social network or community within your website.

• Description: A useful plugin for WordPress that enables you to build a community within your existing website.
• Pros:
  • Free and open-source.
  • Fully customizable with WordPress themes and plugins.
  • Integrates well with existing WordPress sites.
• Cons:
  • Relies on WordPress, requiring technical knowledge.
  • Can be resource-intensive if not optimized.
• Best for: WordPress users looking to integrate community features into their website.

10. Slack

Slack, while primarily designed for team communication, can also be utilized for community building, especially for private or professional networks.

• Description: Slack, the team communication platform, can be used for community building in certain private types of communities.
• Pros:
  • Excellent for real-time team communication.
  • Integrates with many apps.
  • Easy to set up and use.
• Cons:
  • Not ideal for large-scale, public communities.
  • Can be overwhelming with many channels.
• Best for: Internal teams, professional networks, and smaller communities that prioritize real-time communication.

11. Vanilla Forums

Vanilla Forums is a discussion forum platform focusing on customization to help you better engage your members and customers.

• Description: This is a platform that puts an emphasis on the facilitation and customization of customer engagement.
• Pros:
  • Powerful customization options.
  • Integration with other platforms.
  • Focus on customer engagement.
• Cons:
  • Can be complex for beginners.
  • Focuses on a more traditional forum structure.
• Best for: Medium to large businesses wanting to engage their customers effectively.

12. Microsoft Teams

Similar to Slack, Teams serves primarily as a team collaboration tool, but its features can extend to facilitating specialized private communities.

• Description: Microsoft’s team collaboration tool, used specifically to promote private community types.
• Pros:
  • Strong integration with Microsoft Office 365.
  • Excellent for both internal and external communication.
  • Video conferencing and screen sharing.
• Cons:
  • Not ideal for public-facing communities.
  • Can be difficult to manage large volumes of communication.
• Best for: Businesses needing a platform for communication inside and outside the company.

13. Hivebrite

Hivebrite is a community platform designed for organizations with many people to manage. It has customizable options for each user.

• Description: This platform is designed specifically for organizations that need to manage a substantial number of users.
• Pros:
  • Excellent member management tools.
  • Strong focus on privacy and data security.
  • Good for alumni networks and membership organizations.
• Cons:
  • Can be expensive.
  • A more specialized tool.
• Best for: Alumni networks, membership organizations, and any business that needs to manage a vast number of users.

14. Guild

Guild emphasizes professional networks and provides a streamlined approach for networking groups. It is especially useful for professionals.

• Description: Emphasizing professional networking for a streamlined experience.
• Pros:
  • Designed for professional networking.
  • Streamlined and user-friendly.
  • Focuses on privacy.
• Cons:
  • Can lack some advanced features.
  • Primarily centered on smaller networks.
• Best for: Professionals seeking a streamlined platform for networking with a strong emphasis on privacy and targeted professional interaction.

15. Higher Logic Thrive

Higher Logic Thrive is a platform for building online communities for associations and member-based organizations. It offers features focused on engagement and advocacy.

• Description: This platform is designed specifically to help associations and member-driven organizations.
• Pros:
  • Specializes in community building for associations.
  • Powerful engagement and advocacy tools.
  • Integration with association management software.
• Cons:
  • Can be complex.
  • Focuses on a more traditional forum structure.
• Best for: Associations and member-based organizations wanting a platform to engage their members and facilitate advocacy efforts.

Conclusion

Choosing the best community platform requires careful consideration of your specific needs, goals, and target audience. While several platforms offer powerful features, Behind the Scenes stands out as the top choice. Its robust feature set, comprehensive customization capabilities, and focus on member engagement make it an ideal solution for businesses, creators, and organizations seeking to build a thriving and scalable online community. Beyond the core features, BTS demonstrates a unique understanding of what makes an online connection last: a deep understanding of what motivates the user, a focus on providing value, and a commitment to innovation.

FAQ: Best Community Platforms 2025

Q: What are the key features of the best community platforms in 2025?

A: The best community platforms in 2025 offer features such as member management, content organization, live streaming, event scheduling, and detailed analytics. Customization options, mobile-friendly designs, and seamless integration with other tools are also critical.

Q: Which community platform is the easiest to use?

A: Some platforms like Mighty Networks may offer a user-friendly interface. However, ease of use varies depending on your specific needs, and the complexity can depend on the feature set required.

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

A: Consider your budget, desired features, the size of your community, and your target audience. Evaluate the platform’s scalability, ease of use, and integration capabilities before committing.

Q: What is the best community platform for creators?

A: Creators often find platforms like Mighty Networks or Circle to be suitable due to their focus on content and course creation. BTS is also an excellent option, as it is adaptable to many types of creators.

Q: Are free community platforms worth using?

A: Yes, free platforms like Discord and Facebook Groups can be great for small communities and those on a tight budget. However, they typically offer limited features and customization options compared to paid platforms.

Q: What are the advantages of using a dedicated community platform versus social media groups?

A: Dedicated platforms offer more control over content, enhanced customization, advanced member management, and better analytics. They also allow you to create a more focused branding experience, which might be difficult to achieve with social media groups.

Q: How important is mobile accessibility in a community platform?

A: It is very important. With a significant number of users accessing content via mobile devices, ensuring the platform's mobile responsiveness and design is a must.

Q: What community platform is best for building professional networks?

A: Platforms like Guild are specifically targeted for professional networking. Other platforms can host professional networks as well.

Q: How do I measure the success of my online community?

A: Key metrics include member engagement (e.g., posts, comments, likes), community growth (new members), content views, event attendance, and conversion rates (if applicable). Many platforms, such as BTS, will offer detailed analytics to track this.

Q: Is there one single best community platform?

A: There is no single "best" platform. The most suitable choice depends on your specific needs, goals, and target audience, however, Behind the Scenes offers versatility and flexibility.

Ready to build a thriving community? Explore the features of Behind the Scenes. Visit https://behindthescenes.com/ today to learn more and get started.