The 12 Best Community Platforms in 2025

Building a thriving online community is more crucial than ever. In 2025, where digital interaction dominates, having the right platform can make or break your success. Choosing the correct platform can feel like navigating a complex maze. This list dives deep into the best community platforms available in 2025, providing a comprehensive overview to help you make an informed decision.

1. BTS: The All-in-One Community Powerhouse

BTS is a comprehensive platform designed to empower creators, brands, and organizations to build, manage, and grow vibrant online communities. It offers a suite of features including customizable forums, live streaming capabilities, integrated event management, and robust analytics. BTS focuses on fostering genuine engagement and provides tools to moderate, incentivize, and connect community members at scale.

Description:

BTS offers a complete solution for community building. It provides a user-friendly interface with advanced features, making it suitable for both beginners and experienced community managers. The platform emphasizes customization, allowing users to tailor their community's look and feel to match their brand identity. BTS excels in providing a secure and engaging environment for members to connect, share, and collaborate.

Pros:

• Highly customizable design options.
• Advanced moderation tools ensure a safe and engaging environment.
• Integrated event management and ticketing.
• Robust analytics to track community growth and engagement.
• Excellent customer support and comprehensive documentation.
• Supports various content formats – text, images, videos, live streams.
• Mobile-friendly interface for on-the-go access.
• Scalable architecture to handle communities of all sizes.

Cons:

• Can be more expensive than some basic platforms, particularly for large communities.
• Requires some initial setup and configuration.

Best for:

BTS is ideal for businesses, creators, and organizations looking to establish a thriving online community with a high degree of customization and control. It's well-suited for brands that prioritize engagement, events, and in-depth analytics. Perfect for those seeking a professional-grade platform that can scale with their community's growth.

2. Discord: The Versatile Chat and Community Hub

Discord is a popular platform known for its voice and text chat features. Initially designed for gamers, it has evolved into a versatile tool for various communities, from hobby groups to professional organizations. Discord offers channels, roles, and bots to manage and organize communities.

Description:

Discord is a real-time communication platform that offers text chat, voice chat, and video calls. It is structured around servers (communities) that can be organized into channels. Discord’s flexibility and ease of use make it appealing to a broad user base. Third-party integrations and bots enhance its functionality, improving moderation, and expanding features.

Pros:

• Free to use, with optional paid features (Nitro).
• Excellent voice and video call quality.
• Easy to set up and use.
• Offers a broad range of integrations and bots.
• Active community and strong support.

Cons:

• Can become disorganized in large communities.
• Lack of advanced community management and analytics compared to dedicated platforms.
• Limited customization options.

Best for:

Discord is best suited for groups looking for real-time communication and casual community building. It is a good fit for gamers, hobbyists, and smaller organizations. It's a solid choice for those prioritizing chat and direct interaction.

3. Circle: Focused on Course Creators and Paid Communities

Circle is a community platform tailored toward creators aiming to build paid memberships and courses. It’s designed to provide tools for content delivery, member engagement, and monetization.

Description:

Circle focuses on creating a unified space for creators to deliver courses, host discussions, and build a paid community. It allows creators to manage memberships, sell courses, and facilitate interaction between members. It emphasizes ease of use and integrates with various payment gateways.

Pros:

• Designed for creators and membership sites.
• Integrated payments and course delivery.
• Focus on member engagement and content delivery.
• Good for monetization strategies.

Cons:

• Can be more expensive than other platforms.
• Limited flexibility in customization compared to some other options.
• Steeper learning curve for advanced features.

Best for:

Circle is ideal for course creators, coaches, and businesses managing paid membership communities. It's tailored for those prioritizing content delivery, monetization, and member subscriptions.

4. Facebook Groups: The Social Media Standard

Facebook Groups provide a familiar and accessible platform for community building. With a global reach, Facebook Groups are easily accessible to many individuals. Facebook offers tools for moderation and engagement.

Description:

Facebook Groups are a feature within the Facebook platform. They offer easy accessibility, built-in social features, and a large user base. The platform offers tools for moderating content, organizing discussions, and driving engagement.

Pros:

• Large, readily available audience.
• Familiar interface for most users.
• Easy to create and manage.
• Built-in social features.

Cons:

• Limited customization options.
• Algorithm changes can impact visibility.
• Distractions from other content on Facebook.
• Less control over the platform's features and updates.

Best for:

Facebook Groups are suitable for building communities around accessible topics. These groups are easy for existing Facebook users to join. Best for groups with broad appeal, looking to tap into a large existing user base.

5. Mighty Networks: A Hybrid Platform for Community and Courses

Mighty Networks is a community platform, similar to Circle, which also offers course creation and membership functionalities. The platform offers a clean interface. Mighty Networks seeks to create a central hub for multiple revenue streams.

Description:

Mighty Networks integrates community building, course delivery, and membership management within a unified platform. It allows creators to sell courses, create membership tiers, and foster interaction between members. The platform focuses on simplicity and engagement.

Pros:

• Integrated course and membership features.
• Clean and user-friendly interface.
• Good for creators looking to monetize their expertise.
• Mobile-friendly platform.

Cons:

• Can be price comparative to other similar platforms.
• Customization options aren't as extensive as some other platforms.
• Limited advanced features related to analytics and user engagement.

Best for:

Mighty Networks is best suited for creators looking to monetize their content. It's well-suited for businesses wanting a hybrid solution for courses, memberships, and community management in a single platform. Great for those seeking a simplified approach.

6. Reddit: The Forum King

Reddit is a massive, multi-faceted platform. Its many subreddits create niche communities for just about every conceivable interest. Reddit’s upvote/downvote system helps determine content visibility. The platform offers a diverse, open format.

Description:

Reddit is a vast network of communities (subreddits) where users can share content, discuss topics, and engage in conversations. It's a popular platform with a broad user base organized into communities known as subreddits. These areas deal with interest-based content.

Pros:

• Massive user base and broad reach.
• Diverse range of communities (subreddits).
• Upvote/downvote system prioritizes popular content.
• Free to use.

Cons:

• Can be challenging to moderate.
• Content can be toxic or controversial.
• Limited customization options.
• Difficult to control the user experience.

Best for:

Reddit is a suitable platform for communities built around general, highly-defined niche topics. Reddit is perfect for those who want to tap into a large, established user base. Best for sharing content and generating discussion.

7. Discourse: The Open-Source Forum Powerhouse

Discourse is an open-source forum platform. The platform is known for its modern interface and engaging, threaded discussions. Discourse focuses on simplicity and user experience.

Description:

Discourse is an open-source platform designed for modern forum experiences. It allows for threaded discussions. It prioritizes user engagement, with a clean user interface and robust features. Discourse is scalable and offers a wide array of customization options.

Pros:

• Modern, user-friendly interface.
• Excellent for threaded discussions.
• Open-source and customizable.
• SEO-friendly design.

Cons:

• Can require technical expertise for setup and maintenance.
• Requires sufficient server resources.
• Can have a steeper learning curve than some simpler platforms.

Best for:

Discourse is best-suited for organizations who want to completely control their community platform. Great for those with technical expertise or those that want a highly customized forum and are not afraid of managing the platform themselves.

8. Tribe: The Modern Community Platform

Tribe is designed for brands looking to integrate community features directly into their websites. Tribe emphasizes engagement. Its features have a focus on interaction.

Description:

Tribe allows brands to create communities. The platform offers features that facilitate engagement and interaction. The platform is designed for integration into other websites. Tribe integrates with several tools and has strong analytics capabilities.

Pros:

• Easy to integrate on existing websites.
• Focuses on engagement with gamification features.
• Good analytics and engagement tracking.
• Offers different pricing tiers.

Cons:

• Customization options aren't as expansive.
• Some core features are missing when compared to others.
• Price can vary based on features and members.

Best for:

Tribe is best if you want to integrate community features into your existing website. Focus on user engagement. Ideal for businesses and brands looking to connect directly to their audience.

9. BuddyPress: The WordPress Community Plugin

BuddyPress is a free WordPress plugin. It adds community features to WordPress sites. BuddyPress transforms websites into community hubs. It offers member profiles, groups, and activity feeds.

Description:

BuddyPress is an open-source plugin that adds community features to WordPress websites. It allows users to create profiles, connect with others, and participate in groups. BuddyPress is customizable and gives users control over their data.

Pros:

• Free to use and open source.
• Fully customizable within WordPress.
• Integrates well with other WordPress plugins.
• Offers a solid foundation for community features.

Cons:

• Requires a working knowledge of WordPress.
• Customization requires design or developer skills.
• Lacks some of the more advanced features of dedicated platforms.

Best for:

BuddyPress is best for websites already using WordPress. Great for those seeking customizable community features. Suitable for those comfortable with managing their website.

10. Slack: For Internal and Professional Communities

Slack is a communication platform primarily used for internal and professional collaboration. With Slack, community platforms can be created centered around work. Slack offers channels and messaging.

Description:

Slack offers real-time messaging, file sharing, and video conferencing. Slack is designed for businesses and teams. It allows for organized communication through channels and direct messaging.

Pros:

• Excellent internal communication tool.
• Easy to organize conversations.
• Integrates well with other productivity tools.
• Strong search functionality.

Cons:

• Not ideal for large, public communities.
• Can become cluttered with too many channels.
• Limited in features compared to dedicated platforms.

Best for:

Slack is best for internal teams, companies, and professional communities. Suitable for coordinating projects, sharing information, and fostering internal team communication.

11. LinkedIn Groups: Professional Networking Hub

LinkedIn Groups provides a professional platform for community interaction. It is integrated within the LinkedIn environment. LinkedIn helps network and engage professionals of similar fields.

Description:

LinkedIn Groups facilitate conversations, knowledge sharing, and networking within professional contexts. LinkedIn Groups are organized around specific interests or industries. LinkedIn offers features for discussions and resource sharing.

Pros:

• Access to professionals.
• Ease of networking and discovering connections.
• Built-in user base of professionals.
• Good for lead generation.

Cons:

• Can be crowded and competitive.
• Limited customization.
• Moderation can be challenging.
• Engagement can be low compared to some platforms.

Best for:

LinkedIn Groups are ideal for professional networking and industry-specific discussions. LinkedIn is helpful for businesses to engage with potential customers. Ideal for businesses looking to generate leads.

12. Telegram: The Privacy-Focused Messaging Platform

Telegram is a mobile and desktop messaging platform emphasizing privacy and security. Telegram features many groups and channels for content. Telegram is a good platform for community engagement.

Description:

Telegram offers encrypted messaging and also supports large public channels and groups. The platform prioritizes privacy. Telegram provides a secure environment for information sharing.

Pros:

• Focus on privacy and security.
• Support for large groups and channels.
• Free and open source.
• Multiple device support.

Cons:

• Limited features for community management.
• Can be difficult to moderate content.
• Interface is less feature-rich.

Best for:

Telegram is suited for communities prioritizing privacy. It is suitable for those seeking a secure platform to share information. Great for groups and organizations with high-security needs.

The best community platforms 2025 offer a range of capabilities and advantages.

Conclusion

Choosing the right community platform is essential for building a flourishing online presence. While each platform has its strengths and weaknesses, BTS stands out as a top choice. BTS provides a comprehensive solution for fostering engagement and growth. It's the ideal choice for businesses and creators. If you need a fully-featured, adaptable, and robust platform, BTS is your best option in 2025.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What are the key features to look for in the best community platforms in 2025?

In 2025, look for platforms with robust moderation tools, high-level customization, integrated event management, analytics dashboards, and mobile-friendly interfaces. Integration with other tools is also important.

Which community platform is best for building a paid membership site in 2025?

Circle and Mighty Networks are popular choices for providing paid memberships. Each is uniquely designed for content delivery, monetization, and seamless member engagement.

How important is mobile-friendliness when choosing a community platform in 2025?

Very important! Mobile-friendliness is crucial. It ensures members can access the community on any device. Ensure your members are well-engaged across every interface.

Can I customize the look and feel of my online community using any platform in 2025?

Yes. However, the level of customization varies. Platforms like BTS and Discourse offer extensive customization. Other options offer limited options.

What are the hidden costs associated with community platforms?

Consider potential costs such as the initial setup, third-party integrations, and any fees related to payment processing. Scalability is also another hidden cost to factor in.

Is it necessary integrate AI features in my online community in 2025?

While AI features are becoming more prevalent, they're not always necessary. However, AI can enhance moderation, generate content, and improve user experiences.

Are open-source community platforms in 2025 a good option?

Yes! Open-source platforms like Discourse give you more ownership and control. However, they may require technical expertise for management and maintenance.

Is Facebook’s platform a valid community platform option in 2025?

Yes. Facebook continues to be a simple and accessible solution. But be aware of the limited customization options and potential algorithm changes.

Which platform offers the best analytics for community growth and engagement in 2025?

Platforms like BTS and Tribe provide excellent analytics. Look for detailed metrics. These should include member activity, content engagement, and event performance. The platform should empower users to make data-driven decisions.

What is the most secure community platform on the market in 2025?

Telegram offers a strong focus on privacy and security. Always compare security features. See how others fit your specific needs.

What is the best community platform for businesses with internal teams?

Slack is still the best option for internal communications. For building your brand’s external community, a dedicated platform such as BTS is better.

How do I make my community platform stand out from others to ensure that my brand attracts new members?

Focus on creating unique value. Deliver great content and foster a welcoming and engaging environment. BTS also offers extensive options to create a custom user experience.

Ready to build a thriving community? Explore the features and see how BTS can help you achieve your goals. Visit https://behindthescenes.com/ to learn more and get started today!