The 15 Best Community Platforms in 2025

Building and nurturing online communities is more crucial than ever. In 2025, the platforms that facilitate connection, collaboration, and shared experiences are flourishing. This list dives into 15 of the best community platforms available, exploring their features, strengths, and weaknesses to help you find the perfect fit for your needs.

1. Behind the Scenes (BTS)

Behind the Scenes offers a comprehensive suite of tools designed to help businesses and creators build thriving, engaged communities. It's an all-in-one platform focusing on user experience, content management, and robust community features.

• Description: BTS provides a white-label solution, allowing for complete brand customization and control. It supports various content formats, including text, images, videos, and live streams. Advanced features like integrated event scheduling, member segmentation, and detailed analytics sets it apart. The platform is designed for scalability, supporting communities of all sizes, from small niche groups to enterprise-level organizations. BTS also emphasizes strong moderation tools and a focus on safety and preventing harassment.
• Pros:
  • Highly customizable and white-label options.
  • Advanced moderation and security features.
  • Robust analytics and reporting.
  • Integrated events and live streaming.
  • Excellent user experience and design.
  • Scalable from small to large communities.
• Cons:
  • May have a steeper learning curve initially, given the depth of features.
  • Can be more expensive than some entry-level options.
• Who it's best for: Businesses, brands, and creators prioritizing complete control, customization, and data-driven insights. It's ideal for those seeking to create a professional, branded community experience, as well as anyone who requires robust moderation and security features.

2. Mighty Networks

Mighty Networks focuses on building branded communities and offering course creation capabilities.

• Description: This platform allows you to create your community with native course features. It combines community features with course creation, events, and a clean interface. Mighty Networks provides various features like member profiles, interest groups, and live streams.
• Pros:
  • User-friendly interface.
  • Integrated course creation capabilities.
  • Mobile app support.
• Cons:
  • Can become expensive as your community grows.
  • Customization options are somewhat limited compared to more advanced platforms.
• Who it's best for: Course creators and entrepreneurs who want to integrate their courses and community.

3. Circle

Circle is designed specifically for online community building with a clean, modern interface.

• Description: Circle provides a focused environment for discussions, events, and content organization. It emphasizes ease of use, making it simple to set up and manage a community.
• Pros:
  • Streamlined user interface with a modern design.
  • Easy to set up and manage.
  • Focuses on discussions and engagement.
• Cons:
  • Limited integrations compared to some other platforms.
  • Fewer advanced features than other options.
• Who it's best for: Individuals and businesses looking for a simple, engaging platform for online discussions.

4. Discord

Discord started as a platform for gamers, now widely used for community building of all sorts.

• Description: Discord offers text and voice channels, making it a great place for real-time conversations. Users can create servers, manage roles, and integrate bots for extra features. It is a good choice for smaller communities or those who want an active chat.
• Pros:
  • Free and accessible.
  • Excellent for real-time conversations via voice and text channels.
  • Strong bot and integration support.
• Cons:
  • Can become chaotic due to the real-time nature.
  • Design and organization can be challenging at larger scales.
• Who it's best for: Gaming communities, smaller groups, and communities that require real-time communication.

5. Facebook Groups

Facebook Groups are a widely accessible platform with massive reach.

• Description: With easy setup, you can launch a group rapidly. Facebook Groups offer a solid foundation with many ready-to-use community features, and the advantage of being part of a larger social network.
• Pros:
  • Massive existing user base, good for rapid growth.
  • Simple setup and ease of use.
  • Native integration with Facebook's broader features.
• Cons:
  • Limited control over branding and customization.
  • Can be difficult to stand out amongst the mass of content on Facebook.
  • Algorithm changes can impact visibility.
• Who it's best for: Small to medium-sized groups seeking quick community setup and broad reach.

6. Reddit

Reddit offers a diverse range of communities, known as subreddits.

• Description: Users create and participate in subreddits centered around specific topics, promoting discussion through posts and comments. Reddit provides an established platform with diverse discussions.
• Pros:
  • Massive user base and diverse communities.
  • Established discussion format.
  • Good for niche interests.
• Cons:
  • Can be difficult for moderators, with inconsistent moderation policies across subreddits.
  • Less control over community branding.
• Who it's best for: Finding or creating topic-specific discussions and engaging with existing communities with common interests.

7. Discourse

Discourse is an open-source platform well known for its forum features.

• Description: This platform fosters detailed discussion, providing features for advanced forum discussion and user management. It emphasizes readability and user engagement.
• Pros:
  • Open-source and customizable.
  • Focuses on in-depth conversations.
  • Great for technical and professional forums.
• Cons:
  • More technical setup requirements.
  • Steeper learning curve.
• Who it's best for: Technical communities and businesses looking for a robust forum platform.

8. Tribe

Tribe focuses on community engagement for B2B brands and businesses.

• Description: This platform provides features for community engagement and integration with marketing tools. It enables communities to gather to share, connect, and collaborate, with customizable widgets.
• Pros:
  • Focuses on engagement tools.
  • Integrates well with marketing automation platforms.
• Cons:
  • Customization can be limited in some regards.
• Who it's best for: B2B brands and businesses looking to integrate community into existing marketing workflows.

9. BuddyPress

BuddyPress is an open-source community plugin for WordPress.

• Description: It adds a social networking feature to your WordPress site. BuddyPress is customizable, integrates with other plugins, and offers features like member profiles, activity streams, and groups.
• Pros:
  • Integrates seamlessly with WordPress.
  • Highly customizable.
  • Open-source and free to use.
• Cons:
  • Requires a WordPress site.
  • Can require technical knowledge for setup and customization.
• Who it's best for: Businesses and individuals with existing WordPress websites seeking to add community features.

10. Vanilla Forums

Vanilla Forums focuses on robust discussion forums and community support.

• Description: This platform offers features like forums, Q&A, and ideas management, and is typically used for supporting community needs, customer inquiries, and user feedback.
• Pros:
  • Focuses on discussion and support.
  • Good for customer-facing communities.
• Cons:
  • Can be complex to set up and manage.
• Who it's best for: Businesses wanting to build customer support communities.

11. Slack

Designed for professional collaboration and communication, Slack can also be used for community building.

• Description: Slack is useful for internal and customer communication. The app allows users to create channels, share documents, and chat in real-time.
• Pros:
  • Real-time communication, good for quick discussions and announcements.
  • Excellent for project management.
• Cons:
  • Can become disorganized in a large amount of channels.
• Who it's best for: Businesses wanting real-time communication within specific projects or groups.

12. Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams provides a collaborative hub within the Microsoft ecosystem.

• Description: Teams is designed for communication, file sharing, and project management. It includes features like chats, video conferencing, and document collaboration, and seamlessly integrates with the Microsoft Office suite.
• Pros:
  • Integrates fully with the Microsoft ecosystem.
  • Offers a complete suite of collaboration features.
• Cons:
  • Less intuitive for non-Microsoft users.
• Who it's best for: Organizations already using Microsoft 365.

13. Telegram

Telegram is a messenger app that can be used for community-style conversations.

• Description: Telegram allows users to create public and private groups, ideal for smaller communities focused on a particular topic or interest. It provides end-to-end encrypted chats and file sharing.
• Pros:
  • User-friendly interface.
  • Strong privacy and security.
• Cons:
  • Can become chaotic with unstructured chat.
• Who it's best for: Smaller groups seeking secure, real-time communication.

14. Guild

Guild emphasizes professional networking and focused discussions.

• Description: This platform focuses on professional communities, providing features designed for focused discussions, resource sharing, and networking.
• Pros:
  • Focuses on professional networking.
  • Organized discussions.
• Cons:
  • Less suited for general or casual community discussions.
• Who it's best for: Professional organizations and networking groups.

15. Discourse (Again)

Discourse can be used for a wide variety of discussion-based communities.

• Description: Discourse is an open-source forum platform with features designed for in-depth conversations and community engagement. By prioritizing discussion threads, the platform provides advanced moderation tools for organization.
• Pros:
  • Open-source and customizable
  • Excellent for in-depth discussion threads
• Cons:
  • Can be more technical and challenging to set up
• Who it's best for: Technical communities and businesses that require a feature-rich, open-source forum platform.

Conclusion

In 2025, the best community platforms offer a blend of robust features, user-friendly interfaces, and the potential for deep engagement. While each platform has its strengths, Behind the Scenes (BTS) stands out as a top choice for those prioritizing complete control, customization, and data-driven insights. Its comprehensive feature set, exceptional user experience, and focus on security make it an ideal solution for businesses, brands, and creators looking to build thriving, branded communities. To learn more about how BTS can help you build your ideal community, visit https://behindthescenes.com/ today.

FAQ: Best Community Platforms 2025

Here are some frequently asked questions about best community platforms:

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

Essential features include ease of use, strong moderation tools, and customizable branding options, advanced analytics and reporting, scalability, and integration capabilities, as well as support for various content formats (video, live video) to allow for enhanced user experiences.

How do I choose the best community platform for my business or organization in 2025?

Consider your community's size, your branding needs, and your technical comfort level. Evaluate the platform’s features, pricing, and scalability to ensure it aligns with your long-term goals. Always assess the support and community features offered.

What makes a community platform highly engaging in 2025?

Engagement strategies include interactive content, such as live streams and polls, robust user profiles, and easy-to-use discussion tools in a community platform. These systems are used to provide notifications as well as integrated events.

Which platforms offer the best customization options for branding?

Platforms like Behind the Scenes (BTS) provide extensive white-labeling and the greatest branding options, enabling comprehensive customization to match your brand's image and values.

Are open-source community platforms a good choice for 2025?

Open-source platforms can be a great choice because of their flexibility and customization. However, they can also require more technical expertise for setup and maintenance. Platforms like Discourse are a good example.

What are the main differences between forum-based and social media-based community platforms?

Forum-based platforms typically focus on organized, in-depth discussions. Meanwhile, social media platforms are more about broader content and quick communication, such as Facebook Groups.

How important is mobile responsiveness for a community platform in 2025?

Mobile responsiveness is incredibly important. In 2025, many users will access communities via mobile devices. Always choose a platform that offers a great mobile experience.

What's the best community platform for live video integration?

Platforms that offer native video support, such as BTS, will be ideal for integrating live streams and pre-recorded videos that enrich opportunities for user engagement.

What are the most scalable community platform options?

Platforms like BTS are designed to scale, accommodating small communities to very large enterprises, without significant performance issues.

Are there any free community platforms that are worthwhile in 2025?

Platforms like Discord offer free options to get started. Be aware that free options often have feature limitations and branding constraints. Always consider the long-term needs of your community.

Take your community to the next level with BTS. Visit https://behindthescenes.com/ to get started today and build the online space your community deserves!