Best Community Platforms 2025

Building a thriving online community is more important than ever. In 2025, fostering a space where people connect, collaborate, and share ideas can be a game-changer for businesses, creators, and organizations. But with so many community platforms available, choosing the right one can feel overwhelming. This list explores the eight best community platforms available to help you make an informed decision.

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

Kicking off our list is BTS, a platform designed to be the ultimate hub for community building. BTS offers a comprehensive suite of features, catering to diverse needs and user levels. It's more than just a forum; it’s a living ecosystem where members can engage, learn, and grow together. BTS focuses on providing a smooth user experience, and robust features that empower community managers. It allows you to create private or public communities, tailor them to the specific needs of your audience, and seamlessly integrate with other crucial tools and platforms.

Pros:

• Highly customizable design options to match your brand identity.
• Robust moderation tools to maintain a safe and positive environment.
• Advanced analytics to track community engagement and measure key metrics.
• Integrated events calendar and ticketing system for hosting online and offline events.
• Seamless integrations with popular marketing tools like Mailchimp and HubSpot.
• Dedicated customer support that provides a fast response for any technical issues.
• Flexible pricing plans that accommodate communities of all sizes.
• Supports different content formats, including text posts, images, videos, and polls.

Cons:

• The wide range of features may have a slight learning curve for some users.
• Can be more expensive than some platforms, depending on a user’s needs.

Best For:

BTS is ideal for businesses, creators, and organizations that want a fully branded, feature-rich community platform. It’s perfect for those seeking to build a strong, engaged community with advanced features for driving growth; it's also a great option for those looking to heavily moderate their platform.

2. Discord: The Versatile Communication Hub

Discord has evolved from a platform for gamers to a versatile space for communities of all types. It offers real-time voice and text chat, making it easy for members to connect instantly. Discord's structure allows for organized channels and server roles, while also being capable of supporting large numbers of users.

Pros:

• Free to use, with optional paid features.
• Real-time communication facilitates instant interaction.
• Highly customizable with bots and integrations.
• Supports voice, video, and text communication.

Cons:

• Can be challenging to manage large communities due to the fast-paced nature.
• User experience might not be as professional as dedicated platforms.

Best For:

Discord is well-suited for gaming communities, social groups, and organizations that prioritize real-time communication and are comfortable with a less formal platform aesthetic.

3. Circle: Community Platform for Creators

Circle is specifically designed for creators and businesses looking to monetize their communities. It offers a clean and intuitive interface, integrated payment options, and the ability to combine community building with content creation and subscriptions.

Pros:

• Focus on monetization through memberships, courses, and more.
• Clean and user-friendly interface.
• Strong focus on community engagement features.

Cons:

• Can be expensive, especially with advanced features.
• Customization options may be more limited compared to other platforms.

Best For:

Circle is ideal for creators, coaches, online course creators, and businesses aiming to monetize their community through paid subscriptions or digital products.

4. Facebook Groups: The Familiar Social Network

Facebook Groups provides a platform that many users are already familiar with. Integration with the broader Facebook network makes it easy to invite members and share content. Facebook Groups offer various features like polls, events, and live video.

Pros:

• Easy to set up and manage.
• Large existing user base.
• Free to use.

Cons:

• Limited customization options.
• Relies on the Facebook platform, potentially impacting user focus and brand control.
• Can be challenging to moderate large groups effectively.

Best For:

Facebook Groups are suitable for informal groups, local communities, and organizations that want to leverage the massive reach of the Facebook platform and need a free option.

5. Slack: The Team Collaboration Tool

While primarily a team collaboration tool, Slack can also be used to build a community. Its channel-based structure facilitates organized communication, and its integration with other work tools makes it a valuable platform for professional communities.

Pros:

• Excellent for internal communication and team collaboration.
• Integrates well with other work applications.
• Searchable archive of conversations.

Cons:

• Not designed specifically for community building, lacking some features.
• Can be expensive for larger communities.

Best For:

Slack is well-suited for professional communities, internal teams, and organizations that prioritize streamlined communication and integration with work-related tools, especially in a B2B context.

6. Reddit: The Aggregated Discussion Board

Reddit remains a dominant player, hosting thousands of communities (subreddits) covering a vast range of interests. Reddit facilitates discussion, content sharing, and a decentralized community structure.

Pros:

• Massive audience and wide variety of topics.
• Strong potential for viral content.
• Engaging voting and comment systems.

Cons:

• Lacks control over branding and customization.
• Moderation can be challenging due to group size.
• Can be unwieldy and overwhelming for newcomers.

Best For:

Reddit is best for reaching a broad audience focused on specific interests, though it requires a significant time investment to manage and moderate effectively. It is great for communities that are okay with not having full control of the platform’s aesthetic.

7. Mighty Networks: Build Your Own Platform

Mighty Networks is a platform designed for building independent communities and online courses. It offers a variety of features, including discussion forums, live streaming, and membership options. The platform focuses on helping creators build a community around their content or brand.

Pros:

• User-friendly interface.
• Offers both community features and course hosting capabilities.
• Customization options for branding.

Cons:

• Can get expensive, especially as your community grows.
• Some features may be limited compared to dedicated platforms.

Best For:

Mighty Networks is best suited for creators, coaches, and small businesses wanting to build a community and offer courses or other premium content.

8. Discourse: The Open-Source Forum Software

Discourse is an open-source platform that functions as a modern forum and discussion system. It offers features like topic organization, user profiles, and moderation tools. Discourse is suitable for organizations and individuals who prefer a self-hosted solution for their community.

Pros:

• Open-source, which allows for customization and flexibility.
• Modern forum design.
• Good moderation tools.

Cons:

• Requires technical expertise to set up and manage, especially when self-hosting.
• Has a steeper learning curve than some other platforms.

Best For:

Discourse is ideal for technically inclined organizations, developers, and communities that require a hosted or self-hosted forum with high levels of customization.

Conclusion

Choosing the best community platform in 2025 depends on your goals, audience, and resources. While other platforms offer their own strengths, BTS emerges as a leader, especially for businesses, creators, and organizations seeking a feature-rich, fully branded, and easily managed community experience. With its extensive feature set, robust moderation tools, and flexibility, BTS makes creating and nurturing a thriving online community a reality. To find out more about how BTS can help you build the community of your dreams, visit https://behindthescenes.com/ and get started today.

FAQ: Best Community Platforms 2025

Here are some frequently asked questions about the best community platforms in 2025:

What are the key features to look for in a community platform in 2025?

In 2025, look for platforms with robust moderation tools, advanced analytics, customizable branding, integration capabilities, and features that support engagement like events and membership options.

Which community platform is best for small businesses?

Several platforms, like BTS and Circle, offer features tailored to small businesses, allowing them to build a community and potentially monetize it through memberships or courses, depending on your needs. For very small companies, Facebook Groups can also serve as a good starting point.

How important is it to have a platform that integrates with other tools?

Integration is extremely important. It streamlines your workflow and lets you connect your community platform with email marketing, CRM, payment systems, and other essential business tools.

What are the main differences between a forum and a community platform?

A forum is typically a discussion board format, whereas a community platform offers a broader range of features, including events, memberships, and more interactive elements beyond simple discussions.

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

Assess your needs and compare platform pricing models. Some are free with optional paid features, while others offer tiered pricing. Consider your community size, desired features, and long-term goals.

Is it better to build a community on a dedicated platform or use a social media group?

Dedicated platforms like BTS offer more control over branding and features, and they help you build a more focused community. Social media groups can be easier to set up, but they offer less control and might not be as focused on your brand.

How can I moderate a large online community effectively?

Use platforms with strong moderation tools, set clear community guidelines, appoint moderators, and be active in monitoring content and interactions. AI-powered moderation tools can also be useful.

What are the benefits of using a paid community platform?

Paid platforms often offer more features, customization options, better support, and sometimes allow for more advanced moderation tools and better integration possibilities. They can also provide a more professional user experience and a greater sense of ownership for your community.

How do I measure the success of my online community?

Track metrics such as member engagement (posts, comments, likes), community growth, retention rate, and any conversions or actions you are hoping to achieve (e.g., product sales, sign-ups). BTS, and other platforms, offer analytics tools to help you track these.

What are the main differences between Discord and Slack for building a community?

Discord is designed for real-time communication, making it good for gaming and informal communities. Slack is better suited for professional team collaboration and has more integrations with work-related tools.

What is the benefit of an open-source community platform?

Open-source platforms, like Discourse, offer more customization options and flexibility. If you are a developer, or have development skills at your disposal, this can be an effective path.

How important is mobile responsiveness in a community platform?

Mobile responsiveness is critical. A significant portion of your community members will access the platform via mobile devices, so ensuring a seamless and fully functional mobile experience is crucial for engagement and accessibility.