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But it does not support customization at the individual channel level. While you can use a custom domain unimeal review accessnewswire and remove GroupApp branding on the Pro and Business plans, the platform does not offer branded mobile apps like Circle or Mighty Networks. Unlike platforms like Circle, Mighty, or Skool that focus more on community-first experiences, Heartbeat has more compelling online learning features.

• Thinkific is a well-established learning management system (LMS) for course creators who need structured lesson plans, quizzes, and certification tools.
• Circle also has fewer built-in monetization tools than commerce-focused platforms like Kajabi or Uscreen.
• Originally designed for gamers, Discord has evolved into a versatile community management platform supporting text, voice, and video interactions for diverse community types.
• It does also feature a community app option, making it a contender here.
• If you are a course creator, coach, or educator building an actual community around your knowledge, GroupApp is the most logical option.
• Common Room is community management software that helps people in charge of online groups communicate with each other more effectively.

Building your own community chat app by leveraging real-time chat infrastructure platforms

When choosing employees to manage your community forum, it’s a good idea to consider those who are natural at connecting with others. Your community forum cannot succeed if it’s not managed properly. Pick a community manager who can help facilitate conversation, drive growth, and track strategy insights and outcomes. For example, say you want to hold an exclusive forum rather than a public one. Ultimately, you must choose what you need from your community forum by aligning the features to your company goals. They also provide a custom plan tailored to meet your community needs.

Best Online Community Platforms: FAQs

If you’re looking to really build and scale a business with a course and community app, Kajabi is an option–but the community part is its weakness. It’s the only platform with people magic—-community design that boosts member to member engagement. Member connections and collaborations are the secret to a successful community, course, or paid membership. But below we’ll talk about some other things worth considering too–things like the app company’s experience and track record, customer support, and approach to building. Usually, when we think about what to look for in a community app, we’re talking about features.

Kajabi Pricing Plans:

However, the downside of this plan is that it doesn’t include an online course builder, or quizzes and has limited analytics. You can control access by setting any space as public, private, or secret depending on what you want members to see or join. It has a clean and modern interface yet refreshingly easy to use. And honestly, it’s the last place I’d want to host my community. I didn’t want to build my community in a place I had nearly no control.

Platforms like Mighty Networks and GroupApp have these features built-in to engage members actively. Gamification features, such as points in Skool, can also incentivize participation. For a learning community, choose a platform built for course creation and coaching programs.

Best Community Apps – At a Glance

First things first, do some research and select a platform, we recommend using a no-code platform to save yourself time and money. Select a no-code app builder that fits your business needs, which includes factors such as reputation, user interface, cost, customization options, integration, security, and support. Compared to competitors, Fliplet is very reasonably priced for all the features you can access, PLUS you can start building your app for free. You can create engaging and effective community experiences tailored to the community’s needs. Overall, these key features are critical for boosting community engagement and ensuring the success of a community app. If you want to grow and monetize your community quickly, Whop is the all-in-one solution.

GroupApp Pros and Cons

From a community-building perspective, WhatsApp Communities are closer to a messaging shortcut than a https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-weight/managing-your-weight/understanding-calories/ real platform. If your needs stop at basic conversation and short-form updates, it might suffice. But if you’re serious about creating a structured experience, you’ll hit a wall almost immediately. The interface is clean and familiar, especially for those coming from traditional forums. You can host discussions, pin posts, manage events via a built-in calendar, and charge for access using Skool’s native checkout. However, customization is limited unless you upgrade to the top tiers.

#3: Circle.so

Consider using one of these Facebook Group alternatives instead. Finding the right membership website builder can be overwhelming. We’ve done the hard work for you and found the 10 best options. However, you will need to move and monetize your Facebook group if you’re going to turn this into a long-term, lucrative business and thriving community.

This feature is also helpful because it’s a great place to share important announcements about your products, services, or upcoming events. Your community manager software should offer a unified feed for knowledge base and community search results. This unified feed allows members to easily access information without navigating to different pages within the forum. The wpForo Forum plugin comes with anti-spam and native SEO features, social sharing, and post moderation.

By encouraging these conversations, community software can shed light on areas of improvement for your business. Khoros® Communities is a simple self-service platform that encourages members to share thoughts, discuss topics, ask questions, and provide expert answers. Khoros Communities offers multi-forum management in multiple languages and configurable permissions. Zapnito’s community forum members can connect with others to share expertise and take advantage of premium content publishing, video panels, events, courses, and more.

GroupApp Pricing

The modular “Spaces” system is a step up from messy group-style layouts. You can split out discussions, events, courses, and resources into dedicated areas, which helps with clarity and flow. There’s also a basic course builder, live-streaming feature, and tiered memberships. Branded mobile apps and full customization are locked behind the custom-priced “Circle Plus,” which makes it tough for smaller communities to own their experience fully.

Bevy Features:

The platform lacks broad integration support, which may limit businesses needing custom integrations. The perfect blend of enterprise-grade features and startling simplicity—meaning you can focus on growing your community, not wrestling with technology. We’ve selected these based on feature richness, user experience, and value for money. Each tool in this list has strengths tailored to different goals, and if you’re a video-focused creator looking to join a community, you’re in the right place to get started. Compared to Thinkific alternatives like Circle or Mighty Networks, Thinkific is best suited for course-specific communities and may not be the best for digital content creators. Mighty Networks is a safe bet if you’re looking for a platform that will be around for the long haul.

Kajabi ​

The investment in a starter plan from a platform like GroupApp or Mighty Networks pays off in greater control and capability. Coaching programs thrive in platforms that blend private spaces for member interaction with content delivery. GroupApp is built for this model, combining community features with coaching program management . Circle is also excellent for coaches and educators creating branded community experiences. Small groups can start with free plan options on platforms like Bettermode or Slack .