Category · 15 tools · 6 comparisons
Community platforms
Tools for businesses to build, host, and manage online communities.
At a glance
- Tools tracked
- 15
- Entry plans
- $9–$895/mo
- Typical entry plan
- $20.75/mo
- Free plan
- 4 of 15
- Cheapest paid
- Skool, $9/mo
- Best value score
- XenForo, 7/10
Every tool we cover
Price tracker →| Tool | Score | From | Top listed plan | Free plan | Trial | Pages |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 XenForoXenForo | 7.7 | $54/mo | $225/mo | No | — | ReviewPricingAlternatives |
 Mighty NetworksMighty Networks | 7.4 | $79/mo | $354/mo | No | 14 days | ReviewPricingAlternatives |
 CircleCircle | 7.1 | $89/mo | $419/mo | No | 14 days | ReviewPricingAlternatives |
 SkoolSkool | 7.0 | $9/mo* | $82.50/mo | No | 14 days | ReviewPricingAlternatives |
 NingNing | 7.0 | $12.50/mo | $107.95/mo | No | 14 days | ReviewPricingAlternatives |
 Groups.ioGroups.io | 7.0 | $18.33/mo | $100/mo | Yes | 30 days | ReviewPricing |
 DiscourseDiscourse | 7.0 | $100/mo | $500/mo | Yes | — | ReviewPricingAlternatives |
 BettermodeBettermode | 6.8 | $149/mo* | $1,500/mo | No | 14 days | ReviewPricingAlternatives |
 Nas.ioNas.io | 6.5 | $20.75/mo* | $66.58/mo | Yes | 7 days | ReviewPricingAlternatives |
 HivebriteHivebrite | 6.5 | $895/mo* | $1,995/mo | No | — | ReviewPricingAlternatives |
 CMNTY PlatformCMNTY Platform | 6.4 | Custom* | — | No | — | Review |
 BuddyBossBuddyBoss | 6.2 | $16.58/mo* | $179.08/mo | No | — | ReviewPricingAlternatives |
 OpenWebOpenWeb | 5.8 | Custom* | — | No | — | Review |
 DisqusDisqus | 5.2 | $11/mo* | $105/mo | Yes | 30 days | ReviewAlternatives |
 JiveJive | 5.2 | Custom* | — | No | — | ReviewAlternatives |
* Lower confidence: the vendor's pricing page couldn't be read directly or didn't list every price, so the figure was compiled from other public sources and may be incomplete. Check the vendor's page before you buy.
Head-to-head
Highest scored
XenForoXenForo
A strong choice for traditional forums, if its cloud caps or paid license fit your budget.
Mighty NetworksMighty Networks
Strong community, course and event tools; the $79 entry price is only part of the cost.
CircleCircle
A broad community platform, but the $89 starting price and extra fees make the value case depend on consolidation.
Community platforms: quick answers
How much do community platforms cost?
Paid plans for the 15 community platforms we track start between $9 and $895 a month, and the typical entry plan is about $20.75 a month. 4 of them have a free plan. CMNTY Platform, OpenWeb and Jive don't publish a starting price. Prices are the vendors' own, checked Nov 7, 2026; most quote the per-month price when billed annually.
Which community platform is the cheapest?
Which community platforms have a free plan?
Which community platform scores highest in our reviews?
XenForo scores highest at 7.7/10. A strong choice for traditional forums, if its cloud caps or paid license fit your budget.