Whaller

Whaller combines private spaces with events and moderation for organizations that need structured, managed communities. Its free tier is a credible starting point, but growing beyond 100 members or five spheres means moving to Pro; managing multiple organizations requires a higher, custom-priced plan.

Overview

Founded in 2013 and based in Suresnes, France, Whaller brings private spaces, event hosting, moderation tools, and custom domains together in one platform. Separate spaces can help organizations keep different groups and activities distinct, while moderation gives them a way to oversee participation. This is a better fit for organized communities than for teams that need only a lightweight chat tool.

The plan structure draws a clear line between a small single organization and larger or multi-organization use. Pro removes member and sphere caps but remains limited to one organization; Business and Enterprise expand the organization allowance, with custom pricing.

Key features

Private spaces and moderation

Private spaces give organizations a way to separate communities or activities instead of placing everyone in one shared area. Paired with moderation tools, that structure suits groups that need oversight as well as discussion. It is less compelling for buyers whose main requirement is simply fast, informal team messaging.

Events and custom domains

Event hosting keeps gatherings within the same platform as member spaces, which can reduce the need to split community activity across separate services. Custom domains provide an organization-specific address. These features add useful community infrastructure, though they do not change the member, sphere, or organization limits of each plan.

Pricing

Whaller is freemium, with four plans. Standard costs nothing and allows 100 members, five spheres, and one organization. It is the sensible starting point for a small group, but the caps make it unsuitable once the community grows past any of those thresholds.

Pro costs €3 a month, billed per user per month and excluding tax. It includes unlimited members and spheres for one organization. That makes it the natural upgrade for a growing single organization, although per-user billing means the total rises with its user count and it does not solve multi-organization needs.

Business and Enterprise have custom pricing and include unlimited members, spheres, and organizations. They fit organizations that need to manage multiple organizations under the platform; the free and Pro tiers do not offer that scope. The plan terms given do not state a trial or renewal period.

Platforms

Whaller runs on the web and supports Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. That range gives members desktop and mobile access, rather than tying participation to a single device type.

Who it's for

Whaller is strongest for associations, organizations, and other managed communities that want private spaces, event hosting, and moderation in one place. Standard suits a small organization with no more than 100 members and five spheres. Pro is more appropriate when one organization needs room to grow; Business or Enterprise is the relevant tier for multiple organizations. It is not the clearest choice for a team that wants only basic chat or for buyers who need a known multi-organization price before evaluating options.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Private spaces and moderation tools suit communities that need separation and oversight.
• Event hosting and custom domains add community functions beyond discussion alone.
• Web, desktop, and mobile platforms give members several ways to participate.
• Pro removes member and sphere caps for a single organization.

Cons

• Standard stops at 100 members and five spheres, limiting its use as a community expands.
• Pro still allows only one organization, so multi-organization use requires Business or Enterprise.
• Business and Enterprise use custom pricing, making their cost less direct to assess.
• Pro is billed per user, so its monthly total depends on the organization's user count.

Alternatives

For a broader comparison, browse Community Platforms or Team chat apps.

• NodeBB is worth considering when a community wants a freemium platform with a free trial and web, desktop, API, or self-hosted platform options; its Starter plan is $20 a month.
• UNA may suit buyers seeking a free platform with web, mobile, API, and self-hosted options; its Standard plan includes unlimited BYO Cloud, projects, and deployments.
• Octo offers a free tier for 0–99 users with one admin and 10 GB disk space, and supports web, mobile, and self-hosted platforms.
• HumHub is an alternative for organizations considering a self-hosted platform with an open-source community edition.
• Discourse is an option for buyers who prefer a self-hosted, open-source community platform; its free plan includes unlimited members and two staff seats.
• HuddleSpot has a free Starter tier for up to 100 members and five spaces or channels, with community discussions and posts.
• Thigmo offers a free Spark plan with unlimited members and events, making it a consideration when event capacity is the priority.
• Minds is another freemium option, with web and mobile apps and an AGPLv3-licensed platform and mobile app.

Verdict

Choose Whaller if your organization needs private spaces, events, and moderation across web, desktop, and mobile, especially when one organization can work within Pro's scope. Its strongest case is the combination of managed spaces and community functions; look elsewhere if you need several organizations without custom pricing or want a simpler chat-focused service.