Best Online Community Platforms in 2026
Updated
In short: NodeBB is ranked #1 of 54 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of HumHub and Discourse. The best-ranked option with a free plan is HumHub. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Skool at $9/mo.
A community’s needs can center on conversation, private spaces, or the work of keeping members engaged and discussions well managed. Compare direct messaging and private groups with mobile app availability, moderation tools, and member limits. Custom domains can shape how a community is presented, while free plans and paid-from pricing help clarify the options for getting started. NodeBB and Discourse begin the ranking, followed by HumHub and Heartbeat; Circle and Mighty Networks also appear among the first entries. Consider how members will communicate and where moderators need oversight, then use the listed features and ranking order to weigh which platform aligns with your community.
54 online community platforms ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
#1 NodeBB Top pick · 7.2 Free plan · $20/mo
#2 HumHub Runner-up · 7.1 
#3 Discourse Also great · 6.7 Free plan · $100/mo
- Free planFree trial apiLinuxmacOSself-hostedWebWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Paid from
- 20 /mo
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$20/mofirst paid tier About NodeBBVisit site - Free plan AndroidapiiOSself-hostedWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan self-hosted
- Free plan
- Yes
- Paid from
- 100 /mo
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$100/mofirst paid tier About DiscourseVisit site - Free planFree trial iOSWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan self-hostedWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
- Moderation tools
- advanced
- Private groups
- Yes
- Direct messaging
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free trial AndroidapiiOSmacOSWebWindows
- Free plan
- No
- Paid from
- 89 /mo
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$89/mofirst paid tier About CircleVisit site - Free plan Web
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatformsFree About ForaVisit site - Free plan WebiOSAndroid
- Free plan
- Yes
- Moderation tools
- standard
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free trial AndroidiOS
- Free plan
- No
- Paid from
- 49 /mo
- Member limit
- 350 members
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$19/mofirst paid tier About HeartbeatVisit site - AndroidiOSWeb
- Free plan
- No
- Paid from
- 79 /mo
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$79/mofirst paid tier About Mighty NetworksVisit site - WebLinuxWindowsmacOS
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - WebiOSAndroid
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - AndroidiOSWeb
- Free plan
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$49.99/mofirst paid tier About Forums.netVisit site - WebiOSAndroid
- Free plan
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - WebiOSAndroid
- Free plan
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - WebiOSAndroid
- Free plan
- Yes
- Direct messaging
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- No
- Paid from
- 399 /mo
- Member limit
- 10,000 members
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$399/mofirst paid tier About BettermodeVisit site - Free trial Web
- Free plan
- No
- Paid from
- 999 /mo
- Moderation tools
- advanced
- Private groups
- Yes
- Direct messaging
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$999/mofirst paid tier About CrowdstackVisit site - WebiOSAndroid
- Free plan
- Yes
- Moderation tools
- standard
- Direct messaging
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - WebiOSAndroidRecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms
- WebiOSAndroid
- Free plan
- No
- Paid from
- 9 /mo
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$9/mofirst paid tier About SkoolVisit site - WebiOSAndroid
- Free plan
- Yes
- Moderation tools
- basic
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - WebiOSAndroid
- Free plan
- Yes
- Moderation tools
- advanced
- Direct messaging
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - WebiOSAndroid
- Free plan
- Yes
- Moderation tools
- basic
- Direct messaging
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - WebiOSAndroid
- Free plan
- Yes
- Moderation tools
- standard
- Direct messaging
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which online community platform is ranked first on Everything Xiaomi?
NodeBB is ranked #1 of 54 with a score of 7.2. HumHub is second and Discourse third.
How many of these have a free plan?
7 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Skool has the lowest first paid tier we found: $9/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on what each maker publishes: documentation depth, a free tier and the platforms it runs on. Paid placements never change a rank.