Best Social Networking Software in 2026
Updated
In short: NodeBB is ranked #1 of 23 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of HumHub and Oxwall. The best-ranked option with a free plan is HumHub. The lowest first paid tier on this page is BuddyBoss Platform at $8.25/mo.
If you are choosing software for a member community or social network, compare moderation tools and community analytics alongside private-community support. Deployment, mobile apps, and single sign-on affect how access is handled, while included member counts give scale context. Free-plan availability and the starting paid price round out the listed plan details. NodeBB leads the ranking, with HumHub and Oxwall next; PeopleGrove Engagement Hub, Discourse, BuddyBoss Platform, Circle, and ProfileGrid also appear among the first entries. Consider which community features and access options matter for your use, then weigh the listed capabilities against those needs.
23 social networking software 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 Oxwall Also great · 6.8 - Free planFree trial apiLinuxmacOSself-hostedWebWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$20/mofirst paid tier About NodeBBVisit site - Free plan AndroidapiiOSself-hostedWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - WebiOSAndroid
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - WebRecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms
- Free plan self-hosted
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$100/mofirst paid tier About DiscourseVisit site - Free plan AndroidiOSWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
- Private communities
- Yes
- Mobile apps
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$8.25/mofirst paid tier About BuddyBoss PlatformVisit site - Free trial AndroidapiiOSmacOSWebWindows
- Free plan
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$89/mofirst paid tier About CircleVisit site - Free plan Web
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$79/mofirst paid tier About ProfileGridVisit site - Web
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan WebiOSAndroid
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free trial AndroidiOS
- Free plan
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$19/mofirst paid tier About HeartbeatVisit site - AndroidiOSWeb
- Free plan
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$79/mofirst paid tier About Mighty NetworksVisit site - WebiOSAndroid
- Free plan
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$29/mofirst paid tier About SocialEngineVisit site - WebiOSAndroid
- Free plan
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - WebiOSAndroid
- Free plan
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$599/mofirst paid tier About DiscipleVisit site - Web
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - WebiOSAndroidRecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms
- WebiOSAndroid
- Free plan
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$9/mofirst paid tier About SkoolVisit site - Web
- Free plan
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$399/mofirst paid tier About BettermodeVisit site - Web
- Free plan
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$12.50/mofirst paid tier About NINGVisit site - WebRecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms
- WebRecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms
- WebRecognisedDocumentedFree 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 social networking software is ranked first on Everything Xiaomi?
NodeBB is ranked #1 of 23 with a score of 7.2. HumHub is second and Oxwall third.
How many of these have a free plan?
6 of the 23 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, BuddyBoss Platform has the lowest first paid tier we found: $8.25/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.