Best Online Community Platforms in 2026
Updated
In short: NodeBB is ranked #1 of 50 as of 3 October 2026, ahead of HumHub and Circle. The best-ranked option with a free plan is HumHub. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Skool at $9/mo.
When your community needs a home for conversation and member groups, compare the tools for both participation and day-to-day oversight. The criteria include custom domains, direct messaging, private groups, and mobile apps, alongside moderation tools and member limits. Free-plan availability and the paid-from price give you cost points to consider. NodeBB and HumHub lead the entries, with Circle and Discourse also among the first options, followed by Heartbeat and Mighty Networks. Weigh how members will connect, what controls moderators need, and which access and plan details matter for the community you’re building.
50 online community platforms ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
| # | Platform | Score | Why | From | Free plan | Paid from | Member limit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NodeBB | 8.6 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $20/mo | Yes | 20 /mo | — | View |
| 2 | HumHub | 8.6 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 3 | Circle | 8.1 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $89/mo | No | 89 /mo | — | View |
| 4 | Discourse | 7.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $100/mo | Yes | 100 /mo | — | View |
| 5 | Heartbeat | 7.1 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $19/mo | No | 49 /mo | 350 members | View |
| 6 | Mighty Networks | 6.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $79/mo | No | 79 /mo | — | View |
| 7 |  Invision Community | 6.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | — | View |
| 8 |  Higher Logic Vanilla | 6.6 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | — | View |
| 9 | Hivebrite | 6.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | — | View |
| 10 | phpBB | 6.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 11 | Fora | 6.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | — | View |
| 12 |  Khoros Communities | 6.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | — | View |
| 13 | Question2Answer | 6.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 14 | Flarum | 6.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 15 |  Gainsight Customer Communities | 6.2 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | — | View |
| 16 |  Higher Logic Thrive | 6.2 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | — | View |
| 17 | Bettermode | 6.2 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $499/mo | No | 399 /mo | 10,000 members | View |
| 18 |  MyBB | 6.2 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 19 | WoltLab Suite | 6.1 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | — | View |
| 20 | Skool | 6.1 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $9/mo | No | 9 /mo | — | View |
| 21 | Nodyx | 6.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 22 | DEV Community | 5.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 23 | Daisie | 5.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | — | View |
| 24 |  XenForo | 5.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | — | View |
| 25 | Forumbee | 5.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | 2,000 members | View |
Is your platform 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 Inferse?
NodeBB is ranked #1 of 50 with a score of 8.6. HumHub is second and Circle third.
How many of these have a free plan?
5 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, open and connectable first: a public API, open-source code, the depth of its documentation and a free tier to try it on. Model lists are sorted by the figure in their title, exactly as each provider publishes it. Paid placements never change a rank.