The 5 Best Online Community Platforms Of 2026 19 Reviewed

Posted By Gianantonio Mazzoni


You can then add “hubs” which are like different channels or discussion topics within your Space. In short, this means that I can create a community and then have a separate area for each topic e.g. These channels can be organized into sections and felt like a clear structure for my community members. Video adds another layer to the authenticity of your community.

Creators migrate for a lot of reasons, but most common are low engagement, missing key features (like apps or courses), struggles to use a platform, and cost. Although you don’t technically need WordPress to start a community with Memberful, it’s weak as an all-around community platform. Since Facebook has a huge user base, and it’s free and easy to build a group, some people host communities there. Circle lets you create memberships and bundles, giving you a way to monetize your community.

Social Media Apps Are Pushing People To Connect In-person

  • Discourse gives you a discussion forum that’s simple, but effective.
  • I imagine it’s more a platform for gamers to chat while they play together.
  • These apps are all free, simple to use, and have positive reviews.
  • These details will spark the interest of people who have things in common with you.

Zapnito allows you to upload a video and post it to your community. But like many of the platforms reviewed in this article, this is prerecorded and not recorded in the actual platform itself. This feature however is only included with specific privileges.

A great way to meet new friends is to talk to strangers in online chat rooms. Our chat rooms are free to use and is a great way to approach strangers. You will receive email and app notifications when your friends send you messages. Friended lets you share your random thoughts in a controlled environment, allowing other users to reply or send encouragements to you privately. The point is to exchange niceties that should hopefully tumble into something more, or at the very least help you feel less alone.

Whether that would give rise to an engaged community, I’m just not sure. I think Thinkific is a brilliant way to link your online courses and your community. Linking a course to your community is a great feature and could generate additional income for the course leader. The posting features might be limited but this is not such a deal-breaker for me.

online communities for making friends

How Do I Find And Meet People With Similar Interests Online?

These platforms serve as hubs for fostering connections, discussions, and the exchange of ideas among members. Discover a world where making new friends is an enriching experience. LivU provides a space where connections form effortlessly and friendships are forged with every click. In a world that often feels impersonal and detached, LivU serves as your gateway to meaningful interactions. We believe in the power of genuine connections, transcending borders, languages, and distances, to create a global community united by the desire to explore, learn, and connect.

Zapnito is an enterprise-grade online community platform providing everything your business needs to design, engage, manage and grow your customer community. Slack is probably one of the better video integration community platforms listed here. The reason is because they allow you to record directly from the platform instead of forcing you to record and then upload.

That signals to the other person that you’re needy or very demanding, which is a big turn-off. When you find someone you like, it’s time to message them. Try to message at least 5-10 people to start off because not everyone will be a good match. After that, you can start reading other people’s profiles to see if you have something in common.

They have added in the ability to add a cover image which I think is a great touch. There are options from Unsplash, or you can upload your own. If your community appreciates the personal, human element, then I highly recommend you start a free 14-day trial or book a live demo.

If you’re interested in http://asian-feels.com/login-and-sign-up-guide interactions that go beyond surface-level chatting, consider trying BeFriend. New Jersey-based writer and college student Brianna Stryker wanted to meet friends in her hometown. Learn how she used Meetup to make connections by joining a Girls Night Out Meetup group. Join a dedicated group of people who want to make new friendships.

When reviewing 19 platforms, it’s very easy to see the outlier. Out of all these platforms, Swarm was the only one to embrace video and branding to the degree I was hoping for. As a strong advocate of video, I think the best way to truly utilize video is spontaneously.

My first impression of Zapnito was that it’s got a LOT of text-based content, it’s pretty much filled to the brim. Zapnito is very different to the other platforms reviewed in this article because conversations happen in the comment section of the blogs. You might think of Slack as a text-based communication tool, you probably use for employee engagement. But with Slack, you can easily create a community space with your existing Slack account. Similar to Facebook, it’s likely your community members might already be using and comfortable with the platform, which means less friction.

If you feel anxious that someone isn’t replying, take a step back and focus on other people (both online and offline) in your life. Try to keep in touch with several potential friends simultaneously. That way, you don’t get too attached to the outcome of any single one because there’s always someone else you can meet up or chat with.

ATLETO is all about helping you find people based on your favorite sports, and encouraging you to host events and meet up IRL. And honestly, jogging or cycling together is pretty low-key when it comes to first conversations with someone. These 20 community platforms have different strengths and weaknesses. But there’s something here for almost any type of community builder.

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Right this way, extroverts, because this talk-based app is about to become your new obsession. Instead of just the standard DM-style messaging seen in most apps, LMK has a variety of ways to connect with people, like voice chats for example. Plus, once you’re in a voice chat, there’s a timer that’ll end the call unless you choose to extend it, so no awkward goodbyes if you’re just not clicking.

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