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SPECIFICTION
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Business Operations

Best Social Networking Software in 2026

Running a member community involves more than bringing people together: you may need moderation, analytics, private spaces, and ways to reach members on mobile. Compare deployment and single sign-on with the mobile apps and moderation tools offered.

  1. 01 Circle

    Circle suits creators, brands, solopreneurs and community businesses that want community, course and event functions together.

    From $89/mo Free trial Web · Windows · macOS · iOS
    8.8 Visit Specs
  2. 02 Discourse

    Discourse suits organizations that want to host a discussion community and choose between self-hosting and managed hosting.

    From $100/mo Free plan Self-hosted
    8.8 Visit Specs
  3. 03 Heartbeat

    Heartbeat suits groups building an online community who need mobile apps, events, private spaces or moderation.

    From $19/mo Free trial iOS · Android
    8.7 Visit Specs
  4. 04 HumHub

    HumHub suits organizations seeking an intranet, knowledge base, project hub, or community space.

    From €144/mo Free plan Web · iOS · Android · API
    8.7 Visit Specs
  5. 05 Elgg

    Elgg suits universities, schools, organizations, and companies building a community or collaboration platform they can host and extend.

    Free plan Web · API · Self-hosted
    8.6 Visit Specs
  6. 06 Geneva

    Geneva suits people looking for group conversations, community discovery, or local events and meetups.

    Free plan Web · iOS · Android
    8.6 Visit Specs
  7. 07 NodeBB

    NodeBB suits organizations creating forums for brand communities or product support, as well as teams that want a self-hosted option.

    From $20/mo Free plan Web · Windows · macOS · Linux
    8.6 Visit Specs
  8. 08 BuddyPress

    BuddyPress suits site owners building self-hosted communities on WordPress.

    Free plan Web · API · Self-hosted
    8.5 Visit Specs
  9. 09 ProfileGrid

    It suits WordPress site administrators who need profiles, groups, community tools, page restrictions, or membership billing.

    From $79/mo Free plan Open source Web · API · Self-hosted
    8.5 Visit Specs
  10. 10 Mighty Networks

    It suits community hosts who need private spaces, events, courses, or cohorts across web and mobile.

    From $79/mo Web · iOS · Android
    8.2 Visit Specs
  11. 11 PeepSo

    PeepSo suits WordPress site owners building an online community with member profiles, groups, and social features.

    From $12.42/mo Free plan Web · iOS · Android · Self-hosted
    8.2 Visit Specs
  12. 12 Khoros Communities

    It suits brands building customer communities for self-service, peer support, engagement, and collaboration.

    Web · iOS · Android · API
    7.9 Visit Specs
  13. 13 Oxwall
    Web · iOS · Android · Self-hosted
    7.8 Visit Specs
  14. 14 Almabase

    Almabase suits higher education, K-12, healthcare, and nonprofit organizations managing community engagement, events, fundraising, and CRM-connected data.

    Web
    7.7 Visit Specs
  15. 15 Higher Logic Thrive
    Web · iOS · Android · API
    7.7 Visit Specs
  16. 16 BuddyBoss Platform

    It suits people building a private WordPress community who need moderation and mobile-app support.

    From $8.25/mo Free plan Web · iOS · Android
    7.6 Visit Specs
  17. 17 Bettermode
    From $399/mo Web
    7.4 Visit Specs
  18. 18 Disciple
    From $599/mo Web · iOS · Android
    7.4 Visit Specs
  19. 19 Momentive Community
    Web
    7.1 Visit Specs
  20. 20 PeopleGrove Engagement Hub

    Engagement Hub is intended for colleges and universities, including alumni, career, enrollment, experiential learning, and mentorship departments.

    Web
    6.9 Visit Specs
  21. 21 Hivebrite

    Hivebrite suits organizations building managed communities with events, private areas, custom domains, moderation, and mobile access.

    Web · iOS · Android
    6.8 Visit Specs
  22. 22 NING
    From $12.50/mo Web
    6.8 Visit Specs
  23. 23 Skool
    From $9/mo Web · iOS · Android
    6.7 Visit Specs
  24. 24 SocialEngine

    It suits organizations creating community spaces with events, private areas, and moderation across desktop and mobile.

    From $29/mo Web · iOS · Android
    6.7 Visit Specs
How this list is ordered. Specifiction scores each tool on how fully its maker documents it, whether its prices are published, where the research puts it, the platforms it runs on and whether it can be tried for free (how we rank). Makers can also buy a numbered place (how Specifiction is paid for).

Community analytics and private-community support help you consider how members will interact and how you’ll manage that activity. The number of members included, free-plan availability, and paid-from price provide useful access and cost details. NodeBB, Circle, and HumHub are among the options to weigh, with Heartbeat and BuddyBoss Platform also represented. Match the listed features to the kind of community you intend to operate.

Compare Circle and Discourse Get a place on this list

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