The Best Online Community Platforms in 2019 (Compared)

By Zach Schleien

Choosing the right platform can make or break your community. Here's a comprehensive comparison of Discord, Slack, Mighty Networks, Reddit, and more.

I've built communities on Slack, Reddit, and WhatsApp. The platform you choose shapes everything - from engagement patterns to how members connect. Here's what I've learned.

Platform Breakdown

Discord

Originally built for gamers, now used for everything. Text, image, video, and audio communication. Free to set up; Discord Nitro is $9.99/month for premium features.

Best for: Gaming communities, creator communities, tech-savvy audiences Notable communities: NBA Chat, Fortnite

Slack

Real-time team messaging with public and private channels. Hidden emails protect anonymity. Familiar to most professionals since it's used internally at thousands of companies. Free up to 10K searchable messages.

Best for: Professional communities, niche industry groups Notable communities: 18percent, Online Geniuses

Discourse

Forum-style discussion platform with searchable threads. Integrates with Slack, WordPress, Patreon, and Google Analytics. Managed hosting starts at $100/month.

Best for: Product communities, developer forums, customer support Notable communities: Codecademy Forum, GrowthTalk, Twitter Developer Labs

Threadbase

Create a community website like Product Hunt or Hacker News in a few clicks. Free tier includes unlimited members and posts. Plus plan ($99/month) adds custom domains and privacy.

Best for: Content aggregation, upvote-driven communities Notable communities: Huttle

Tribe

Stand-alone community website with following, Q&A, discussions, and upvoting. Free tier includes custom domain and unlimited members. Premium ($399/month) adds groups, SSO, and white-labeling.

Best for: Brand communities, customer engagement Notable communities: All For Sport, AppJobs

Mighty Networks

Combines community, content, events, and courses. Available on web, Android, and iOS. Features polls, questions, and Zapier integrations. Plans from free to $47/month.

Best for: Course creators, membership communities Notable communities: Hairbrained, ConstructReach

Telescope

Free open-source app built with Meteor. Great for content aggregation and curation. Budget ~$30/month for hosting.

Best for: Developer communities, content curation sites Notable communities: Sidebar, Bootstrappers

Reddit

Create your own subreddit for free. Massive built-in audience. Content is voted up or down by the community.

Best for: Broad reach, SEO-driven discovery Notable subreddits: Science, AskNYC

Facebook Groups

Zero learning curve - everyone's already on Facebook. Free, public or private, with events and media sharing.

Best for: Non-technical audiences, local communities Notable groups: Keto Diet, Android Developers

WhatsApp

Free messaging with end-to-end encryption. Groups limited to 250 members.

Best for: Small, intimate communities; international audiences Notable communities: Mental Health Unite

Telegram

Free messaging with groups up to 200,000 members. Self-destruct messages, 1.5GB file sharing.

Best for: Large groups, privacy-focused communities

Signal

Free, open-source, end-to-end encrypted. Maximum privacy.

Best for: Privacy-first groups

How to Choose

Consider these variables before picking a platform:

• Size - How large do you expect your community to grow?
• Price - What's your budget?
• Features - Do you need courses, events, or just chat?
• Demographics - Where does your audience already spend time?
• Simplicity - How tech-savvy are your members?

You can always start on one platform and migrate later. The key is to start.

Community is one of the most powerful growth levers for any brand. If you're thinking about building one, let's talk strategy.