---
title: Best Customer Community Software
canonical: https://saasranked.com/best/customer-community-software/
facts_checked: 2026-10-09
---

# Best Customer Community Software

Run a forum or member space where customers help each other, ask questions and give feedback. 8 customer community platforms ranked by points out of 100 from 17 published rules. Method: https://saasranked.com/best/customer-community-software/how-we-score/

| # | Product | Points | Price | Members and access | Moderation and answers | Connections | Your data | Security | Cheapest paid plan with a custom domain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | [Discourse](https://saasranked.com/software/discourse.md) | 93 | 13/18 | 23/23 | 13/13 | 17/19 | 13/13 | 14/14 | $100/mo |
| 2 | [NodeBB](https://saasranked.com/software/nodebb.md) | 64 | 12/18 | 23/23 | 11/13 | 8/19 | 7/13 | 3/14 | $20/mo |
| 3 | [Bettermode](https://saasranked.com/software/bettermode.md) | 63 | 4/18 | 17/23 | 6/13 | 19/19 | 6/13 | 11/14 | $149/mo |
| 4 | [Mighty Networks](https://saasranked.com/software/mighty-networks.md) | 62 | 7/18 | 23/23 | 4/13 | 11/19 | 6/13 | 11/14 | $79.17/mo |
| 5 | [Flarum](https://saasranked.com/software/flarum.md) | 54 | 12/18 | 13/23 | 8/13 | 8/19 | 13/13 | 0/14 | $0 |
| 6 | [Circle](https://saasranked.com/software/circle.md) | 54 | 7/18 | 23/23 | 4/13 | 11/19 | 6/13 | 3/14 | $89/mo |
| 7 | [MyBB](https://saasranked.com/software/mybb.md) | 47 | 12/18 | 13/23 | 6/13 | 0/19 | 13/13 | 3/14 | $0 |
| 8 | [phpBB](https://saasranked.com/software/phpbb.md) | 46 | 12/18 | 13/23 | 8/13 | 0/19 | 13/13 | 0/14 | $0 |

## 1. Discourse

Best for: Companies that want a moderated, open-source support forum on their own domain. Discourse suits teams that want an open-source support forum with documented moderation, an API and webhooks. Pro at $100 a month covers a custom domain and unlimited members. It also names SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001. The catch: no HubSpot integration is listed, and the written uptime guarantee is Enterprise only.

## 2. NodeBB

Best for: Teams that want a forum on their own domain with an API and the option to self-host. NodeBB suits teams that want a forum on their own domain, with the choice of vendor hosting or running it themselves. The cheapest hosted plan is $20 a month, and the code is GPL-3.0. The catch: hosted plans have no free tier, and NodeBB's pricing and about pages name no SOC 2 or ISO certificate, uptime guarantee or named integrations.

## 3. Bettermode

Best for: Companies that want a branded customer community with CRM and support-desk integrations. Bettermode suits companies that want a hosted community on their own domain and can pay for it. Starter costs $149 a month, but webhooks, OAuth2 and the CRM and support-desk integrations start at Growth, at about ten times that price. Member caps apply on every plan, and the vendor pages do not mention two-factor sign-in or marking an accepted answer.

## 4. Mighty Networks

Best for: Brands that want a hosted community with courses and events, with an API on Scale and above. Mighty Networks suits teams that want a hosted community with a custom domain and unlimited members from $950 a year (about $79 a month). API access starts on the Scale plan. It can ban members and queue reported posts. The catch: SSO needs the Growth plan, and there is no free plan and no stated uptime guarantee.

## 5. Flarum

Best for: Teams with a web host who want a free, lightweight forum they control. Flarum suits teams that can run their own PHP server and want a free forum with groups, moderation and an API. There is no hosted plan to buy, so uptime, security and upgrades are yours to handle. Single sign-on, webhooks and compliance certificates are not described in Flarum's published pages.

## 6. Circle

Best for: Brands and customer teams that want a hosted community with spaces, events and courses. Circle suits teams that want a hosted community with a custom domain and unlimited members at a published $89 a month. The API starts at $199 and SSO and webhooks at $419. The catch: no free plan, no named SOC 2 or ISO 27001 report and no uptime SLA are published.

## 7. MyBB

Best for: Teams with their own web host who want a free forum with built-in moderation tools. MyBB suits teams that can run their own PHP server and want a free forum with group permissions, bans, spam tools and a plugin system. MyBB's published pages describe no hosted plan, so you install and host it yourself. The documentation names no single sign-on, API, integrations or compliance reports.

## 8. phpBB

Best for: Teams that want a free, self-run forum with solid moderation tools. phpBB suits teams that want a free forum they host themselves, with groups, permissions and moderation tools. The software costs nothing and the documentation names no member cap. The catch: you run the server yourself, and the admin guide describes no API or webhooks and no sign-in beyond LDAP, Apache and social OAuth.