Community Platforms
8 Private Online Community Platforms for Building Connections
Private online community platforms are more useful than you'd think. But which are the best? Here we have the top private online community platforms to foster growth.
Apr 3, 2025
Communities thrive because of engagement - this is especially true with online communities.
But how do you engage best? Which websites and applications are great for community-building?
Well, who says you need to use more than one platform? Private online community platforms are all-in-one platforms that help users engage with their members by offering online courses, virtual events, and video content.
Finding the right online community platform is the tricky part. There are so many options, but not all are perfect for your business and its needs.
Still, there are some shining stars in the community platform industry. Let's dive into private online community platforms and the eight best.
What Are Private Online Community Platforms?
How can you choose the right software for community building without knowing what an online community software is?
Private online community platforms are digital spaces only open to select members. They provide spaces for like-minded people to come together, connect, and engage. To participate, you usually need to join a paid community.
Public online community platforms are not the same. These are more open to the public. A key example is most, if not all, social media websites like Facebook and Reddit.
What Makes a Private Online Community Platform ‘Good’?
Everything is subject to opinion. What is good for one community-driven business might not work for the best.
However, when looking for a reliable online community platform, you should consider user-friendliness, unique features, and pricing.
The 8 Best Private Online Community Platforms
While there are dozens of options, these eight are truly the best. To break it down further, we used the criteria from above.
Swarm
With some amount of bias, we add our own platform to the list, but to offset the bias, we do offer new customers a 14-day trial with no need for a credit card to be put down.
Some of the companies that trust Swarm include National University, ThriveDX, vidlQ, among others.
What sets Swarm apart is our focus on moving away from the traditional model of text-based, faceless communication.
Asynchronous video communication instead of conventional chat-based community groups like the ones we have gotten used to using Slack for work is the main medium of communication.
Members can create short videos to get their message across and others can see the video messages on their own time.
Why is this important?
Let us use an example from one of our most popular creator types:
From a personal trainer coaching perspective, you can see a member perform an exercise over video without scheduling a cumbersome Zoom call to explain precisely how to perform this specific exercise.
This extends to other creator communities as well- video messages allow for deeper conversations that save time by being asynchronous.
The asynchronous aspect also allows the videos to live on in your community, so the advice you give specific members in response to their video messages can be accessed by other members using the searchable video feature.
You can also manage who your messages are going to by using the private DMs feature to message community members privately or create smaller private groups to address concerns that might be unique to certain community members.
User-Friendliness
While Swarm is newer to the game, many clients find it not only compares to its competitors but works better for them than the platforms they were using. Being a smaller company means more focus on our customers because we prioritize support.
While we have tried our best to make the platform as easy to use as possible, any questions that might arise are only a chat support message away from being answered, and we typically reply in under 35 minutes.
Beyond that, the first time you create an account, you will be greeted with a checklist to get through, which will help set you up for success.
It also gives you a place to start when creating your community.
We understand that it can be overwhelming at first, so the checklist provides a step-by-step approach to setting things up.
The left-hand side panel contains a list of ‘hubs’ that allow you to quickly switch between community discussions, your member directory, and your list of announcements.
At the bottom of the panel, you can see icons that can be selected to open your messaging tab, your ‘set aside tab’ where you can bookmark specific messages to handle later, and an activity tab that summarizes what is going on in your community.
From the perspective of your members, it is equally easy to maneuver between different hubs- they just have different access levels depending on the role you assign to them (admin, moderator, or mentor).
There are also apps available to members and community creators alike to access the platform on the go.
Features
Some features that might be particularly useful to potential users and are worth pointing out would be:
Live video: You can host live events and then auto-post recordings of those videos for any members that might not have been able to tune in live.
Organized messaging: Threaded video, screen, audio, or text discussions around topics make it easier for everyone to keep track of what is being discussed.
Screen sharing: Beyond just recording your screen and face at the same time, you can also reposition your face in real-time and toggle between your screen and face depending on what is being said.
Mobile app: A branded app can be created to increase your professionalism and help grow your brand among members.
Private messages: You can use video, audio, or text messages to have private conversations 1-on-1 or in a group with specific members for better control over communication.
AI integration: An AI assistant is built in so you can more effectively understand members’ questions and craft responses if needed.
Member polls: Polls are pretty self-explanatory- you can create them to ask members their views on specific topics and increase engagement within your community. This is also particularly useful when running a coaching business- polls can help you clear up any potential doubts or clarify common doubts for members.
Auto-transcribed: All audio and video conversations are automatically transcribed for members (and your own team) to recap at any point in the future.
Bookmark what is important: Your bookmarked list of questions works as a to-do list. Members sending over questions all at once can be overwhelming, which is why the bookmark feature exists. It allows you to bookmark something that requires more attention for later, and you can then come back to it when ready.
Pinning posts: Important information sometimes gets lost in long conversations. During those times, you can use the pinning feature to highlight important information for your community members.
Branding: Swarm allows you to use your own domain and branding to streamline your brand and create a more professional image to display to your community.
Spaces for communities: While running multiple communities, spaces keep everything in order. Each space is a dedicated place for a specific community.
Stripe integration: You can easily connect your Stripe account to accept payments for memberships all within the platform, and we do not take any additional fees or cuts from what you earn.
Pricing
Swarm pricing starts at $39 and goes up to $339 per month (these are the prices when you pay yearly).
The main difference between different pricing models is the number of spaces and members that can be added so this depends on how big your community is or how many communities you have.
The higher pricing tiers also offer a branded mobile app for communities, Zapier, and API access, as well as longer live stream capabilities.
The most extensive plan also includes concierge setup and onboarding, a dedicated success coach, and early access to any new features that are unrolled to users.
Compared to other platforms like Mighty Networks, Swarm is more wallet-friendly, which might be an important factor for some potential users to consider when making their final decision.
Mighty Networks
Mighty Networks is one of the older private community-building platforms on the web, and it has over a decade of experience. Hundreds of well-known companies use Mighty Networks' services, including Mindbody, TED, KonMari, Athletic Brewing Co., and Keap.
User-Friendliness
Mighty Networks couldn't be easier to use and understand. This incredibly smooth online community-building platform allows you to build courses and schedule live sessions effortlessly.
The online courses don't require years of coding knowledge. Instead, all you do is upload the content you want to display.
Navigating your home page as a user and community builder is even easier. Everything is clearly displayed and at your fingertips.
Courses, discussion posts, chats, and more are all on the left side of your screen. Really, you could master onboarding in just mere hours.
It's friendly not just for the community builder but also for the paid members.
Community members can easily access video content, courses, and virtual events all in one platform.
Mighty Networks is available online and on mobile apps for iOS and Android.
Features
The features available on Mighty Networks can feel endless. Not only is this flexible online community available on the web and in mobile app form, but it allows for a thriving community using community spaces.
Some unique features Mighty Networks has are:
Virtual courses with quizzes and polls
Live and asynchronous learning
Push notifications on courses and live events
People magic AI
Unlimited members
2,000+ embedding options
Customizable communities
Effortless live streaming
Private groups
Pricing
Pricing is where it gets tricky. While Mighty Networks has a powerful community-building platform, it isn't the cheapest option.
Plans start at $41 a month (when billed annually) but easily reach past $500. The cheapest plan is the Community Plan, which doesn't allow you to create online courses.
The next most expensive plan is the Courses Plan at $99 a month. It features courses, challenges, and less restrictions on community building.
Listed as the most popular option on Mighty Networks' website, the Business Plan is more interactive and costs $179 a month. This option makes live streaming easier, as you can stream for 30 hours a month.
Last but not least is the most expensive Mighty Networks plan, The Path-to-Pro Plan. When billed monthly, you can expect to pay $430 a month.
Hivebrite
While not as well-known as Mighty Networks, Hiverbrite is an excellent option. Hiverbite focuses on organic growth and community engagement.
This all-in-one community platform solution is engaging, innovative, and flexible.
Hiverbrite lets you create and stand out with a unique URL and mobile app. So much of the community is also customizable, but we'll dive further into the features later.
Companies that have worked with Hiverbrite are the Harvard Business School, Shell Alumni, WWF, Yale, University of Notre Dame, and JA Worldwide.
User-Friendliness
Hiverbrite doesn't take much time to get used to. After onboarding, give yourself an hour to play with the settings, and you'll start creating your community in no time.
This online community platform is easy to use. The features are conveniently displayed, meaning you don't have to spend hours in frustration searching for your community's settings.
Customizing your visual identity in your community is a piece of cake. You can change your font style, color, and community logo.
Apart from this, creating online courses doesn't take long. Hivebrite provides pre-defined templates to quicken the process and help you stay consistent.
Features
Hiverbrite has unique key features, making it a great option regardless of your community.
Most community platforms have chat, forum, and website builders, but do they include live translating?
Here are a few key features Hiverbrite provides users:
Built-in social sharing buttons
Resource libraries
Virtual and in-person event creation
Customized landing pages
Mentoring connection tools
Systems-generated reminders
Pricing
If you are a beginner looking to learn about community platforms and how they can assist you in engaging with members, you might want to look elsewhere. Hiverbrite's price point is high and varies a lot.
Exact pricing for each plan is not available. If you'd like a quote, you'd need to contact Hiverbrite to book a demo.
According to their website, their most basic plan is the Connect plan. This plan memberships, resource libraries, and custom landing pages.
The next level is the Scale plan. With this plan, you also get access to ticketed events, group admins, and customized user access.
The last and final plan is the Enterprise. This plan includes the most out of all like advanced onboarding and specialized assistance.
Thinkific
Have you ever heard of Thinkific? This community platform is very interactive and helpful.
It helps community builders create courses, applications, and events quickly, freeing up time so they can focus on more important things.
User-Friendliness
Creating a high-converting landing page has never been easier. Thinkific uses AI tools to write and optimize landing pages. It just takes a few clicks.
You also don't have to go in blind. If you don't already have an idea of the overall style or format of your landing page, you can use one of the many AI-generated modern templates.
Course building is just as effortless with this online community tool. Thinkific provides a drag-and-drop course builder. Templates are also available, making life easier.
Features
Like most community platforms, Thinkific is filled with excellent engagement-driven features.
While using this one platform, you can create courses, landing pages, live virtual events, and more.
So, what makes this community-building platform stand out?
Live streaming and Zoom options
Automatic completion certificates for students who complete lessons/courses
TCommerce
Email automation
Specific analytics
Solo membership sites
Group Coaching
Resource Center and Webinars perfect for getting started
Pricing
Thinkific is one of the more affordable community platforms. The basic plan starts at $36 a month, but can also be paid annually at $156.
For a basic plan, it offers a lot. For instance, this plan includes unlimited courses and access to the website builder.
The next plan is called Start. It's about $40 more a month and includes unlimited digital downloads and memberships.
If you're looking to grow fast, Thinkific offers the Grow plan, starting at $149 a month. In this plan, you are bumped up to 3 communities.
The last plan, Thinkific+, is for serious and large business. You'll need to call and book a demo or ask for a quote. The price will vary depending on the services included.
Skool
Another one of the best online community platforms is Skool. It's an interesting and unique platform that allows users to sell courses and create engaging communities.
Skool, though, is not as interactive, customizable, or as large as some of the other options on this list.
User-Friendliness
Creating and discovering communities and courses in Skool is easier than you'd think. Uploading content only takes seconds and you have free range on how to price your courses.
It's very user-friendly, so potential students won't have trouble finding courses or using them.
The front page of Skool divides courses by genres like health, self-improvement, spirituality, money, and more.
Features
Skool is a simple community platform, which also means it's limited compared to the others on this list.
Still, this platform includes,
Courses
Pages
Video content
Community posts
Polls
Gamification
Leadership boards
Metrics
Affiliate links
Pricing
When using Skool, you don't have to worry or think too hard about which paid membership program to choose. There is only one!
One plan includes everything. It's $99 a month, but Skool offers a two-week free trial to start.
This all-inclusive plan contains all features, along with unlimited courses and unlimited members.
Circle
Launched just a few years ago in 2020, Circle is a great community platform with so many unique features and one of the easiest platforms to build on.
Circle has a lot going for it, frequently ranking on lists as a favorite for those interested in building communities.
More than 13,000 people use Circle with success stories coming from brands like Exit Fire, Income School, and Whoggga.
User-Friendliness
There is little to no learning curve when using Circle as a community-building platform. Building courses and customizing communities is simple and easy.
You don't need to learn code. Instead, Circle uses drag and drop. You can also upload video content, audio, text, and more.
Not only is it easy to use as a community builder, but it's also easy for students taking courses and community members.
Circle can be used both on computers as a website and as an app on iOS and Android.
Features
Circle isn't just easy to use, but it's also chock-full of useful features.
The key features to look forward to when using Circle are:
Creating multiple spaces
Live streaming
Clear analytics
Unlimited message history
SEO-friendly pages
Profanity filter for keywords
Award points and prizes to members
Email marketing
Pricing
The most basic Circle plan offered costs $89 a month. The basic plan, also known as the Professional Plan, works best for smaller businesses starting to scale up.
After the Professional Plan is the Business Plan. This plan is $199 a month and includes more features like workflows, admin API, activity scores, and branded email notifications.
For an extra $160 a month, you can snag the Enterprise plan. While currently on sale for $360, the website lists the Enterprise plan as high as $499.
A custom pricing option is also available. This price can reach past $500, but the exact number depends on what is included and the industry.
Kajabi
Kajabi is another community-building platform offering newsletters, communities, podcasts, courses, and more.
It's newer than the others on this list but is already a popular choice among creators looking to build community.
User-Friendliness
Kajabi earns a lot of points for its simplicity and user-friendliness. Whether you are a community builder or a student taking a course, Kajabi is easy to use and understand.
You won't spend hours searching for features on the website. Creating courses takes minutes, if not seconds.
Even if you're not sure how to structure your courses, Kajabi offers convenient customizable templates.
Communities in Kajabi are very customizable. You can set up a community name, upload a cover image, and set up a unique URL.
Features
While we briefly touched upon some features in the above paragraphs, Kajabi has more to offer.
Using this community-building tool, you can:
Join live Q and A workshops to learn more about the community platform
Livestream for hours
Set up meetings and webinars
Utilize a no-code web builder
Automate and scale campaigns
Pricing
Like any other dedicated community platform, Kajabi offers multiple plans to fit your needs.
On the lower end, Kajabi offers the Kickstarter plan starting at $89 a month. This plan includes one website, a product, and an online community. You also get access to 250 contacts.
The Basic Plan features more at a slightly higher price ($149). With this plan, users get 3 products and 10,000 contacts along with third-party integrations.
The Growth Plan is marketed as the more popular one. It's $199 a month but includes 15 products, 10,000 contacts, webhooks, and custom branding.
Lastly is Kajabi Pro which costs nearly $400 a month. With this, you can market up to 100 products and have 100,000 contacts.
Bettermode
Last but not least is Bettermode. Don't be scared, though, just because this is the last community platform on this list doesn't mean it's a bad one. On the contrary, it is one of the best online community platforms on the market.
Bettermode is an all-in-one platform that helps create an engaging and thriving online community. It's easy to use and understand.
A few companies that have used this product include ViewSonic, SmartSuite, Yoto Space, and Lenovo Legion.
User-Friendliness
Building websites and communities with Bettermode is very easy. They make it even simpler for you by providing website templates in various industries.
These templates are customizable and designed for engagement. They have templates for customer portals, developers, user forums, and more.
Bettermode wants to make it easy for clients to create communities. Because of this, they created the Bettermode Hub, which includes videos and tutorials.
Features
This platform has all of the features you need to successfully grow an online community. The features are highlighted on Bettermode's website in a clear manner.
Bettermode is especially known for its community spaces and collections that easily organize each community space.
Other incredible features are:
Social media login
Tags
Discussion forums
Website building using blocks (no code)
Mobile apps
Custom apps
Integration of many apps, including Slack
Reactions and comments
Private Messaging
Pricing
Bettermode offers a private free community platform plan called Starter. It doesn't include much but is a great way to get familiar with Bettermode's features before paying for a subscription.
With the Starter plan, you get 20 community spaces with up to 100 community members.
For unlimited members, you'll want to use Bettermode's Pro Plan starting at $49 a month. With this plan, you also get a custom domain and advanced analytics.
Enterprise is the last subscription available with Bettermode. There are no listed prices. Instead, you'll need to call sales for a quote and more information on the services you can add.
Wrapping it up
All in all, you don't have to build your community alone or using multiple platforms. Private community platforms are excellent ways to engage with community members and scale up your business by selling courses and virtual events.
The platform that is right for you depends on what sort of community you envision yourself creating.
Do you see yourself creating a video-centric community that fosters human connections between members? Swarm might be a good place to start.
Would you prefer focusing on a more straightforward course hosting platform that also allows you to have a community but not one that is as video-centric? This would be suitable for established brands where the course they are creating is part of a bigger brand and is one of the many services they provide.
Circle is a good option for that scenario.
Mighty Networks is excellent for AI-focused communities that want to implement AI in their community approach and engagement, while Skool is known for its gamification of communities.
While we've listed eight of the best private online community platforms, there are so many more that can help.
If your community thrives on video content, you should check out Swarm, a video-centric community platform with dozens of excellent features. Getting started is easy with their free 14-day trial.
