Best Free Community Software

Free community software solutions are online tools that enable businesses to create community platforms where users can interact and share information with each other. There are many free online community platforms out there offering fundamental features, such as forum management, community management, gamification, moderation, content sharing, group management, activity dashboards, engagement tracking, integrations, and more. However, some free and open source community platforms have limitations like limited features and restricted customizations. If you are looking for a top-rated free online community platform, consider checking out SoftwareWorld’s list of the best free community software. We created this list after performing full-fledged research. Our research process contains vital elements like the number of fundamental features provided, customization capabilities, level of customer support, regular software updates, and more. Please have a look at the list and compare tools to find the right software that meets your expectations:

Note: Most of the products listed in this Free community software category offer free trial versions, though they have restrictions like time limits, fixed number of users, or limited features. For more options and features, compare and evaluate all community software to find the best fit for you.

best free Community Software
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406 Software

List of Top Free Community Software

Pricing Options

Monthly Subscription

Annual Subscription

One-Time Payment

Quote Based

Features

No Features

Company Size

Self Employed

Small Business

Medium Business

Enterprise

Slack

Made for people. Built for productivity.

   4.5

 (1 Reviews)

Slack is a communication platform designed for teams, offering a streamlined way to collaborate. It organizes conversations into channels, allowing users to focus on specific topics or projects. Direct messaging enables private conversations, while file sharing makes document collaboration easy. Slack integrates with numerous apps, including Google Drive and Trello, enhancing its functionality. It... Read more about Slack

Free Trial

Available

Pricing Type

$245 Per month

Location

United States

Zendesk Suite

Customer Service Software to Create a Great Experience

   4.4

 (2 Reviews)

Zendesk Suite is a customer service software that streamlines interactions between businesses and their customers. It offers a unified interface for managing customer support across multiple channels like email, chat, phone, and social media. The suite includes ticketing system features for efficient issue tracking and resolution. Key functionalities also encompass a knowledge base for self-servic... Read more about Zendesk Suite

Free Trial

Available

Pricing Type

$55 Per month

Location

United States

Microsoft Viva Engage is a community and employee engagement platform that fosters communication, collaboration, and connection within organizations. Part of the Microsoft Viva suite, Viva Engage allows employees to share ideas, ask questions, and interact with colleagues across different departments and locations. The platform includes features such as community-building tools, employee recogniti... Read more about Microsoft Viva Engage

Free Trial

NA

Pricing Type

$8 Per user

Location

United States

Disqus is a community software platform designed to help businesses and publishers foster engaging online discussions. The platform provides a robust commenting system that allows users to leave feedback, interact with content, and engage in conversations. Disqus integrates seamlessly with websites, blogs, and online forums, enhancing user experience by enabling threaded comments, voting, and noti... Read more about Disqus

Free Trial

NA

Pricing Type

Contact Vendor

Location

United States

Webex Suite is a leading meeting software solution that transforms how organizations communicate and collaborate. The platform offers a comprehensive suite of tools for virtual meetings, webinars, and online events, ensuring seamless and interactive communication across teams and stakeholders. Webex Suite supports high-definition video and audio, screen sharing, and real-time collaboration feature... Read more about Webex Suite

Free Trial

Available

Pricing Type

$25 Per user

Location

United States

Meetup Pro is designed for organizations that want to foster stronger community engagement by creating, managing, and growing networks of groups. It provides tools to organize local events and meetups, engage with community members, and monitor group performance. With Meetup Pro, administrators can create a connected network of events and manage multiple groups from a single dashboard, making it e... Read more about Meetup Pro

Free Trial

NA

Pricing Type

Contact Vendor

Location

United States

Peatix is an efficient Ticketing Software designed to simplify event management and ticket sales for organizers of all sizes. It offers a user-friendly platform for creating event pages, managing registrations, and promoting events. Peatix features easy-to-use tools for setting up ticket types, pricing, and sales channels, including options for free, paid, and donation-based tickets. The software ... Read more about Peatix

Free Trial

NA

Pricing Type

$0.99 Per feautre

Location

United States

Webex Events (formerly Socio)

Host engaging virtual, in-person, and hybrid events.

Webex Events is a comprehensive solution for hosting virtual and hybrid events. It's designed to offer an interactive and engaging experience for attendees, regardless of their location. The platform supports a range of event types, from webinars to large conferences. It features high-quality video and audio streaming, ensuring a seamless presentation. Webex Events offers robust audience interacti... Read more about Webex Events (formerly Socio)

Free Trial

NA

Pricing Type

$950 Per month

Location

United States

ON24

Intelligent Engagement & Webinar Platform

ON24 is a comprehensive software platform widely used for hosting virtual events and webinars. It's tailored for businesses looking to enhance engagement and generate actionable insights from their online events. ON24 stands out for its interactive features, such as customizable webinar environments, live polling, and Q&A sessions, which encourage active participant involvement. The platform also ... Read more about ON24

Free Trial

NA

Pricing Type

Contact Vendor

Location

United States

Get Satisfaction is a cutting-edge customer loyalty software designed to foster engagement and strengthen relationships between businesses and their customers. This innovative platform provides tools for creating and managing loyalty programs, enabling companies to reward customers for their purchases and interactions. With Get Satisfaction, businesses can easily track customer behavior, preferenc... Read more about Get Satisfaction

Free Trial

NA

Pricing Type

Contact Vendor

Location

United States

Khoros Communities

Community management software for enterprises

Khoros Communities is a robust platform designed to empower organizations in building and managing online communities effectively. With a user-friendly interface, it facilitates seamless communication and collaboration among community members. Khoros Communities supports discussion forums, blogs, and social media integration, providing a versatile space for engagement. Its moderation tools ensure ... Read more about Khoros Communities

Free Trial

NA

Pricing Type

Contact Vendor

Location

United States

NING

Create your own social network with the best community website builder.

NING is a specialized platform for creating custom social networks, tailored to specific interests or communities. It's renowned for its flexibility and ease of use, allowing anyone to build a unique online community space. The platform supports various content types, including blogs, photos, and videos, enabling rich multimedia engagement. NING offers extensive customization options, from design ... Read more about NING

Free Trial

14 Days

Pricing Type

$25 Per month

Location

United States

Squarespace

Website Builder - Create a Website in Minutes

Squarespace is an all-in-one website-building platform that empowers users to create professional and visually appealing websites without the need for coding skills. Launched in 2003, it offers a user-friendly interface and a range of templates catering to various industries. Squarespace simplifies website design, allowing individuals and businesses to showcase their ideas or products online. The ... Read more about Squarespace

Free Trial

14 Days

Pricing Type

$16 Per month

Location

United States

Flock

Team Messenger & Online Collaboration Platform

Flock is a versatile communication and collaboration platform designed to streamline team interactions. It offers direct messaging and group chats, making internal communication effortless. Users can create channels for specific topics or projects, ensuring organized discussions. Flock's video conferencing feature enables face-to-face meetings, enhancing team connectivity. The platform integrates ... Read more about Flock

Free Trial

30 Days

Pricing Type

$4.50 Per month

Location

India

Discourse

Discourse is modern forum software for your community.

Discourse is an innovative software designed for creating engaging and interactive online communities. It's renowned for revolutionizing traditional forum models with its user-friendly interface and modern design principles. The platform facilitates seamless communication, offering features like real-time post updates, extensive formatting options, and mobile compatibility, ensuring an enjoyable u... Read more about Discourse

Free Trial

14 Days

Pricing Type

$20 Per month

Location

United States

vBulletin Cloud

Create your online community today with vBulletin Cloud!

vBulletin Cloud is a hosted forum software solution, offering a blend of power and simplicity for building online communities. It eliminates the need for server management, as hosting is provided by vBulletin. The platform is known for its robust functionality, catering to both small and large communities. It features an intuitive and customizable user interface, allowing for a tailored community ... Read more about vBulletin Cloud

Free Trial

Available

Pricing Type

$14.99 Per month

Location

United Kingdom

Thinkific Plus

Launch customer education that boosts retention and revenue

Thinkific Plus is an advanced online course creation platform, designed for high-volume businesses and organizations. It offers enhanced features, catering to the needs of larger-scale operations. Thinkific Plus supports the creation of compelling, interactive courses with a variety of content types like videos, quizzes, and downloadable resources. The platform includes robust tools for user segme... Read more about Thinkific Plus

Free Trial

NA

Pricing Type

Contact Vendor

Location

Canada

Thinkific

Create, Market & Sell with the #1 Online Course Platform

Thinkific is an all-in-one online course platform designed for entrepreneurs and businesses to create, market, and sell online courses. It's user-friendly, allowing even beginners to effortlessly build courses with its drag-and-drop course builder. The software supports various multimedia formats like videos, quizzes, and surveys, enhancing the learning experience. Thinkific's key features include... Read more about Thinkific

Free Trial

14 Days

Pricing Type

$36 Per month

Location

Canada

BuddyPress

Fun & flexible software for online communities, teams, and groups.

BuddyPress is a free, open-source social networking software package, a plugin for WordPress. It transforms a WordPress website into a social community platform, ideal for small to medium-sized online communities. BuddyPress allows users to create detailed profiles, connect with friends, and engage in group discussions. The software supports private messaging, enhancing personal communication betw... Read more about BuddyPress

Free Trial

NA

Pricing Type

Free

Location

United States

QuestionPro Workforce

Employee experience survey and analytics platform

QuestionPro is a comprehensive software designed for creating, distributing, and analyzing surveys. It's highly user-friendly, making it easy for anyone to design detailed surveys with its wide range of question types and customizable templates. QuestionPro stands out with its ability to handle everything from simple polls to complex market research. Users can reach their audience through multiple... Read more about QuestionPro Workforce

Free Trial

Available

Pricing Type

$$83 Per month

Location

United States

vBulletin is a dynamic Website Builder Software that empowers users to create and manage engaging online communities and forums effortlessly. With its easy-to-use interface, vBulletin allows users to customize their websites with various themes, layouts, and plugins, ensuring a unique online presence. This software supports powerful discussion tools, enabling users to engage with their audience ef... Read more about vBulletin

Free Trial

Available

Pricing Type

Contact Vendor

Location

United States

QuestionPro is a versatile survey software designed to help organizations gather feedback and insights from various stakeholders. This platform provides comprehensive tools for creating, distributing, and analyzing surveys, making it easier for businesses to understand customer satisfaction, employee engagement, and market trends. With its user-friendly interface, users can easily design surveys w... Read more about QuestionPro

Free Trial

Available

Pricing Type

Contact Vendor

Location

United States

QuestionPro Communities is a comprehensive Community Software designed to facilitate engagement and feedback collection from your target audience. This platform allows businesses to build, manage, and nurture online communities, fostering interaction and collaboration. With QuestionPro Communities, users can create polls, surveys, and discussions to gather insights and opinions in real time. The s... Read more about QuestionPro Communities

Free Trial

Available

Pricing Type

Contact Vendor

Location

United States

XenForo

Compelling Community Platform

XenForo is a modern, user-friendly forum software known for its sleek design and intuitive user experience. It's built on a robust and flexible framework, making it suitable for forums of all sizes. XenForo offers a range of social engagement features, such as likes and reactions, which encourage user interaction. The software includes an advanced permission system, giving administrators granular ... Read more about XenForo

Free Trial

7 Days

Pricing Type

$648 Per year

Location

United Kingdom

Bazaarvoice

The UGC Platform for Authentic Shopper Experiences

Bazaarvoice is a dynamic software platform tailored to enhance e-commerce through authentic customer feedback. Central to its functionality is the collection and display of customer reviews, which helps build trust and informs purchasing decisions. It stands out for its innovative approach to user-generated content (UGC), integrating customer photos and videos to enrich product descriptions. Bazaa... Read more about Bazaarvoice

Free Trial

NA

Pricing Type

Contact Vendor

Location

United States

No buyer guide found.

Frequently Asked Questions

Following are some of the main features that the majority of free Community Software offers in general:

  • Group Management
  • Activity Dashboards
  • Ideation
  • Drag & Drop
  • Contact Management
  • @mentions

Typically, there are some limitations to using free Community Software solutions.

For example:

  • Limited access to features.
  • Restricted user accounts.
  • Low data storage capacity.
  • Limited customization capability.
However, you can always go for budget-friendly paid versions, which may break the limit barriers.

The majority of free Community Software offers free trials for paid versions. Please note that the time period for a free trial may differ based on the software.

For example:

The majority of free Community Software or free trials do not require credit card details. Users have to provide their credit card details if they go for any paid plans.

The majority of free Community Software offers customer support to free users. However, the level of support may differ.

Absolutely! Free Community Software are safe to use. They strictly adhere to regulatory compliance.

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