8 best open source community platform

Are you looking for a way to build and manage an online community for your business, brand, or cause? If so, you might want to consider using an open-source community platform. Open source community platforms are software solutions that allow you to create, customize, and host your own online community, without relying on third-party services or paying expensive fees.

In this blog post, we will introduce you to eight of the best open-source community platforms that you can use in 2023. We will also explain why Pensil is our top choice for a community platform, and how it can help you achieve your community goals.

What is an open-source community platform?

An open-source community platform is a software solution that enables you to create and manage an online community for your audience. Unlike proprietary or closed-source platforms, open-source platforms are free to use, modify, and distribute, as long as you follow the terms of their licenses. This means that you have more control and flexibility over your community platform, and you can tailor it to your specific needs and preferences.

Some of the benefits of using an open-source community platform are:

• You can customize the design, features, and functionality of your platform to match your brand identity and values.
• You can integrate your platform with other tools and services that you already use, such as WordPress, Slack, or Shopify.
• You can ensure the security and privacy of your user data, and avoid sharing it with third-party advertisers or trackers.
• You can access the source code of your platform, and contribute to its development and improvement.
• You can join a community of developers and users who support and collaborate on the platform.

There are many open-source community platforms available, but not all of them are equally suitable for your needs. To help you choose the best one for your community, we have selected eight of the most popular and reliable open-source community platforms for 2023. Here they are, in no particular order:

1. Pensil

Pensil is our top choice for an open-source community platform, because it offers a comprehensive and user-friendly solution that can handle any type of community. Whether you want to create a forum, a blog, a course, a live class, a webinar, or a newsletter, Pensil has you covered. Pensil is designed to be flexible, scalable, and customizable, allowing you to create different groups for different use cases, and to design your community to match your branding. Pensil also has a built-in live session feature, which lets you conduct immersive and interactive webinars and events with your community. Pensil is SEO-optimized, gamified, and integrated with various tools and services. You can also get a custom-branded mobile app for your community, and access valuable data insights to track your community growth and engagement. Pensil is free to self-host, and you can find the project on GitHub. You can also opt for their managed hosting service, which provides dedicated servers and support for your community.

2. Discourse

Discourse is one of the most popular and modern open source community platforms, that powers thousands of online communities of all shapes and sizes. Discourse is a forum software that enables you to create civilized and engaging discussions with your audience, and to foster a sense of community and belonging. Discourse has a sleek and intuitive interface, that makes it easy for users to navigate, participate, and contribute. Discourse also has a robust set of features, such as email notifications, moderation tools, style customization options, and third-party integrations. Discourse is fully open source, and you can find the project on GitHub. You can also use their managed hosting service, which offers infrastructure and support for your community.

3. Talkyard

Talkyard is another open source community platform that is inspired by Discourse and StackOverflow. Talkyard is a forum software that allows you to create both open and closed discussions with your audience, and to provide them with a platform to ask and answer questions, share feedback, and learn from each other. Talkyard has a simple and clean interface, that makes it easy for users to find and join relevant conversations. Talkyard also has some unique features, such as nested comments, chat channels, and voting and sorting options. Talkyard is completely free to use and open source, and you can find the project on GitHub. You can also use their hosted service, which offers a free plan for up to 1000 monthly active users.

4. Forem

Forem is a relatively new open source community platform, that is behind the successful developer community website dev.to. Forem is a platform that allows you to create and host your own online community, with a focus on content creation and social interaction. Forem has a rich and dynamic interface, that makes it easy for users to create and consume content, and to connect and collaborate with other users. Forem also has a variety of features, such as tags, reactions, notifications, and moderation tools. Forem is fully open source, and you can find the project on GitHub. You can also use their managed hosting service, which requires you to fill out a form with your requirements.

5. Flarum

Flarum is an open source community platform that aims to provide a simple and elegant forum software for your online community. Flarum is a lightweight and fast platform, that offers a smooth and responsive user experience. Flarum has a minimalist and modern interface, that makes it easy for users to browse, post, and reply to topics. Flarum also has a flexible and extensible architecture, that allows you to customize and enhance your platform with various extensions and themes. Flarum is fully open source, and you can find the project on GitHub. You can also use their hosted service, which offers a free plan for up to 5000 monthly active users.

6. NodeBB

NodeBB is an open-source community platform that offers a powerful and scalable forum software for your online community. NodeBB is a node.js-based platform, that delivers a fast and reliable performance. NodeBB has a sleek and customizable interface, that makes it easy for users to create and join discussions, and to interact with other users. NodeBB also has a comprehensive set of features, such as real-time notifications, chat rooms, gamification, and analytics. NodeBB is fully open source, and you can find the project on GitHub. You can also use their hosted service, which offers a free plan for up to 1000 monthly active users.

7. Vanilla Forums

Vanilla Forums is an open-source community platform that offers a versatile and user-friendly forum software for your online community. Vanilla Forums is a PHP-based platform, that offers a stable and secure performance. Vanilla Forums has a clean and intuitive interface, that makes it easy for users to create and join discussions, and to engage with other users. Vanilla Forums also has a robust set of features, such as categories, tags, reactions, badges, and integrations. Vanilla Forums is fully open source, and you can find the project on GitHub. You can also use their hosted service, which offers a free plan for up to 500 monthly active users.

8. HumHub

HumHub is an open-source community platform that offers flexible and modular social network software for your online community. HumHub is a PHP-based platform, that offers a customizable and extendable performance. HumHub has a friendly and social interface, that makes it easy for users to create and join groups, and to communicate and collaborate with other users. HumHub also has a rich set of features, such as profiles, walls, spaces, events, polls, and notifications. HumHub is fully open source, and you can find the project on GitHub. You can also use their hosted service, which offers a free plan for up to 50 monthly active users.

Why Pensil is our top choice for a community platform

As you can see, there are many open-source community platforms to choose from, but we believe that Pensil is the best one. Here are some of the reasons why we think so:

🌐 All-in-one Platform: Pensil is designed for a variety of use cases, from open discussions to gated content1. You can create different groups for all kinds of use cases, like coaching, mentoring, courses, forums, live classes, etc.

🎨 Customizable Branding: Pensil allows you to design your community to match your branding1. This makes it feel like your own product with complete customization & integration, including a mobile app.

📱 Mobile App: Pensil offers a complete, custom-branded app for your community. This gives your community the experience they deserve.

🚀 Developer Friendly: Pensil is made for developers, by developers. It offers easy integrations and deployment options.

🎮 Gamification: Pensil engages the community with karma points, badges, milestones, etc. This makes your course more engaging.

📈 SEO Optimized Content: Content on Pensil is SEO optimized. This helps your community rank higher in Google search results.

🎥 Live Sessions: Pensil allows you to conduct live sessions or webinars with high-quality audio and video1. You can engage your audience with live sessions

📊 Scalability: Pensil can scale as you grow. It offers dedicated servers for communities of any size.

🧩 Integration: Pensil can be integrated with other tools you’re already using. This helps you automatically move information back and forth between Pensil and other apps.

📝 Newsletter: Pensil has a feature that allows you to send newsletters from your community. This feature is almost here.

📚 Use Case Flexibility: Whether you need to start a paid cohort-based course, host a live webinar, or just bring your members together, Pensil has you covered

If you are convinced that Pensil is the best open source community platform for you