Online Community Management Software Resources

I’m evaluating online community management software right now and found some of G2’s top-rated tools.

Gainsight Customer Communities

This one stood out as a leader. It gives me a centralized place to connect customers with each other, with my team, and with helpful resources. I liked how it supports scalable engagement—it’s great for gathering feedback and building stronger relationships with users.

BigMarker

If I want to host webinars or virtual events, BigMarker is my go-to. It’s ranked as the highest performer and comes packed with features for live, interactive sessions. I found it super helpful for fostering a community through events and presentations.

Verint Community

Verint caught my eye as a solid all-around solution. It offers tools like forums, blogs, and wikis—all designed to enhance self-service and streamline support. For me, it's a smart way to improve customer experience while reducing the load on support teams.

Disciple

What I like about Disciple is how it lets me build a private, branded community app. It’s perfect if I want more control over my community space without relying on social media. It’s considered a niche choice, but that makes it a strong fit for tailored engagement.

Circle

Circle has been trending lately, and I can see why. It offers an all-in-one space for discussions, memberships, and even hosting content. The interface is super clean, and it feels really intuitive when I’m trying to grow and manage a community.

Really impressed with some of these tools, but I'd also like to get the community's input. If you have any experience with online community management, please share it.

Can Vanilla be integrated with the rest of my website so I do not need a separate login for the forums?

Small businesses that are planning to grow membership-based communities often face the challenge of selecting the right platform. The ideal tool should support engagement, content sharing, events, and structured access without requiring a complex setup or ongoing developer support.

The following platforms are among the top-rated solutions from the online community management software category. Input from users who have hands-on experience with these tools would be especially helpful for teams preparing to invest in a community platform:

• Circle — Popular for its simplicity and flexibility. How well does it support managing exclusive spaces for different membership levels?
• Mighty Networks — Known for combining content, events, and member groups. Can it handle both public and gated experiences effectively?
• Gainsight Customer Communities — Strong in customer engagement for B2B. Is it adaptable to smaller businesses with growing member bases?
• Webex Events & Webinars — Ideal for hosting digital events. How well does it transition from live events into an ongoing member space?
• Bevy — Designed for managing distributed, event-centric communities. Is it practical for brands building loyalty networks or regional member chapters?

• How easy is it to structure the platform around tiers, roles, or interest groups?
• Are content creation and moderation tools user-friendly?
• Does the platform offer CRM or marketing tool integrations?
• What is the typical support experience like for small businesses?

Recommendations, pros and cons, or specific use case examples would help guide business owners planning to launch a member community.