Right now is a great time to choose a software platform to build an online community.

Bettermode (formerly Tribe), a cloud-based community platform, has grown in popularity among those interested in how they can build a place for their followers to interact. But there are actually many other companies on the market that will offer you more robust options, tools, and potential for growth.

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Advantages of Bettermode

Bettermode was launched when the community platform Tribe was rebranded and given new features. It has some useful features, especially for corporate brand communities built around text-based conversation forums.

Here are some of the key features:

• Accessible, user-friendly discussion forums. Like other community platforms, Bettermode is designed to be customizable without technical skills.


• Different space types for mixed content. This can include forums, blogs, Q&As, and rich content options (e.g. text, videos, and links).


• Integrates with software like Zendesk, Salesforce, Hubspot, and more.


• Profiles and member management tools like bulk editing, directories, member roles, admin control, member reports, authentication, and more.


• Customizable community page that integrates with your existing website. Building blocks that can be moved around, add colors and typography, and customize things like profiles and navigation fields.

Disadvantages of Bettermode

These are some of the disadvantages that might have you searching for an alternative to Bettermode. Here are some of the things Bettermode is missing and the common flaws users complain about.

• The messaging features are seriously limited. They're missing things like group chat, real-time chat, message-deleting and blocking; these are features that are a given in other membership platforms.


• Users complain about low engagement. Bettermode facilitates a discussion, but doesn't create the conditions necessary for high member engagement.


• No native payments or gating. Bettermode does not allow for payment collections, bundles, selling access, etc. It's only for free communities.


• The content options are dated. Modern community platforms have livestreaming and other advanced content options built-in. Bettermode hasn't included these things.


• No online courses or programs. You can't use Bettermode to build online courses or programs. If you want to sell online courses with your community, it's not the right choice.


• No native apps of any kind. Bettermode still hasn't added mobile apps for iOS or Android, while many other platforms have.

The best Bettermode alternatives actually give you the online community features they offer in addition to online course features and paid memberships.

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What to look for in a Bettermode alternative

A thriving community is created by bringing like-minded people together and providing them a number of opportunities to interact with one another.

Since you know what Bettermode is missing, here are the features you can look for in a Bettermode alternative. Understanding these helps you choose the right alternative.

• More event options: More flexibility and power to host a live or virtual event or to create an event app.


• Live or pre-recorded course functionality: If selling courses online is important to you, choose a platform with this option.


• Paid memberships: Selling memberships and/or growing paid membership sites requires a platform with payments built in.


• Great apps: It's difficult to create a viable membership community without apps, since many users don't even have computers. And web apps may promise to be mobile-friendly, but they're no match for native apps.

When you have these aspects in the mix as you build your online community, it’s a lot easier to keep your members excited, motivated, and along for the ride.

Best Bettermode alternatives

1. Mighty Networks

The best community & membership platform

Mighty Networks does everything Bettermode does, with Spaces, forums, content options, and white-label features. But it adds more advanced features like native livestreaming, a sales platform, and iOS and Android apps.

Mighty has been ranked as the number one community management software by G2. And this year, it will power $100+ million in memberships.

Here are some of the features that make it the best Bettermode alternative:

• Discussion forums built for content creation, organized with Spaces and hashtags. Add short- and long-form written content, video, images, and polls & questions.


• Comprehensive member management with rich member profiles, analytics, member lists, moderation tools, and access control.


• AI-driven member connections you won't find anywhere else: AI profile assist, "things in common", auto-ice-breaker questions, the "make it better" text editor, and instant course outlines--the people magic that turns strangers into friends.


• Unmatched event features for live and virtual events: dedicated event Spaces, RSVPs, guest lists, & native livestreaming for virtual events. You can also add courses with the LMS.


• Monetization tools to sell bundles and memberships, charge in different currencies, and turn your membership into a digital business.


• Beautiful, responsive, native apps for all devices. Or, get your own branded app in the App Store or Google Play Store.

Mighty Networks also has built-in integration with ConvertKit, making it easy to bring the best community software together with the best newsletter and email software.

Mighty Networks Pros

• Top-ranked membership platform with flexible Spaces for livestreaming, courses, events, discussions, and content-sharing.


• Sell anything, including memberships, courses, events, or bundles in 135 different currencies.


• Get higher engagement with Mighty Co-Host™'s AI features to boost member connections.


• Build under your own brand, customize the look and feel of your community.


• Get access via apps for every device.

Mighty Networks Cons

• It's not a social media platform. You'll need to bring your own members.

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2. Mighty Pro

Best Bettermode alternative for a branded app

Mighty Pro mixed G2's top-rated community management software with a completely branded app. That means YOUR apps in the App Store and Google Play Store.

And Mighty Pro has built branded membership apps for TED, Jim Kwik, Mel Robbins, Tony Robbins, Cambridge University, and more.

When you build with Mighty Pro, you work with a team of Account Executives and Community Strategists who have built 7- and 8-figure communities and membership businesses.

For paid memberships, Mighty Pro gives you a premium branded app with 99% margins that scales itself. The result is incredible brands, like:

• The membership site that added $40,000 in ARR with a high-ticket launch to 100 members.


• The podcaster and author who sold 5,000 seats to a $977 course in 10 days.


• The entrepreneurship organization that launched their branded membership app to 5,000 members.

We can also handle the migration if you have an existing community.

And if you want your own branded app, schedule a custom demo!

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3. Kajabi

Best static course platform with funnels

Kajabi is a Bettermode alternative that's great for course-specific businesses. Its a combination of website builder and course marketing tools that have earned it a reputation as a fantastic platform for pre-recorded (asynchronous courses).

With its LMS, Kajabi adds a lot of course functionality for authoring and hosting a course. This includes video and content hosting, delivery options like dripping content, and built-in evaluation tools.

Kajabi's best known for the suite of marketing tools it has integrated into the platform. This includes a website builder with different templates to choose from. But Kajabi has also built 6 course marketing funnels into its product, meaning users can add email campaigns, up- and down-sells, triggers, and more. And there's an integrated email feature too.

Kajabi is strongest as a Bettermode alternative for course-only businesses. Kajabi recently acquired Vibely to add a better community platform to its offerings, but it exists on a separate platform with different log-ins. It also takes place on a separate app with different log-ons. The other issue is that Kajabi doesn't have the white-labelling and branding options that Bettermode does.

Kajabi Pros

• Good asynchronous course platform with lots of options for hosting content


• Intuitive landing page and site-builder with templates


• Integrated marketing funnels for course sales


• Good Kajabi apps for every device

Kajabi Cons

• Community feature is on a separate platform with different log-ons


• The main platform lacks live teaching function (e.g. native livestreaming)


• Kajabi doesn't have a branded app option

4. Hivebrite

Bettermode alternative for alumni networks

Hivebrite is a community platform that was built to host alumni networks, but it's expanded into other community uses. Like Bettermode, Hivebrite gives you a content management system with tools to organize content and members (e.g. subgroups). Since it was launched for alumni networks, it also prides connections between alumni and students, plus a job-board feature for posting opportunities and donor campaigns.

One of Hivebrite's features is its live event functions, which work well for organizing and running a live event. This includes invitation emails, ticketing, online payments, and social network integrations. Unfortunately, Hivebrite's event features don't extend to virtual events--since it's missing livestreaming and virtual event hosting tools.

Hivebrite Pros

• Alumni-style online community with subgroups


• Job board, fundraising, and networking features


• Support for live events


• Branded apps

Hivebrite cons

• No livestreaming, courses, or video


• Limited virtual event options


• Basic community features

5. Disciple

Branded apps for enterprise

Disciple is a Bettermode alternative that replicates a lot of the community features, including discussion forums, activity feeds, and content tools. And it also has white-label options for deploying both a web community and an app under your own brand.

Disciple is also one of the few options on this list that has livestreaming (other than Mighty Pro). It also has courses available on its premium plan.

Disciple pros

• Community building features


• Native livestreaming and courses


• Branded apps

Disciple cons

• Web app and apps have different features and pricing


• The community features are basic

6. Higher Logic Vanilla

Corporate forums

For a Bettermode alternative that offers a similar feature set, Higher Logic Vanilla also does corporate forums. Like Bettermode, Higher Logic Vanilla can be used to add a brand community to a corporate website. It comes with content organization systems including subgroups, and publishing tools.

It can be integrated with customer support and a knowledge base. Like Bettermode, Higher Logic Vanilla is only a forum feature. It does not have other content options like livestreaming or courses. It's also missing any way to charge for membership or events.

So while it has all the features of Bettermode. It also has the same set of problems.

Higher Logic Vanilla pros

• Corporate forums that can be deployed under a brand


• Forum features + tools for moderating content


• Integration with software like Salesforce and Zendesk

Higher Logic Vanilla cons

• No community features beyond forums; it's missing livestreaming, advanced content options, courses, and events


• No apps or branded apps at all

7. Discourse

Discourse is another player in the online community landscape and a good Bettermode alternative if you’re mainly interested in providing a space (that’s a bit…sparse) for conversations. Discourse is an online community platform that wants to bring back discussion boards in a new way.

Discourse looks like a reddit or Quora forum that you can deploy under your brand. And the community code is free on GitHub. It is 100% open source and allows you to create mailing lists, forums, long-form chat rooms, and more. One of the coolest features is the translation option.

However, deploying and developing Discourse will probably require hiring a professional, and you'll need a place to host.

This makes Discourse a decent community platform if you've got developer access to improve and customize it, but otherwise you'd be better choosing a different option.

Discourse pros

• Discussion forum with moderation and comments


• Open-source code that professionals can customize and deploy

Discourse cons

• Dated feel and UX relative to other community platforms


• Needs custom development to work well and look like your brand

Ready to start?

If you're ready to start, come try Mighty! You can bring together content, commerce, conferences, courses, and (of course) community! Mighty is a community platform like no other, and it's powering some of the top brand communities in the world.

And if you want your own branded app, schedule a custom demo!

Otherwise, try G2's top-rated community management software free by clicking below.