Online community platforms - what are they, and why do people need them?

If this is what you've been thinking, then let us explain it to you:

Best online community platforms 2022 are those applications that provide you with a platform for building an online community. These online community softwares come with various features and benefits that help in building an online community.

Now, if you want to know why do people need these best online community platforms 2022, then here's the answer:

There are various types of online communities. But the one thing that is common in the majority of the communities is that they are created to help people learn something. In other words, most of the communities are learning communities in one way or the other. You'll find both types of people in them, those who teach and those who want to know/learn something.

When we specifically talk about learning communities, a lot more is required than just an online community platform to start and grow an online learning community. Various types of tools are required to monetize and manage an online learning community. And these online community softwares provide just the right tools to make it easy for community builders to build a community.

So, in this blog, we're going to tell you about the best online community platforms 2022 that are available to build an online learning community. And not just that, we're also going to tell you the pros and cons of each of these online community platforms.

But before we start, if you're looking for a platform where you can have a web version as well as an application version of your community, then give LikeMinds a try. And what's more? Its web version comes with the option of white labeling.

Now, let's get started!

Top 5 Community Building Platforms For Learning Communities

So, below are our top 5 picks of community building platforms for building learning communities. We've curated this list so that you can make a better decision when it comes to choosing the right online community software for your learning community business. All these best online community platforms 2022 have been built keeping in mind the scope of an online learning business that is community-led.

Let us now look at which these top 5 online community platforms are and what are the pros & cons of each:

1. Mighty Networks

Mighty Networks is an online community building software where you can create your community and sell your courses with the help of a ton of features that are built specifically for a community-led business structure. Let's see how useful or non-useful this platform is for building a learning community.

Pros

• Easy to create articles, posts, events, and polls
• Easy to create online courses
• Provides features to create sub-groups
• Provides a clean and modern design
• Application is available both for Android and iOS

Cons

• Doesn't have native support for regular and live videos
• Does not have the feature for making quizzes or providing certificates
• Doesn't have many landing page design options
• Doesn't have the option of doing transactions through PayPal
• Doesn‚Äôt have SSO integration with other course platforms

Also Check Out:

• Online Community Building: What Is It And How To Build One?

2. LikeMinds

The second online community software on our list is LikeMinds. This platform lets you build your own branded community and monetize it. It has various features that are made keeping in mind the requirements of an online learning community. Let us look at the pros and cons of this online community platform.

Pros

• Application is available for both, Android and iOS
• Provides unlimited storage
• Features for managing subscriptions
• Doesn't charge any transaction fee
• Easy to create chat groups, events, consultations, and courses

Cons

• No native live event hosting
• No native LMS system
• Doesn't have the message threading feature
• Cannot create forums
• No custom communication for running campaigns over email, WhatsApp, and notifications

3. LearnWorlds

Next on our list is LearnWorlds, an online community software that lets you create and sell online courses from your own website. Apart from creating and selling online courses, you can also promote your courses in your online learning community and monetize them at the same time. Below are the pros and cons of this online community platform.

Pros

• Provides tools to create quizzes, assignments, tests, and certifications
• Provides feature to create interactive videos
• Features for marketing products via blogs and landing pages
• Tools for affiliate marketing
• Integrations with platforms like Zapier

Cons

• Doesn't provide chats and calls for customer support
• Doesn't have an application
• Complicated interface
• Hard to understand analytics display
• Limited payment options

4. Skillshare

Skillshare is an online community software for everything creative. This online community platform is specifically made for those content creators who create creative content. For example, animators, designers, illustrators, etc. But, like every other platform, Skillshare also has some pros and cons. Let us see what are they.

Pros

• A diverse range of content category
• Easy to use
• Both, Android and iOS applications are available
• Different teacher payment plans
• Good user experience

Cons

• Instructors can't control the quality
• Bad video quality
• No subtitles for videos and essays
• Poor customer support services
• No option to create certificates

Also Check Out:

• Zoom Online Classes: 10 Fun Activities To Host In A Learning Community

5. Podia

Last, but not least, is Podia. Podia is an online community software that lets you sell courses and webinars in a community along with providing the option to download. It provides the flexibility to content creators to choose more than one type of digital product for their courses. With this, let us look at some of the pros and cons of Podia:

Pros

• Easy to use
• Provides customization options
• Good user interface
• Competitive pricing options
• Regular updates and improvements

Cons

• Non-competitive pricing
• Limited automation options
• Limited analytics
• Poor back-end member management support
• Lack of personalization field in the email composer

And if you're looking for a community where you can network with other community builders, then join CommunityHood today! Our community has 300+ community builders, 40+ speakers, and 50+ resources! All to help you network and upskill yourself.

So, these were our top 5 picks when it comes to online community platforms for learning businesses. Every online community platform here has different pros and cons. Decide which one is most suitable for your learning community and make the magic happen.