12 Best Community Apps in 2024 [Features, Reviews, Pricing]

Fostering a sense of community and boosting engagement can be significantly enhanced by the right digital tools. This is where the best community apps come into play.

These apps are specifically designed to bring people together, offering a dynamic platform for interaction and collaboration. Whether you’re looking to enhance engagement in a business, educational, or informal setting, the top community apps provide a suite of features that cater to diverse needs and preferences.

Join us as we dive into the features and benefits of these leading apps, exploring how they can transform passive audiences into active communities where every member feels valued and connected.

What is a community app?

Community apps are mobile or web-based applications that allow users to interact with each other around shared interests, causes, or goals. These apps are designed to create virtual communities that enable users to connect, collaborate, and share information.

Community apps are used in a wide range of industries and areas, including gaming, social media, education, and business. These apps enable users to join or create communities based on their interests, hobbies, or work. They can be used to share content, organize events, ask questions, and offer support.

Overall, community apps are a powerful tool for building connections and engagement among individuals who share common interests or goals. Whether you are a business looking to engage with customers or an individual looking to connect with like-minded individuals, community apps offer a powerful way to build meaningful relationships and achieve your goals.

The benefits of having a community app

Community apps are becoming an essential tool for organizations, individuals, and broader communities, playing a pivotal role in fostering connections and promoting engagement. These platforms benefit all kinds of grounds and people in a variety of ways.

For Organizations:

• Improved customer engagement: By providing a direct communication channel, community apps enable organizations to strengthen relationships and gather valuable feedback from customers.
• Increased brand awareness: These apps allow organizations to effectively showcase their brand and engage with customers, enhancing brand recognition and loyalty.
• Enhanced customer support: Community apps facilitate interactions between customers and support teams, improving response times and overall customer satisfaction.

For Individuals:

• Sense of belonging: These apps offer a sense of connection with like-minded people, which can significantly enhance personal well-being and happiness.
• Knowledge sharing: Individuals have the opportunity to share and gain knowledge, which can contribute to personal and professional development.
• Networking opportunities: Community apps provide a platform for networking with peers in the same field or with shared interests, opening doors to new opportunities and collaborations.
• Personalization: Users can tailor their experience by filtering content to match their specific interests and preferences.

For Communities:

• Increased communication: These platforms enhance communication and collaboration among community members, strengthening community bonds.
• Encouraged participation: Incentives such as gamification and recognition features motivate members to engage actively and contribute to the community.
• Raised awareness: Community apps play a crucial role in increasing awareness about important issues and events within the community, fostering support and participation.

Community apps not only facilitate engagement by providing various tools for communication, such as chat rooms, voice chats, and video conferencing, but they also enrich the user experience by incorporating features that promote regular interaction. These include:

• Collaborative tools: Features like file sharing, project management, and whiteboards enable users to collaborate effectively on projects and share resources.
• Gamification: Implementing elements like badges, points, and leaderboards makes the community experience more enjoyable and engaging, encouraging continued participation.
• Personalization: Custom profiles and content recommendations tailored to user preferences make the app experience more relevant and engaging for each user.

By merging connectivity with functionality, community apps not only streamline communication but also enhance the overall experience, making them indispensable for fostering robust and active communities.

The 12 best community apps for 2024

The top community social media apps

Community social media apps are essential for fostering engagement and connectivity in various groups and niches. While the earlier list focuses on general community apps ideal for broader engagement, this section zeroes in on community social media apps that are specifically designed to enhance interactive experiences and foster deeper connections within more focused groups.

Here are the top five options that stand out for their robust features and widespread popularity:

1. Fliplet: Leading the pack, Fliplet offers unparalleled flexibility in app development, making it a top choice for businesses looking to build their own branded community app without needing deep technical knowledge. It excels in providing a range of customizable templates, drag-and-drop ease, and strong analytics tools, allowing organizations to create unique, engaging community experiences that can scale as needed.
2. Discord: Originally popular among gamers, Discord has expanded its reach and become a versatile tool for various community groups. It offers excellent voice, video, and text chat options, which make real-time communication effortless. Its server setup allows users to create multiple channels for different topics, enhancing organized interaction and engagement.
3. Mighty Networks: This platform is particularly effective for creators and entrepreneurs who want to build their own communities around a central theme or interest. Mighty Networks offers a suite of tools to monetize content, organize events, and manage memberships, making it a comprehensive solution for community engagement.
4. Circle: Ideal for hosting vibrant community discussions, Circle integrates seamlessly with other tools like websites and online courses. It allows community managers to create a customized and branded community experience that supports rich discussions, member networking, and content sharing, all within a clean, user-friendly interface.
5. Khoros: This enterprise-grade platform is designed for large organizations that need to manage customer communities effectively. Khoros combines advanced moderation tools, detailed analytics, and powerful integration capabilities, making it an excellent choice for companies aiming to enhance customer support and engagement at scale.

These apps offer diverse functionalities tailored to different needs, from enterprise solutions to customizable platforms for building personal community apps, ensuring that there’s a suitable tool for every type of community organizer looking to engage and grow their network.

Key Features to look for in community engagement apps

Build a thriving online community, it’s essential to use community engagement software that can help you foster a deeper sense of community, encourage participation and facilitate meaningful interactions.

Let’s explore some of the key features  of community engagement software and how they can help you create a more engaging and vibrant online community:

Gamification

By adding elements such as points, badges, and leaderboards, community apps can motivate users to engage with the community more frequently and consistently. Gamification can also help to build a sense of community and friendly competition among members. A community app with gamification features can increase engagement levels, making it a vital component for a community app.

Polls

Polls can be used to gather feedback and opinions from members, which can help community managers make informed decisions and tailor their content to the preferences of their members. By enabling members to share their opinions and vote on topics of interest, community apps can create a more participatory environment and encourage members to engage with one another.

Surveys 

By conducting surveys, community managers can better understand the needs of their members and create more personalized content and experiences for them. This feature can also help to foster a sense of community ownership, as members feel that their feedback is valued and taken into account.

Newsfeeds 

Newsfeeds are an essential feature of community apps as they keep members updated on the latest news, events, and updates from the community. By providing a centralized hub for community news, members can stay engaged and informed, which can lead to increased participation and retention rates.

Live chat 

This can help to foster more meaningful connections among members, leading to a stronger sense of community and collaboration. Live chat can also be used to provide instant support to members, which can improve their overall experience with the community app.

Recognition 

Recognition is a powerful motivator for community engagement. By recognizing members for their contributions, community managers can create a more positive and inclusive environment. This can also encourage members to continue to participate and contribute to the community.

Notifications 

Notifications keep members informed about community events, updates, and other important news. This feature can help to keep members engaged and connected, even when they are not actively using the app. Notifications can also be personalized based on member preferences, increasing their relevance and value.

Use on multiple devices

With the proliferation of mobile devices, it’s essential that community apps are accessible on multiple devices. By enabling members to access the community app from their desktop, tablet, or mobile device, community managers can ensure that members can engage with the community on their own terms and at their own convenience. This can lead to increased engagement and participation rates.

Overall, these key features are critical for boosting community engagement and ensuring the success of a community app. Lets take a look at some statistics on what.

What makes a good community app?

Developing an online community can be challenging, but don’t worry – we’re here to help! When looking for the best community platforms, there are a few key factors to consider, lets summarize them:

1. Usability 

Usability is paramount. Your community members will have varying levels of digital proficiency, so your app should be easy to use and navigate for everyone. It should also be compatible with all current iOS and Android mobile devices (a web app is a bonus!).

2. Content 

Your app should provide fresh content every time someone signs in, and users should be able to filter new and existing content based on their specific interests. To keep users engaged, your app should enable a variety of content types, including photos, videos, live streaming, and community-centric events. Allowing users to continue their own content will boost engagement in your community app. 

3. Personalization 

Personalization is an essential feature of a good community app because it allows users to tailor their experience to their specific interests and preferences. When users feel like their needs are being met, they are more likely to engage with the community and remain active members over time.

Here are some ways you can make your community app more personalized to your community member:

• Filter feature: Users can filter content to see only what interests them, such as specific topics or types of content.
• Notifications: Users can receive notifications that are relevant to them, such as alerts for new content in their favorite groups or when someone has interacted with one of their posts. This helps users stay engaged and connected to the community.
• Search feature:  By providing a personalized search experience, community apps can create a more engaging and relevant environment for their users.

Overall, these features are essential for personalizing the community app experience, enabling users to communicate, provide feedback, and find content that is relevant to their interests and needs. By providing personalized features, community apps can create a more engaging and satisfying experience for their users, leading to increased engagement and retention.

4. White-label app

A white label community app can tremendously boost engagement by providing complete branding control, enabling community managers to build an app around their brand and needs and by improving the user experience. By fostering a stronger sense of community ownership, providing greater control and customization options, and enhancing the user experience, white label community apps can help create a more engaging and dynamic community that members will want to be a part of.

By considering these factors, organizations or individuals can create a successful and vibrant online community that fosters growth, collaboration, and engagement. However, another important factor to consider is mobile. Let’s delve a bit deeper into this!

Why is a good community app mobile?

Picture this; A member of your community waiting for the bus, scrolling through their phone, and suddenly, they see a notification pop up from their favorite community app. They click on it, and suddenly, They’re transported to a world of like-minded people sharing ideas, collaborating, and supporting one another. This is the power of a good community app, and why it’s essential that it be mobile.

In today’s fast-paced world, people are always on the go, and they want to be able to access their favorite communities wherever they are. Whether they’re waiting in line at the grocery store, commuting to work, or taking a break between classes, people want to be able to engage with their communities on their mobile devices.

But it’s not just about convenience. A good community app should also be mobile because it enables deeper engagement and connection. When people have easy access to their communities on their phones, they are more likely to engage with them on a regular basis. This, in turn, leads to a stronger sense of community, greater collaboration, and a deeper connection between members.

So, why is a good community app mobile? Because it enables convenience and deeper engagement and fosters creativity and innovation. By providing a mobile app, community builders can create a thriving and engaging community that members can access whenever and wherever they are. So, whether you’re on the bus, at the coffee shop, or waiting in line, you can stay connected to your community and continue to learn, grow, and collaborate with like-minded people around the world.

Head-to-Head Comparison: Choosing where to host your community  application

Option A: Building your own branded community app

Pros

• Full control over the design, features, and functionality of the app
• Custom branding and messaging that aligns with your organization’s brand
• Ability to integrate with existing systems and databases

Cons

• Higher upfront costs and ongoing maintenance and development expenses
• Longer time to market compared to pre-built solutions
• Requires technical expertise and resources for development and maintenance

Option B: Hosting your community on a Social Media Platform

Pros

• Large existing user base and potential for increased visibility and reach
• Minimal upfront costs or technical expertise required
• Access to built-in features such as groups, events, and messaging

Cons

• You have to abide by the social media platforms algorithm. When you post in your community not everyone will see it.
• There are very very limited features. For example, using Facebook Groups you  basically just have a shared Facebook wall. You can post content, create polls, and even live stream. But compared to major community platforms, that isn’t much.
• Notifications – getting the right balance for notifications can be challenging as it is linked to facebook app not just the community. Therefore, people may receive to many notifications and some may not receive enough.
• Limited control over branding and design
• Changes in Facebook’s policies or algorithms can impact the visibility and reach of the community

Option C: Creating a community app with a community building platform like Circle

Pros

• Faster time to market compared to building your own app
• Pre-built features and functionality designed specifically for community building
• Lower upfront costs and reduced technical expertise required
• Potential for integration with existing systems and databases

Cons

• Limited control over the design and branding
• Pre-built solutions often have fixed templates and structures that can be difficult to adjust. This may result in limitations when it comes to adding or removing certain features
• Limited scalability: As your community grows, you may find that a pre-built solution cannot accommodate your needs
• You are dependent on that platform, you have to rely on them to do updates, add new features etc and therefore you lack control

The option that wins: Build a community app with Fliplet

With Fliplet, you get a mixture of both worlds. You can build your own custom community app while using an app on a pre-built solution! Fliplet offers a custom Community solution that enables anyone to build and customize their community apps without the need for coding or development skills.

Fliplet’s Community app comes with a huge selection of features that are customizable to meet your needs. This solution is designed to provide a starting point for anyone that wants to create a community app quickly and efficiently without the need to start from scratch.

Compared to competitors, Fliplet is very reasonably priced for all the features you can access, PLUS you can start building your app for free. You can create engaging and effective community experiences tailored to the community’s needs.

On top of that, Fliplet’s extensive list of pre-built solutions allows you to copy functionality from each solution to your community app, extending the functionalities of your app.

Fliplet templates include:

1. Learning (Want to start building your learning app? Read this blog to see how you can build one on a budget)
2. Directory (Check out 15 HR apps that will change the way you work)
3. Marketing
4. Innovation/idea management
5. Approval workflow
6. Portal app
7. Sales Enablement
8. Communications (Take a look at this blog where we compared the top 10 community apps to engage and monetize your community or you can check out the 15 best team communication apps of 2023)
9. Data capture
10. Emergency Management (Take a look at the 5 steps to take to prepare for a dawn raid)
11. Events (To compare our Event solution to other solutions read the 25 best mobile event apps you need in 2023)
12. Food ordering
13. Multilingual
14. Remote and office management
15. Task management
16. Reporting App
17. Blank solution to build from scratch

Ultimately, the decision to build your own community app, host on Facebook, or use a pre-built solution will depend on your organization’s specific goals, resources, and technical expertise.

How to build your own community app on a budget?

If you’re looking to build a community app on a budget, there are several factors to consider before selecting a platform.

Step 1: Select a platform

First things first, do some research and select a platform, we recommend using a no-code platform to save yourself time and money. Select a no-code app builder that fits your business needs, which includes factors such as reputation, user interface, cost, customization options, integration, security, and support.

We recommend using Fliplet which is an award-winning app building platform that offers customizable templates, drag-and-drop interface, cost-effective pricing, and a plethora of advanced features, making it an excellent choice for businesses of any size or industry.

Step 2: Choose the Plan that fits your app development needs

The second step is to choose the plan that fits your app development needs, assessing the features you want in the app and how much they might cost. Fliplet offers a range of subscription plans tailored to different stages or sizes of businesses, making it easy to select a plan that fits your budget, plus you can try it for free!

Step 3: Decide on a Template

The third step is to pick a template that meets your community’s requirements. When building a community app, selecting a suitable template can save you valuable time and resources. With Fliplet, you can choose a pre-built communication solution or start from scratch and build it yourself with no code.

We recommend selecting the communication solution as it comes with all the critical features needed for a community app, and is fully customizable so you can add or delete anything you want. This saves you time and gives you a good starting point, especially if you are new to app building.

Step 4: Brand your app and add your content in

The fourth step is to brand your app and add your content in, customizing it to suit your organization’s needs. Fliplet makes it easy to change colors, logos, fonts, and layouts, allowing you to create something unique that resonates with your community.

Step 5: Publish 

The fifth step is to publish your app on any supported publishing channels, such as the web, Apple App Store, or Google Play. Fliplet also allows you to publish mobile, tablet, and web apps and distribute apps internally by publishing them as enterprise apps for Android and iOS devices.

Remember to increase engagement and usability of your app; we recommend you publish it on as many platforms and devices as possible so that your community members can access it when it is convenient for them.

Step 6: App analytics  

Analytics can play a crucial role in measuring the success and engagement of a community app. By analyzing user behavior within the app, community managers can gain valuable insights into how users are interacting with the app, which features are being used the most, and which areas may need improvement.

Want to know more about how to develop a mobile app without coding? Check out this blog. 

Visit this case study to see how Saul Ewing created an innovation challenge app that has collected innovative staff ideas, helped build a community, driven innovation and improved collaboration.

For more on the best app builders, read our blog.

Top tips to boost engagement in your community app

Boosting engagement within your community app involves a mix of creativity, technology, and psychology. Here are some effective strategies to engage your users and foster a vibrant community:

1. Encourage active participation: Create an environment where members feel compelled to contribute. This can be achieved by setting up discussion forums or chat groups that invite users to share ideas, ask questions, and participate in conversations. Ensure these spaces are well moderated to maintain a safe and welcoming atmosphere.
2. Utilize gamification: Introduce elements like challenges, quizzes, and interactive activities that make participation fun and rewarding. Incorporating badges, points, or leaderboards can motivate users to engage more frequently, fostering a healthy sense of competition and community spirit.
3. Empower users with content creation: Allow users to contribute their own content, such as articles, photos, and videos. This not only enriches the app’s content but also gives users a sense of ownership and investment in the community.
4. Offer incentives: Acknowledge and reward active members with incentives such as exclusive content, special status, or tangible rewards. Recognition can be a powerful motivator, encouraging others to contribute actively.
5. Leverage visual content: Engage users with high-quality visuals like photos, videos, and infographics. Visual content is more engaging and can convey information more effectively than text alone.
6. Facilitate real-time interactions: Implement features like live chat or instant messaging to allow real-time communication among users. This helps in building immediate connections and can make interactions within the community feel more lively and genuine.
7. Personalize user experience: Use data-driven insights to offer personalized content, notifications, and recommendations based on individual user behavior and preferences. Personalization enhances relevance and can significantly boost user engagement.
8. Keep content fresh and valuable: Regularly update the app with fresh and interesting content that adds value to your users’ experiences. This could include educational materials, insightful articles, and regular community updates.
9. Implement user feedback: Regularly collect and act on user feedback to improve the app. This shows users that their opinions are valued and that they are actively shaping the community environment.

Ensure multi-device accessibility: A good community app must function seamlessly across various devices, including smartphones, tablets, and desktops, ensuring users can engage whenever and wherever they choose.

The Future of Community Building Apps

As technology advances, community building apps are set to become more sophisticated, incorporating the latest in artificial intelligence and mobile technology to enhance user engagement and accessibility. These apps will increasingly focus on providing personalized experiences, leveraging AI to customize interactions based on user behavior and preferences.

• Privacy and security enhancements: With growing concerns over data privacy, future community apps will prioritize robust security measures to protect user information and ensure safe, trust-based environments.
• Branded and niche community development: Organizations will increasingly build their own branded community apps to foster direct engagement away from traditional social media platforms. Similarly, the rise of niche apps will cater to specific interests or demographics, providing spaces for more focused interaction and content sharing.
• Real-time communication and governance: Enhanced real-time communication tools, including voice, video, and live chat, will be integrated to foster instant connectivity. Additionally, community governance features will empower users with tools for self-management, promoting a sense of ownership and accountability.

By focusing on these key areas, future community apps will not only enhance user experience but also foster deeper, more meaningful interactions within digitally connected communities.

Community Apps: Conclusion