Discussion forums
DiscourseConversations worth coming back to.
FlarumA fresh space for discussion.
phpBBGive the conversation a home.
NodeBBA forum built around an active conversation.24 applications / Communities & conversation
Give your people a place to gather.
A forum, a team chat and a federated social server support different kinds of conversation. Choose around the community’s habits and the people responsible for membership, moderation and long-term stewardship.
Explore the applications
Choose by the work you want to do.
DiscourseConversations worth coming back to.FlarumA fresh space for discussion.phpBBGive the conversation a home.NodeBBA forum built around an active conversation.Federated communities
MastodonHost a community in the social web.
PixelfedMake photographs the center of a community.
LemmyBuild discussion around shared links and interests.Team and member spaces
ZulipKeep team chat organized by topic.
MattermostGive operational teams a shared conversation space.
HumHubKeep a community organized around shared spaces.
BuddyPressGive WordPress members a place to connect.Browse this collection
Communities & conversation applications
24 applications to explore
CommunitybbPress
Add a forum to your WordPress community.
View hosting & requirementsBookWyrm
Make reading a shared conversation.
View hosting & requirementsCommunityBuddyPress
Give WordPress members a place to connect.
View hosting & requirementsCommunityDiscourse
Conversations worth coming back to.
View hosting & requirements
CommunityElgg
Build a social space for your organization.
View hosting & requirementsCommunityFlarum
A fresh space for discussion.
View hosting & requirements
CommunityFriendica
Connect people across a federated network.
View hosting & requirements
CommunityHubzilla
Build connected spaces for publishing and sharing.
View hosting & requirementsCommunityHumHub
Keep a community organized around shared spaces.
View hosting & requirementsCommunityLemmy
Build discussion around shared links and interests.
View hosting & requirementsCommunityMastodon
Host a community in the social web.
View hosting & requirements
CommunityMatrix Synapse
Run the server behind your Matrix conversations.
View hosting & requirementsCommunityMattermost
Give operational teams a shared conversation space.
View hosting & requirementsMbin
Bring links and short updates into one community.
View hosting & requirements
CommunityMisskey
A social home with an expressive personality.
View hosting & requirements
CommunityMobilizon
Bring people together around real events.
View hosting & requirementsMyBB
A place for your people.
View hosting & requirementsCommunityNodeBB
A forum built around an active conversation.
View hosting & requirements
CommunityPeerTube
Publish video with your own community rules.
View hosting & requirementsCommunityphpBB
Give the conversation a home.
View hosting & requirementsCommunityPixelfed
Make photographs the center of a community.
View hosting & requirements
CommunityPleroma
Create a social server with your own policies.
View hosting & requirements
Community applicationCommunitySimple Machines Forum
Make long-running conversations easy to revisit.
View hosting & requirementsCommunityZulip
Keep team chat organized by topic.
View hosting & requirementsChoose with confidence
How should members participate, and who keeps the space useful?
Invite a small group to register, post, report content and recover an account. Test moderator permissions and email notifications. For federation, also test how remote accounts and content appear to your local community.
Choose the shape of conversation
Forums preserve topics and replies. Chat supports ongoing team communication. Social platforms emphasize feeds and interaction. Use the form that fits how members already participate.
Decide who can join and connect
Public registration, private invitations and federation create different access and moderation needs. Define those rules before a server starts accepting users.
Plan the human work
A community application needs clear moderation, reporting and account-recovery practices as well as reliable hosting. Make those responsibilities part of the launch plan.
Bring to the hosting conversation: Member count, media uploads, mail delivery, realtime connections and moderation policy.
How should I compare the communities & conversation in this collection?
A forum, a team chat and a federated social server support different kinds of conversation. Choose around the community’s habits and the people responsible for membership, moderation and long-term stewardship.
What should I prepare before hosting one of these community applications?
Member count, media uploads, mail delivery, realtime connections and moderation policy. Each application's profile links to its official project for current requirements and licensing.
What is a useful first test for a community application?
Invite a small group to register, post, report content and recover an account. Test moderator permissions and email notifications. For federation, also test how remote accounts and content appear to your local community.