Best Social Networking Software in 2026
Updated
In short: NodeBB is ranked #1 of 23 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of HumHub and Circle. The best-ranked option with a free plan is HumHub. The lowest first paid tier on this page is BuddyBoss Platform at $8.25/mo.
23 social networking software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
#1 NodeBB Top pick · 7.8 Free plan · $20/mo
#2 HumHub Runner-up · 7.2 
#3 Circle Also great · 7.0 $89/mo
- Free planFree trial apiLinuxmacOSself-hostedWebWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms$20/mofirst paid tier About NodeBBVisit site - Free plan AndroidapiiOSself-hostedWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Free trial AndroidapiiOSmacOSWebWindows
- Free plan
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms$89/mofirst paid tier About CircleVisit site - WebRecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms
- Free plan self-hosted
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms$100/mofirst paid tier About DiscourseVisit site - Free trial AndroidiOS
- Free plan
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms$19/mofirst paid tier About HeartbeatVisit site - WebiOSAndroid
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Free plan AndroidiOSWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
- Private communities
- Yes
- Mobile apps
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms$8.25/mofirst paid tier About BuddyBoss PlatformVisit site - Free plan Web
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms$79/mofirst paid tier About ProfileGridVisit site - Web
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Free plan WebiOSAndroid
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - AndroidiOSWeb
- Free plan
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms$79/mofirst paid tier About Mighty NetworksVisit site - WebiOSAndroid
- Free plan
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms$29/mofirst paid tier About SocialEngineVisit site - Web
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - WebiOSAndroid
- Free plan
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms$599/mofirst paid tier About DiscipleVisit site - WebiOSAndroid
- Free plan
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - WebiOSAndroidRecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms
- Web
- Free plan
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms$399/mofirst paid tier About BettermodeVisit site - WebiOSAndroid
- Free plan
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms$9/mofirst paid tier About SkoolVisit site - Web
- Free plan
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms$12.50/mofirst paid tier About NINGVisit site - WebRecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms
- WebRecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms
- WebRecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms
Is your platform on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which social networking software is ranked first on The Geeks Club?
NodeBB is ranked #1 of 23 with a score of 7.8. HumHub is second and Circle third.
How many of these have a free plan?
6 of the 23 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, BuddyBoss Platform has the lowest first paid tier we found: $8.25/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on how quickly a newcomer can get going: documentation depth, a free tier or trial, and the platforms it runs on. Paid placements never change a rank.