Best Forums.net Alternatives in 2026
Updated
20 platforms from online community platforms ranked against Forums.net on the same published basis.
- 1Forums.net vs NodeBB
- 2Forums.net vs Daisie
- 3Forums.net vs HumHub
- 4Forums.net vs Circle
- 5Forums.net vs Open Social
- 6Forums.net vs Discourse
- 7Forums.net vs Heartbeat
- 8Forums.net vs phpBB
- 9Forums.net vs Fora
- 10Forums.net vs Archive of Our Own
- 11Forums.net vs Crowdstack
- 12Forums.net vs Geneva
- 13Forums.net vs Mighty Networks
- 14Forums.net vs Reddit
- 15Forums.net vs Hivebrite
- 16Forums.net vs Invision Community
- 17Forums.net vs Lobsters
- 18Forums.net vs Nodyx
- 19Forums.net vs Wattpad
- 20Forums.net vs Bettermode
Forums.net alternatives compared
| # | Platform | Score | Free plan | From | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NodeBB | 7.8 | Free plan | $20/mo | API, Linux, Mac, self-hosted, Web, Windows |
| 2 | Daisie | 7.3 | Free plan | Free | iOS, Web |
| 3 | HumHub | 7.2 | Free plan | — | Android, API, iOS, self-hosted, Web |
| 4 | Circle | 7.0 | No | $89/mo | Android, API, iOS, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 5 | Open Social | 7.0 | Free plan | Free | Android, API, iOS, self-hosted, Web |
| 6 | Discourse | 6.9 | Free plan | $100/mo | self-hosted |
| 7 | Heartbeat | 6.9 | No | $19/mo | Android, iOS |
| 8 | phpBB | 6.8 | Free plan | Free | self-hosted, Web |
| 9 | Fora | 6.7 | Free plan | Free | Web |
| 10 | Archive of Our Own | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Web |
| 11 | Crowdstack | 6.5 | No | $999/mo | Web |
| 12 | Geneva | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Web, iOS, Android |
| 13 | Mighty Networks | 6.3 | No | $79/mo | Android, iOS, Web |
| 14 | 6.2 | No | — | Web, iOS, Android | |
| 15 | Hivebrite | 6.1 | No | — | Web, iOS, Android |
| 16 | Invision Community | 6.1 | No | — | Web, iOS, Android |
| 17 | Lobsters | 6.1 | No | — | Web |
| 18 | Nodyx | 6.1 | Free plan | Free | API, Linux, Mac, self-hosted, Web, Windows |
| 19 | Wattpad | 6.1 | No | — | Web, iOS, Android |
| 20 | Bettermode | 5.9 | No | $399/mo | Web |
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Questions about Forums.net alternatives
What is the best alternative to Forums.net?
NodeBB, number 1 in online community platforms with a score of 7.8 out of 10. The others here: Daisie, HumHub, Circle and 16 more.
What is the best free alternative to Forums.net?
NodeBB is the best-ranked alternative with a free plan. 10 of the 20 alternatives here publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
How are these alternatives ranked?
Ranked on how quickly a newcomer can get going: documentation depth, a free tier or trial, and the platforms it runs on.