Are you on the hunt for the best community apps for fostering vibrant engagement and collaboration online?

Our concise overview spotlights the leading platforms of 2024, making it easier for you to pick the suitable app that aligns with your community’s spirit and goals.

What we will explore together:

• Community apps are essential in the digital landscape, allowing businesses to foster brand loyalty and user retention, providing individuals with platforms for networking, and enabling communities to benefit from peer-to-peer connections and collaboration.
• Community apps are anticipated to increasingly integrate AI, improving productivity and knowledge sharing, with the potential for a more open knowledge-sharing ecosystem and AI rewarding users for their contributions.
• The top community apps such as Disco App offer unique features catering to different audiences, such as AI-powered learning experiences, superior communication tools, privacy-focused spaces, live streaming, brand engagement enhancements, and customizable community hubs.

What are Community Apps?

In simplest terms, Community Apps function as bustling town squares within the vast digital landscape, centralizing interaction, collaboration, and information sharing. As the lifeblood of the digital ecosystem, these online communities foster connections and boost engagement among members.

Their importance cannot be overstated as they drive the shift from the vastness of social media to smaller, quality online community platforms, with a focus on experience, visibility, and data.

➡️ Check out Disco Community App, the #1 community app with web and mobile apps that you can use to accelerate learning and community engagement. Download the iOS and Android for free!

For Businesses

In the business world, community apps are akin to a thriving marketplace. They create an environment for meaningful interactions between a brand and its customers, transforming user engagement and fostering brand loyalty.

Active communities have seen a significant increase in user retention rates, with businesses incentivizing members to become active brand advocates.

Community apps also act as an efficient channel for customer support and knowledge sharing, leading to organic growth through a dedicated user base.

For Individuals

Community apps offer individuals a vibrant platform for connecting with others who share their interests and fostering continuous dialogue.

Through personalized content delivery based on individual interests, these online community apps enable knowledge sharing and personal growth. Features like event reminders keep individuals updated with schedules for community events, contributing to their growth and networking opportunities.

For Communities

Regardless of their focus - be it interests, professions, or hobbies - communities find immense value in multi-dimensional online community app platforms, such as Facebook Groups.

These platforms including Facebook Groups promote organic growth by facilitating peer-to-peer connections that deliver meaningful value to members, creating a thriving online community.

Engaged community members contribute to the sustainability of community apps by regularly providing feedback and helping to crowdsource new ideas, ensuring the app remains relevant to their needs.

The Future of Community Apps: AI-Powered Community Platforms

Community apps are evolving into an exciting blend of human interaction and artificial intelligence. Productivity gains, such as accelerated onboarding for new hires and expedited developer workflows through access to organizational knowledge, are anticipated with the integration of AI in community platforms.

AI systems in community apps will likely reward users who contribute to the knowledge base, fostering a culture of open and growing community resources.

The use of AI in community apps is predicted to lead to a future where knowledge is shared openly, avoiding the risk of centralizing knowledge within AI models that require payment for access.

Choosing the Right Community App for Your Needs

The selection of a suitable community app is a significant decision, reliant on specific demands, goals, and the target audience. The chosen community app should facilitate tasks such as:

• community forum discussions
• comment posting
• review writing
• poll conducting
• event hosting

These features will boost member interaction and engagement. Engagement, a vital component within a community platform, is achieved when members interact not just with the brand but also with each other, fostering a sense of community and camaraderie.

When choosing a community engagement tool, ensure it provides:

• A friendly, safe, and accessible environment
• Intuitive use
• 24/7 moderation for public discussions
• Adherence to accessibility guidelines
• Data privacy

A very good example of this is Disco.co. Disco is a top-tier community app powered by AI that allows every learner and member to engage with each other with their mobile phones and gadgets. This is a game-changer when it comes to increasing your community's engagement and course completion rates.

Key Features to Look for in a Community App

A focus on user-centric design, customization, engagement tools, and robust analytics is imperative when selecting an app-building platform for your community app.

Key features in a community app provide numerous benefits:

1. AI-powered community apps harness the capabilities of artificial intelligence to create more personalized and efficient user experiences, automating tasks and providing data-driven insights to enhance community engagement.
2. Community-based learning platforms, pivotal for growth and engagement, equip members with an integrated learning suite that fosters collaborative projects and continuous skill development within the community.
3. Customization options are pivotal for crafting a branded mobile app that resonates with your community's unique identity, enhancing member connection, and reinforcing brand loyalty through a personalized user experience.
4. Efficient onboarding ensures new users feel welcomed and can navigate the app effortlessly, contributing to a stronger sense of community belonging from the start.
5. Robust analytics offer valuable insights into user behavior and content effectiveness, empowering you to make data-driven decisions to enhance the community experience.

Disco stands out with its comprehensive suite of features tailored for both iOS and Android users. This robust online community app not only connects people but also enriches the user experience with its intuitive design and versatile functionalities. Let's take a closer look at how this platform can elevate your digital community.

Top 7 Community Apps of 2024

The year 2024 has witnessed the introduction of an array of community apps that have enhanced connections, collaboration, and engagement for various user groups. Each of these apps offers unique features and experiences, and collectively, they represent the pinnacle of community engagement platforms in 2024.

#1. DISCO - The Best Community App For All Online Community Types, AI-Powered 2024

DISCO has established itself as the premier community app of 2024, garnering global trust from the world's top communities such as XPRIZE, Monitor Deloitte, Course Hero, AltMBA, and many others, achieving recognition as an award-winning platform within the startup ecosystem.

Its unparalleled AI-powered LMS and highly customizable mobile app capabilities have set a new standard for community engagement, making it the go-to choice for top communities seeking to foster vibrant and collaborative environments.

Why Choose Disco?

Disco emerges as the best community platform with AI-powered LMS, becoming a favorite for 2024 learning communities. The offers:

1. The Disco AI Sidekick Experience

Disco has once again redefined the landscape of AI learning and community engagement with the launch of its native AI tool, AI Sidekick. This groundbreaking feature within the Disco platform acts as a multifaceted assistant, streamlining operations and infusing strategy with advanced artificial intelligence.

Disco AI Sidekick is designed to serve as a community assistant, operator, strategist, and content creator, all rolled into one intuitive tool. With AI Sidekick, everything becomes 10x easier and faster. Here's how it transforms the community experience:

As a Community Assistant: AI Sidekick acts as a virtual helper, offering real-time support and streamlining daily management tasks to enhance member interactions and ensure a smooth community experience.

Beyond administrative duties, the AI Sidekick can autonomously write compelling posts, generate engaging images, answer member queries with precision, and continuously improve its assistance capabilities by learning from your community's unique data patterns.

📺 Master how to write a post with AI with this video:

As a Community Operator: Disco's AI Sidekick excels at automating workflows and handling administrative tasks, ensuring the community operates like a well-oiled machine. It's like having a digital genie at your disposal, taking care of the mundane so you can focus on the extraordinary.

📺 Watch how to use automation in the Disco platform:

As a Strategist: The tool isn't just about crunching numbers; it's about turning data into wisdom. By analyzing community interactions, AI Sidekick offers actionable insights that pave the way for strategic planning and community growth, much like a seasoned chess player anticipating moves before they happen.

As a Content Creator: With the creative flair of an artist and the precision of an engineer, AI Sidekick crafts content that resonates deeply with the community's pulse. It generates compelling narratives that drive engagement, ensuring that learning is not just informative but also delightfully captivating.

📺 Create your first online course with this video:

2. Highly Customizable Mobile App

Disco's platform and app are a hit because you can make it look and work just how you want it to. It's like giving your community its special online hangout that feels like home.

The app is super easy to use, which means everyone can get the hang of it quickly. This is great because it helps keep people coming back for more fun and chats. It's like having a friendly door that's always open for your community pals.

📺 Watch this short tutorial to customize your community:

3. Multiple Engagement Tools

Disco is designed to foster self-sustaining communities by encouraging members to interact with one another independently. This approach not only boosts engagement but also cultivates a vibrant, self-managing community ecosystem. Some of Disco's engagement tools are:

• AI community assistant
• mobile app
• live events
• discussion boards, threads, and forums
• direct and group messaging
• custom profile fields
• member directory
• groups and subgroups
• embedding tool
• content library
• custom onboarding
• event polls and attendance reports

4. An Enhanced Member Management System

Disco's innovative member management system capitalizes on the power of AI and boasts seamless integration with Slack, elevating community operations to new heights of efficiency. This sophisticated system streamlines the administration of member interactions and activities, thereby optimizing time and resources.

It features comprehensive community analytics, offering deep insights into member engagement through Disco's advanced engagement scoring system. With this wealth of data, community managers are equipped to make strategic decisions that propel ongoing refinement and foster a dynamic, thriving online community.

Take advantage of Disco's 14-day free trial for first-time users so you can experience the platform firsthand before committing to a subscription plan.

#2. Slack - The Communication App for Workplace Environment

Slack sustains its versatility with superior communication and file-sharing capabilities, including:

• In-app video and audio recording features
• Direct messaging
• Channels
• Emoji reactions
• Tagging members

These features are central to Slack’s ability to provide seamless communication for its users.

Slack Integration Into Disco's Platform

Moreover, Slack's integration into Disco with the power of intelligent automation and AI co-pilot stands as a revolutionary addition. This community assistant for community managers significantly eases the workload of community operators by managing communities more efficiently.

The integration allows for the synchronization of community activities and discussions between Disco and Slack, enabling a smoother workflow and more cohesive community management.

• AI-powered notifications and reminders keep community managers on top of their tasks and member engagement.
• Automated workflows created by the AI co-pilot streamline repetitive tasks, freeing up time for community managers to focus on strategy and personal interactions.
• The AI assistant can analyze conversations and provide insights, helping to foster a more dynamic and responsive community environment.

Slack's pricing, while considered a barrier for some small organizations, is offset by the value it provides when paired with Disco's AI-driven community management tools.

#3. Discord - Ideal Community App for Gaming Communities

Discord continues to shine as the go-to digital haven for the gaming community, with its live streaming capabilities and robust chat features that create an immersive experience for gamers around the globe.

Despite its popularity among gamers, Discord has yet to hit the mark for business communities that often seek more structured and formal communication tools.

For general community communication, Discord excels with its comprehensive suite of features, including high-quality video conversations, seamless screen-sharing capabilities, and a well-organized system of dedicated text and video channels that cater to a wide array of interests and activities.

#4. Circle - Ideal for Creators and Influencers

Circle has garnered user appreciation for its straightforward interface and commitment to privacy, offering a haven for users who prioritize secure conversations.

Despite its many strengths, one notable area for improvement is the integration of its Android app, which has presented challenges for some users.

Circle's platform enables the creation of discussion threads. It categorizes them into public or private spaces, which is particularly appealing for those looking to foster intimate group interactions or more broad-based community dialogues.

Additional features such as integrated courses, live streams, chat functionalities, events organization, and payment systems enhance the user experience.

One of the unique aspects of Circle is its video response feature, which allows users to engage in a more personal and dynamic way by responding to videos with their own video replies, enriching the community interaction and making conversations more engaging and memorable.

#5. Kajabi - Customizable Options to Sell and Create Online Courses

Following Vibely integration, Kajabi enriches its platform with enhanced community interaction through live rooms, challenges, and discussion circles. Kajabi Communities encompasses live video capabilities, challenge templates, leaderboards, badges for engagement, and customizable community circles.

Kajabi is considered useful as an online course platform with basic community features; however, it lacks advanced membership options and the user experience is not as cohesive as it could be.

#6. Mighty Networks - A White-Label Native App

Mighty Networks revolutionizes brand engagement with white-label native app creation and a diverse range of features from live streaming to courses.

The Mighty Networks app is available in both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, promoting a cohesive cross-device experience for mobile devices and offering white-label native apps and unique features like location-based services.

Create your own app with Mighty Networks and enhance your brand’s presence on mobile devices. Users should be aware of the potential limitations of Mighty Networks, including:

• The need for plan upgrades to unlock course-building tools
• A less intuitive sign-in process
• Limited customer service
• Lack of PayPal integration
• Comparative disadvantage in course creation control

#7. Hivebrite - Cloud-based Community Engagement Hub

Hivebrite offers an all-in-one customizable, cloud-based community engagement hub, with sector-wide support via mobile and web platforms.

Organizations can leverage Hivebrite’s rich suite of custom features, including event management tools and an integrated CRM system, to build, manage, and grow their online communities.

Hivebrite’s versatility shines across different industries, promoting knowledge sharing, alignment of strategy, and fostering a strong sense of belonging, notably within vibrant learning communities.

Integrating Community Apps with Existing Tools

The integration of community apps with existing tools like CRM systems and marketing automation optimizes operations and augments data management. The integration of community apps with CRM systems enables:

• Tracking of the entire customer lifecycle
• Automating permissions
• Supporting single sign-on
• Enhancing database unification
• Furnishing sales and support teams with comprehensive customer insights.

DISCO - The Top Choice On Our List!

In conclusion, community apps are the linchpins binding digital communities together, fostering relationships, knowledge sharing, and fostering growth. They enhance businesses, individuals, and community engagement, improving accessibility, user retention, customer support, brand awareness, and organic growth.

With advances in AI, community apps are poised to offer even more personalized experiences and improved productivity. The future of community apps is bright, with the Disco platform as the top choice on our list. Disco has an all-in-one community platform having both web app and mobile app, to ensure learning and engagement is accessible to your customers and learners.

Take advantage of our 14-day free trial and start creating your community with Disco's community app. Download the Disco App on iOS and Android.

Transform Your Community in 21 Days!

Building a community doesn't have to be lonely, all by yourself, and learning from your own experience. At Disco, we believe in learning with a community, and we know that as a community leader, you also need a community for yourself to share and learn with like-minded individuals.

Whether you just started building your community, or you built it years ago--transform your community from 0 to 1 in 21 days with Disco's learning community! Join for free, and meet community leaders from around the world today.