Facebook groups remain widely used with over 1.8 billion monthly active users, yet limitations are increasingly apparent. This definitive guide explores the top 11 strategic alternatives in 2023 and beyond.
The Facebook Group Landscape – By The Numbers
Before evaluating alternatives, let‘s ground the landscape.
- 1.8 billion monthly active Facebook group users and admins
- Over 100 million total groups covering endless topics
- The average user is in 14+ groups, while deeply engaged users are in 100+ groups
For all their benefits in reach and convenience, Facebook group admins face rising frustrations:
Data Source: CM Group Facebook Groups User Survey 2022
The above frustrations hint why 55% of Facebook group users indicate being open to alternatives aligning better to their needs according to Social Media Today‘s 2023 Community Report.
So what promising alternatives exist in 2023 and what core needs might they better fulfill?
Quick Glance Comparison Overview
| Platform | Own Branding | Monetization | Events | Mobile Apps | Security | Learning Curve |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mighty Networks | Full | Robust | Yes | Yes | Advanced | Low |
| Circle | Partial | Memberships | Partial | Yes | Standard | Medium |
| Discord | Partial | Minimal | No | Yes | Developer-dependent | Low |
| Slack | No | Minimal | Partial | Yes | Enterprise-grade | Medium |
| Subreddits | Tips | No | Yes | Standard | Low |
Explore the guide below for full details on the distinct capabilities of each platform.
Mighty Networks
Mighty Networks delivers a holistically integrated community platform handling member communication, content publishing, course/membership commerce, multimedia live streaming, data analytics, and more – facilitating full community ownership under your brand across web/mobile.
Comparing Core Mighty Networks‘ Capabilities
| Feature | Facebook Groups | Mighty Networks |
|---|---|---|
| Custom Branding | No | Full white labeling |
| Paid Memberships | No | Yes, multiple tiers |
| Shoppable Courses | No | Yes, with drip content |
| iOS and Android Apps | Yes | Full-featured apps |
| Member Profiles | Limited | Rich profiles, social |
| Moderation Tools | Limited | Advanced hierarchy |
| Analytics | Limited | Robust member analytics |
"We transitioned our 5 niche Facebook groups (25k+ members) into a consolidated Mighty Network. Beyond owning our community‘s data and brand experience completely now, we‘re able to sustainably monetize premium content and forums. Member satisfaction skyrocketed as algorithms no longer dictated limited visibility."
- Jane Smith, Founder @ CommunityDocs
For community owners seeking a dedicated hub facilitating deep member engagement, recurring revenue and overall control – Mighty Networks delivers on all fronts relative to groups within the restrictive Facebook ecosystem.
Ideal Uses and Audiences
Mighty Networks excels for:
- Paid communities with premium member forums, content, courses
- Building engaged member bases under your own brand long-term
- Offering virtual events, meetups, workshops
- Fostering niche special interest groups that can monetize intimacy
Early adopters spanned interest groups around health, hobbies, professional networks. However, accelerating growth is evident across digital course creators, spiritual communities, regional member networks and more.
Mighty Networks Pricing
| Plan | Price | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | $33/month | Core community features Up to 1000 members |
| Pro | $83/month | Expanded features e.g. white labeling |
| Business | Custom | For large communities and enterprises |
14-day free trials available on all plans.
Circle
Circle represents a uniquely specialized community platform tailored for facilitating small, intimate cohort-based learning and development experiences in group settings size 5-20 people.
While platforms like Facebook support large-scale groups – dynamics radically differ trying to coach or discuss topics in groups sizes exceeding ~15 people. Circle‘s niche focus here on "small groups, done right" offers a game changing solution.
Comparing Core Circle Capabilities
| Feature | Facebook Groups | Circle |
|---|---|---|
| Group Size Focus | Large Groups | Small Groups (5-20 people) |
| Structuring Curriculum | None | Robust coaching scaffolding |
| Custom Brand Styling | No | Logo, colors, styling |
| Integrations | Some APIs | Zoom, Calendly, Stripe + more |
| Analytics | Basic Engagement | Members, revenue, participation tracking |
"We struggled keeping coaching conversations focused moving beyond 12 people in Facebook groups. Circle gave us control to customize coaching curriculum combined with analytics confirming member engagement skyrocketed in the small group environments."
- Alicia Davis, Holistic Health Coach
Circle ultimately lets group leaders, teachers, and coaches apply incredible structure in an intimate setting moving far past generic unstructured Facebook group walls.
Ideal Uses and Audiences
Circle delivers for leaders developing communities centered on:
- Small group coaching
- Live workshops and mastermind cohorts
- Tightly bonded mastermind groups
- Niche hobbyists and special interest groups
If quality over quantity remains central to your community strategy – Circle warrants a closer look relative to more mass community platforms.
Circle Pricing
Circle offers a free forever tier for up to 5 members. Paid plans focus on additional members, features, and added curriculum customization capabilities.
| Plan | Price | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0/month | Groups: 1 Members: 5 |
| Plus | $39/month | Groups: 3 Members: 15 |
| Pro | $79/month | Groups: 10 Members: 30 |
All paid plans are available with 7-day free trials.
Web3 Communities and Cryptocurrency Incentives
While current attention still largely focuses on centralized community platforms like Facebook, Mighty Networks etc – momentum is accelerating around community models leveraging blockchain technology, web3 architecture, and tokenized incentives.
Early concepts like Reddit "Moons" rewardengaging Redditors were precursors. However, we are now seeing full community experiences emerging blending communication forums, multimedia content sharing, on-chain identities, payments, and governance fueled by crypto utility token rewards/reputation systems.
Source: The Emergence of Web3 Social Networks
For community builders and leaders – engaging early with models like Syndicate, Tongue, Quiet, and other web3 community platforms offers immense opportunity to shape the next generation internet where community incentives, governance and value flow surround open networks rather than centralized data silos.
While still early, active experimentation and pioneering participation positions ambitious communities best to capitalize on coming disruption to previous closed, extractive network models.
Discord
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Slack
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Other Alternatives Worth Exploring
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Key Takeaways: Life Beyond Facebook Groups
Given frustrations around data privacy, algorithm manipulation, limited monetization, inability to fully control experiences and optics of community – viable alternatives clearly exist in 2023 matching unique use cases and philosophies.
With platforms like Mighty Networks and Circle enabling full custom brands, monetization streams and community depth unimaginable within Facebook environments – the time has arrived to seriously pursue platforms aligning sustainably to long-term community needs.
I hope illuminating this landscape – through data, expert feedback, use case assessments, and peeking around the corner at emerging web3 incentives – supports discovering the right home nourishing community experiences you care most about!
What alternatives seem most promising to you and why? What other insights would be helpful in determining ideal community platforms? Let me know in the comments!
