Building an online community has become one of the most powerful strategies for creators, coaches, SaaS companies, and membership-based businesses. But the platform you choose determines the entire experience — the engagement style, the structure of your content, and how easy it is for members to stay active.
In 2025, the three most widely used community platforms are Circle, Heartbeat, and Discord. They each serve very different types of communities. This comparison breaks down the differences so you can choose the best fit for your audience.
Quick Comparison Table
| Platform | Starting Price | Ideal For | Strengths |
|---|---|---|---|
| Circle | $49/month | Paid communities, courses, memberships | Beautiful UI, structured spaces, courses, events |
| Heartbeat | $29/month | Coaching programs, cohorts, educational groups | Automation, workflows, chat + community + courses |
| Discord | Free | Fast-moving social communities, gaming, open groups | Real-time chat, voice channels, bots, huge engagement |
Circle
URL: https://circle.so/
Pricing (2025)
- Basic Plan: $49/month
- Professional Plan: $99/month
- Enterprise plans available
Best For: Paid communities, premium memberships, course + community ecosystems
Circle offers the cleanest and most professional community experience. It’s built for creators and businesses that charge for membership, sell courses, or host structured discussion spaces.
Key Features
- Courses & lesson modules built into the platform
- Paid memberships with tiered pricing
- Events, livestreams, and community spaces
- Beautiful interface and smooth user experience
- Private spaces with role-based access
Pros
- Best all-in-one tool for paid communities
- Great for combining courses + community
- Members find it easy to navigate
- Strong analytics and reporting
Cons
Best Use Case
Choose Circle if you want to build a premium, paid community with structured content, courses, and events.
Heartbeat
Pricing (2025)
- Starter Plan: $29/month
- Pro Plan: $99/month
- Business Plans available for large groups
Best For: Coaches, community programs, cohort-based courses, challenges, structured learning groups
Heartbeat blends community, chat, courses, and automation into one platform — making it a favorite for coaching businesses and cohort-based programs.
Key Features
- Automated onboarding & workflows
- DM inbox + chat channels
- Calendars + Zoom integrations
- Courses and resource library
- Community analytics & gamification
Pros
- More automation features than Circle
- Affordable for small to medium creators
- Great for challenge-based or cohort-based communities
- Feels more “live” and interactive
Cons
- Design is not as polished as Circle
- Fewer customization options
- Large communities may outgrow the chat-first structure
Best Use Case
Choose Heartbeat if you run coaching groups, cohorts, workshops, or structured community programs with frequent interaction.
Discord
URL: https://discord.com/
Pricing (2025)
- Free to use
- Nitro upgrades optional
Best For: Large free communities, gaming groups, fandoms, real-time engagement
Discord is the king of real-time conversation. It’s fast, chaotic, and community-driven — ideal for groups that thrive on constant conversation rather than structured lessons or content.
Key Features
- Real-time chat with topic channels
- Voice rooms, stages, livestreams
- Bots for automation, moderation & custom workflows
- Roles, permissions & moderation tools
- Massive integration ecosystem
Pros
- Completely free
- Extremely engaging for active communities
- Highly customizable with bots
- Perfect for casual or fast-paced environments
Cons
- Not designed for paid memberships
- Not ideal for courses or structured content
- Overwhelming interface for beginners
Best Use Case
Choose Discord if your community is free, social, fast-paced, and thrives on real-time chat.
Use-Case Recommendations
| Your Goal | Best Platform |
|---|---|
| Build a paid membership community | Circle |
| Run coaching programs or cohort-style learning | Heartbeat |
| Build a large free or public community | Discord |
| Sell courses + host a community | Circle |
| Weekly live sessions & workshops | Heartbeat |
| Real-time chat, gaming, fandom, casual groups | Discord |
Conclusion
- Circle is the top choice for paid, structured, professional communities with courses, memberships, and events.
- Heartbeat is ideal for coaches, cohort groups, and hybrid communities needing automation and chat + community + course features.
- Discord is unmatched for free, fast-moving, social chat communities with real-time engagement and massive participation.
Choose based on your community’s purpose, structure, engagement style, and monetization model — and your choice becomes clear.
