Top Community Management Software for Your Needs (2025 Guide)

Community management is no longer just about running events, sending emails, or keeping a list of members. In 2025, communities, both online and offline, want easy engagement and quick communication. They also want a clear space where people feel connected.

For UK organisations such as mosques, weekend schools, cultural groups, sports clubs, charities, local associations, as well as online learning groups, creator communities, and digital clubs, the right community management software can dramatically reduce admin and increase engagement.

This guide explains the best community management software. It covers platforms for online communities, physical organisations, and hybrid groups.

All data and context mentioned come from public UK sources. These include NCVO, Ofcom, ONS, the Charity Digital Skills Report, and gov.uk.

🔵 Why Community Management Software Matters in 2025

NCVO’s Almanac shows that UK voluntary organisations are under pressure. This is especially true for small local groups. They have too much administrative work to handle. 
They also have limited staff or volunteer availability. This makes automation and centralised tools increasingly important.

At the same time, NCVO’s Almanac reports that UK voluntary organisations — especially small local groups — face time pressure, admin overload, and limited staff or volunteer availability. This makes automation and centralised tools increasingly important.

Put simply:

Communities now expect:

• Faster replies
• Simple communication
• Easy updates
• Mobile-friendly access
• Clear event information
• Secure data
• Professional organisation

Software helps you deliver this — whether you're running a community centre or an online learning group on Discord.

🔵 What Makes a Great Community Management Tool?

The best platforms offer:

1. Community engagement tools

Posts, polls, announcements, events, replies, and member discussions.

2. Mobile app availability

So members can participate anywhere.

3. Event management

Sign-ups, reminders, tickets, and attendance tracking.

4. Member directory

Profiles, roles, groups, segmentation.

5. Moderation features

To manage behaviour, approve posts, remove spam, and keep the space safe.

6. Knowledge base or resource library

Documents, guides, lesson resources, and community rules.

7. Analytics and reporting

Engagement trends, attendance, payment status, growth metrics.

8. Payment and subscription support

Especially for hybrid communities, clubs, associations, classes, etc.

9. Automation tools

Automatic renewals, reminders, messages, and attendance logging.

10. Integrations

Email systems, websites, CRMs, or social channels.

🟦 Top Community Management Software (2025)

1. MemberTrack (Best All-in-One for Hybrid UK Communities)

Ideal for:

UK community organisations, religious organisations, community centres, hobby clubs, weekend schools, hybrid groups (in-person + online), sports clubs, training groups.

Why it stands out:

MemberTrack combines member management + event management + payments + communication + attendance tracking, + community interaction into one clean system. It’s designed specifically for people who run real-world communities but increasingly want online functionality too.

Key Features:

• Automated payments and renewals
• Attendance tracking & digital registers
• Community announcements
• Event management
• Automations (reminders, confirmations, alerts)
• Clean, simple dashboard for admins
• Mobile-ready experience
• GDPR-friendly UK data hosting
• Perfect for volunteers with low technical skills

Strengths:

✔ Built for real UK organisations
✔ Excellent for hybrid communities
✔ Removes admin stress
✔ Extremely easy to use
✔ Strong automation features
✔ Clear dashboards and reporting

Limitations:

✘ Not aimed at pure online creator communities
✘ No complex course-building tools (e.g., like Mighty Networks)

🟦 2. CommunityManager (Hivebrite-style platforms)

Best for:

Large networks, alumni groups, online membership hubs, and career communities.

Key Features:

• Customisable online community hub
• Forums & discussions
• Event registration
• Member profiles
• Knowledge base
• Moderation
• Community inbox

Pros:

✔ Great for online engagement
✔ Works for large-scale networks
✔ Offers a formal community feel

Cons:

✘ Expensive
✘ Overkill for small local groups
✘ More complex to set up

🟦 3. Mighty Networks (Best for Creators & Online Courses)

Best for:

Creators, coaches, hobby groups, online learners.

Key Features:

• Mobile-first community experience
• Online courses
• Events & livestreaming
• Direct messages
• Posts, polls, discussions

Pros:

✔ Beautiful mobile app
✔ Great for selling courses
✔ Strong engagement tools

Cons:

✘ Not ideal for in-person communities
✘ It can get costly with upgrades

🟦 4. Wild Apricot (Best for Membership Associations)

Best for:

Associations, small non-profits, clubs.

Key Features:

• Membership subscriptions
• Event registration
• Website builder
• Email campaigns
• Basic CRM

Pros:

✔ Great for volunteer-run groups
✔ Simple event features

Cons:

✘ Dated interface
✘ Not ideal for hybrid communities
✘ Payment systems may feel complex

🟦 5. VeryConnect (Best UK Community Software for Professional Networks)

Best for:

Member associations, alumni networks, UK-based organisations.

Key Features:

• CRM
• Member profiles
• Directory
• Knowledge hub
• Email tools

Pros:

✔ UK-based
✔ GDPR-aligned
✔ Good for established groups

Cons:

✘ Not as beginner-friendly
✘ Admin setup can take time

🟩 Comparison Table (Featured Snippet Optimised)

🔵 How to Choose the Right Community Management Platform

Choose based on your community type:

✔ In-person community (religious organisations, school, club)

Choose: MemberTrack, Wild Apricot

✔ Online creator or learning community

Choose: Mighty Networks

✔ Large online network or alumni group

Choose: Community Manager

✔ Casual online hobby community

Choose: Discord or Facebook Groups

✔ Hybrid community (offline + online)

Choose: MemberTrack

(Explicitly designed for hybrid admin + engagement workflows)

🔵 Why MemberTrack Works Best for Hybrid UK Communities

MemberTrack stands out because it blends:

• Community engagement
• Payments & renewals
• Events & attendance tracking
• Admin automation
• Communication tools
• Mobile-friendly access

This makes it ideal for groups that live both offline and online — weekend schools, mosques, sports clubs, cultural groups, and community centres.

FAQ

What is the best community management software?

There's no single best; it depends on your community type.
For hybrid UK organisations, MemberTrack is a leading choice.

What software helps manage online communities?

Mighty Networks, CommunityManager, Discord, and Slack are strong for digital communities.

What software supports hybrid communities?

MemberTrack is explicitly designed for hybrid (online + in-person) groups.

What tools help with community engagement?

Platforms like Mighty Networks, MemberTrack, and CommunityManager include posts, polls, discussions, and events.

What is the easiest community management tool for beginners?

MemberTrack and Wild Apricot are the simplest for non-technical users.