Discourse vs Mighty Networks
Side-by-side from the Top 11 rankings of The 11 Best Community Management Software (2026) and The 11 Best Membership Site Software (2026). Last verified July 11, 2026.
The short answer
Mighty Networks ranks higher on Top 11 (#1 vs #2) for Creators, brands, and associations choosing a platform to host, engage, and monetize an online community / Creators running paid membership communities. The best all-in-one platform with deep community features, courses, and live events built-in.
At a glance
| Discourse | Mighty Networks | |
|---|---|---|
| Top 11 rank | #2 / The 11 Best Community Management Software (2026) | #1 / The 11 Best Membership Site Software (2026) |
| Score (out of 9.4) | 8.9 | 9.2 |
| Best for | Open-source forum you fully control | All-in-one community platform |
| Pricing | $$ (free self-hosted, $20 to $300+/mo hosted) | $$ ($41 to $299+/mo) |
| HQ | San Francisco, USA | Palo Alto, USA |
| Founded | 2013 | 2017 |
Discourse
Best open-source, self-hostable forum platform.
www.discourse.orgSee full entry in The 11 Best Community Management Software (2026)
Mighty Networks
The best all-in-one platform with deep community features, courses, and live events built-in.
www.mightynetworks.comSee full entry in The 11 Best Membership Site Software (2026)
Methodology and scoring weights live at /methodology. No vendor pays for placement — see about.