How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Ratings come from G2, Capterra or Trustpilot, with the date we checked them.
Key takeaways
- Khoros is the closest enterprise replacement, since Lithium merged into Khoros, with similar community and care features.
- Higher Logic Vanilla and Discourse suit companies that want flexible, open community platforms.
- Salesforce Experience Cloud fits companies already on Salesforce that want community inside their CRM.
- Tribe, Bettermode, and Insided offer modern, customizable communities for growing brands.
- Influitive leads for customer advocacy and reference programs built on community engagement.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 Khoros | enterprise communities with customer care | See website | No |
 Higher Logic Vanilla | flexible branded communities for companies and associations | See website | Free trial |
 Discourse | open source discussion communities | See website | Yes |
 Salesforce Experience Cloud | communities inside Salesforce | See website | Free trial |
 Tribe | modern, customizable community spaces | See website | Free trial |
 Insided | customer communities tied to support and success | See website | Free trial |
 Influitive | customer advocacy and reference programs | See website | Free trial |
 Bettermode | customizable community spaces for brands | See website | Free trial |
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
The best lithium alternatives
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
Khoros is the direct successor to Lithium, since Lithium's community technology became part of Khoros, which makes it the most natural replacement for Lithium users. The platform covers community forums, moderation, gamification, and social customer care, with enterprise features for large brands. Migration from Lithium is better supported here than anywhere else, since the lineage is direct.
Pricing is enterprise-level, and setup is complex for smaller teams. For a large brand running a Lithium community today, Khoros is the safest migration path, with the most similar features and the best migration help. Smaller communities may find Vanilla or Discourse more affordable.
What we like- Direct Lithium successor
- Strong moderation
- Good enterprise features
Watch out for- Enterprise pricing
- Complex setup for smaller teams
#2Higher Logic Vanilla
Best for: flexible branded communities for companies and associations4.3/5 on
G2 (99 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit higherlogic.com
Starting priceSee website
Free planFree trial
Higher Logic Vanilla, formerly Vanilla Forums, offers flexible branded communities with forums, Q and A, ideation, and knowledge bases. It suits companies and associations that want a community matching their brand, with moderation tools and gamification to keep discussion healthy. The platform also covers member management and analytics.
Pricing is quote-based, and advanced features sit on higher plans. For a company or association that wants a polished, branded community without enterprise complexity, Vanilla is a strong pick. Its association focus is a bonus for membership organizations.
What we like- Flexible theming
- Good moderation
- Strong for associations
Watch out for- Pricing is quote-based
- Advanced features need higher plans
#3Discourse
Best for: open source discussion communities4.0/5 on
G2 (68 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit discourse.org
Starting priceSee website
Free planYes
Discourse is an open source discussion platform with modern forum design, trust levels, and moderation tools, used by companies, open source projects, and communities of all sizes. Self-hosting is free, while managed hosting removes maintenance. The discussion design encourages civil, long-form conversation, with features that reward helpful members.
Self-hosting needs maintenance, updates, and moderation effort, and the design is forum-focused rather than social-network style. For a team that wants full control and low cost, Discourse is the best open source pick here. Its community of users and plugins is large and active.
What we like- Open source
- Free self-hosting
- Strong discussion design
Watch out for- Self-hosting needs maintenance
- Design is forum-focused
Starting priceSee website
Free planFree trial
Salesforce Experience Cloud builds customer communities, partner portals, and self-service sites inside Salesforce, with data flowing directly from CRM records. That integration suits companies already on Salesforce that want customers to see their cases, orders, and knowledge articles in one branded portal. Security and permissions follow Salesforce controls.
Experience Cloud needs a Salesforce subscription, and pricing rises with user counts. For a Salesforce-based company that wants community tied to customer data, it is the most integrated option here. For companies without Salesforce, a standalone tool like Khoros or Vanilla will be simpler.
What we like- Deep Salesforce integration
- Good for customer portals
- Strong security
Watch out for- Needs Salesforce
- Pricing rises with users
Starting priceSee website
Free planFree trial
Tribe offers modern community spaces with activity feeds, groups, and member profiles, plus customization through apps and widgets. Setup is fast, and the design feels current, which suits growing brands that want a community that looks like a modern product rather than a legacy forum. Integrations cover common marketing and support tools.
The enterprise feature set is smaller than Khoros, and the platform is newer, so very large communities should test scale during trials. For a growing brand that wants a modern community live quickly, Tribe is an excellent pick. Its customization options help the community match brand identity.
What we like- Modern design
- Good customization
- Easy setup
Watch out for- Smaller enterprise feature set
- Newer platform
Starting priceSee website
Free planFree trial
Insided, now part of Gainsight, combines community forums with knowledge bases and customer success tools, so community activity feeds into retention and support metrics. That connection suits software companies that want community to reduce support tickets and improve retention, with analytics showing community impact on customer health.
Pricing is quote-based, and the Gainsight connection means the platform fits best for companies already using or considering Gainsight. For a software company that wants community tied to customer success, Insided is a strong specialized pick. Its support deflection data is the feature that justifies the cost.
What we like- Community plus knowledge base
- Good Gainsight integration
- Strong analytics
Watch out for- Pricing is quote-based
- Now part of Gainsight
#7Influitive
Best for: customer advocacy and reference programs4.4/5 on
G2 (396 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit influitive.com
Starting priceSee website
Free planFree trial
Influitive builds advocacy programs where customers complete challenges, such as writing reviews, joining references, or sharing content, in exchange for rewards and recognition. That advocacy focus suits companies that want customers to actively promote them, rather than just discuss products. Analytics show advocacy impact on pipeline and retention.
Community discussion features are lighter than Khoros or Vanilla, so Influitive suits advocacy-first programs rather than general forums. For a company whose main community goal is references, reviews, and advocacy, Influitive is the leader here. Pair it with a forum tool if open discussion is also needed.
What we like- Strong advocacy features
- Good rewards
- Useful analytics
Watch out for- Community features are lighter than Khoros
- Pricing is quote-based
#8Bettermode
Best for: customizable community spaces for brands4.7/5 on
G2 (117 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit bettermode.com
Starting priceSee website
Free planFree trial
Bettermode, formerly Tribe's competitor in the modern community space, offers customizable community spaces with feeds, groups, and member engagement tools. The design is modern, setup is straightforward, and customization covers branding, layouts, and member experiences. It suits brands that want a community that feels like part of their product.
Bettermode is newer than Khoros or Vanilla, so enterprise features are fewer, and very large communities should test scale. For a brand that wants a modern, customizable community without enterprise cost, Bettermode is a strong emerging pick. Compare it with Tribe on design and features during trials.
What we like- Flexible spaces
- Good customization
- Modern design
Watch out for- Newer platform
- Enterprise features are fewer than Khoros
How we chose
We compared these tools on community design, moderation, engagement, integrations, pricing, and fit for different community sizes. We checked vendor pages and public comparison guides, and where pricing was not published we wrote See website instead of guessing. We kept the list to tools a real company can sign up for today, and we left out tools that only cover one narrow social feature. We also weighed migration support, since moving an existing community is riskier than starting fresh, and a vendor with proven migration help is worth more than a slightly lower subscription price.
Start with what your community does today. If it is mainly support and Q and A, Khoros, Vanilla, or Insided lead. If it is discussion and belonging, Discourse, Tribe, or Bettermode lead. If it is advocacy, Influitive leads. If it is a customer portal, Salesforce Experience Cloud leads. Picking by the main job avoids migrating to a tool that misses your community's core purpose.
Next, plan migration carefully, since community migration is harder than it looks. Member accounts, content history, and search rankings all need moving, and a failed migration loses trust fast. Test migration with a sample of content, keep the old community readable during transition, and communicate the move early with clear dates and help for members who struggle.
Finally, compare total cost including migration, moderation staffing, and integrations. A community tool is only as good as its moderation: budget staff or vendor time for moderation, since an unmoderated community declines quickly. Also check analytics, since proving community value to leadership needs data on support deflection, retention, and engagement.
Also plan for member safety and privacy from the start. Publish clear rules against harassment and spam, give members tools to report abuse and block other users, and confirm how member data is stored and used under privacy rules that apply to your regions. For communities with younger members, add age checks and stricter moderation, and train moderators on handling sensitive reports, since a community that feels unsafe loses members fast and can create legal risk.
Frequently asked questions
What is Lithium used for?
Lithium, now part of Khoros, provided online community software for brands, covering forums, moderation, gamification, and social customer care. Companies replacing it usually need the same community, moderation, and engagement capability from another vendor.
Which alternative is closest to Lithium?
Khoros is the closest, since Lithium's technology became part of Khoros. Higher Logic Vanilla is a strong rival for branded communities, while Discourse suits teams that want open source control.
Can I migrate my Lithium community content?
Yes, though effort varies. Khoros offers the smoothest path given the shared lineage, while other vendors offer migration services for content and members. Test with a sample, keep the old community readable during transition, and check that links and search rankings survive the move. Tell members early and often, so the move feels planned rather than sudden for everyone involved. Share a simple timeline.
How do I keep a community healthy?
Moderate consistently, reward helpful members, seed discussion with staff and advocates, and remove spam fast. Publish clear community rules, respond to questions quickly, and measure engagement regularly so problems show up early. Welcome new members personally in their first week, since early attention predicts long-term activity, and highlight great posts so members see what good participation looks like.
Should a community be public or private?
Public communities help SEO and discovery, while private communities suit customer-only support and sensitive topics. Many brands run both: a public area for general discussion and a private area for customers with access tied to their accounts. Make the boundary clear to members, so no one posts private information in a public area by mistake.
How do I measure community ROI?
Track support deflection, retention of community members versus non-members, content reuse, and advocacy actions such as reviews and references. Combine those with engagement data to show leadership the community's business value, not just activity counts. Report quarterly, and compare members against a similar non-member group, so the numbers show real impact rather than raw totals that could come from any channel.
Sources we checked (8)
- https://khoros.com
- https://www.higherlogic.com
- https://www.discourse.org
- https://www.salesforce.com
- https://tribeplatform.com
- https://www.gainsight.com
- https://influitive.com
- https://bettermode.com
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has 5+ years in B2B and SaaS SEO. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.