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Choosing an alternative to Facebook Groups for your private community

Ten alternatives side by side, with Facebook Groups as the baseline: what each costs, whether members can pay for access, and where each one wins.

The right alternative to Facebook Groups depends on what your group needs most: free chat, paid access, or a place inside a bigger network. Discord, Telegram and WhatsApp are free group chat apps, and Reddit and LinkedIn host groups inside their own networks. Circle, Kajabi, Mighty Networks and Groupanda let members pay for access.

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Why look for an alternative to Facebook Groups?

Meta describes groups as a place to connect, learn and share with people who have similar interests, and plenty of communities run well there. Three facts from Meta's own pages are why many of them start looking.

  • Paid access goes through a Page, not the group

    Facebook's group help pages describe no way to charge for joining. Paid access comes from Subscriptions on a Facebook Page, which Meta says can include a subscriber-only group. The Page needs 10,000 followers or 250 return viewers, plus 50,000 post engagements or 180,000 watch minutes in the last 60 days.

  • The group lives inside an app paid for by ads

    Meta's terms say people who use Facebook with ads are not charged for it, because businesses pay Meta to show them those ads. In the European Region and the United Kingdom, people can instead pay a monthly subscription to use Meta's products without ads.

  • A large public group 30 days or older cannot go private

    A public group can switch to private unless it has 10,000 or more members and was created 30 days or more ago. In a private group, only current members see what is shared and who the members are.

How did we choose these ten alternatives?

This list holds every tool that at least two of the three comparison lists we could read on Google's first page name as an alternative, plus Groupanda. A list does not count for its own publisher. We read the first page for "alternative to facebook groups" and "facebook group alternatives" on 28 September 2026. Facebook Groups stands in the table too, as the baseline.

  • Their own pages, with dates

    Every fact about a tool comes from that tool's own pricing, help, product or terms pages, or its App Store listing. We read them all on 28 September 2026, Meta's help pages on groups and Subscriptions included, and Circle's page on transaction fees again on 29 September 2026.

  • Three questions per tool

    What it costs a community. Whether members can pay for access through it, and what the tool takes from that payment. And what it is best at, written as a verdict that names the case where the tool wins.

  • Alphabetical, not ranked

    The tools are listed in alphabetical order, so the order is not a ranking. Groupanda is one of the ten and answers the same three questions.

Left out, and why

Tools that only one of the three lists names are not here, such as Skool, Slack, Discourse and Meetup. Two more articles on Google's first page are not counted. One recommends a single tool, so it is not a comparison list, and we could not find GroupOS's article on its site under the title Google showed.

How do these alternatives to Facebook Groups compare?

Ten alternatives and Facebook Groups itself, one row each, in alphabetical order. Prices are in US dollars as each vendor's page showed them; where a page showed another currency, we give no figure. The sources and dates are under the table.

ToolWhat it costsCan members pay for access?Best for
BettermodeNo free plan, a 14-day trial. Starter $149 a month billed yearly, or $199 month to month, for up to 10,000 members.Not a feature Bettermode's pricing and product pages describe.A company's branded customer community, with Q&A, discussions and events.
CircleNo free plan, a 14-day trial. From $89 a month, billed annually.Yes. Circle's transaction fee is 2% on Professional, 1% on Business and 0.5% on Circle Plus. Stripe's processing fee is charged separately.A branded paid community with courses, events and its own website.
DiscordFree, with in-app purchases.For US owners only, through Server Subscriptions. Discord keeps 10%, plus 6% for processing on desktop and in the browser.A free community that lives on voice, video and streaming.
Facebook GroupsFree of charge, with ads. In the European Region and the UK, a monthly subscription removes the ads.Not in group settings. A Facebook Page that qualifies for Subscriptions can offer a subscriber-only group.A free group whose members all use Facebook, and which new people should find in Facebook search.
GroupandaFree, with no member limit and no time limit. No monthly charge, no per-member pricing.Yes: up to 5 plans, monthly or one-time. Groupanda keeps 6% of each payment, and Stripe's fee is deducted from the owner's payout.A private group where members pay for access and chat in channels is enough.
KajabiNo free plan, a free trial. From $143 a month billed annually, or $179 month to month.Yes. Kajabi says it takes no cut of sales; payments carry processing fees that vary by country and payment provider.A business that sells courses, coaching and a community from one site, with email marketing built in.
LinkedIn GroupsNo price on the LinkedIn group help pages we read. Up to 3 million members per group.Not a feature LinkedIn's group help pages describe.A professional network in one field whose members are all on LinkedIn.
Mighty NetworksNo free plan, a 14-day trial. From $79 a month billed annually, or $95 monthly.Yes, by subscription or one-time payment. 2% down to 0.5% by plan.A paid membership that bundles courses, events and community.
RedditNo price or payment step in Reddit's help page on creating a community.Not a feature Reddit's help pages describe. Premium-only communities are open only to Reddit Premium members.A public community on a topic, open to anyone with a Reddit account.
TelegramFree. Groups hold up to 200,000 members.For channels: invite links that require a monthly payment in Telegram Stars.Very large groups, and paid channels for people already on Telegram.
WhatsAppFree, though data charges may apply. A community holds up to 100 groups and 2,000 members.None for groups in WhatsApp's help pages. Channel subscriptions are rolling out to selected channels.A local group of up to 2,000 people who all use WhatsApp already.

Every source carries two dates. Each line below gives the date the page carries, on the page or in its metadata, or says that it carries none, and the day we read it. We read every page on 28 September 2026, and Circle's page on transaction fees again on 29 September 2026. We read the English version of every Telegram page. The Groupanda row describes Groupanda on 28 September 2026.

Sources

Which Facebook group alternatives fit which community?

One verdict per tool, then the facts behind it. The order is alphabetical, not a ranking.

  1. Bettermode

    Best for a company's branded customer community, with Q&A, discussions and events.

    Bettermode describes itself as an all-in-one customer community platform. Its plans include Q&A, discussions, events, polls, private messaging and chat. There is no free plan, only a 14-day trial with no credit card. Starter costs $149 a month billed yearly, or $199 month to month, for up to 10,000 members. Bettermode's pricing and product pages describe no way for members to pay for access.

  2. Circle

    Best for a branded paid community with courses, live events and a website of its own.

    Circle puts a community, courses, live events, a website and payments on one plan, with iOS, Android and desktop apps. There is no free plan, only a 14-day trial. Plans start at $89 a month on annual billing, for unlimited members. Members pay through Circle's Stripe integration. Circle's transaction fee is 2% on Professional, 1% on Business and 0.5% on Circle Plus. Stripe's processing fee is a separate charge on each payment.

  3. Discord

    Best for a free community that lives on voice, video and streaming.

    Discord describes itself as a place to talk, play and hang out, with voice, video and text chat and streaming. The app is free, with in-app purchases. Paid access works only in the United States: Server Subscriptions need US banking information and US identification. Discord's Creator Revenue FAQ describes a 90/10 split, where Discord keeps 10% of each membership payment. Its Monetization Terms calculate that 10% from the payment less applicable transaction taxes, payment processing fees and transaction fees. The same terms take a 6% payment processing fee out of the payment on desktop and in the browser.

    What a paid Discord server requires, and what it costs next to Groupanda, is compared row by row on its own page. Other tools that replace Discord are on our list of Discord alternatives for private communities.

  4. Facebook Groups

    Best for a free group whose members all use Facebook already, and which new people should find in Facebook search.

    Meta's terms say people who use Facebook with ads are not charged for it, because businesses pay Meta to show them those ads. A group is public or private. In a private group, only current members see what is shared, and joining needs an admin's approval unless limited membership is on. A private group can be visible, so anyone on Facebook can find it, or hidden. Facebook's group help pages describe no way to charge for joining. Instead, a Facebook Page can sell Subscriptions, a monthly fee, and Meta names a subscriber-only group as one benefit it may offer. The Page needs 10,000 followers or 250 return viewers, plus 50,000 post engagements or 180,000 watch minutes in the last 60 days. A Page that does not yet use any of Meta's earning tools must first pass a review. Outside the countries Meta lists, Subscriptions are by invitation only. On a computer, the Page owner receives the whole payment after applicable taxes, and Facebook takes no fee. In the mobile apps, Apple and Google charge 30%, and 15% from a Subscription's second year.

  5. Groupanda

    Best for a private group where members pay for access and chat in channels is enough.

    Groupanda is a workspace for private communities: real-time chat in channels, with an owner, admins and members, and plans that members buy. It is free, with no member limit and no time limit. You can offer up to 5 plans side by side. Each is a monthly subscription or a one-time payment with no renewal date, and each opens its own channels. Members buy a plan in the browser, and the iOS and Android apps send them there. On a paid group the member pays the price you set. Out of that payment, Groupanda keeps a 6% platform fee. Stripe's processing fee is deducted from your payout. Nothing is added on top of what the member pays. Stripe Connect pays out to the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Norway, Liechtenstein, Canada, and Switzerland.

    What Groupanda does not have: threads, voice or video calls, screen share, bots and integrations. You search messages within a channel, one channel at a time.

    See full pricing

  6. Kajabi

    Best for a business that sells courses, coaching and a community from one site, with email marketing built in.

    Kajabi puts courses, coaching, communities, memberships, a website and email marketing in one account, and its communities can be private, paid or tiered. There is no free plan, only a free trial, and every plan has a 30-day money-back guarantee. Basic costs $143 a month billed annually, or $179 month to month. Kajabi says it takes no cut of your sales. Payments through Kajabi Payments carry a processing fee that differs by country.

  7. LinkedIn Groups

    Best for a professional network in one field whose members are all on LinkedIn.

    LinkedIn describes groups as a place for professionals in the same industry or with similar interests to share insights, ask for guidance and build connections. A group holds up to 3 million members. In a private group, only members can view, post or comment, and group managers decide who joins. Each member can post up to 15 times a week in one group, and LinkedIn says it cannot currently raise these limits. Information about the groups you join may be used to show you more relevant ads. LinkedIn's group help pages describe no way for members to pay for access.

  8. Mighty Networks

    Best for a paid membership that bundles courses, events and community, with branded apps at the top.

    Mighty Networks combines a community with courses and automations, and its top plan, Mighty Pro, adds your own branded apps. There is no free plan, only a 14-day trial. Launch costs $79 a month on annual billing or $95 month to month, for unlimited members. Members can pay by subscription or one-time payment, for the whole network or a single space. Mighty Networks takes 2% on Launch, 1% on Scale, and 0.5% on Growth and Mighty Pro.

  9. Reddit

    Best for a public community on a topic, open to anyone with a Reddit account.

    Reddit is made up of thousands of smaller communities, also called subreddits, which its users create and moderate. A community is public, restricted, private or premium-only. In a public one, anyone with a Reddit account can view, comment and post. In a private one, only members approved by moderators can view and take part. Premium-only communities are open only to Reddit Premium members, which costs $5.99 a month and removes ads, and they are available only on old.reddit.com. Reddit's help pages describe no way for a community to charge its own members.

  10. Telegram

    Best for very large groups, and for paid channels whose members already use Telegram.

    Telegram is a free messaging app, and its groups hold up to 200,000 members. Any group can start a voice chat that members join whenever they want. Since July 2026, several groups, channels and bots can be linked into one community. For channels, admins can create invite links that require a monthly payment in Telegram Stars.

    What a paid Telegram group requires, and what it costs next to Groupanda, is compared row by row on its own page.

  11. WhatsApp

    Best for a local group of up to 2,000 people who all use WhatsApp already.

    A WhatsApp community gathers up to 100 groups, with an announcements group that reaches everyone, for up to 2,000 members in total. Messaging and calling on WhatsApp are free, though data charges may apply. Its help pages describe no way to charge for joining a group or a community. Channel subscriptions are rolling out gradually to a select group of channels, and channel updates are a one-way broadcast rather than a conversation.

Which alternatives cost less when members pay?

Where members can pay for access, the tools charge in one of three ways. Which one costs you less depends on how much your members pay in total each month.

  • A monthly price, and a small share or none

    Circle starts at $89 a month on annual billing, on Professional, where its transaction fee is 2% of each payment. Stripe's processing fee is a separate charge. Mighty Networks starts at $79 a month on annual billing and takes 2% on Launch. Kajabi starts at $143 a month on annual billing and says it takes no cut of sales, though payments carry processing fees.

  • No monthly price, and a larger share

    On Groupanda the member pays the price you set. Out of that payment, Groupanda keeps a 6% platform fee. Stripe's processing fee is deducted from your payout. Nothing is added on top of what the member pays, and there is no monthly charge. Discord takes 10%, plus 6% for processing on desktop and in the browser, in the United States only.

  • No fee from Facebook, and a qualifying Page

    On Facebook, a Page that qualifies for Subscriptions receives the whole payment made on a computer, after applicable taxes. In the mobile apps, Apple and Google charge 30% on the purchase, and 15% from the second year of a Subscription. The group itself stays free, and the price of entry is the Page thresholds above.

Where the two meet

Circle and Groupanda both leave Stripe's processing fee out of their percentage, so this compares only what each platform itself takes. At Circle's annual price, its Professional plan and Groupanda's 6% of each payment cost the same when members pay $2,225 a month in total: $133.50 either way. Below that amount Groupanda costs less, and above it Circle does.

Kajabi says it takes no cut of sales, so its cost is the monthly price plus processing fees. Those fees vary by country and payment provider, so this page gives no figure for them.

When should you stay on Facebook Groups?

A list of alternatives that never recommends staying put is not worth reading. Stay on Facebook Groups if one of these is true.

  • Your members all use Facebook already, the group is free, and a visible group helps new people find it in Facebook search.
  • Your group is public and welcomes outsiders: in a public group, visitors can post and comment if the admins allow it.
  • You run a Facebook Page that qualifies for Subscriptions, and a subscriber-only group is all you need. On payments made on a computer, Facebook takes no fee.

The tools above earn their place when none of those is true, or when members should pay to join without a Page that meets Meta's thresholds.

For Circle, Kajabi, Mighty Networks and the other platforms with paid access side by side, see our list of best community platforms.

Questions people ask about alternatives to Facebook Groups

What is the best alternative to Facebook Groups?

It depends on what your group needs most. For free group chat, look at Discord, Telegram and WhatsApp. For paid access built in, Circle, Kajabi, Mighty Networks and Groupanda each set price and fees differently. For a company's customer community, Bettermode describes itself as a customer community platform. Reddit and LinkedIn host groups inside their own networks.

Is there a free alternative to Facebook Groups?

Yes. Discord and Telegram are free apps, and WhatsApp is free, though data charges may apply. Groupanda is free with no member limit. Reddit's help page on creating a community has no payment step, and the LinkedIn group help pages we read carry no price. Bettermode, Circle and Mighty Networks have no free plan, only a 14-day trial, and Kajabi offers a free trial.

Can members pay to join a Facebook group?

Not through the group's own settings: Facebook's group help pages describe no way to charge for joining. A Facebook Page that sells Subscriptions can offer a subscriber-only group as one of its benefits. Meta requires the Page to have 10,000 followers or 250 return viewers, plus 50,000 post engagements or 180,000 watch minutes in the last 60 days. Outside the countries Meta lists, Subscriptions are by invitation only.

Which Facebook Groups alternatives let members pay for access?

Circle, Kajabi, Mighty Networks and Groupanda have paid access built in. Discord offers Server Subscriptions only to owners in the United States. Telegram lets channel admins create invite links that require a monthly payment in Telegram Stars. WhatsApp is only rolling out channel subscriptions to selected channels. The pages we read for Reddit, LinkedIn and Bettermode describe no way for members to pay. The table above gives each fee as the vendor states it.

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