Whether you’re looking to create a social space for your customers, a forum for like-minded individuals, or a support network for your products and services, choosing the right community platform is crucial.

On WPBeginner, we have used Facebook for a long time for our WPBeginner Engage group, which has 98,000+ members. We have also more recently been experimenting with platforms like BuddyBoss for creating social networks and using MemberPress to power our video tutorial site.

This has helped us gain valuable insights into which community platforms work best for different needs. That’s why we now have a deeper understanding of community management and the strengths and weaknesses of different tools.

In this article, we will share our list of the best online community platforms, highlighting their pros and cons. We have gone out of our way to test lots of different options for all kind of needs so that you can find the best one for your online project.

If you are in a hurry, then just take a quick look at our top expert picks to make a decision.

How We Test and Review Online Community Platforms

To give you the best recommendations, we tested and reviewed popular community platforms.

We wanted to give you a list of well-rounded and reliable tools, so we paid special attention to the following criteria:

Ease of Use: We have prioritized user-friendly community platforms that come with an easy navigation system and allow you to customize your platform according to your community’s needs.

Features: An ideal community platform should include discussion boards, forums, gamification, polls, surveys, and other interactive elements. It should also allow for the easy creation, organization, and sharing of content.

Reliability: We have only recommended tools that we have tested ourselves on real websites. We also examined each platform’s loading speed, uptime, and scalability for growing businesses.

Integration Capabilities: For this showcase, we have explored each platform’s capabilities to integrate with email marketing services, CRMs, social media platforms, and analytics services.

Support: We have investigated the quality of customer support for each community platform. We also checked the tutorials, guides, forums, and knowledge bases offered by each tool.

Having said that, let’s take a look at our list of the best online community platforms with their pros and cons.

1. BuddyBoss

BuddyBoss is the best online community platform on the internet. It allows you to transform your site into a social media platform, build forums, create social groups, introduce new activities for users, and more.

The plugin comes with a comprehensive suite of features to help you create an interactive space for your members.

For instance, users can follow each other in the community, send private messages, and view activity feeds of different members.

You can even create private or hidden groups for focused discussions and collaboration.

In addition, you can create different membership levels in your community, integrate with learning management systems to sell courses, and even sell your merchandise alongside community memberships.

For more details, see our tutorial on how to create your own private community with WordPress.

In our opinion, BuddyBoss stands out as the best platform for building a social media network. We particularly like that it allows you to create a custom-branded mobile app for Android and iOS devices, which can be a game-changer for growing your community.

This, paired with its seamless integration with WordPress, makes BuddyBoss the ideal choice for building thriving online communities.

Pros

• BuddyBoss shows real time notifications to keep members engaged and informed about activity within the community.
• It allows users to share photos, videos, and other media content.
• We particularly liked the tool’s gamification elements, such as points, badges, and leaderboards.
• It allows users to create profiles with their details and images.
• BuddyBoss supports various membership models, including free, paid, and tiered memberships.
• The plugin can integrate with tools like WooCommerce for eCommerce capabilities, Zoom for broadcasting and meetings, and page builders like Elementor for customization.

Cons

• The plugin has a free plan. However, to unlock some of the features, you will need the pro version.

Why we recommend BuddyBoss: Overall, BuddyBoss is the best online community platform because it’s user-friendly, scalable, and comes with a lot of social features. Plus, the plugin works right in your WordPress dashboard, so you won’t need to set up any integrations.

2. MemberPress

MemberPress is the best WordPress membership plugin on the market. It also offers a number of features to build a thriving online community around your membership site.

The plugin lets you create different membership tiers with varying access levels and benefits for members. Once you have done that, you can build an exclusive forum to discuss topics, share knowledge, and build relationships.

You can also allow users to create their own groups within the community to foster engagement. Additionally, users can view each other’s profiles and remain updated about recent activity, posts, and discussions.

Over the past few years, we have been using MemberPress on our video membership site. It has played an important part in managing our subscription-based model and creating a sense of exclusivity for our members.

We particularly appreciate the ease of setting up different membership tiers with varying access levels to our video content library.

Plus, we believe that MemberPress can be a great option for creating a strong community among subscribers through features like private forums and member directories.

Pros

• MemberPress can integrate with BuddyBoss to boost the functionality of your community.
• If you want to earn some money while building a community, then you can restrict community features to paid members only.
• When working with the plugin, we were impressed by its drip content feature. It lets you release content gradually to members based on their membership level.
• The tool also comes with different moderation features and lets you create guidelines for community behavior.

Cons

• MemberPress has a free plan, but most of the features are locked in it.
• It is not a conventional community platform, so it may lack some of the features offered by other tools in the list.

Why we recommend MemberPress: If you already have a membership site and want to boost conversions, then we believe MemberPress is the choice for you. It allows you to create membership levels and an exclusive community for users who join your group. This can encourage free users to become full-time members.

For more details, you can see our complete MemberPress review.

3. Circle

Circle is another amazing tool for creating online communities in just a few minutes. It lets you build a huge community and then organize it using ‘Spaces’ for broad topics and ‘Groups’ for more focused discussions within those spaces.

Users can also personalize their profiles with bios, avatars, and social media links, fostering a sense of connection. Using the built-in tools, they can create text, images, and video content to share with the community.

Other than that, Circle allows direct messaging and even lets you host live video sessions for announcements, Q&A sessions, or interactive workshops.

Pros

• We love that Circle lets you create and manage events, both in-person and virtual, to bring your community together. This is a unique feature not available in many other tools.
• You can add interactive polls and surveys within your community.
• Circle creates a centralized activity feed for each user showcasing recent posts, discussions, and events.
• It lets you create different membership levels to generate revenue. You can also charge fees for specific events or offer exclusive events to paid members.
• The tool lets you add, remove, or edit member profiles and manage their access levels within the community. You can also manage discussions, comments, and content with built-in moderation tools.

Cons

• Compared to platforms like BuddyBoss, Circle offers less flexibility for customizing the look and feel of your community.
• In our opinion, Circle would be better if it had a more powerful chat functionality.
• We found it a bit annoying that it does not integrate with many LMS and membership tools.

Why we recommend Circle: If you prioritize features like live streaming, monetization, and mobile access for a smaller or medium-sized community, then Circle can be a great option.

4. Thinkific

Thinkific is a self-hosted platform that lets you build and sell online courses. However, you can also build, host, and monetize your community with it.

It comes with a drag-and-drop builder that allows you to create custom-branded communities and discussion groups for your students.

For instance, you can set up a specific group where users can interact, ask questions, and share insights.

Our favorite feature is the live chat prompt, which allows instructors and students to communicate seamlessly. This makes it a great option for online learning websites.

Pros

• Thinkific has built-in functionalities like user profiles, activity feeds, and private messaging.
• We were pleasantly surprised to learn that the tool automatically creates discussion forums for each course to facilitate student engagement.
• The platform lets you create different tiers of community access based on course enrollment or membership level.
• It tracks and reports community engagement and performance with detailed analytics.

Cons

• Thinkific’s core strength lies in course creation. While it offers community features, they might not be as feature-rich as other community platforms.
• It is not a great option for large communities, which can be a dealbreaker for enterprises and huge businesses looking to build a forum.

Why we recommend Thinkific: We would recommend Thinkific for course creators because of its focus on education. It will allow instructors to build a community around their courses.

5. BuddyPress

BuddyPress is a free WordPress plugin that can convert your WordPress site into a functioning social network or community.

It lets users create their own profiles and follow each other through friend connections. Users can then share updates, photos, and links, creating a newsfeed-like experience.

BuddyPress allows you to build groups, send private messages, and create forums. It also sends real-time notifications about activity, mentions, and messages.

For details, see our tutorial on how to turn your WordPress site into a social network.

Pros

• You can extend BuddyPress’ functionality using different plugins and themes specifically created for it.
• It offers a responsive design for optimal user experience on mobile devices.
• One thing we really like about BuddyPress is that it doesn’t cost anything to use. This lets you save money and focus on building a community without worrying about extra fees.
• It can be used for various community types, such as internal company networks, fan communities, or online forums.

Cons

• BuddyPress can sometimes conflict with other plugins, leading to compatibility issues. In our opinion, this can be frustrating for beginners who do not know how to troubleshoot errors.
• Upon testing, we realized that the tool can sometimes hurt website performance, depending on the number of members and activity.

Why we recommend BuddyPress: If you are looking for a free plugin that lets you build large-scale communities on your WordPress site, then you should pick BuddyPress.

6. MemberMouse

MemberMouse is a well-known membership plugin for WordPress sites, but it can also be used to build a private community for your members.

The plugin has core features like a member directory, private messaging, and the ability to create basic groups where members can interact with each other.

We were particularly impressed by its content restriction feature based on membership levels, which creates a sense of exclusivity.

Pros

• MemberMouse lets you create drip content that is released gradually over time.
• It handles recurring subscription payments easily.
• We liked that it lets you send push notifications to users based on actions like adding new members, canceling memberships, receiving payments, and more.

Cons

• It does not have a free plan.
• We found that it doesn’t have extensive moderation tools, which can be a dealbreaker for some users.

Why we recommend MemberMouse: While MemberMouse is primarily a membership management plugin, it offers a solid foundation for building a community around your paid content.

For more information, see our MemberMouse review.

7. Mighty Networks

Mighty Networks is a super popular online community platform. It lets you create discussion groups for dedicated topics, host live streaming videos, and allow real-time messaging.

The tool also lets you create and promote virtual events, offer different membership levels, create polls and surveys, and much more.

You can even sell online courses and products to your community members using Mighty Networks.

Pros

• We found out that Mighty Networks creates a specific section with highlighted tags. This lets you get an idea of topics currently trending within your community.
• It lets you send push notifications to bring back inactive members. You can also use its AI feature for conversation starter ideas.
• The platform offers premade themes for your community.
• You can easily establish community guidelines and moderate the content.

Cons

• Mighty Networks is more expensive than other community platforms, especially for larger communities.
• Over the years, some users have reported inconsistencies in customer support quality and response times.

Why we recommend Mighty Networks: If you want to create a medium-sized community, then Mighty Networks can be a good choice. It’s a powerful platform that uses AI-powered features to build a community.

8. Podia

Podia lets you design online communities around online courses or digital products.

You can create community hubs for different discussion topics and allow members to participate through posts and comments. Other than that, it offers features like user profile customization, direct messaging, and a centralized community feed.

Overall, Podia is an all-in-one platform that can also act as a website builder, email marketing service, course builder, page builder, and more.

Pros

• Podia lets you offer community membership as an add-on or exclusive benefit for course or product purchasers. You can even sell the membership as a standalone product.
• It has a user-friendly interface, ideal for beginners.
• The platform has an amazing analytics feature.

Cons

• Podia’s primary focus is on creating and selling online courses and digital products. This means that its community features are built around this core functionality.
• In our opinion, its management tools are basic compared to dedicated community platforms.

Why we recommend Podia: If you sell digital products and want to build a community around them to create some hype, then Podia is a great choice. You can build a community, create landing pages, and promote the product through email marketing features using just one tool.

9. Bettermode

Bettermode is a versatile platform that empowers you to create engaging and interactive online communities. It offers a comprehensive suite of features designed to build connection, collaboration, and knowledge-sharing among your members.

You can create spaces, build detailed member profiles, send direct messages, add groups, and facilitate open conversations through threaded discussions.

The tool also offers a live chat option for members and can connect with other platforms to boost functionality.

Pros

• With Bettermode, you can organize and promote virtual or in-person events.
• We liked that the tool lets you award badges and points and keep scores on the leaderboard to improve engagement within your community.
• It uses AI to suggest content ideas to members.
• You can have a fully branded community experience without visible Bettermode branding.

Cons

• Bettermode is expensive, and its free plan has limited features.
• While Bettermode can handle growing communities to a certain extent, it might face challenges when scaling for extremely large communities.

Why we recommend Bettermode: If you are looking for a community platform that is super flexible and offers many customization options, then Bettermode is a great choice.

10. Hivebrite

Hivebrite is an impressive platform designed for building and managing online communities, particularly for enterprises, associations, and alumni networks.

It comes with all the features expected from a community platform, such as discussions, forums, member profiles, groups, and event organizations.

However, you can also host live streaming sessions within your community to engage members in real time.

Hiverbrite can integrate with existing enterprise systems, complies with strict data policy, and offers custom branding, making it a great choice for large and growing online communities.

Pros

• The platform keeps all community members informed by showing personalized activity feeds.
• It comes with gamification elements, advanced reporting, and integration with other third-party tools.
• You can create and manage various content types, including articles, documents, and multimedia, directly from Hivebrite.

Cons

• It has a steep learning curve and may not be an ideal choice for beginners.
• Hivebrite’s main focus is on enterprise clients, which means that some features more suited to smaller communities are less developed.
• When researching, we concluded that the tool’s customer support isn’t as good as some of its competitors.

Why we recommend Hivebrite: Hivebrite is an excellent choice for organizations looking to build engaging online communities. It is especially ideal for users with specific needs like enterprise-level security, scalability, and customization.

11. Discord

Discord is a popular communication platform mostly known for its gaming community, but it has evolved into a versatile tool for various groups and interests.

You can easily create a free account and build a Discord community in just a few minutes. Once you do that, you can embed the widget on your WordPress site so that users can view the total members of your Discord server and join the group using the provided invite link.

For details, see our tutorial on how to embed a Discord widget in WordPress.

Pros

• It offers both private and group chat options with various formatting features.
• You can also send voice messages and connect with your community members over video calls.
• Discord lets you create dedicated channels for specific topics. You can also create a separate voice chat channel for different activities.
• We were particularly impressed to learn that Discord supports various bots for automated tasks, moderation, and entertainment.

Cons

• Discord’s channel-based structure can become overwhelming for larger communities, making it difficult to organize and find specific information.
• Discord focuses on real-time communication. This means content can disappear quickly, and you won’t be able to archive or reference information later.
• Managing a large Discord server can be time-consuming and challenging due to the volume of messages and the potential for spam content.

Why we recommend Discord: It can be an ideal choice if you want to build a gaming community or promote real-time communication among your members.

12. Patreon

Patreon is a community platform designed to help creators build an income by offering exclusive content and experiences to their supporters, known as patrons.

It allows you to create multiple membership tiers with varying benefits and pricing to cater to different patron support levels. You can then schedule posts in advance to consistently provide new content to your community members.

Patreon also comes with features like direct messaging, live streaming, discussion groups, and Discord integration.

Pros

• When testing, we liked the Creator Dashboard feature where you can easily manage membership levels, posts, patron communications, and earnings.
• Patreon lets you sell physical and digital merch to community members.
• It also provides insights into patron behavior, demographics, and revenue.

Cons

• The platform’s emphasis on financial support could create an environment where community members feel pressured to contribute financially to access your content and participate in discussions.
• While Patreon can be a great platform for established YouTubers and influencers, building a following from scratch on the platform can be challenging.
• It offers limited customization options.

Why we recommend Patreon: It is a good choice if you already have a following and want to build a community to earn extra money by sharing exclusive content with patrons.

Which Is the Best Online Community Platform?

In our expert opinion, BuddyBoss is the best online community platform on the market. It allows you to build a social media site in WordPress, create a forum, set up activity feeds, and so much more.

Alternatively, if you want to create a community with exclusive content based on membership levels, then you can opt for MemberPress. It is the best membership plugin that lets you build a thriving online community around your membership site.

On the other hand, if you sell courses and want to build a community for your students, then we recommend Thinkific.

Similarly, to build a large-scale community with no platform costs, you can go for BuddyPress.

Frequently Asked Questions About Community Platforms

Here are some questions frequently asked by our readers about community platforms.

What is an online community platform and its key features?

An online community platform is a software application that lets people with shared interests, goals, or experiences connect and interact with each other.

Key features for an ideal community platform include user profiles, forums, groups, private messaging, live chat, events, and analytics.

What is the best online community platform for businesses?

If you have a small business site, then you should consider platforms like Circle, Mighty Networks, or Hivebrite.

These tools offer features such as membership management, analytics, and integration capabilities that can help you grow your community.

How do I choose the right online community platform for my needs?

When choosing an online community platform, you should prioritize factors such as community size, desired features, budget, and technical expertise.

This will help you make an informed decision according to your business needs.

Related Guides for Community Platforms

• How to Add a Forum in WordPress with bbPress
• How to Create Chat Rooms in WordPress for Your Users
• Ultimate Guide to Creating a WordPress Membership Site
• How to Make a Gaming Website With WordPress (Step by Step)
• How to Create a User-Submitted Events Calendar in WordPress
• Best Website Ideas to Launch an Online Side Business 

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post 12 Best Online Community Platforms in 2024 (Pros and Cons) first appeared on WPBeginner.

After a lot of trial and error, we have picked Groove for our help desk, Nextiva for our phone systems, and WPForms for contact form inquiries. But we know that businesses have different needs, so we also took a thorough look at the other customer service tools on the market.

In this article, we will explain everything we learned from testing these options and share our list of the best customer service tools for your small business.

If you are in a hurry, then you can take a look at our top picks to quickly choose the right customer service tool.

How We Test And Review Customer Service Tools

When testing different customer service tools on our WordPress websites, these were the factors that we kept in mind:

• We use these tools on our websites: We have only included customer service tools that we have tested and used ourselves. We also went through customer reviews to find options that are recommended by many users.
• Ease of use: We specifically looked for tools that are easy to use for beginners. A user-friendly interface, technical documentation, and easy onboarding processes were top priorities when choosing these tools.
• Different use cases: No all-in-one customer service tool will be ideal for all kinds of websites and online businesses. That is why we reviewed tools for different use cases, such as VOIP phone service, contact forms, ticketing systems, documentation, live chat, and more.

Having said that, let’s take a look at the best customer service tools for your small business.

1. Groove (Complete Customer Support System)

Groove is the best customer service software on the market. It allows you to provide support to your users using email, social media, and live chat.

Plus, it comes with a shared inbox to organize and resolve customer requests easily. The software even comes with a Groove widget that you can embed on your WordPress site to add a contact form, live chat prompt, or knowledge base.

Groove also offers 50+ automation templates for auto-replies, conversation routing, conversation classification, or SLA management.

When we were testing the software, we found that it could even track agent performance and customer satisfaction, making it an ideal customer service tool.

Pros

• The software includes an artificial intelligence feature that turns specific customer responses into reusable instant replies in one click. It also generates summaries of lengthy conversations for easy reference.
• The Groove inbox features conversation assignments, internal notes, @mentions, notifications, and collision detection to prevent duplicate replies.
• It can integrate with third-party platforms like Instagram, Stripe, Slack, Facebook, HubSpot, and Zapier.
• The tool allows you to create a knowledge base for your products or services.

Cons

• Groove does not offer any free plan.
• It does not come with a dedicated WordPress plugin. However, you can add a Groove widget to your WordPress website.

Why we recommend Groove: It is the best customer service tool on the market because it offers email, live chat, forms, and knowledge base support to customers easily.

Groove is a great choice because it offers powerful features, a user-friendly interface, automation templates, and integration with third-party tools.

For more information, see our Groove review.

Alternative: Help Scout and Heroic Inbox

2. Nextiva (Phone and Video Support)

Nextiva is the best VOIP phone service on the market that allows you to offer customer support with emails, SMS messaging, live chat, phone calls, or a knowledge base.

It also offers an internal chat feature for all the agents working on different tickets for better collaboration. Plus, the tool has its own CRM where you can store all your customer data.

Other than that, Nextiva can also be used as a cloud phone system for remote teams to set up an auto attendant phone system, call forwarding, call routing, custom greetings, and more.

Pros

• The tool offers a call pop feature that shows all the important caller details when a customer calls your business phone number.
• It is the best SMS marketing tool and lets you segment your contact list and send targeted SMS messages to different groups.
• When we were testing the tool, we realized that it allows you to create automated workflows for emails, SMS messages, and live chat prompts.
• The tool offers the NextivaOne plugin to manage all your support requests from the WordPress dashboard.
• It allows you to create, manage, and assign tickets yourself.

Cons

• Nextiva has no free plan, but the connecting plugin is free.
• It can be overwhelming for beginners because it offers a lot of features.

Why we recommend Nextiva: Overall, Nextiva is a super powerful customer service tool that connects you with your customers using phone calls, video conferencing, emails, and SMS messages.

It is an all-in-one communication tool that can help you take customer service to the next level. If you have a small business website, then Nextiva is the perfect solution for you.

Alternative: RingCentral and Ooma

3. WPForms (Contact Forms)

WPForms is the best WordPress contact form plugin that comes with a drag-and-drop builder, 1800+ premade templates, and complete spam protection.

You can use it to create a simple contact form for users to submit support requests on your website. You can then view and manage all the form submissions right on your WordPress dashboard, making it easy to organize your support requests.

The plugin also offers conditional logic and geotargeting to display specific form fields to users based on their choices or location.

Pros

• You can style your WordPress forms.
• WPForms sends you an email notification every time a form is submitted on your website. Upon testing, we found out that you can also send a confirmation email to users.
• It has a user journey addon that lets you see what your visitors did on your site before submitting a request. This can help you resolve their issue faster and see where they got confused.
• The plugin can integrate with various tools like Constant Contact, AWeber, Stripe, and more. It can also connect with Uncanny Automator to help you build automated workflows.

Cons

• Some of the features in WPForms are locked in the free plan.
• It does not offer any dedicated customer support features.

Why we recommend WPForms: If you want to add a form on your website so that customers can reach out to you, then WPForms is the best tool for you.

For more information, you can see our WPForms review.

Alternative: Formidable Forms and Google Forms

4. Loom (Video Recordings)

Loom is a powerful communication tool that records videos and screencasts to be watched by your team members. You can also include webcam footage along with the screen video to add a personal touch.

Your support team can use this tool to collaborate or if they want to send a video to customers to walk them through the process of resolving an issue.

Loom also allows you to record your system audio, narrate your recording, and capture sound effects from your computer.

Pros

• The tool allows you to remove unwanted parts from the video. You can also add drawings, arrows, and text to highlight content.
• Loom creates a shareable link once you have created a video.
• It allows you to capture videos on your mobile device and add custom branding and captions.
• You can add an extra layer of security by setting passwords and expiration dates for the videos.
• Loom can integrate with Gmail, Slack, and Zendesk.

Cons

• Loom has a free plan but most of the features are unavailable in it.
• The recordings might have limitations on video quality, especially on the free plan.

Why we recommend Loom: If you are looking for a tool that lets you connect with your customers and teammates using video recordings, then Loom is the best customer service tool for you.

Alternative: Droplr

5. Heroic KB (Knowledge Base)

Heroic KB is the best WordPress knowledge base plugin that allows you to create beginner-friendly documentation for your products and services.

It is super easy to use, allows you to organize your knowledge base articles into categories, and even comes with an AJAX search feature to help users find relevant content quickly.

Additionally, you can add a PDF or other downloadable files to your articles for reference. For more details, see our tutorial on how to add documentation in WordPress.

Pros

• When we were testing the tool, we found out that it allows users to add ratings and comments on your knowledge base articles. You can use this to collect customer insights.
• It has an AI assistant that adds a custom chatbot to your website.
• You can choose to display your knowledge base publicly or restrict access for internal use within your organization.
• Heroic KB can integrate with Heroic Inbox to create a powerful customer support system.

Cons

• Heroic KB doesn’t have a free plan.
• It does not allow you to send email or SMS messages to customers.

Why we recommend Heroic KB: If you want to add a knowledge base or documentation for your products, then Heroic KB is the perfect customer service tool for you.

Alternative: Groove

6. LiveChat (Chat Support)

LiveChat is the best live chat software on the market. It allows you to send messages to your users in real time to resolve issues.

The tool comes with its free LiveChat plugin that easily adds a live chat prompt to your WordPress blog. You can also use canned responses, which are pre-written messages that can be inserted into customer chats.

LiveChat can integrate with top email marketing services, allows you to customize your chatbox according to your brand colors, and offers reports and analytics features.

For details, you can see our tutorial on how to add free live chat in WordPress.

Pros

• You can create an automated chatbot with the software.
• We like that you can add a survey form before and after a live chat session. This can help you see how your support staff is performing.
• LiveChat allows file sharing, chat transcripts, chat routing, and visitor tracking.
• The live chat prompt on your website also shows an indicator when a customer agent is available for chat.

Cons

• LiveChat software has no free plan. However, the connecting plugin is free.
• You can use a live chat prompt for quick questions and troubleshooting, but complex issues might be better addressed through phone calls or emails.

Why we recommend LiveChat: If you want to add a feature for instant communication with your customers, then LiveChat is the best customer service tool for you.

It allows custom branding for the live chat popup, loads quickly, and also helps create a chatbot when an agent is not available, making it a great choice.

Alternative: Groove and HubSpot

7. Brevo (Email Marketing)

Brevo is a popular CRM, SMS marketing, and email marketing service. It allows you to add a live chat popup to your website for real-time communication.

Plus, you can add basic chatbots to answer simple customer queries, qualify leads, and schedule appointments, freeing your support staff for more complex issues.

Brevo also comes with a customer data platform to manage all your customer data from different places in a single platform. You can import user data from databases, data warehouses, FTP servers, and APIs.

Brevo will then create customer profiles and allow you to segment the audience based on different criteria.

Pros

• Brevo can customize sales pipelines to track purchase deals. It can also automate these tasks and receive notifications.
• When we were testing the software, we came across a recording tool to capture your videos and audio meetings.
• Brevo can integrate with WP Mail SMTP to ensure high email deliverability.
• The tool comes with email templates, and you can create complex email and SMS marketing campaigns with it.

Cons

• Brevo’s free plan has limited features.
• Its automation features are a bit basic.

Why we recommend Brevo: If you are looking for a tool that lets you create email and SMS marketing campaigns to bring back customers, then Brevo is a great solution.

It also lets you communicate with users in real time through its live chat prompt, has a CRM, and can create landing pages, making it a wonderful tool for customer service.

Alternative: Constant Contact and ActiveCampaign

8. SproutSocial (Social Media)

SproutSocial is a social media management platform that can help you improve the customer experience by boosting your presence on social media websites.

It comes with a collaborative calendar to schedule your social media posts and automatically publish pre-approved content. It also comes with multimedia publishing.

You can use all these features to boost your social media following and keep users updated about your WordPress site, which is essential for customer service.

Pros

• You can edit images directly within the SproutSocial interface before publishing them on a platform.
• SproutSocial comes with an algorithm that lets you schedule posts for optimal engagement based on historical data.
• It comes with custom URL tracking, campaign tagging, and post-level reporting and analytics.
• It also shows a Twitter trends report so you can optimize your social media strategy.

Cons

• SproutSocial has no free plan.
• It does not allow you to create SMS, emails, or live chat popups to connect with customers.

Why we recommend SproutSocial: If you want to use social media platforms to boost customer service, increase followers, and bring traffic to your site, then SproutSocial is a great choice.

Alternative: AgoraPulse

Which Is the Best Customer Service Tool?

In our expert opinion, Groove is the best customer service tool on the market because it allows you to provide support using email, social media, and live chat popups.

It also lets you create contact forms and a knowledge base and has an AI feature to turn specific customer responses into reusable instant replies, making it an all-in-one solution.

However, if you want to connect with your customers using phone calls or video conferencing, then we recommend Nextiva.

On the other hand, if you have a small business, then you can add a simple contact form for users to reach out to you using WPForms.

If you just want to add documentation for your products or services, then you can opt for Heroic KB. Similarly, you can add a chatbot and a live chat prompt with LiveChat.

Frequently Asked Questions About Customer Service

Here are some questions that are frequently asked by our readers about customer service and its tools:

What are the 5 most important things in customer service?

When offering customer service to users, these are the 5 factors that you should keep in mind and follow:

• Empathy: It is important to show genuine concern for a user’s issue. You should try to understand their situation and make them feel comfortable.
• Communication: You must actively listen to the customer’s needs, ask clarifying questions, and ensure they understand the information you provide.
• Problem-Solving: Users usually contact customer service when they need assistance setting up the product or have run into an issue. You must work collaboratively to find solutions, explain the process, and direct users to important resources.
• Efficiency: Your response time has to be fast, and you must not keep your customers waiting. You should aim to provide solutions quickly.
• Personalization: You should personalize conversation with the customer using their name or purchase history and tailor your approach to their specific needs.

What benefits do customer service tools offer?

Customer service tools offer multiple benefits, including:

• Improved efficiency in handling customer queries due to a ticketing system
• Improved resolution times for customer issues
• Real-time communication with customers using live chat prompts
• Valuable data and analytics to identify customer trends
• More time for agents to focus on complex issues due to automated workflows

What are the advantages of using help desk software?

Help desk software helps businesses manage their support team and respond to customers’ requests. It comes with a built-in ticketing system, knowledge base, and live chat features to manage customer interactions from a single platform. This can improve customer experience and boost your conversions.

For more information, you can see our top picks for the best help desk software.

Related Guides to Customer Service Tools

• How to Create a Client Portal in WordPress
• Best WordPress Plugins for Chat (Expert Picks)
• Best WordPress Help Desk Plugins for Customer Support
• How to Add Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Section in WordPress
• How to Optimize the Customer Journey for WooCommerce Store
• Best WordPress Automation Tools and Plugins Compared

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post 8 Best Customer Service Tools for Small Businesses (Expert Pick) first appeared on WPBeginner.

For example, you can use them to sell products in your online store, collect payments, and more.

That’s why we have researched and tested the best WordPress QR code plugins for all kinds of use cases.

In this article, we will share some of the best WordPress plugins that allow you to add unique QR codes to your site.

Why Use a QR Code Plugin?

A QR code (or Quick Response code) is a unique abstract square design, most often black and white, that directs the user to a URL or other data.

You can use WordPress QR code plugins to generate a QR code, which your users can then scan to access information.

QR codes are used in digital marketing and customer service to link directly to online resources, promotions, or product details.

They simplify the user experience by creating a bridge between physical and digital spaces, enhancing user engagement.

Plus, QR codes can potentially boost marketing strategies and improve customer engagement.

How We Tested And Reviewed QR Code Plugins for WordPress

We tested several QR code plugins specifically made for WordPress sites that can help with integration between the online and offline worlds.

When testing the most popular QR code plugins, we thoroughly examined the following criteria:

• Ease of Use: The QR code plugins should be simple to install and configure for WordPress website owners, especially people not well-versed in coding. The user interface should be intuitive, making it easy to generate QR codes even for beginners.
• Features: We consider the range of functionalities offered, such as static vs. dynamic QR code generation, customization options, and data tracking capabilities.
• Reliability: We have only included the plugins that we have tested and reviewed ourselves.
• Free vs. Premium: We explored both free and premium options, considering each’s value proposition and highlighting any limitations of the free versions.

Best QR Code Plugins for WordPress

If you are in a hurry, then take a quick look at our expert picks to make a decision.

Below, you’ll find our expert pick of the best QR code plugins for WordPress. There are both paid and free WordPress QR code plugins, so you can choose a plugin that matches your requirements.

1. Shortcodes Ultimate

Shortcodes Ultimate is a powerful WordPress plugin that lets you add custom shortcodes to your pages. One of these handy shortcodes lets you display a custom QR code on your website.

It allows you to customize the shortcode and add any prompt that you want your users to open by scanning the QR code. You can also customize the size, color, background, and error correction for the QR code.

Pros of Shortcodes Ultimate

• Ready-made shortcodes, including a shortcode template for the QR code.
• Live preview option to see the final result before publishing your content.
• Custom widget to create shortcodes.
• Fully customizable and works with popular WordPress themes.

Cons of Shortcodes Ultimate

• Need a basic knowledge of coding to add custom attributes to your shortcode.
• The premium version is a bit expensive but gives you access to customer support. However, the free version of the plugin lets you create a shortcode to display a QR code.

Why We Recommend Shortcodes Ultimate: Shortcodes Ultimate is a reliable plugin that lets you add a custom QR code to your WordPress site. It offers excellent customization options to change color, size, background, and more for your QR code. Plus, you can easily add data attributes to display a fully customized QR code in WordPress.

Pricing: Starts at $39 per year for a single site license.

2. Automator QR Code Generator

Automator QR Code Generator is an integration for the Uncanny Automator WordPress plugin. It allows you to create automated workflows that involve generating QR codes based on your WordPress website data.

For example, you might use a QR code to store product data from your online store, contain ticket information for your events, or link to student records in your e-learning platform.

While customization options depend on the specific workflow you create, Automator offers control over data used in the QR code (text, URLs, etc.). Additionally, some customization of the QR code itself is possible, such as size and error correction.

Pros of Automator QR Code Generator

• Generate QR codes automatically based on user actions or other events on your WordPress site.
• Integrates with other plugins within the Uncanny Automator ecosystem for powerful automation possibilities.
• It offers some level of customization for the QR code data and its appearance.
• Hundreds of powerful integrations with third-party WordPress plugins and apps, including WooCommerce, LearnDash, and more.

Cons of Automator QR Code Generator

• Setting up automated workflows might require some technical knowledge.
• Customization options are a little limited.

Why We Recommend Automator QR Code Generator: Uncanny Automator is the best WordPress website automation software. Its QR Code Generator automates QR code generation based on your specific needs, saving you time and effort.

Pricing: You will need to buy the Uncanny Automator plan, which starts at $149 per year.

3. Kaya QR Code

Kaya QR Code is a free WordPress QR code plugin. It lets you create and add QR codes to your landing pages, posts, sidebars, and other content areas.

It has a built-in widget that lets you add a QR code in the widget-ready areas of your website. You can also use the shortcode generator to display the QR code anywhere on your site.

Pros of Kaya QR Code

• The customization options include shadowing the image so your QR code stands out.
• It allows you to add an alternate text to the QR code that shows on the mouseover.
• You can make clickable QR codes so the user can click and visit the landing page.
• It’s fully compatible with WordPress multisite network and WooCommerce.

Cons of Kaya QR Code

• The QR code visibility customization options are limited.
• The plugin may not be compatible with all WordPress themes and plugins.

Why We Recommend Kaya QR Code: Kaya QR Code is a free WordPress QR code generator plugin. It gives you the basic options, including generating and adding a QR code anywhere on your WordPress site. What makes it different from QR code plugins is the ability to make your QR code clickable.

Pricing: Free

4. Qyrr

Qyrr is a free WordPress QR code plugin that lets you create, manage, and track QR codes easily. It also allows you to create dynamic QR codes that can be edited without changing the design.

The best part about using Qyrr is that it lets you add your logo or text within the QR code to personalize it.

Pros of Qyrr

• You can fully track how many times the QR code is scanned.
• It allows you to generate QR codes in bulk.
• It lets you export the QR code in an SVG file for HD quality.
• Qyrr is compatible with the WordPress block editor, and you can use a custom block to display your QR code.

Cons of Qyrr

• The free version has limited features, and you’ll need the premium version to access options like dynamic QR code, tracking, and bulk QR code generator.
• The plugin has a bit of a learning curve and may not be as beginner-friendly as some of the other QR code plugins on this list.

Why We Recommend Qyrr: Qyrr has a free plan with basic features, and its premium plan comes with dynamic QR codes, tracking and management, and a bulk QR code generator. There is also a lifetime plan, which means you can buy the plugin once and use it forever.

Pricing: Free. The premium plans start at $39 per year for a single-site license. For the same license, you can pay $119.99 to get lifetime access.

5. QR code MeCard/vCard

QR code MeCard/vCard is a free WordPress QR code plugin built to share your contact information with users. You can add the QR code to your WordPress site using a shortcode or custom widget.

The plugin lets you generate a QR code containing your personal information, such as your contact number, email address, and other details, in the MeCard or vCard format. Your website visitors can then scan the QR code and save the contact information to their address book.

Pros of QR code MeCard/vCard

• Supports the latest versions of MeCard and vCard to share contact information with users.
• QR codes are fully customizable, allowing you to add your logo, change color, and modify the size.
• It lets you create a QR code with your existing user profile in WordPress.
• Easy to add the QR code on your website pages or posts using a shortcode or widget.

Cons of QR code MeCard/vCard

• Limited to sharing contact information and doesn’t offer advanced features.
• There’s no analytics or data on how many people are saving your contact details using the QR code.

Why We Recommend QR code MeCard/vCard: QR code MeCard/vCard is a simple and free WordPress plugin for sharing contact information with users. It lets you add QR codes to your pages, posts, sidebar, footer, and any widget-ready areas. Your users can then scan and save your contact information to their address book instantly.

Pricing: Free

6. AffiliateWP

AffiliateWP is the best WordPress affiliate management plugin on the market. It lets you create referral links, affiliate banners, and affiliate QR codes to reach a wide audience and increase your sales.

The plugin comes with powerful affiliate growth tools, including email marketing integration to grow your affiliate program. It also supports dozens of languages so that you can set up and manage the affiliate program in your language.

For more details, see our guide on how to easily add an affiliate program in WooCommerce.

Pros of AffiliateWP

• Create custom QR codes for your affiliate links.
• Share the QR codes on your business cards to get offline clicks.
• 1-click payouts to your affiliate partners with Stripe or PayPal.
• Complete and detailed affiliate reports to improve your affiliate program.

Cons of AffiliateWP

• QR codes can take up more space on your website than simple affiliate links.

Why We Recommend AffiliateWP: AffiliateWP is the best affiliate management plugin for WordPress sites. It comes with powerful features to set up and run your affiliate program. For example, it allows you to create affiliate links, affiliate landing pages, and QR codes to grow your business.

Pricing: The personal plan costs $149.60 per year. However, you’ll need their Plus plan to create affiliate QR codes and access growth tools, which costs $199.60 per year.

7. UPI QR Code

UPI QR Code is a free WordPress QR code plugin for WooCommerce stores. It lets you accept instant payments from customers by showing a unique QR code on the checkout page.

The plugin is built for digital payments in India and works with all UPI (Unified Payments Interface) apps working in the country, including Paytm, PhonePe, Google Pay, and more.

Your customers can scan the QR code, enter their PIN code, and the payment will be deposited in your bank account right away.

Pros of UPI QR Code

• Instant payments and no transaction fees on any payment.
• Works with all UPI apps, allowing users to choose their favorite payment app to pay in your online store.
• Out-of-the-box integration with WooCommerce and beginner-friendly.
• Built for small businesses with no hidden charges and completely free.

Cons of UPI QR Code

• It is limited to UPI payments and doesn’t allow other payment methods like credit cards.
• It accepts payment in Indian Rupees, which means no international currency is accepted. It is also limited to Indian eCommerce stores.

Why We Recommend UPI QR Code: UPI QR Code is a powerful plugin that easily integrates with WooCommerce. If you’re running an online store in India, then this plugin can help you accept payments without any transaction fees or hidden charges.

Pricing: Free

8. Pretty Links

Pretty Links is the best WordPress affiliate link management and URL shortener plugin. It lets you create custom checkout links for your WooCommerce store and convert your links into QR codes using a third-party QR code plugin.

The plugin allows you to shorten your long affiliate links. You can also add branding to your links so they look professional when you share affiliate links on your social profiles and other platforms.

Pros of Pretty Links

• Easy integration with QR code plugins like Kaya QR Code and Qyrr.
• Allows you to create trackable QR codes for your affiliate links.
• You can create custom redirect links to send users to your landing pages and get additional information before making a sale.
• Tracks your affiliate links to see which campaign is performing best.

Cons of Pretty Links

• You will need a third-party WordPress QR code plugin to create and share QR codes with Pretty Links.

Why We Recommend Pretty Links: Pretty Links is the best WordPress URL shortener plugin. It can convert your long, unappealing affiliate links into customized, beautiful URLs. You can connect it with a QR code plugin like Kaya QR or Qyrr to create trackable QR codes for your affiliate links.

Pricing: The beginner plan costs $99.60 per year for a single site license.

9. OptinMonster

OptinMonster is the best lead generation and conversion optimization software on the market. It lets you create beautiful popup campaigns that display a custom QR code that redirects users to register for an event, download an ebook, or get a discounted offer on your products.

It comes with hundreds of ready-made templates for popup campaigns. To boost your traffic and revenue, you can quickly create a lightbox popup campaign, add a QR code, and choose your target audience.

Bonus Read: How We Increased Our Email Subscribers by 600% with OptinMonster

Pros of OptinMonster

• Powerful conversion optimization that helps generate leads and increase your sales.
• Exit-Intent technology that triggers a popup when your user is about to leave your website.
• Page-specific targeting allows you to display popup campaigns where you need them, giving you complete control over your marketing campaign.
• It comes with MonsterLinks clickable links that open personalized optin popups when clicked. You can show a QR code when the user clicks a link to increase engagement.

Cons of OptinMonster

• It’s not a typical QR code plugin. You’ll need a third-party WordPress QR code plugin to generate a QR code and use it with your popup campaign.

Why We Recommend OptinMonster: OptinMonster is the best lead generation software. It comes with beautiful and responsive popup campaigns that look good on any screen size or device. You can add pre-generated QR codes to your marketing campaigns, which are easy to scan from mobile devices. QR codes are also trackable, so you’ll know exactly how many people are interacting with them.

Pricing: The basic plan costs $9 per month (billed annually) for a single site license and lets you build lightbox popup campaigns.

Bonus: WPForms

WPForms is the best contact form plugin for WordPress. It comes with thousands of ready-made form templates, including payment forms for Stripe and PayPal.

You can use a third-party plugin to make a QR code for your payment form and add it anywhere on your WordPress site. It will allow you to accept online payments quickly.

Moreover, you can create a simple order form and add the payment QR code to your WordPress form. After filling out the order form, the user can scan the QR code and pay using their preferred payment method.

Pros of WPForms

• Powerful integrations with Stripe, PayPal, and other payment methods.
• Ready-made payment forms for different online businesses.
• Drag and drop form builder to customize any form without coding.
• Form widgets and shortcodes to add forms anywhere on your WordPress site.

Cons of WPForms

• WPForms doesn’t come with a built-in QR code generator. However, you can use a third-party plugin to add QR codes to your WordPress forms.

Why We Recommend WPForms: WPForms is the most popular and best WordPress form plugin on the market. It supports popular payment methods and integrates with dozens of QR code services to accept online payments quickly.

Pricing: Starts at $49.50 per year. For payment methods, you’ll need the WPForms Pro plan, which lets you add the WordPress form plugin on up to 5 sites.

Which Is the Best QR Code Plugin for WordPress?

We recommend Shortcodes Ultimate as the best WordPress QR code plugin. It lets you create custom QR codes and edit their color, size, and background to match your brand.

Alternatively, if you want to automate workflows with hundreds of integrations using QR codes, then Automator QR Code Generator by Uncanny Automator is the best choice. It lets you manage shopping cart payments, membership sites, learning management systems, and more.

Kaya QR Code Generator and Qyrr are also great free WordPress QR code plugins. Both free QR code plugins seamlessly integrate with your favorite affiliate services, email marketing services, and other WordPress plugins.

We hope this article has helped you find the best QR code plugins for WordPress. You may also want to check out our other WordPress guides for growing your business.

Best WordPress Guides for Your Website

• How to Add Stripe QR Code Payment in WordPress
• How to Generate and Add QR Codes in WordPress (Easy Tutorial)
• How to Accept SEPA Payments in WordPress (Easy Ways)
• How to Accept Giropay Payments in WordPress (The Easy Way)
• How to Accept Affirm Payments in WordPress (Easy Methods)
• How to Easily Accept Bitcoin Payments in WordPress (Step by Step)
• Best Email Marketing Services for Small Businesses
• Best Business Phone Number Services for Small Businesses

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post 9 Best QR Code Plugins for WordPress (Expert Picks) first appeared on WPBeginner.