These 11 startups are helping creators build communities and make money from memberships, courses, and private group chats
- “Community” is one of the most recent buzzwords fueling the creator economy.
- Startups are experimenting with new ways to assist creators in connecting with fans and making money.
- From Patreon to Discord, Business Insider has highlighted 11 community-focused startups.
When it comes to establishing a long-term career and business, having only an audience is insufficient.
“If you want to become a sustainable creator, you can’t just rely on AdSense anymore,” creator-economy expert and former VidCon CEO Jim Louderback told Business Insider.
Instead, many creators are directing their fans to new places and experiences in order to foster a sense of community while also monetizing it. Fortunately for them, there is an entire ecosystem of creator-economy and consumer-tech startups dedicated to doing just that.
Traditional social-media platforms, such as Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, have evolved into “awareness engines,” as Louderback put it, guiding creators’ most devoted fans into more intimate spaces both online and offline.
“Once you have them there, that opportunity is to market to them in a non-cringey way, the sort of additional things that they may want to do to either get closer to you as a creator and deepen the bond, or learn more, or discover more, or buy merch,” Louderback went on to say.
Louderback cited online course platform Kajabi (which acquired community startup Vibely in 2022) and Nas.io, a “all-in-one” tool for monetizing a community founded by content creator Nuseir Yassin, as examples of platforms that assist creators in doing so.
Other platforms, such as Uscreen, which was designed for on-demand video content, have become hubs for creators such as Adriene Mishler of “Yoga with Adriene,” who uses the platform to host her Find What Feels Good community.
Rob Balasabas, Uscreen’s head of partnerships and community, stated that fans “come for the content” but “stay for the community.”
BI compiled a list of 11 startups that creators use to turn their audiences into communities to help them navigate the growing number of community platforms. BI selected the companies based on their presence in the creator economy, tools offered, and reputation among creators and industry experts.
While many creators continue to use platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to connect with their audiences in comments, direct messages, and groups, this list focuses on startups that are building community tools.
Here are 11 platforms that help creators build and monetize online communities:
Please keep in mind that startups are listed alphabetically.
Circle’s founders include two ex-Teachable employees.
What it is: Circle, founded by two former Teachable employees, Andrew Guttormsen and Sid Yadav, as well as Rudy Santino, is a community platform used by creators and brands to sell memberships. Ankur Nagpal, the founder of Teachable, who has since left the company, invested in Circle and recently named it a startup to watch. According to the company, it has raised $28 million in capital and was most recently valued at $250 million.
What type of community tools it offers: Group chats, events, courses, and livestreaming
How creators make money: Creators can charge one-time fees and recurring membership subscriptions
How much it costs creators: Starts at $39 per month
Who uses it: Ali Abdaal, a productivity YouTube creator; Codie Sanchez, a finance content creator; and brands like Adobe and Webflow
Discord rose to prominence because of gaming communities on the platform.
What it is: Discord is a group chat platform that grew in popularity among gaming communities and now hosts communities from sports betting to mental health. Midjourney, a text-to-image generative AI software with over 1.7 million members on its server, is also hosted on the platform. Discord added creator monetization tools such as Server Subscriptions in 2022.
What type of community tools it offers: Group chats, video and voice calls, screensharing
How creators make money: Eligible creators can turn on Server Subscriptions, which splits revenue between creators and Discord 90% to 10%
How much it costs creators: Discord’s Nitro subscription, which unlocks premium features, starts at $10 per month
Who uses it: Midjourney AI, Colin and Samir, and Lonnie IIV
Fourthwall helps creators build websites and sell products.
What it is: Walker Williams (former cofounder and CEO of merch startup Teespring, now Spring), Will Baumann (ex-Amazon and founder of expense app SmartReceipts), and Eli Valentin cofounded Fourthwall, an e-commerce solution for creators. The company has evolved into a one-stop shop for creators looking to build a brand from an online audience, providing merch services, website tools, and, more recently, branded apps that charge membership fees.
What type of community tools it offers: Branded apps and websites for creators, polls, badges, livestreams, and products
How creators make money: Revenue from e-commerce sales, recurring membership subscriptions, and donations from fans
How much it costs creators: No fee
Who uses it: TMG Studios, a podcast studio founded by YouTube creators Cody Ko and Noel Miller; Rosie Nguyen, creator and cofounder of Fanhouse known online by her account “Jasmine Rice Girl”
Geneva is an online hub for clubs and niche groups.
What it is: Geneva is a platform that assists niche communities, such as book clubs or local city dwellers, in creating a digital hub where they can connect online. Its interface is similar to Discord and Slack, and it provides groups with tools to create multiple channels.
What type of community tools it offers: Group chats, video and audio calls, livestreaming, and events
How creators make money: Geneva hasn’t yet introduced monetization tools
How much it costs creators: No fee
Who uses it: Nina Haines, who runs the Sapph-Lit bookclub; Kate Glavan and Emma Roepke, who run the Sea Moss Girlies meme page and podcast
Kajabi acquired the community-focused platform Vibely in 2022.
What it is: Kajabi is a popular online course platform that expanded into online communities in 2022 after acquiring Vibely, an online community startup. Kajabi announced in October that its creators had earned more than $6 billion through the use of its platform.
What type of community tools it offers: Group chats, video and audio calls, and courses
How creators make money: Recurring membership subscriptions
How much it costs creators: Starts at $149 per month
Who uses it: Rob Lennon, an AI content creator and educator; Matt Steffanina, a dance and fitness content creator; Dominque Broadway, a personal finance creator
Mighty Networks offers an AI assistant tool to help creators manage their communities.
What it is: Mighty Networks is a platform that provides tools for creators and brands to sell digital products, with a focus on community and fans. Mighty Co-Host is an AI tool released by the platform that aids in the setup, management, and engagement of a Mighty community. Gina Bianchini, the company’s CEO, previously cofounded community startup Ning with Marc Andreessen before cofounding Mighty in 2010.
What type of community tools it offers: Group chats, courses, and livestreaming
How creators make money: Creators can charge one-time fees, or monthly and annual subscriptions for their communities or offerings
How much it costs creators: Starts at $33 per month
Who uses it: Nancy Anderson, a fitness creator and trainer who runs the Birth Recovery Center community; Jim Kwik, a productivity and memory performance coach
Nas.io was founded by the content creator behind Nas Daily.
What it is: Nas Company’s Nas.io product, founded by Facebook and YouTube star Nuseir Yassin (known for his Nas Daily videos), assists creators in monetizing their audiences through community tools. Group chat features that integrate with WhatsApp, Discord, and Telegram, as well as tools like courses, are available on the platform.
What type of community tools it offers: Group chats, courses, events, and digital products
How creators make money: Paid memberships and courses, selling digital goods, and ticketed experiences and events
How much it costs creators: No fee
Who uses it: Matt Navarra, a social-media manager who runs the Geekout newsletter and community; Zeeshan Shaikh, the creator behind the SeeKen YouTube channel, who runs a book club using Nas.io
Patreon rebranded this year with a new look and focus on community.
What it is: Patreon is a subscription service that allows creators to share exclusive content with “patrons” who pay a monthly fee. Since its inception in 2013, the platform has been a mainstay of the creator economy, and it will be rebranded in 2023 to focus on its own app and community tools. Patreon introduced e-commerce tools last year and group chats, profiles, and a redesigned app this year.
What type of community tools it offers: Group chats and social profiles
How creators make money: Recurring membership subscriptions
How much it costs creators: No fee, but creators can opt-in for premium features that start at taking an 8% cut of their Patreon earnings
Who uses it: Rachel Maksy, a DIY creator; Mina Le, a fashion and pop culture creator; Kevin Woo, a K-Pop star
Substack is a newsletter platform that added social tools like group chats.
What it is: Substack began as a newsletter platform that drew journalists and other writers, but it has since expanded into other forms of media, including video. In 2021, the platform introduced podcast tools, and in 2022, video. Subtack also added new community engagement tools, such as group chats and meetings. The platform has acquired four companies: Cocoon, People & Company, Letter, and Yem. In 2023, it launched a community investment round in which its writers and users could invest in Substack in exchange for equity stakes.
What type of community tools it offers: Group chats and one-on-one meetings
How creators make money: Recurring membership subscriptions
How much it costs creators: No fee, but Substack takes 10% of paid subscriptions
Who uses it: Joanna Goddard, who runs a fashion and beauty newsletter; Jessica Reed Kraus, a pop culture writer
Teachable
What it is: This year, Teachable, primarily an online course platform, began testing community features. Additionally, the platform includes tools for online coaching, digital products and downloads, and memberships. Hotmart, a global creator economy company, acquired Teachable in 2020.
What type of community tools it offers: Group chats, forums, and courses
How creators make money: One-time fees and recurring membership subscriptions
How much it costs creators: Starts at $39 per month
Who uses it: Carrie Brummer, an artist and educator, runs a community using Teachable’s community tools in beta
Uscreen is where YouTube yoga mogul Adriene Mishler hosts her community.
What it is: screen is a video-on-demand platform that allows creators to charge fans for memberships. PJ Taei founded the platform in 2015, and it has since expanded into community tools.
What type of community tools it offers: Group chats and channels, branded apps, polls, social profiles, and livestreaming
How creators make money: Creators can charge one-time fees, pay-per-view models, or monthly subscriptions
How much it costs creators: Starts at $149 per month
Who uses it: Adriene Mishler (aka Yoga with Adriene); Justin Rhodes, a homestead content creator
