SocialEngine
SocialEngine: A broad community platform with strong monetization tools and a very small entry tier. Ranked #21 of 126 in Community Platforms by our editors (7.9/10); pricing: 14-day trial; best for social networks needing broad monetization.
At a glance
- Editor score7.9 / 10
- Pricing14-day trial
- Best forSocial networks needing broad monetization
- Free planNo
- Paid from$29/mo
- Member limit5 members
- Founded2007
- Facts checked21 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Feeds, groups, forums, messaging, events, and moderation in one platform
- Memberships, subscriptions, payment gateways, advertising, and monetization
- Hosted, self-hosted, API, and branded iOS and Android deployment options
Where it doesn't
- The $29/month Development plan allows up to 5 active users
- Self-hosted licenses require one-time payments starting at $199
- Advanced customization and third-party themes vary by plan
Our verdict on SocialEngine
SocialEngine is a white-label community platform for businesses, creators, organizations, and enterprises building branded online communities. It combines member profiles, permissions, activity feeds, posts, comments, threaded conversations, messaging, groups, events, forums, subscriptions, moderation, and administrative controls. Communities can run on the web, use branded native iOS and Android apps, connect through a REST API, or deploy the self-hosted PHP software with source-code access.
Hosted pricing starts with the Development plan at $29 per month, including up to 5 active users, all official plugins, iOS and Android apps, 1 GB of memory, and 40 GB of SSD storage. Early Stage costs $49 per month and raises the limit to 250 active users, removes branding, and permits up to 3 plugins or themes from SNS. Startup, Growth, Expanding, and Professional cost $99, $149, $199, and $349 per month, respectively. These tiers add more memory, customization, automatic updates on Professional, and increasing access to SNS plugins and themes. A 14-day trial is available, while self-hosted Essential and Advanced licenses cost $199 and $399 one time.
Its strongest fit is for organizations that need more than a discussion board. Groups can include privacy settings, discussions, events, and officers; events support invitations, RSVPs, and attendee announcements; and moderation includes abuse reports, deletion, blocking, moderator accounts, and auto-approval. Payment integrations include Authorize.net, PayPal, and Stripe, while Agora, MySQL, Node.js, Android, and iOS are also listed integrations. Choose SocialEngine when monetization, mobile apps, and multiple community formats matter. Smaller communities should examine the active-user limit on Development, while teams wanting a simple, narrowly focused forum may find its wider feature set unnecessary.
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SocialEngine pricing
All 10 SocialEngine plans and prices →
SocialEngine fact sheet
| Free plan | No |
|---|---|
| Paid from | $29/mo |
| Member limit | 5 members |
| Event hosting | Yes |
| Private spaces | Yes |
| Custom domain | Not verified |
| Moderation tools | Yes |
| Mobile apps | Both |
| Free trial | 14 days |
| Deployment | Cloud, Self-hosted, Mobile |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android |
| Compliance & security | GDPR |
| Support | Email, Live chat, Tickets, Docs |
| Built for | Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise (editorial estimate) |
| Integrations | 8 integrations: Agora, MySQL, Node.js, Authorize.net, PayPal, Stripe … |
| Pricing | 14-day trial (source) |
| Website | socialengine.com |
| Facts checked | 21 Sep 2026 |
SocialEngine integrations
SocialEngine lists 8 integrations on its own site.
- Agora
- MySQL
- Node.js
- Authorize.net
- PayPal
- Stripe
- Android
- iOS
Alternatives to SocialEngine
- DiscourseA mature choice for communities that need discussion, chat, moderation, and private spaces.9.4
- RedditA flexible, free home for public topic discussions with substantial moderation tools.9.2
- UNAA flexible community stack for organizations that want control over hosting, features, and mobile apps.9.0
See all SocialEngine alternatives →
Also Ranked In
SocialEngine is ranked in 3 of our directories.
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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