8
 min read

Bettermode vs. Hivebrite: Which is Better for Your Customer Community?

Check out this in-depth comparison of Bettermode and Hivebrite. Learn about their unique features and decide which suits your needs for building customer communities.
Written by
Kerry Leech
Last updated
October 23, 2023

You're likely here because you're considering Bettermode and Hivebrite. Both are top-notch options when it comes to creating and fostering online communities for your business. But deciding which platform checks all your boxes can feel like an overwhelming task.

To make the process easier for you, we've put together a detailed comparison of Bettermode vs Hivebrite. This isn't about declaring a winner but helping you identify the right fit for your customer community's unique needs.

In this in-depth article, we'll shine a light on the strengths and shortcomings of each platform. We're diving deep, so you'll have a clear view of how each platform aligns with your goals and needs.

So let's dig into the nitty-gritty of Bettermode vs Hivebrite, and find the best solution for you. We’ll start by taking a look at the key features of both platforms.

Bettermode vs Hivebrite: Comparing key features

Bettermode key features

(Bettermode’s fully customizable user interface)

Bettermode is an all in one customer community platform which focuses on powerful customization options, a beautiful template gallery, and a rich App Store for integrations, and embed options. 

With everything in one place Bettermode increases user engagement and leverages user generated content to drive organic traffic. In terms of customer support, Bettermode offers responsive and helpful support teams and has a comprehensive Knowledge Base, email support, and a contact us page, to assist with any issues or questions that may arise. 

And the best part? It's highly scalable. Whether you're managing a small community of thousands or a massive one with millions of members, Bettermode can handle it. 

Customer review of Bettermode

Plus, Bettermode offers top-notch moderation tools, like a keyword block list, a profanity filter, and customisable moderation rules. Plus, it's got a moderation panel that makes editing or rejecting posts a breeze.

Other Bettermode features include:

  • All in one customer community platform 
  • Beautiful template gallery
  • Customizable user interface
  • Powerful Design Studio to build unique communities
  • Social media integration
  • Professionally crafted pre-made templates
  • Analytics and reporting tools 
  • Easy embed options
  • Rich App Store and direct integration with popular business tools such as HubSpot, Salesforce, Zendesk
  • Multiple language support e.g. English, Spanish, French, German and more
  • Single sign-on (SSO) functionality 
  • Gamification and moderation tools
  • Developer Platform to build custom solutions on top of Bettermode 
  • Access controls/permissions
  • Activity dashboard and tracking
  • Alerts/Escalation and notifications
  • Collaboration tools and event management
  • Knowledge base management
  • Live chat
  • Member directory
  • Powerful moderation tools
  • Easy reporting and analytics

Templates by Bettermode

(It’s easy to get started with Bettermode’s range of professional pre-made templates)

Customers regularly see results like these:

  • 3 x better user engagement
  • 50% fewer support tickets
  • +20 increase in NPS and CSAT scores
  • 30% increase in organic traffic

🖥️You can check out the platform features or put us to the test now…

Or keep reading to see how Hivebrite compares 👇

Hivebrite key features

Hivebrite Platform

Hivebrite caters to professional communities, alumni networks, public organizations, and incubators of all sizes. It offers full moderation features, with integrated CMS, the ability to make some pages public and some private content, RSS feed, the ability to post messages and member access to documents and files. Plus, there are integrations with tools such as Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Blackbaud.

Hivebrite also offers:

  • The ability to manage community data
  • Management of events, tickets and payments in one place
  • Centralized communications with members and automated updates
  • Share and find opportunities
  • Management of memberships and donations 
  • Management of groups
  • Support center and email support
  • Networking
  • Access control
  • Permission management
  • Single sign on
  • Content management
  • Knowledge Base management
  • Multi language

The bottom line: Both Bettermode and Hivebrite are powerhouses of innovation, offering an array of indispensable features for cultivating and nurturing a thriving customer community. But if you're looking to foster deeper connections, drive engagement, or enhance collaboration, then Bettermode’s got you covered.

We know it's a tough decision to choose between the two, so now let’s evaluate the user experience of both.👇

Bettermode vs Hivebrite: User experience

User experience is a critical factor to consider when choosing a customer community platform. So let's evaluate how the user experience of Bettermode and Hivebrite compares.

Bettermode user experience

Bettermode’s all-in-one customer community platform is built to help businesses simplify customer experience, improve customer engagement, and build meaningful relationships. Users say “Bettermode’s teams are always open to taking on feature suggestions” and “are continually building new features to add to your community”.

Third-party Bettermode review

Bettermode's design studio lets you build any layout with a no-code, block-based page builder, and its robust templates for all common use-cases simplify community building. And users say: “It’s very intuitive and customisable compared to their competitors”. 

In fact, it’s a platform for all your community needs that provides embeddable widgets, modern design, comprehensive API, gamification, direct messaging, granular analytics, powerful moderation tools, integration with popular tools, and more.  Plus, product teams can collect ideas and feedback. 

Hivebrite user experience

Hivebrite's user interface is also user-friendly and intuitive, and it offers a range of features that make it easy to manage customer communities effectively. The platform is designed to be easy to use, with a clean interface. While Hivebrite's customization options are more limited than Bettermode's, the platform offers basic options to create customized content and pages.

One of the standout features of Hivebrite is its event management tool, which allows organizations to easily create and manage events within their communities. This makes it easy for organizations to engage with their members and build a sense of community around their brand or cause. 

However users report that “the page builder functionality requires further refinement and enhancements, in addition to further enhancements across the reporting and analytics related to payments, email and web”. 

Hivebrite also offers a range of tools to help organizations manage their communities effectively. The platform has a built-in CRM system that allows organizations to track user behavior and engagement, and its moderation tools make it easy to manage user-generated content and ensure that the community remains a safe and welcoming space for all members. 

However users say “developing and launching new features (if requested by the client) is not systematically possible. The email builder would require some upgrades”. 

In summary: Overall, both Bettermode and Hivebrite offer user-friendly and intuitive platforms that make it easy for organizations to manage their customer communities effectively but Bettermode's customization options are more extensive. Users say “Bettermode is intuitive and easy to use. People enjoy using it because “it reads like a familiar social media platform” and “I recommend it for any organization that is having difficulty keeping employee engagement open in these unprecedented times”. 

Bettermode vs Hivebrite: Comparing costs

Next up, when it comes to choosing the right community platform, it needs to fit your budget. So let’s examine how each compares. 

Bettermode cost

Bettermode's advanced plan delivers unbeatable value at just $599 per month, making it an irresistible choice for ambitious brands. For this price you can unleash the power of advanced apps, single sign-on convenience, complete white label customization, API and webhooks for seamless integration, a staging environment for flawless testing, and a dedicated customer success manager to guide you every step of the way.

Moreover, Bettermode understands that larger businesses and those in regulated industries have unique demands. That's why they offer custom pricing for their enterprise plan, tailored to cater to your organization's specific needs. This means you can elevate your security measures with enterprise-grade protection, ensure data residency compliance, gain access to an audit and activity log for complete transparency, enjoy an uptime SLA for uninterrupted service, and rest easy with a comprehensive master service agreement. Plus, their enterprise plan provides SAML authentication and a suite of additional features designed exclusively for your business.

🔎 You can take a look at Bettermode’s pricing plans here.

Hivebrite cost

On the other hand, with Hivebrite you have to request a demo to get a pricing plan and the lack of transparency doesn’t help in making a choice. Hivebrite has solutions for education, professional networks, corporate alumni and non profits. That’s why plans include features such as event management, payment processing, and fundraising.

For example, event management features can be useful for organizations that frequently host events, while payment processing and fundraising features can be useful for non profit organizations that rely on donations and sponsorships. 

The key takeaway: While pricing is an important factor when choosing a customer community platform, it's not the only factor to consider. Both Bettermode and Hivebrite offer varying levels of features and support to cater to different organizational needs. Organizations should evaluate their needs and choose a platform that offers the features and support they require to build a successful community.

The key differences between Bettermode vs Hivebrite

Discovering the right customer community platform that empowers your brand can be a daunting task, especially when there are a vast array of options available in the market. 

Two of the most popular platforms are Bettermode and Hivebrite, but before making a decision, it is crucial to understand the key differences of each platform. Let’s take a look. 

  • Flexibility to meet business needs: Many users have reported that Bettermode meets their needs better than Hivebrite. One user said “Bettermode has been a game changer for our community. The platform is easy to use and has all the features we need to keep our members engaged” (Getapp) whilst Hivebrite’s users have said “It is not 100% user friendly, we have had to adapt our business to functionality”.
  • Product support: Another significant factor that sets Bettermode apart from Hivebrite is the quality of ongoing product support. According to G2, reviewers felt that Bettermode offers superior support, which shows a more responsive and dedicated team behind the product. One user said “The customer support team at Bettermode is top-notch. They are always available to help us with any questions we have, while Hivebrite’s users have been less satisfied, reporting “Technical support is the worst of all compared to competitors”. Bettermode clearly has a better user experience which ensures a smoother implementation process.
  • Ease of use: In terms of features and roadmaps, Bettermode offers a wide range of features that can help you create a vibrant and engaged community. It makes it easy to build highly customizable communities with the power of Design Studio and pre-made templates, manage content and group member networks together. Plus, Bettermode’s App Store is designed to integrate with business tools and enhance the community with custom features. Users on G2 said “Bettermode has helped us build a thriving community that has become the heart of our business. The platform is intuitive and easy to use and our members love it”. 
  • All-in-one solution: Lastly, while both Bettermode and Hivebrite offer robust community platforms, Bettermode offers a more comprehensive all-in-one solution, allowing customer support and success teams, marketing teams, and product teams to collaborate effectively within the platform. This helps build meaningful customer experiences and engagement. Users on G2 say “Bettermode’s features blew me away. The platform is intuitive and easy to use and our members love it”.

Hivebrite vs Bettermode: Use cases

Now that we've looked at the main differences between Bettermode and Hivebrite let’s delve into the use cases. After all, you need to find the right customer community platform that meets your organization's unique needs.

Bettermode use cases

  • Customer self service
  • Scaling customer support and success
  • Product ideation and feedback
  • Customer marketing and growth

Bettermode key industry segments

  • Software and SaaS
  • Consumer products and services
  • Online training and cohort based courses

If we’ve piqued your interest, you can put us to the test with a demo now.

Hivebrite use cases

  • Event management and ticketing
  • Secure payments and donations
  • Fundraising and membership management
  • Advanced communication and messaging features
  • Advanced member segmentation and targeting

Hivebrite key industry segments

  • Education 
  • Non profits
  • Corporate Alumni 

To sum up: If your organization wants to monetize its community by selling tickets, merchandise, or memberships, Hivebrite is an ideal platform that provides advanced features for event management, ticketing, secure payments, and fundraising. However if you want more functionality, and a wider range of options with transparency and openness then Bettermode is a better option. 

Choosing the right platform

In the battle between Bettermode and Hivebrite, Bettermode emerges as the clear winner. With its exceptional user experience, advanced engagement tools, customizability, data-driven insights, and unmatched support, Bettermode enables you to get results. 🥇

Our advice? When it comes to choosing a customer community platform, don't settle for less. Experience the difference with Bettermode, where affordability meets unrivaled functionality tailored to your organization's growth. 

As a final key takeaway, if you are considering a community platform, we recommended you:

  • Evaluate current requirements and objectives to determine which features are crucial to success.
  • Demo both Bettermode and Hivebrite to identify the platform with a more intuitive and user-friendly interface.
  • Assess the quality of support offered by each platform and consider the importance of this factor.
  • Review user ratings, reviews, and success stories from organizations that have implemented these platforms to gain insights into their experiences and potential pitfalls.

Ultimately, selecting the right community platform depends on the unique needs of your organization. Both Bettermode and Hivebrite have their merits, so taking the time to consider the above points will ensure a successful collaborative community is established.

📖For more on this, use Bettermode’s 15-point Checklist or use CommunityScout to find the best community solution for your brand.

Or if we have convinced you to put Bettermode on your shortlist, why not get started with a demo now? 

If you still have unanswered questions, take a look at the most frequently asked questions below.

Bettermode vs. Hivebrite: Frequently Asked Questions

Which platform is cheaper?

Bettermode offers a flat-rate pricing model, with plans starting from $599 per month. This comes with a wide array of features out-of-the-box including:

  • Advanced apps
  • Single sign-on (SSO)
  • Fully white-label
  • API and webhooks
  • Staging environment
  • Customer success manager

Alternatively, there is an Enterprise package, with pricing available on request, for large businesses or those in regulated industries. This comes with:

  • Enterprise-grade security
  • Data residency
  • Audit and activity log
  • Uptime SLA
  • Master service agreement
  • SAML authentication

Put us to the test with a demo, and get started with a free-trial.

Hivebrite’s lack of transparency about pricing, means you have to book a demo first.

Which platform is better for monetizing community events?

Hivebrite offers advanced features for event management, ticketing, secure payments, and fundraising, making it a better platform for monetizing community events.

Which platform is better for tracking and measuring community performance?

Bettermode provides robust analytics and reporting tools, making it a better platform for tracking and measuring community performance.

Which platform is better for smaller organizations?

Bettermode offers pricing options that are more affordable for small to medium-sized organizations, while Hivebrite targets larger enterprises that can afford its pricing.

Which platform offers better customization options?

Bettermode offers more customization options compared to Hivebrite, making it ideal for organizations that want a more tailored community experience.

Kerry Leech
Content Contributor

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