17 rules in 6 groups, worth 100 points in all. They were set before any product was scored and apply the same way to all 8.
Version 1, published 9 Oct 2026
In short
Each rule is a yes-or-no fact, a list (such as the systems with an app) or a number with published thresholds, read from the vendor's own pages.
A fact the vendor does not publish earns nothing. A feature in beta or preview does not count.
The list follows the points. A tie goes to the lower price on "cheapest paid plan with a custom domain", then to the name.
Forum and member-space platforms a company can run for its customers, users or fans, hosted by the vendor or self-hosted. Course marketplaces, chat servers and quote-only enterprise suites are left out. Plan-based lines count a plan if it is on sale to anyone; quote-only plans are not priced.
Price 18 points
Rule
What it takes
Points
Free plan
A free plan on the vendor's own hosting that is not a trial and does not end after a set number of days.
6
Cheapest paid plan with a custom domain
Cheapest paid plan on the vendor's own hosting with your own domain, in US dollars a month, billed yearly if offered, else monthly, regular price. No hosted plan: free software is $0; a licence is its yearly fee divided by 12, or a one-time fee divided by 36. Quote-only is null. Up to $20 earns 12, $50 10, $100 7, $150 4, $300 2.
12
Members and access 23 points
Rule
What it takes
Points
Unlimited members
The vendor states there is no cap on member accounts on at least one plan priced under $300 a month, or the software is self-hosted with no member limit. A limit on page views, storage or staff seats is not a member cap.
6
Custom domain
You can run the community on your own domain or subdomain on at least one plan.
3
Single sign-on
Members can sign in with your own identity provider through SAML, OpenID Connect, OAuth 2 or signed tokens (JWT), on at least one plan. A list of social logins (Google, Facebook, LinkedIn and similar) does not count.
10
Groups with their own permissions
You can create member groups or roles and set who may see, post in or manage each space.
4
Moderation and answers 13 points
Rule
What it takes
Points
Moderation tools
Documented tools on at least one plan. Each earns 2 points: a queue of reported posts, approval of posts before they appear, banning or suspending a member, and automatic spam or word filters.
8
Accepted answers
A member or moderator can mark one reply as the accepted answer to a question, built in or through a plugin or app the vendor documents.
5
Connections 19 points
Rule
What it takes
Points
Named integrations
The vendor names a native integration or official plugin for the tool on its own pricing, features, app-directory or help pages. A connection that only works through a third-party automation tool such as Zapier does not count. Each earns 2 points.
8
Public API
A documented REST or GraphQL API for reading or writing community content or members, generally available on at least one plan.
8
Webhooks
Documented webhooks that send an event, such as a new post or member, to another service.
3
Your data 13 points
Rule
What it takes
Points
Export your community data
A vendor help page or the docs describe how an admin exports members or content (a data export or backup download). Self-hosting alone does not count.
6
Open source
The source code of the apps is public under an open-source licence.
4
Self-hosting
The vendor offers a version you can run on your own server, free or licensed, with install instructions.
3
Security 14 points
Rule
What it takes
Points
SOC 2 Type II or ISO 27001
The vendor names a SOC 2 Type II report or an ISO/IEC 27001 certification for this product or the company running it.
8
Written uptime guarantee
A committed uptime percentage in the vendor's terms, SLA or plan page, on at least one plan.
3
Two-factor sign-in
Members or admins can turn on two-factor sign-in, documented by the vendor.