Mighty Networks alternative. Disciple Media: more personal, more customizable.
Should you use Mighty Networks or Disciple to build your online community?
Disciple Media: The Mighty Networks alternative which puts community first.
Mighty Networks is a community platform that competes with BuddyPress, Kajabi, Podia, and Disciple Media.
Although Mighty Networks’ may seem like a familiar name in the community space with features that allow community managers the opportunity to bring together their followers and monetize their offering, there are also a number of features and functions that are missing from their offering.
As a community builder, we understand that selecting a community platform is an important decision. We’re also aware that it can seem like a minefield, so we want to arm you with all of the information you need to make an informed decision before you decide to invest.
We’ve done all of the heavy lifting for you. We’ve analyzed the pros and cons of Mighty Networks, highlighted what you could be missing out on, and compared it to a Mighty Networks alternative – Disciple.
Your community platform is the digital home for your online community, so we want to make sure you have all of the information you need to successfully achieve your community goals.
Mighty Networks Vs Disciple Media - Similarities
There are certain things every membership site needs to offer its users, so it should be no surprise that Mighty Networks and Disciple Media share some similar features. Let’s take a look at where the two platforms converge.
The ability to build a vibrant online community
The reason people are moving away from the Facebook group model is because of the heavy-handed way Mark Zuckerberg and Co. have been interfering with the natural development of the communities they claim to foster. So any alternative platform should tread lightly, and both Mighty Networks and Disciple Media get positive grades in this regard.
While the Mighty Networks platform is somewhat more geared towards offering online course content, this isn’t a requirement. Meanwhile, Disciple is also suitable for all kinds of thriving online communities.
Monetisation
Both platforms offer a variety of monetisation options for community leaders to choose from. And in both cases, these options are pretty effective. Mighty Networks primarily focuses on charging access to those online courses we mentioned above. However, they also enable you to charge subscription fees for various levels of access to the community as a whole or various groups in particular.
Similarly, Disciple provides a wide variety of monetisation options beginning with access-related subscriptions but also including pay-to-download options, in-app purchases and sponsorship opportunities.
Private messaging
Both of these platforms provide a way for members to communicate via instant messaging. This is a foundational feature of any community building app today worthy of the title.
Polls
Both Disciple Media and Mighty Networks provide a way to set up and conduct polls. Polling is a great and simple way to take the pulse of your community, to spark engagement surrounding brands or issues, and it can also inform plans for future community development.
Event Pages
Disciple offers a simple and effective way to create event pages and optimise them for mobile users, something that is absolutely essential these days. Mighty Networks also allows you to set up events once you’ve upgraded to their Community Plan or above.
| Key benefits | Disciple | Mighty Networks |
|---|---|---|
| Posts Create posts on your community and drive engagement with a variety of post types. |  | |
| Groups Create multiple Groups in your community that can be set to mandatory, public, private or secret. | | |
| Folders Display your content in the best way possible by using Folders to showcase your images, videos, articles and links. | |  |
| Private Messaging Allow members to directly and privately message each other within your community to drive deeper connections. | | |
| Events Manage events and specify key information such as location, time, links and a RSVP option. | | |
| Custom Branding Customise the look of your community with your own brand colours, logos and assets with our sophisticated customisation tools. | | |
| Custom Navigation Change the layout of your community by customising your community navigation and structure with our easy-to-use customisation tools. | | |
| Mobile Livestream Live stream directly to your community using our native livestream system built seamlessly into our Mobile and Web apps. | | |
| Member Communication Notify and communicate with your members through Email, Push Notifications and Messages. | | |
| Member Management Manage members in one place. Edit, delete and determine Group Admins with our member management tools. | | |
| Console (Management system) Easily manage your community using the console. Our one stop shop for all community management. | | |
| Analytics Built-in Learn and drive your community by looking into your communities data using analytics. | | |
| Mobile Apps (iOS & Android) Expand your community member base by creating a completely mobile iOS or Android app. | | |
| Monetization Built-in Variety of monetization options such as membership subscriptions, exclusive content, sponsorships and much more. | | |
| Member Invite Drive community growth by inviting members to your community. Also put the power into your members hands and allow them to invite more members through referral codes. | | |
| Profile Fields Create custom profile fields and collect information from your members. Determine whether these are required on sign up and whether they are public facing to other community members. | | |
| Web App (PWA) A completely web based community that is powered by cutting edge technology. | | |
| Security Secure your community by making it invite only. | | |
| Privacy Own and manage all of your member’s data in a secure GDPR compliant environment. | | |
| Integrations Connect with some of your favourite tools such as Zapier, Mailchimp and Thinkific. | | |
| API Our open API enables you to extend the existing Disciple functionality and automate community management through Disciple’s API. | | |
| SSO Create a Single Sign On solution with our SSO integrations tools. | | |
Mighty Networks Vs Disciple - Differences
While Mighty Networks and Disciple Media share certain features, there are also a number of areas where these platforms diverge from one another. Let’s have a look at some of the most important differences now.
A different range of communities
Disciple provides virtually limitless possibilities regarding the type of community you create and foster (within reason of course), which means it is going to appeal to a wide demographic.
Mighty Networks also plays host to various community-types, but due to the popularity of their course-building feature, there are many communities using the platform that opt to specifically focus on education.
Identity & Branding
Disciple allows you to place an app with your community’s logo and branding on iOS & Android app stores – all with the basic Mobile App plan. While you can do this with Mighty Networks too, you will need to upgrade to their Mighty Networks Pro plan beforehand; otherwise, your community’s online space must be accessed via the Mighty Networks parent app alongside other similar communities.
Familiarity
While Disciple Media apps offer navigation tools which have a familiar feel, reminiscent of popular social media platforms, Mighty Networks instead takes a more unique approach with a navigation system that feels completely different and new. Both are great to use, though Mighty Networks’ system might take a little longer for your community members to get used to.
Features
Before we bring this Disciple vs Mighty Networks comparison to a close we need to circle back to Mighty Networks’ online courses for a moment. We are all for learning, so it is excellent to see that these courses are driving a significant part of the Mighty Networks experience.
By comparison, Disciple’s feature set doesn’t focus so heavily on course-building, but does include some features which Mighty Networks does not. For example, Disciple allows native live streaming and group messaging between members.
Why Pick Disciple?
- Disciple gives you the ability to manage your followers through a native app: this will enable a deeper connection with your fans.
- It also gives its customers a more powerful console product, that will allow you to better manage, segment and monetise the members of your community.
- It’s not just a piece of software: It has a strong community of community builders known as “The Collective”. After all, community is more about people than technology.
- It has great live streaming functionality.
- Disciple gives you more independence: your community will never be listed next to those of your competitors. That’s why we partner with all community creators for the long run.
Conclusion
Mighty Networks is a great platform, and if your interest is in creating an online community focused on learning, it could be a good choice for your online community. However, if you’re looking to create and maintain a more sustainable, long-term community, Disciple may be the better option.
