In an increasingly virtual world, digital communities give us the chance to learn, connect and find support. For creatives, community is essential to productivity, mental well-being, and even creativity itself.

As a creative business, starting your own virtual community is an excellent way to market your brand, source insights and feedback and foster relationships with prospective clients.

Whatever your motivations for starting an online creative community, where you choose to host it will be key to its success. There are an array of platforms for hosting digital communities available, so we've rounded up the best digital forums built with creatives in mind. Take a browse and see which is right for you and your future creative community!

Geneva

Geneva is a company that loves good company. Think of Geneva as a Gen-Z alternative to Slack, a similar interface with some extra perks to keep a new generation of creatives engaged!

Geneva is equipped with all the building blocks you need to start a thriving community. You can start accessible async conversations in chat rooms, gather insights with polls and encourage networking and collaboration with live audio/video calls and events.

Visit Geneva.

Discord

Whether it's for gaming, work, school, or art communities, Discord is an online haven for those who want to hang out without having to leave the comforts of their home.

Discord supports all kinds of media, so your community can communicate in a way that feels most authentic to them—with music, live streams and screen sharing you are sure to foster meaningful community connections.

Visit Discord.

Groove

It's great to chat, but a community can be a source of motivation too! Groove is a digital co-working space for freelancers or remote workers who want to connect with fellow creatives whilst they work. Use Groove to connect your community and foster relationships that have a lasting impact!

Visit Groove.

Slack

Anyone who has worked in the corporate world in the last 5 years is likely familiar with Slack, but Slack has OOO potential too. Use Slack to build a creative community with distinct rooms and integrated tools to facilitate conversations. And the best part, lots of community members will already have an account.

Visit Slack.

Mighty Network

Mighty Networks exists to empower creatives to build and own their own communities, away from the "uncertainty and clutter of social media". With a Mighty Network, you can bring your courses, memberships, and offers together in a powerful community under your own brand on iOS, Android, and the web.

Visit Mighty Network.

Discourse

Discourse is a 100% open-source platform designed to be used as a discussion forum, chat room, mailing list and more! There are no complex controls, and everything is right where you want it with custom preferences.

Discourse is committed to creating a simple platform for all types of communities, so your creative community will feel instantly at home!

Visit Discourse.