NING

Create a social network with customized community management and social media integration

Website Builders Membership Management www.ning.com

Visit Website

Founded

2004

Starting Price

$12.50

About NING

NING is a hosted, no-code platform for building branded social networks and online communities. Owners get a drag-and-drop builder with groups, blogs, forums, events, photo and video sharing, plus an e-commerce module for selling products, paid memberships, and ads. It is aimed at nonprofits, fan clubs, schools, associations, and niche interest groups that want their own community site instead of a Facebook group.

Pros & Cons

Pros

You own a branded, white-label community on your own domain instead of renting space in a Facebook group
No coding needed to launch, with optional HTML/CSS customization for a fully custom look
Broad built-in feature set: blogs, forums, groups, events, media, activity feed, and broadcasts
Monetization tools (e-commerce, paid access, ads) are included from the Basic plan
Annual billing saves 20%, and every plan has a 14-day free trial
Long track record: more than 2 million networks built on the platform since 2005

Cons

Interface and templates feel dated next to modern community platforms like Circle or Mighty Networks
Starter plan caps the network at 10 members, so it is only useful for testing
The free trial requires billing details up front and charges automatically when it ends
User reviews report occasional bugs (RSS modules not refreshing, social sign-in issues) and small file-size limits
Low review volume and middling ratings on G2 (about 3.1/5)

Key Features

Drag-and-drop network builder

Set up pages, layouts, and modules for a social community site without writing code.

Groups, blogs, and forums

Multiple blogs and forums plus customizable groups give members spaces to post and discuss by topic.

Events, photos, and videos

Members can create events and share photo and video content inside the network.

Activity feed with RSS and social pull-in

An activity feed shows member updates and can pull in content from other social networks and RSS feeds.

Social sign-in and sharing

Members can sign up with Facebook, X (Twitter), LinkedIn, or Google, and share content to social networks.

E-commerce and monetization

Sell products, run paid access, and post ads to earn revenue from the community (Basic plan and up).

Custom HTML/CSS design and domain mapping

Apply a custom look with HTML and CSS and map your own domain on paid tiers above Starter.

Broadcast messages and member onboarding

Send announcements to all members and configure onboarding questions for new sign-ups.

Analytics and SEO tools

Built-in analytics, Google Analytics support, and SEO settings for community pages.

API access

API access for integrations is available on Basic plan and above.

Pricing

Starter

$12.50/month

Up to 10 members
2 GB storage
Drag-and-drop builder
Blogs, forums, groups, events
Email and live chat support (24-hour response)
1 RSS feed on homepage

Basic

$27.95/month

Up to 1,000 members
15 GB storage
E-commerce
Custom domain mapping
Custom HTML design
API access

Performance

$54.95/month

Up to 10,000 members
50 GB storage
Personal manager
15 RSS feeds on homepage
Everything in Basic

Ultimate

$107.95/month

Up to 100,000 members
150 GB storage
12-hour support response time
25 RSS feeds on homepage
Everything in Performance

Best For

Nonprofit and cause communities

Charities and advocacy groups build a member network to raise awareness, coordinate supporters, and fundraise; NING offers special terms for nonprofits.