Bettermode vs Loomio (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Loomio grades higher than Bettermode: 2.0 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Loomio grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Bettermode
Branded community platform with Q&A, events and AI search
Loomio
Group decision-making software for organizations and co-ops
Which one is for you
Pick Bettermode if
- Fits if you want a community on your own domain and have a budget above $149 a month
- Works for companies running a support or customer community with Q&A
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you outgrow Starter: it jumps from $149 to $1,500 a month
- Tight if you have a big group: Starter caps members at 10,000 and collaborators at 5
- Watch out: Premium has no published price and is sold through sales
- Skip it if you want to sell courses, as there is no built-in course checkout
Pick Loomio if
- Fits if a group needs to decide things in writing
- Works for co-ops and boards that want a record of reasons
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if your group is over 30, as Starter caps at 30 and one group
- Skip it if you want one-off subgroups on Starter, as it has none
- Watch out: SSO and custom branding need the custom Private Loomio plan
- Watch out: after cancelling, data is kept 30 days before it is deleted
How we grade them
| 1.8GPABettermodeWeak | 2.0GPALoomioFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D$149 a month billed yearly is where the dearest tenth of courses and communities tools starts, against a $49 middle. Growth is $1,500. | CStarter is $33 a month billed annually for a whole group of up to 30, in the middle of the category's prices; Pro is $83. |
| Free plan and trial | CA 14-day free trial with no card needed. No free plan afterwards. | CA 14-day trial for up to 10 people and 10 discussions. The card is not mentioned. No free plan. |
| Features | CCommunity apps, your own domain, AI search, API, single sign-on and enterprise controls. The listing's gap: there is no built-in course checkout, and AI search and webhooks need Growth. | CDiscussion, proposals and a searchable record cover decision-making fully, but it is a smaller job than running a community. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You build and brand a community from nothing, which is real setup work. | CNo store rating on record. You build groups, invite people and set up proposals. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only, and the listing names no integrations, though an API, webhooks and sign-on options exist. | CWeb only, and no integrations are listed apart from Zoom on Pro. |
| Best for | a branded community with Q&A and events | group decisions with discussion and voting |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Bettermode and Loomio. How we grade
Price against what you get
Bettermode starts at $149 a month and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Loomio starts at $33 a month and scores 2.0.
They score the same, and Loomio starts $116 a month lower. Of the other course and community platforms on the chart, 55 score higher than Bettermode for less, and 26 score higher than Loomio for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Loomio is open source, according to its own site.
- Bettermode also covers AI search and team chat.
At a glance
| Bettermode | Loomio | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $149 per month, billed yearly ($199 billed monthly) | $33 per month, billed annually ($39 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial, no credit card required | 14-day free trial, up to 10 people and 10 discussions |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Bettermode Inc. | Loomio Cooperative Limited |
| Price read from | bettermode.com | loomio.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Bettermode
- The jump from Starter ($149 a month) to Growth ($1,500 a month) is steep, and AI search and webhooks sit behind it.
- Plans cap members and collaborators: 10,000 and 5 on Starter.
- Premium has no published price and is sold through sales.
- There is no built-in course checkout; it is a community platform.
Loomio
- Starter is for one group of 30 people with no subgroups; larger groups need Pro.
- Prices are for the whole group, and the figures above are the commercial rate.
- After cancelling, data stays available for 30 days before it is deleted.
- Single sign-on and custom branding need the custom Private Loomio plan.
Key features
Bettermode
- Core community apps
- Q&A, discussion, events and polls are included on every plan, plus private messaging and chat.
- Your own domain
- Runs on a custom domain, with the Bettermode credit removed, from the entry plan.
- Ask AI and federated search
- Growth adds AI-based answers and search across connected sources.
- API, webhooks and sandbox
- Starter has limited API access; Growth adds full API, webhooks and a sandbox environment.
- Single sign-on options
- Social login on Starter, OAuth2 and JWT on Growth, SAML on Premium.
- Enterprise controls
- Premium lists an audit log, a security and legal review and a SOC II claim.
Loomio
- Discussion with context
- Put the question, background and documents in one thread, and invite the right people to take part.
- Voting with reasons
- People record their position along with the reasoning, so concerns show up early and the proposal can change.
- A searchable record
- The discussion, reasons and final outcome stay searchable for later reference.
- Subgroups
- Pro allows unlimited subgroups for teams and working groups within one organization.
- Data export and regions
- Group admins can export data as CSV, HTML or JSON, and choose hosting in the USA, EU or Australia.
Plans
Bettermode
Starter$149
per month, billed yearly ($199 monthly)
Up to 10,000 members and 5 collaborators; Q&A, discussion, events and polls, custom domain, limited API access.
Growth$1,500
per month, billed yearly ($1,750 monthly)
Up to 25,000 members and 10 collaborators; adds Ask AI and federated search, webhooks, OAuth2 and JWT.
PremiumCustom
100,000+ members and 20+ collaborators; adds a design studio, custom CMS, SAML, a 99.9% uptime SLA and a customer success manager.
Loomio
Starter$33
per month, billed annually ($39 billed monthly)
Commercial rate. One group of up to 30 members, no subgroups, email support. $399 a year when paid annually.
Pro$83
per month, billed annually ($99 billed monthly)
Commercial rate. Up to 3,000 members, unlimited subgroups, Zoom and email support. $999 a year when paid annually.
Private LoomioCustom
Dedicated server and database, SAML or OAuth single sign-on, custom branding and domain, unlimited users.
Ways to pay less
Bettermode
- Annual discount
Save up to 25% with yearly billing
The pricing page lists yearly rates below monthly ones, for example $149 against $199 for Starter, and says savings are up to 25%.
Loomio
- Nonprofit
Nonprofit pricing
Eligible nonprofits and member-funded groups pay less: Starter is $299 a year and Pro $499 a year, with Pro covering up to 300 members.
- Annual discount
Save about 15% by paying annually
The pricing page shows annual payment saving about 15% on Starter and 16% on Pro at the commercial rate.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Bettermode or Loomio?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Loomio is cheaper to start with: $33 a month, against $149 a month for Bettermode. Bettermode starts at $149 per month, billed yearly ($199 billed monthly), and Loomio starts at $33 per month, billed annually ($39 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Bettermode or Loomio?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Bettermode nor Loomio has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.