Bevy vs Discourse (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Discourse grades higher than Bevy: 2.6 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Bevy grades higher on features. Discourse grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Discourse
Open-source discussion forum software with hosted plans
Which one is for you
Pick Bevy if
- Fits if you run a large company community
- Works for teams that want forums and events in one branded hub
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you are a small group, as it is positioned for enterprise communities
- Not for you if you want a price up front, as none is published
- Watch out: a custom domain, CRM integrations, SSO and higher support are add-ons
- Not for you if you want to try it free, as no trial is listed
Pick Discourse if
- Fits if you want a discussion forum where members ask and answer questions
- Works for small communities that can stay inside 2 staff seats and 10 categories
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you grow: the free plan stops at 2 staff seats and 10 categories
- Pricey if you need SSO or events, which start at $500 a month
- Skip it if you want to sell courses, because it has no course checkout
- Watch out: plans are sold by staff seat, not by member count
How we grade them
| 2.0GPABevyFair | 2.6GPADiscourseGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo price is published; a calculator and demo lead to a quote, so it sits in the middle until a number shows up. | BA free hosted plan exists, and Pro is $100 a month, above the $49 middle of courses and communities tools. SSO and events need Business at $500. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan or trial is listed on the pages read. | BThe free plan gives 2 staff seats, 10 categories, 5GB of storage and unlimited members, which a small forum can live on. |
| Features | BForums, events, groups, gamification, analytics and AI search. The listing names no gap in the core work. | CTopic forum, trust levels, chat, AI and translation, plugins and an API. The listing's gap: SSO, workflows, events and gamification need Business, and there is no course checkout. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. It is configured with sales and set up with forums, groups and sign-on. | CNo store rating on record. A hosted forum needs categories, settings and moderation set up before it feels like yours. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, with HubSpot, Salesforce, Marketo and Eloqua listed. | BWeb, iOS and Android apps, with plugins and an API. No desktop app. |
| Best for | branded enterprise community hubs | a discussion forum, hosted or self-run |
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: Bevy and Discourse. How we grade
Where they differ
- Discourse is open source, according to its own site.
- Bevy also covers reports.
- Discourse also covers team chat.
At a glance
| Bevy | Discourse | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free plan |
| Starts at | Not published | $100 per month |
| Free plan | None | Free hosting plan: 2 staff seats, 10 categories, 5GB of storage, 20k emails a month and 500k page views a month. |
| Free trial | None listed | Free trial on Pro and Business, no credit card required up front |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Bevy Labs, Inc. | Discourse |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | discourse.org |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Bevy
- No prices are published; a pricing calculator and a demo are the route to a quote.
- A custom domain, CRM integrations, SSO and higher support levels are listed as add-ons.
- It is positioned for enterprise communities, which may be more than a small group needs.
Discourse
- The free plan caps staff seats at 2 and categories at 10.
- SSO, workflows, events and gamification are on Business ($500 a month) and above.
- Plans are sold by staff seats, not by members; members are unlimited.
- It is a discussion forum, not a course platform, so it has no built-in course checkout.
Key features
Bevy
- Forums, events and groups in one hub
- A single white-labeled community site covers discussion forums, user groups and events, with one sign-on.
- Unlimited members and admins
- Its pricing page lists unlimited members, admins, moderators, group leaders, events and emails as part of the base platform.
- Gamification and learning paths
- Reward participation automatically and guide members through structured learning paths.
- Analytics and CRM links
- Dashboards of community activity, with CRM integrations for HubSpot, Salesforce, Marketo and Eloqua.
- AI agents and knowledge search
- AI agents aim to raise engagement, and a Community Knowledge AI Search is offered as an add-on.
- Sign-on options
- Single sign-on through OAuth, SAML or OpenID, and social sign-in, are listed as add-ons.
Discourse
- Topic-based forum
- Organizes discussion into categories and tags with unlimited members on every hosted plan.
- Trust levels and badges
- Members earn abilities as they participate, and badges reward chosen behaviors.
- Built-in chat
- Adds channels for short-form conversation alongside long-form topics.
- AI and translation
- Uses daily AI credits and translates content into a plan-dependent number of languages: 2 on Free up to 10 on Enterprise.
- Plugins and API
- Official plugins plus an API that covers what the interface does; API and webhook access starts at Pro.
- Mobile apps
- Free iOS and Android apps with push notifications for hosted communities.
Plans
Bevy
Pricing could not be confirmed. See bevy.com.
Discourse
Free$0
2 staff seats, 10 categories, 5GB storage, 20k monthly emails and 100k AI daily credits.
Pro$100
per month
5 staff seats, unlimited categories, 20GB storage, 100k monthly emails, API and webhook access, 15+ plugins.
Business$500
per month
15 staff seats, 100GB storage, SSO, workflows, events, gamification and priority support.
EnterpriseCustom
Unlimited staff seats, 99.9% uptime guarantee, custom migration and design services; sold through sales.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Bevy or Discourse?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Bevy has no price we could confirm, and Discourse starts at $100 per month.
Which has a free plan, Bevy or Discourse?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Discourse has a free plan. Bevy does not.
Which platforms do Bevy and Discourse run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Discourse lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
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.