About Discourse
Discourse is open source forum software for communities, support hubs and team discussions. The company says it powers more than 22,000 communities.
What it does
Discourse brings topics, private messages, real-time chat and email replies into one system. Moderators get tools for flagged posts and automated workflows that handle routine tasks. Groups and roles organize members, and a searchable knowledge base can be built from past discussions. Members can upvote helpful answers, which helps reduce repeat questions and lets the best answers rise to the top.
Key features
- Topics, private messages and chat
- Moderation tools and automated workflows
- Groups and roles for members
- Searchable knowledge base
- Upvoting for helpful answers
Who it's for
Open source projects, product communities, support teams and organizations that want a forum they can customize.
Pricing and good to know
The software is open source under the GPL-2.0 license, so you can host it yourself. The company also offers hosted and enterprise options with support, and a free trial is offered on the site. Self-hosting means you run the server and handle upgrades, so plan for that before you choose.
Highlights
- Topics, private messages and real-time chat
- Moderation tools and automated workflows
- Groups and roles for organizing members
- Searchable knowledge base built from discussions
- Upvoting that surfaces helpful answers
