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Discourse VS Geneva

Compare Discourse VS Geneva and see what are their differences

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Contents:
  1. » Base Details
  2. » Videos
  3. » Reviews
  4. » Alternatives

Discourse logo Discourse

Discourse is an open source discussion platform built for the next decade of the Internet.

Geneva logo Geneva

An all-in-one communication app for groups & communities
  • Discourse Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-06-13
  • Geneva Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-25

Discourse features and specs

  • Modern Interface
    Discourse provides a clean, intuitive, and responsive user interface that works well on both desktops and mobile devices.
  • Open Source
    Discourse is open source software, allowing for customization, self-hosting, and community contributions, which can reduce costs and increase flexibility.
  • Rich Features
    The platform includes a variety of built-in features such as threaded replies, real-time notifications, and community moderation tools.
  • Scalability
    Discourse is designed to handle small communities as well as large, active forums, making it suitable for a variety of use cases.
  • Security
    Regular updates and a dedicated security team help keep the software secure against vulnerabilities.
  • Integration and APIs
    Discourse offers extensive APIs and integrates well with various other services and plugins, facilitating seamless extensions and automation.

Possible disadvantages of Discourse

  • Resource Intensive
    Discourse can be resource-heavy, which may require significant server capacity and maintenance, especially for large communities.
  • Hosting Costs
    While you can self-host Discourse, the server and maintenance costs can be high. Managed hosting plans provided by Discourse can also be expensive.
  • Complex Setup
    Installing and configuring Discourse can be complex, particularly for those without technical expertise in server management and Ruby on Rails.
  • Learning Curve
    Users and administrators might face a steeper learning curve compared to more traditional forum software due to its modern interface and extensive features.
  • Limited Built-in Themes
    The default theme options are somewhat limited, and extensive customization requires knowledge of front-end development.
  • Dependency on PostgreSQL and Redis
    Discourse relies on PostgreSQL for its database and Redis for caching, which might complicate setup and maintenance compared to solutions that use simpler database architectures.

Geneva features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    Geneva offers a clean and intuitive interface, making it easy for users of all experience levels to navigate and utilize its features effectively.
  • All-in-One Communication
    Combines chat, video, discussion boards, and events in one platform, providing a comprehensive solution for community management and engagement.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    Available on both web and mobile platforms, allowing users to stay connected and engaged no matter which device they are using.
  • Customizable Notifications
    Offers advanced notification settings that let users control what type of alerts they receive, helping manage their attention and avoid information overload.
  • Strong Focus on Community Building
    Design and features are oriented towards fostering strong, interactive communities, with tools specifically aimed at creating engaging group experiences.

Possible disadvantages of Geneva

  • Limited Integration Options
    Compared to more established platforms, Geneva has fewer integrations with third-party apps and services, which may limit its utility for businesses requiring extensive tool synergy.
  • Learning Curve for Advanced Features
    While the basic interface is user-friendly, some of the more advanced tools and settings have a steeper learning curve which may require additional user training.
  • Occasional Performance Issues
    Some users report sporadic performance issues, such as slow load times or temporary outages, which can disrupt communication and workflow.
  • Limited Customization Options
    Offers fewer customization options for the user interface compared to other platforms, which might be a drawback for users looking for highly personalized experiences.
  • New Platform Challenges
    As a relatively new platform, Geneva lacks widespread adoption and a large community of users, which can limit peer support and the availability of third-party tutorials or resources.

Analysis of Geneva

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Geneva is considered good for managing and engaging with online communities. Its comprehensive set of features and intuitive design make it a strong contender among similar community platforms.

Why this product is good

  • Geneva is a platform designed for online communities, offering various tools for communication, collaboration, and organization. It provides a user-friendly interface with features like chat, video calls, and event management. The platform is praised for its versatility and ease of use, making it suitable for both casual groups and professional teams.

Recommended for

  • community managers
  • social groups
  • professional teams
  • event organizers
  • brands looking to build an online presence

Discourse videos

+ Add

Why We Chose The Discourse Platform For Our Forums

More videos:

  • Review - Why Discourse is the Best Forum Software Out There (No, Really) | Location Rebel
  • Review - A Grammar Review for Discourse Analysis

Geneva videos

+ Add

Geneva Review /// Project QT

More videos:

  • Review - 10 things I wish I knew before moving to Geneva, Switzerland
  • Review - McLaren 600 LT Spider MSO - Review & First Look - Geneva Motor Show 2019

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Discourse and Geneva)

Discourse

Geneva

Forums And Forum Software
100 100%
Forums And Forum Software
0% 0
Productivity
0 0%
Productivity
100% 100
Forums
100 100%
Forums
0% 0
Tech
0 0%
Tech
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using Discourse and Geneva. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Discourse and Geneva

Discourse Reviews

20 Telegram Alternatives to Chat With in 2024
Discourse is a basic forum function that could be an alternative to Telegram if you want to stick to text discussions. It's pretty analog, missing both video and livestreaming tools. Instead, Discourse is a basic community that lets you organize discussions--it feels a bit like having your own reddit or Quora.
Source: www.mightynetworks.com
18 Best Discord Alternatives 2020 | Expert Reviews
Discourse comes in a couple of flavours. You can self-host it yourself in which case the software is free, and you simply need to sign up for server space, or you can pay Discourse for a hosted-for-you option, though self-hosting is a lot cheaper the premium option takes care of the technical side.
Source: solutionsuggest.com
IndieHackers: Best forum software
I used Flarum when trying to get a community set up for my product (ended up abandoning it to revisit when we have a larger customer base). It worked fairly well and I enjoyed it but it's definitely beta and unless you're fairly tech savvy it's not quite worth the setup / maintenance. Lots of config changes, crashes, huge issues with plugins, and some features missing. I'd...
Source: www.indiehackers.com

Geneva Reviews

20 Telegram Alternatives to Chat With in 2024
Geneva is definitely equal to Telegram when it comes to video calling (either 1:1 or groups), and they've created a cool interface. You can create and schedule events with Geneva, and the app will give notifications to members when it starts.
Source: www.mightynetworks.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Discourse should be more popular than Geneva. It has been mentiond 23 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Discourse mentions (23)

  • Qilin: A Starter Project Template For Every Open Source Project
    GitHub Discussions can also be a great place for support as long as these are regularly monitored. Another option along the same lines is Discourse and the Open Source Matrix which is used by quite a few Open Source and community-based projects. - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
  • Ask HN: How to run an old-school mailing list?
    A lot of communities use [Discourse ](https://discourse.org). [LPSF](https://forum lpsf.org) migrated to it when Yahoo Groups was discontinued. Some of the advantages are that it's open source, self-hostable, and can be configured to work as both a traditional mailing list and modern forum. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • My Fediverse use – I'm hosting everything myself – PeerTube, Mastodon and Lemmy
    More like https://discourse.org/. You can run it yourself, but I can also just have them ding a credit card every month and not think about it again (I do this for a community). - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Reddit faces content quality concerns after its Great Mod Purge
    Discourse perhaps? I've seen it in use in a few places; it has a modern look and feel to it at least. https://discourse.org/. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • So Long, Twitter and Reddit
    I fully agree with you see my comment here[0] -- I think you may have misread my comment, it says "Discourse" (as in the forum software[1]), not Discord. [0]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37245220. - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
View more

Geneva mentions (3)

  • Rule change for 16/17 posts
    Tbf, Reddit isn't the best place in terms of moderation. I feel like Discord or better yet https://geneva.com/ would be better for a AgeGap community. I've thought about building a house on Geneva tbh. Source: about 4 years ago
  • Geneva: An all-in-one communication app for groups & communities
    Hey everyone! Wanted to post because my team and I have officially publicly launched our new app called Geneva. It’s a group communication app built for all the groups in your life and designed to work just as well for a group of 10 as a group of 10,000. Source: about 4 years ago
  • Advice for an app launch
    Hello all! If any of you are looking for an example of a big app that highlights Swift’s flexibility and innovation with efficient memory management, concise code structure, and dynamic libraries check out Geneva. Source: about 4 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Discourse and Geneva, you can also consider the following products

Flarum - Flarum is the next-generation forum software that makes online discussion fun. It's simple, fast, and free.

Circle.so - Bring together your discussions, memberships, and content. Integrate a thriving community wherever your audience is, all under your own brand.

phpBB - Raspberry Pi. The Raspberry Pi is a cheap, credit-card sized computer. The official website uses phpBB for their discussion forums. phpBB is not affiliated with nor responsible for any of the sites listed on the showcase.

Community Canvas - A framework to build meaningful communities

Vanilla Forums - Build an engaging community forum using Vanilla's modern cloud forum software.

Uteach - Uteach is an all-in-one platform for starting a teaching business within minutes.

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