Element.io
Matrix.org
Telegram
Signal
Discord
Tox
Slack
WhatsApp
tryinstance
Whop
Skool
Circle.so
Mighty Networks
Discord
Kajabi
Rocket.Chat
Instance is a branded community platform for businesses and creators that runs on their own domain. It combines memberships, Stripe payments, paid roles, chat, voice, storefronts, push notifications, email, moderation, and automation. Visitors can explore public areas before registering, purchase access in one tap, and receive the correct permissions immediately. An assistant and Bot API can manage members, products, channels, permissions, and community workflows. Instance is designed for operators who want direct control over their customer relationships instead of running their business inside a third-party social platform.
Element.io tryinstanceElement.io is highly recommended for privacy-conscious users, open-source enthusiasts, tech-savvy individuals, organizations seeking secure internal communication channels, and communities needing decentralized and customizable messaging solutions.
tryinstance's answer:
Instance is built for serious operators whose revenue, retention, or customer experience depends on community. That includes creators, educators, membership businesses, agencies, professional networks, SaaS companies, paid groups, clubs, and organizations selling access, expertise, content, software, or services. It is especially valuable for teams that want a branded product on their own domain, direct access to members, native payments and permissions, and the ability to automate operations without surrendering the customer relationship to a third-party platform.
tryinstance's answer:
Instance is built as a secure multi-tenant cloud platform using modern progressive web app technology, real-time messaging and voice infrastructure, Stripe Connect, role-based access control, push notification and email delivery systems, REST APIs, webhooks, bot events, and AI-assisted operations. These technologies are integrated around one identity, payment, and permissions model so changes in commerce or membership state are reflected across the product immediately.
tryinstance's answer:
Choose Instance when the community is the business, not just a conversation layer. Operators get their own domain, brand, member accounts, Stripe relationship, permissions, storefronts, push subscriptions, email reach, and automation. Prospects can inspect public areas before registering, buy access inside the experience, and enter with the correct role immediately. In measured cold-traffic tests, this lower-friction path has converted two to three times better than the alternatives it replaced. Instance also unifies commerce, communication, access, moderation, and AI operations, eliminating the fragmented stack and platform dependence common to marketplace, course, and chat products.
tryinstance's answer:
Instance gives a business its own branded community app on its own domain, with the entire member relationship under one operating system. Public community previews, one-tap purchasing, Stripe-connected access, roles, storefronts, chat, voice, push notifications, email, moderation, analytics, webhooks, bots, and AI operations all share the same identity and permission model. A payment can grant access immediately, an announcement can reach the app, phone, and inbox, and automation can manage the community through the same controls used by the product. Instance is not another page inside a marketplace. It is the infrastructure for owning and operating the business directly.
tryinstance's answer:
Instance works with a growing group of community operators and internet businesses. Many run private or paid communities, so customer names and operating metrics are not disclosed publicly.
tryinstance's answer:
Instance began with a simple conclusion: an internet business should not have to rent its customers from the platform that hosts its community. Existing products split identity, payments, access, messaging, notifications, moderation, and automation across disconnected services, while the operator remains dependent on someone else's account system and rules. Instance was built from the ownership model outward. The result is a complete branded application where discovery, purchase, access, engagement, retention, and automation operate as one system controlled by the business.
Based on our record, Element.io seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 1 time 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.
I love how Matrix or its most popular client Element do not even get a mention. Source: over 3 years ago
The title undersells the change a bit in my opinion. By default, mastodon now encourages new users to sign-up on https://mastodon.social which has caused a bit of a kerfuffle in the fediverse. Personally, I'm largely ambivalent to the change; I understand the reasoning, and it's what https://element.io has been doing for https://matrix.org since the beginning. It is more than a bit of a sea-change though given the... - Source: Hacker News / over 3 years ago
We currently have the Matrix protocol, with client applications such as Element supporting it. We also have XMPP as another option. Generally more modern than IRC, these platforms are primarily developed as FOSS software. This makes it less likely for developers to impact their users negatively. However, despite these advantages, these platforms lack the refined user experience (addictiveness and stickiness) that... Source: over 3 years ago
Please DM me if you are interested in hiring me or have any questions at all. We will work via Element (https://element.io) voice/screen share calls, so please make sure you have a mic available. I look forward to hearing from you. Source: over 3 years ago
Your best bet is probably matrix, the most user friendly client iirc is element. Source: over 3 years ago
Matrix.org - Matrix is an open standard for decentralized persistent communication over IP.
Whop - Communities and software to help you earn online
Telegram - Telegram is a messaging app with a focus on speed and security. Itโs superfast, simple and free.
Skool - Community Platform for Creators
Signal - Fast, simple & secure messaging. Privacy that fits in your pocket.
Circle.so - Bring together your discussions, memberships, and content. Integrate a thriving community wherever your audience is, all under your own brand.