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- Discourse
- Higher Logic Vanilla
- Discourse-vs-Higher Logic Vanilla
Compare Discourse and Higher Logic Vanilla 
At a Glance
Market Segments
Small-Business (43.1% of reviews)
Mid-Market (51.6% of reviews)
Entry-Level Pricing
$20.00 Per Month
Contact Us
Discourse
Star Rating
(66)4.0 out of 5
Market Segments
Small-Business (43.1% of reviews)
Entry-Level Pricing
$20.00 Per Month
Browse all 4 pricing plansHigher Logic Vanilla
Star Rating
(96)4.3 out of 5
Market Segments
Mid-Market (51.6% of reviews)
Entry-Level Pricing
Contact Us
Browse all 3 pricing plansSummary
AI Generated Summary
AI-generated. Powered by real user reviews.
- Users report that Higher Logic Vanilla excels in its Quality of Support, with a score of 9.2, indicating that users find the support team responsive and helpful. In contrast, Discourse has a lower score of 8.5, suggesting that while support is adequate, it may not be as robust.
- Reviewers mention that Higher Logic Vanilla offers a more comprehensive Community Management experience, scoring 9.0 in Community Forums, which users appreciate for its ease of use and engagement features. Discourse, while also strong, scores slightly lower, indicating it may lack some of the advanced community features that Higher Logic provides.
- G2 users highlight the Branding capabilities of Higher Logic Vanilla, which scored an impressive 9.3, allowing for extensive customization options that help organizations maintain their identity. Discourse, while customizable, does not reach the same level of branding flexibility, scoring lower in this area.
- Users on G2 report that Discourse shines in Customer Engagement, with a score of 8.7, thanks to its interactive features like real-time notifications and a strong commenting system. Higher Logic Vanilla, with a score of 7.7, may not engage users as effectively as Discourse does.
- Reviewers mention that Higher Logic Vanilla's All-in-one Dashboard is user-friendly and scores 7.9, making it easier for users to manage their community. Discourse, however, scores higher at 8.6, indicating that its dashboard may offer a more streamlined experience for users managing multiple community aspects.
- Users say that Higher Logic Vanilla's Automation features, scoring 9.0, are particularly beneficial for organizations looking to streamline their processes. Discourse, while offering automation, does not match the same level of functionality, which may lead to more manual processes for users.
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Pricing
Entry-Level Pricing
Higher Logic Vanilla
Essential
Contact Us
For kicking off smaller communities within mid to large sized organizations
- 5 Staff Users
- Unlimited members
- 1 SSO Connection
Free Trial
Discourse
Free Trial is available
Higher Logic Vanilla
No trial information availableRatings
Meets Requirements
8.6
50
8.3
81
Ease of Use
8.5
49
8.5
82
Ease of Setup
8.7
15
8.1
70
Ease of Admin
9.2
12
8.5
74
Quality of Support
8.5
41
9.2
79
Has the product been a good partner in doing business?
9.2
11
8.8
73
Product Direction (% positive)
7.7
50
8.4
80
Features by Category
Account Options
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Q&A Tools
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Knowledge Pages
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Knowledge Dissemination
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Agentic AI - Knowledge Base
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Generative AI
Not enough data
Feature Not Available
Self-Service Experience
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
9.0
5
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
8.0
5
Self-Service Platform
Not enough data
9.3
5
Not enough data
9.0
5
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
7.7
5
Agentic AI - Customer Self-Service
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Community Building
8.3
29
7.4
21
8.4
29
7.2
12
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Community Improvement
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Customer Analytics
8.2
30
6.8
33
8.8
32
7.6
34
8.0
29
6.9
9
Not enough data
6.2
11
Community Management
8.2
29
8.1
29
8.6
33
7.9
35
Not enough data
Not enough data
Community Analytics
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Agentic AI - Online Community Management
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Knowledge Base
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Security
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Content
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Communication
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Categories
Categories
Shared Categories
Discourse and Higher Logic Vanilla are categorized as Online Community Management
Unique Categories
Discourse is categorized as Knowledge Base and Q&A Platforms
Higher Logic Vanilla is categorized as Customer Self-Service
Reviews
Reviewers' Company Size
Discourse
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)
Enterprise(> 1000 emp.)
Higher Logic Vanilla
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)
Enterprise(> 1000 emp.)
Small-Business
(50 or fewer emp.)
Mid-Market
(51-1000 emp.)
Enterprise
(> 1000 emp.)
Reviewers' Industry
Computer Software
10.8%
Information Technology and Services
9.2%
Entertainment
7.7%
Hospital & Health Care
6.2%
Non-Profit Organization Management
4.6%
Other
61.5%
Computer Software
23.7%
Computer Games
12.9%
Information Technology and Services
11.8%
Internet
10.8%
Marketing and Advertising
3.2%
Other
37.6%
Most Helpful Reviews
Discourse
Most Helpful Favorable Review
John G.
Verified User in Telecommunications
Simple to use and read. It presents a simple list of discussions with suitable categories, as opposed to cluttered sub-forums that divide discussions. It provides a easy and effective way to highlight and pin topics and identify active discussions. Users...
Most Helpful Critical Review
Verified User in Logistics and Supply Chain
I don't have anything I don't like about Discourse.
Higher Logic Vanilla
Most Helpful Favorable Review
Jacob C.
Verified User in Financial Services
Vanilla has a sleek look without being too obnoxiously web2.0 and minimalist-for-thesake-of-minimalism - things are easy to find and to use. I can only speak for my own forum, but it's been much better with uptime than our old 2000s-era software. The Minion...
Most Helpful Critical Review
Verified User in Professional Training & Coaching
The salesperson was incredibly pushy and kept trying to upsell us on features and moderation. This is because the very basics were not suitable as-is, making it virtually impossible not to upgrade to a more expensive plan. Their salesperson would routinely...
John G.
Verified User in Telecommunications
Simple to use and read. It presents a simple list of discussions with suitable categories, as opposed to cluttered sub-forums that divide discussions. It provides a easy and effective way to highlight and pin topics and identify active discussions. Users...
Jacob C.
Verified User in Financial Services
Vanilla has a sleek look without being too obnoxiously web2.0 and minimalist-for-thesake-of-minimalism - things are easy to find and to use. I can only speak for my own forum, but it's been much better with uptime than our old 2000s-era software. The Minion...
Verified User in Logistics and Supply Chain
I don't have anything I don't like about Discourse.
Verified User in Professional Training & Coaching
The salesperson was incredibly pushy and kept trying to upsell us on features and moderation. This is because the very basics were not suitable as-is, making it virtually impossible not to upgrade to a more expensive plan. Their salesperson would routinely...
Alternatives
Discussions
What is discourse app?
1 comment
AS
Discourse app is a mobile application for iOS and Android that enables users to access and interact with online communities and forums powered by the...Read more
I'm sorry, I can't assist with that request.
1 comment
AS
Setting up a Discourse forum can be a complex process with many different options and configurations depending on your specific needs. Luckily, there are...Read more
What is a discourse server?
1 comment
AS
A Discourse server is a type of web server that is used to host and manage online communities and discussions. Discourse is an open-source software platform...Read more
Vanilla Forums is a community platform that offers features such as customizable themes, user roles and permissions, discussion threads, private messaging, and integration with social media. It also provides analytics tools, spam protection, and support for multiple languages.
1 comment
Official Response from Higher Logic Vanilla
Vanilla Forums offers the following features:
Gamification (Badges and Reactions)
Private Communities
Social Groups
Single Sign On
Customizable...Read more
Can I run a Vanilla forum in an embedded frame?
1 comment
Official Response from Higher Logic Vanilla
Yes, Vanilla is embed-friendly.Read more
Can Vanilla be integrated with the rest of my website so I do not need a separate login for the forums?
1 comment
Official Response from Higher Logic Vanilla
Yes, you can connect Vanilla to your other systems using our jsconnect plugin. This will allow for a seamless single sign-on (SSO) experience.Read more
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