Bettermode and Khoros are two popular choices for businesses looking to build and engage online communities. But it can be difficult to know which one will meet your needs. We compare Bettermode vs Khoros to help you make an informed choice.
The big takeaway: Bettermode's all-in-one community platform comes with a no-code Design Studio, native CRM integrations (HubSpot, Salesforce, Zendesk), and enterprise security—all without requiring engineering resources. Khoros, while well established, is highly resource-intensive and requires significant engineering investment for customization and integrations.
Bettermode Overview
Bettermode is an all-in-one customer community platform built for mid-market and enterprise B2B SaaS companies. The platform helps businesses reduce support costs, improve customer retention, and drive product adoption through engaged communities.
Key results Bettermode customers achieve:
- 3x better user engagement
- 50% fewer support tickets
- +20 increase in NPS and CSAT scores
- 30% increase in organic traffic
Key Features
- Design Studio: No-code visual builder to create branded communities without engineering resources
- Native CRM integrations: Direct connections with HubSpot, Salesforce, Zendesk, Intercom
- Community spaces: Forum discussions, Q&A, help center, events, product roadmap, ideation
- Built-in CMS: Manage content without external tools
- Embedding capabilities: Integrate community into your web and mobile apps
- Single Sign-On: JWT, OAuth2.0, SAML for seamless authentication
- Gamification: Badges, leaderboards, reactions to drive engagement
- Analytics: Track ticket deflection, engagement, and community ROI
- Enterprise security: SOC2 compliance, SSO, data residency options
- Multi-language support: English, Spanish, French, German, and more
Primary Use Cases
- Customer self-service and peer support
- Knowledge base and help center
- Product ideation and feedback
- Customer success community
Pricing
Bettermode offers three plans.
At $149 per month, Starter gives you a self-service experience with a 14-day free trial to test things out.
Growth runs $1,500 per month and includes onboarding and migration support to get you set up faster.
Premium pricing requires reaching out to sales. It comes with a dedicated CSM, an SLA, and enterprise-level customization.
Khoros Communities Overview
Khoros Communities (a merger of Lithium and Spredfast) is an enterprise platform that helps large businesses build and manage online communities. The platform focuses on improving customer service while reducing support costs.
Key Features
- Community syndication across search, purchase, and support
- Group Hubs for interest-based connections
- Advanced search and analytics
- Community moderation tools
- Gamification features
- AI sentiment analysis
- API and mobile SDK for integration
Primary Use Cases
- Peer-to-peer customer support
- Self-service knowledge hub
- Crowdsourcing knowledge
Key Limitations
- Dated interface: Users report the platform needs modernization
- Engineering-intensive: Customization requires significant developer resources
- Expensive customization: Some users report paying 10x for additional customizations
- Learning curve: Not intuitive without extensive training
- Limited integrations: Fewer out-of-the-box integrations than alternatives
Pricing
Khoros pricing is not publicly available, but users on G2 report subscription fees often exceed $100,000/year.
Bettermode vs Khoros: Key Feature Comparison
1. Customization
Bettermode: Design Studio provides complete no-code customization. Marketing and customer success teams can modify branding, layouts, and components without engineering support. Responsive design automatically adjusts for different devices.
Khoros: Customization requires engineering resources. Users report paying significantly more for customization options, and changes often require developer involvement.
Winner: Bettermode—no engineering dependency means faster iteration and lower total cost of ownership.
2. CRM and Support Tool Integrations
Bettermode: Native integrations with HubSpot, Salesforce, Zendesk, Intercom, Amplitude, FullStory, and more through the App Store. Customer data syncs automatically, enabling you to track community engagement's impact on retention and expansion.
Khoros: Fewer out-of-the-box integrations. Users report that retrieving data often requires chains of API calls, adding complexity and development cost.
Winner: Bettermode—native CRM integrations are critical for B2B SaaS companies to prove community ROI.
3. Embeddability
Bettermode: Embed community components (discussions, Q&A, help center) directly into your product with simple copy-paste code. No engineering required.
Khoros: Offers embed tools through API and SDK, but implementation typically requires developer resources.
Winner: Bettermode—simpler implementation without engineering bottlenecks.
4. Analytics and ROI Measurement
Bettermode: Built-in analytics track engagement, content performance, and community health. Integration with analytics tools (Amplitude, FullStory) enables deeper insights into community's impact on customer success metrics.
Khoros: Advanced analytics including sentiment analysis. However, data extraction can be complex.
Winner: Tie—both offer strong analytics, though Bettermode is easier to integrate with existing analytics stack.
5. Security and Compliance
Bettermode: SOC2 compliance, SSO (JWT, OAuth2.0, SAML), data residency options. Enterprise-ready security without additional cost.
Khoros: Enterprise-grade security appropriate for large organizations.
Winner: Tie—both offer enterprise security, though Bettermode provides this at a lower price point.
Bettermode vs. Khoros: Full Comparison
| Category | Bettermode | Khoros |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Starter: $149/mo · Growth: $1,500/mo · Premium: Contact sales | $100,000+/year (not publicly listed) |
| G2 Rating | 4.6/5 (101+ reviews) | 4.2/5 (132+ reviews) |
| Capterra Rating | 4.8/5 (92+ reviews) | 4.3/5 (10 reviews) |
| Customization | No-code Design Studio | Requires engineering |
| CRM Integrations | HubSpot, Salesforce, Zendesk (native) | Limited, API-dependent |
| Embeddability | Copy-paste embed codes | SDK/API (developer required) |
| Security | SOC2, SSO, data residency | Enterprise-grade |
| Engineering Required | No | Yes |
| Best For | Mid-market B2B SaaS | Large enterprises |
Which Platform Should You Choose?
Choose Bettermode if:
- You're a mid-market B2B SaaS company (50-500 employees)
- You need native CRM integrations (HubSpot, Salesforce)
- You want no-code customization without engineering dependency
- Your budget is under $100,000/year
- You want to launch quickly without long implementation timelines
- You need to prove community ROI with analytics
Choose Khoros if:
- You're a large enterprise with $100K+ annual community budget
- You have dedicated engineering resources for community customization
- You need advanced sentiment analysis and social listening
- You're willing to invest in a longer implementation timeline
- You have a dedicated community team to manage the platform
The Verdict
For B2B SaaS companies, Bettermode is the better choice for several reasons:
- Flexibility without engineering: Design Studio enables marketing and CS teams to customize without developer bottlenecks.
- Native CRM integrations: Direct HubSpot, Salesforce, Zendesk connections let you track community engagement's impact on retention and prove ROI.
- Faster time to value: No-code tools and guided onboarding mean you can launch faster.
- Better value: Enterprise features at a fraction of Khoros's price.
- Higher user satisfaction: 4.6/5 on G2 vs 4.2/5 for Khoros, with particularly strong ratings for ease of use and support.
Khoros remains a solid option for large enterprises with significant budgets and dedicated engineering resources. But for mid-market B2B SaaS companies focused on customer retention and support efficiency, Bettermode delivers more value.
Ready to see how Bettermode compares to your current solution? Talk to sales for a demo.
FAQs
Who are Khoros competitors?
Khoros competes with enterprise-level platforms like Salesforce Experience Cloud, Oracle Communities, and Zendesk Gather. For a more user-friendly and cost-effective alternative, Bettermode offers greater flexibility and native CRM integrations at a lower price point.
Who owns Khoros?
Vista Equity Partners acquired Khoros in 2018/2019. Khoros is a product of the merger between Spredfast and Lithium Technologies in 2019.
What does Khoros do?
Khoros helps businesses manage customer engagement across communities, marketing campaigns, chat, messaging, and social media management.
What's the main difference between Bettermode and Khoros?
The main difference is implementation complexity and cost. Bettermode offers no-code customization and native CRM integrations that marketing/CS teams can manage independently. Khoros requires engineering resources for customization and costs 10x more annually.
Can Bettermode replace Khoros?
Yes. Bettermode provides comparable community features—discussions, Q&A, knowledge base, gamification, analytics—with easier implementation and native integrations. Many companies migrate from Khoros to Bettermode to reduce costs and engineering dependency.
