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 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:
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 (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.
Khoros pricing is not publicly available, but users on G2 report subscription fees often exceed $100,000/year.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
| 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 |
For B2B SaaS companies, Bettermode is the better choice for several reasons:
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.
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.
Vista Equity Partners acquired Khoros in 2018/2019. Khoros is a product of the merger between Spredfast and Lithium Technologies in 2019.
Khoros helps businesses manage customer engagement across communities, marketing campaigns, chat, messaging, and social media management.
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.
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.