Online forums were annoying me in the nineties already.
So what better modern online forums alternatives are there by now?
I don’t even mean blogs (like the one you read here. See below!
Are online forums still needed?
So it’s 2025 and Google surfaces content from online forums again. I don’t like that really.
Do we really need online forums like in the early days of the Web?
In my opinion: no. At least not in the way they work now or rather don’t.
I stopped using online forums many years ago. Why? People on forums in general were often
- inaccurate
- rude
- problem instead of solution oriented
- spreading rumors
- asking the same questions
- regurgitating old news.
Also there are plenty of faster, more reliable and more advanced solutions out there.
To show you what modern online forums alternatives there are I listed some of them below:
1. Niche communities dealing with specific topics. There is Product Hunt for new online tools e.g.
I participated in a few niche communities regularly over the years and they are usually much more civil and inspiring than forums.
2. Facebook Groups (and also WhatsApp or Telegram) are offering topical news sharing.
Debates can develop as well yet remain civil because of the limited reach of such interactions.
Also Facebook etc. have basic rules of engagement so that trolls get banned.
3. Quora is making asking questions and knowledge sharing easy and works for all kinds of topics.
Whether you ask questions or share insights don’t expect to get traffic from Quora though.
4. LinkedIn Groups are taking out the anonymity out of forums, as you are using your real name on LinkedIn.
Some exist for a decade or longer. Some have very strict rules.
So the Search Engine Land group banned me for sharing a SEL link there when I was an author at SEL. No joke!
Make sure to abide by the rules instead of self-promoting.
5. Reddit Subreddits are my least favorite alternative yet I have to mention it. Why?
Google favors Reddit in its search results as of 2025!
You will sooner or later come across the site even when you don’t want to see it.
There are so-called Subreddits for all kinds of topics yet the ones I have found via Google were usually abysmal.
Even often manipulated Quora is much more accurate and of higher quality.
Once Google stops pushing Reddit the “community” will crumble over night.
They already complained about Google when their revenue dropped.
What do you use instead of forums?
So what sites or apps do you use instead of online forums by 2025?
- Which one of the above mentioned do you prefer?
- What do you use them for?
- Are there other alternatives I haven’t mentioned yet?
- Or do you still resort to old school online forums?
Ping me @onreact on all the above mentioned sites to tell me about it!