What are the different types of online communities?

Rohit Kapoor

Rohit Kapoor

@rohit
Updated: Apr 11, 2025
Views: 955

I believe this is the right community to ask my questions. I wish to learn about different types of online communities. How do they differentiate from each other in terms of their approach and structure? Would love to know if someone could suggest a few examples of each type of the community. Thank you in advance.

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  • Kaustubh Katdare

    Kaustubh Katdare

    @kaustubh • Apr 9, 2025

    There are 11 types of online communities. Following is the TL;DR version:

    1. Interest-Based Communities (e.g., Reddit, Facebook Groups)
    2. Professional Networks (e.g., LinkedIn, Slack Workspaces)
    3. Support Groups (e.g., CancerCare Forums, Mental Health Subreddits)
    4. Gaming Communities (e.g., Discord Servers, Steam Groups)
    5. Educational Platforms (e.g., Coursera Forums, Duolingo Community)
    6. Fan Communities (e.g., Tumblr Fandoms, Star Wars Forums)
    7. Creative Communities (e.g., DeviantArt, Wattpad)
    8. Advocacy & Activism Groups (e.g., Change.org, Black Lives Matter Online Spaces)
    9. Marketplaces & Commerce Communities (e.g., Etsy Forums, StockX Discussions)
    10. Anonymous Communities (e.g., 4chan, Whisper)
    11. Hobbyist Communities (e.g., Ravelry for knitting, Model Mayhem for photography).

    Each of these communities exist to serve a different purpose. For example, interest-based communities focus on shared hobbies or topics.

    Professional networks like LinkedIn or Slack Workspaces emphasize on career growth and industry discussions. Support groups and Gaming communities handle a different set of problems.

    I hope this answers your question. Let me know if you have further points to discuss.

  • Paula Derrenger

    Paula Derrenger

    @paulad • Apr 11, 2025

    There are to main types of communities: Open Communities and Closed Communities. Jatra is an open community, while Slack and Discord are closed communities.

    I'm a fan of interest-based communities.