Public Community
Facebook Groups

Finally, a self-hosted alternative to Facebook Groups

Looking for a modern, self-hosted alternative to Facebook Groups? You found it. Host your own social network with unlimited members, dozens of free extensions, and powered by the #1 online community software.

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Your domain
Your server
Unlimited members
Configured to your needs
No monthly subscriptions

Let's cut straight to the chase...

3 reasons to go Public

A custom-built solution made for you

We know that every community is different. That's why we work closely with each one of our customers to create a space where members feel welcomed and passionate about. After getting to know your business, we will set up a community with the right extensions and settings, and walk you through how to manage it.

Powered by next-generation software

Hosting your own social network doesn't have to be complicated. We use the world's best forum software, Flarum, to create a community that's extremely both engaging and easy to manage. It comes with dozens of free extensions, a visual admin panel, and an easy integration tools like Google Analytics, Mixpanel and more.

Full ownership and unrestricted growth

Since the community is hosted on your servers, you're free to grow it as much as you can while maintaining full control over its data. There's no third-party holding you hostage with endless monthly subscriptions. We'll also set up automatic daily backups and a simple, easy-to-use server panel (that you'll rarely have to use).

Full comparison vs. Facebook Groups

Here's how we stack up

Discussions

Discussions are separated into topics (tags) which community members can follow. Polls, GIFs, videos and Q&As make discussions engaging. Search makes them easy to find.
Supports a variety of discussions, but navigating them is hard since there's only one, long feed for all discussions within the group.

Members

Your members can follow threads & topics, get notified about new content, engage with posts, gain reputation and more. You can also sync your members with WordPress & Mailchimp.
Group members are Facebook's users, and you can't reach them outside of the platform.

Badges & ranks

Award distinguished members with badges and assign permission to different groups of users
Generic badges and awards.

Moderation

Build-in spam & toxicity protection. You can also prevent certain words and links to be posted. Members can also report content to moderators.
Manual moderation and frequent spam.

Extensions

Dozens of extensions that you can easily configure and customize. New extensions are being added every month - for free!
No build-in extensions.

Monetization

Display advertisements, promote your products, and connect with advertisers to turn engagement into revenue and earn money on your terms (or keep your community ad-free, if you wish to)
You can't natively display ads in your community, and Facebook is mostly the one who profits from your group's activity.

Appearance

Customize every element of your community: its theme, language, and the user experience. You can also add custom CSS & HTML code
Limited customization. You're restricted to Facebook's default layout - which is the same for al groups.

Domain

Connect your domain while still enjoying the benefits of a free, managed hosting.
You can only use Facebook's domain.

Ownership

Your community is your own digital asset. You customize its appearance and functionality, and can always export all of its data.
Facebook owns all of your group's data.

Support

Fast, personalized support from an expert. If you need a helping hand, just start a chat with us directly from your community's dashboard.
Support is slow and impersonal.

Integrations

WordPress and Mailchimp integration let you to sync members with your Mailchimp list and your WordPress website. Our WordPress plugin also lets you turn your ancient comment section into a vibrant portal to your online community.
No build-in integrations.
Build your own Facebook

A custom-built solution made for you

We know that every community is different. That's why we work closely with each one of our customers to create a space where members feel welcomed and passionate about. After getting to know your business, we will set up a community with the right extensions and settings, and walk you through how to manage it.

Powered by next-generation software

Hosting your own social network doesn't have to be complicated. We use the world's best forum software, Flarum, to create a community that's extremely both engaging and easy to manage. It comes with dozens of free extensions, a visual admin panel, and an easy integration tools like Google Analytics, Mixpanel and more.

Full ownership and unrestricted growth

Since the community is hosted on your servers, you're free to grow it as much as you can while maintaining full control over its data. There's no third-party holding you hostage with endless monthly subscriptions. We'll also set up automatic daily backups and a simple, easy-to-use server panel (that you'll rarely have to use).

The #1 online communities software

Communities for the modern age

From discussing your favorite music to giving anonymous advice — You can create a community that matches your visions with dozens of extensions and easy customization panel

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What is Public?

  • We help brands and content creators build thriving online communities where people can ask questions, share experiences, and connect around a shared passion.
  • Once we understand what your needs are, we will work to translate your vision into reality, set up the right extensions and settings, and provide guidance that will help you run your community going forward.
  • Unlike Tribe and Facebook Groups, this is a fully self-hosted solution where everything is stored on your servers. You have full ownership over your community and its data. There are no third parties or monthly fees.

How does it work?

  • To start, fill out this survey to tell us about your audience and the community you want to create.
  • Once completed, you'll be able to schedule a 1:1 Zoom call or purchase our service. For a one-time payment of $899, we will set up the community on your server and tailor it to your needs.
  • The community will be hosted on a private server of your choice (VPS) and its credentials will be emailed to you.
  • Once everything is ready to launch (usually within 3-4 days), we'll set up another Zoom call to walk you through the platform and teach you everything you need to know to run it successfully.

What types of online communities can be created with Public?

  • Branded communities: Build a dedicated space for your customers to share feedback, discuss product features, and connect with other users who share their passion for your brand.
  • Interest-based communities: Unite individuals around a shared passion or interest (for example: gaming or tech), and provide a place where they can ask questions, share memes, and connect with people like them.
  • Private employee communities: Create a private space for your employees to collaborate, share ideas, and stay informed about company news and events.
  • Learning communities: Create an online educational hub where students, educators, and experts can discuss topics, share resources, and support each other's learning journey.
  • Support communities: Offer your users a platform to ask questions, find solutions, and share knowledge, fostering a self-help environment that reduces the load on your support team.

How is it better than the competition?

  • A custom-built solution made for you: We know that every community is unique. That's why we work closely with each one of our customers to create a space where members feel excited to be a part of. After getting to know your business, we will set up a community with the right extensions and settings, and walk you through how to manage it.
  • Powered by next-generation software: Hosting your own social network doesn't have to be complicated. We use the world's best forum software, Flarum, to create a community that's both extremely engaging and easy to manage. It comes with dozens of free extensions, a visual admin panel, and easy integration with tools like Google Analytics.
  • Full ownership and unrestricted growth: Since the community is hosted on your servers, you're free to grow it as much as you can while maintaining full control over its data. There's no third-party holding you hostage with endless monthly subscriptions. We'll also set up automatic daily backups and a simple, easy-to-use server panel (that you'll rarely have to use).

How much does it cost?

  • We charge a one-time fee of $899, which includes setting up the community and configuring it to your needs.
  • There are no monthly service costs.
  • You only pay for a server, which costs an average of $5/month (Hetzner is our favorite option).

Do I need to know how to code?

  • No! You can easily personalize your community using numerous no-code extensions, adjusting its appearance and functionality to suit your needs.
  • We also set up the infrastructure so you won't need to worry about server maintenance and performance. Your community remains secure, blazing fast, and is backed up on a daily basis.
  • And if you still encounter issues, we're only one message away.

Still have questions? Let's chat

Fully self hosted

Pay once and it's yours forever

Unlike Tribe or Facebook Groups, we don't hold you hostage with monthly-reoccurring subscriptions. For a one-time fee, you get a personalized solution that matches your vision and full ownership over your community and its data. Forever!

Host your own social network

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