BuddyNext - community engine for WordPress

BuddyBoss Feature Comparison

Free & Pro

If you are evaluating a switch from BuddyBoss, this page maps the capabilities you rely on to where they live in BuddyNext. For each capability the table shows whether it is in BuddyNext Free, BuddyNext Pro, provided by an optional companion plugin, or coming soon.

We have kept this honest. Where something is provided by a companion plugin or is still on the way, we say so plainly rather than implying it ships in the core box.

How to read the table

  • Free - included in the free BuddyNext plugin, available the day you activate it.
  • Pro - included in BuddyNext Pro, the paid upgrade.
  • Companion - provided by a free, optional companion plugin you install when you want it. The companion is named in the notes.
  • Coming soon - in active development for an upcoming release.

Feature comparison

Capability Where it lives in BuddyNext Notes
Activity feed Free Text, link, and poll posts, with reactions, comments, share, bookmark, and report on every post. Photo and file posts are added by the WPMediaVerse companion.
Groups (called Spaces) Free Unlimited open, request-to-join (private), and hidden (secret) spaces, each with its own feed, members, and optional tabs. Membership-gated (paid or tiered) space access is Pro.
Profiles and profile fields Free Avatar, cover, bio, social links, and custom profile fields with per-field privacy. Advanced field types (date, location, file, conditional) are Pro.
Member types Free Define categories like Student, Mentor, or Staff. Custom member labels such as Verified, Expert, or Staff badges are Pro.
Member directory Free Searchable, filterable directory that stays fast at scale. Member segments, tags, and CSV export are Pro.
Connections and Follows Free Both the mutual Connection model and the one-directional Follow model are included, along with block and mute.
Messaging Companion One-to-one direct messaging is powered by the free WPMediaVerse companion - message requests, mute, pin, archive, emoji reactions, and quoted replies. Read receipts, group messaging, and instant real-time delivery are Pro.
Media and albums Companion Profile media and albums, plus photo and file posts in the feed, are powered by the free WPMediaVerse companion, including private albums.
Forums (called Discussions) Companion Threaded, topic-based discussions are powered by the free Jetonomy companion and can appear as a forum tab inside a space.
Reactions Free Members react to posts, comments, and content. A custom reaction emoji set is Pro.
Notifications and email Free In-app notification bell and page, transactional emails (mention, reply, message, invite, and more), and per-user notification preferences. Broadcast campaigns, drip welcome sequences, digest emails, and open-rate stats are Pro.
Moderation Free Report button on all content, an admin review queue and moderation log, and actions to dismiss, remove, warn, strike, and suspend, including space-scoped moderation for space admins. Keyword blocklists, auto-action rules, spam scoring, bulk actions, blocklists, and an appeal system are Pro.
Memberships and monetization Pro Membership plans, a paywall experience, and gated or tiered space access.
Gamification Companion Points, badges, and levels are provided by the free WB Gamification companion plugin.
Push and mobile Pro, plus one coming soon Web push notifications (desktop and mobile browsers) are Pro and available today. Members can also install the community to a phone home screen as an app-like experience, which is free (see the PWA page). A native iOS and Android app is planned for a future release and does not ship yet - do not switch on the strength of it.
Real-time updates Free and Pro The free plugin keeps feeds and counts current with regular background refreshes. Instant real-time delivery and typing indicators in messaging are Pro.
Analytics Free and Pro The free plugin shows basic admin counts. A full analytics dashboard (daily, weekly, and monthly active members, churn), space-level analytics, member self-analytics, and CSV export are Pro.
White-label Pro Included with any active Pro licence. It replaces the BuddyNext name and logo across wp-admin and in the emails your community sends; the site front end is unchanged and follows your theme.
Member and content importer from BuddyPress / BuddyBoss Companion plugin BuddyNext Importer, free. Moves members, profile fields and values, member types, groups (with privacy and roles), activity with its comment threads, friendships, follows, reactions, bbPress forums, avatars and covers, albums and media, and private messages. Each domain reports what it wrote against what the source held. Rehearse on staging first - an import cannot be undone from inside the plugin. See Moving Your Existing Members and Content.

Good to know

  • The free plugin is a complete community platform, not a limited trial. Most of what a community needs to launch is in the Free column.
  • Companion plugins are free and optional. Messaging, media, discussions, and gamification each come from a companion you add only when you want that capability. This keeps your core install lean.
  • Pro is additive. Turning on Pro never removes or changes a free feature you already use - it only adds new capabilities.
  • License tier affects the number of sites, not the feature set. Every Pro feature is available on every tier. The licence gates update downloads, not functionality - an expired licence keeps working, it just stops receiving updates.
  • The native mobile app is not shipped yet. It is a planned Pro deliverable for a future release. If a native app is the reason you are considering a move, wait for it to be released rather than buying on the promise. What exists today is web push and an installable, app-like PWA - both real, both documented, neither a native app.

What's next