Discourse

Discourse is an open-source community platform founded in 2012 by Jeff Atwood, Robin Ward, and Sam Saffron.

Developed by Civilized Discourse Construction Kit, Inc., the platform aims to enhance online discussions through thoughtful, long-form conversation software. Discourse offers a subscription-based managed hosting service, starting at $20 per month, alongside custom development and consulting services. The platform functions as a discussion forum, mailing list replacement, and long-form chat room, featuring built-in community moderation, a trust system, real-time notifications, and over 60 official plugins for extendability. Discourse serves a wide range of clients, including technology companies like Shopify and NVIDIA, educational institutions, gaming companies, and nonprofits. With a focus on both indie developers and large enterprises, Discourse provides options for self-hosting and scalable managed hosting, promoting civilized and sustainable online conversations for various organizational needs.