23 Best Online Startup Communities for Founders

A strong support system can drastically impact your startup’s success. That’s why we developed this list of the best online startup communities for entrepreneurs based on industry, cost, accessibility, and services offered.

About

Startup founders with growth-oriented companies can almost always benefit from mentorship. With GrowthMentor, fully vetted startup mentors can help founders and entrepreneurs navigate startup ownership and help them scale their business effectively.

Not only do members gain access to a large pool of mentors, but they also receive an invitation to the platform’s Slack channel, where they can network and connect with other entrepreneurs, founders, and growth marketers.

Best For:

• Tech startup founders
• Growth marketers

About

Mentorship is a valuable addition for any entrepreneur or founder; Founders Network makes it easy to find mentors or to become a mentor yourself. By providing a peer-based mentorship program, the site encourages entrepreneurs to connect and communicate with others to help propel startups forward.

In addition, the site hosts a Peer Advisory Board to help entrepreneurs with strategic problem solving as well as opportunities with angel investors and venture capital firms. To join, you will be required to pay $74.92 to $347.92 per month (billed annually) or a lifetime membership fee of $10,000.

Best For:

• Growth-oriented startups
• Tech startups

About

If you are an entrepreneur with a no-code business model or even a non-technical entrepreneur, No Code Founders is a great resource for you. On this platform, you can meet other entrepreneurs in your industry to network and receive feedback. Additionally, you gain access to a myriad of tools and resources for no-code businesses and insights to help make your business a success.

Best For:

• Non-technical founders
• No-code startups

About

A collection of stories and insights from experienced startup founders, entrepreneurs, and individuals make up the community of Indie Hackers. Not only is this a great space to learn from other professionals, but it’s also a valuable resource for sharing about your entrepreneurial experience, connecting with a network of startups, and gaining critical insights or feedback. With nearly 40,000 users, you are sure to find inspiration and community on this platform. And, the best news is, it is 100% free.

Best For:

• Tech entrepreneurs
• Experienced startup entrepreneurs

About

If you are a startup founder, CEO, designer, or developer that is passionate about innovative products, Product Hunt is the community for you. Primarily focused on tech products such as apps and websites, Product Hunt also offers a plethora of other industry types such as podcasts, games, and more.

Perhaps the best use for this platform is for startups to receive valuable input and feedback from other product enthusiasts about their designs. However, Product Hunt is also used to schedule meetups and connect with fellow entrepreneurs.

Best For:

• Tech entrepreneurs
• Designers and developers

About

Startup Grind is the world’s largest community of startups, founders, innovators, and creators. It is also the world's first community-owned startup accelerator program. Startup Grind began in 2010 when the program's founder, Derek Andersen, got a few friends together who were all dealing with similar issues facing startup founders. 

The get-together was a huge success, and it made Andersen realize that there was immense power in communities that could provide support and advice. Soon the Startup Grind movement was formed and began to attract experts and founders from many different industries.

There are now Startup Grind chapters in many countries across the world. The movement has three types of memberships: “Student,” “Startup,” and “Partner.” If you're a startup founder, you're in luck — membership to Startup Grind is free for those approved through the application process.

Best For:

• First-time startup founders
• Investors and other partners wanting to connect with the startup community

About

StartupNation is a tremendous resource for novice entrepreneurs looking to connect and learn about every stage of the startup process. From business planning to acquiring startup funding, StartupNation’s community forums provide readers with a platform to give and receive answers to questions from other entrepreneurs, founders, and CEOs. Additionally, the site has a radio show called StartupNation Radio for entrepreneurs that can’t get enough startup content!

Best For:

• New entrepreneurs
• Entrepreneurs looking for answers and feedback from a community

About

VenturSeed is an incubator program and venture capital fund combined. With over 150 members, the program partners with “pre-pre-seed” companies or early-stage startups to provide a community to workshop their startup during the beginning of its life. Community members are also privy to a direct funding source with VenturSeed.

Best For:

• Startups looking for pre-seed funding
• Underrepresented founders

About

FoundersBeta is a community whose main focus is connecting founders, workers, and professionals to enable each party to reach their goals. Whether you’re a startup founder looking for a co-founder or a designer seeking employment opportunities at startup companies — FounderBeta boasts a membership of over 10,000 users waiting to connect. To join, you must apply to use the service and pay an annual membership fee starting at $180/year.

Best For:

• Startup founders and CEOs
• Developers, designers, and anyone interested in working at a startup company

About

A global community of startup founders participating in the Y Combinator course. The Y Combinator Startup School is a free 10-week course available upon application. Once you’ve enrolled in the course, students have access to the online community and forum to meet and engage with other entrepreneurs.

Best For:

• Entrepreneurs looking to further their education
• Students of the Y Combinator Startup School

About

The Fastlane Entrepreneur Forum is a discussion forum that its founder, MJ DeMarco, set up based on a framework he outlines in three of his books. The CENTS Entrepreneurial Framework is discussed by DeMarco in the books, "The Millionaire Fastlane," "UNSCRIPTED," and "The Great Rat Race Escape." 

The forum itself allows startup founders and entrepreneurs from all around the world to gather and discuss topics related to starting and running businesses. Some of the topics include starting, growing, and scaling your business; self-development and improvement; and investment and other financial matters.

Membership to the general forum is free, but Fastlane also has a premium paid tier that gives you access to additional content and other benefits. DeMarco also hosts a coaching program called Fastlane Legends, in which he walks startups through the journey to success.

Best For:

• Entrepreneurs looking for advice on a wide range of topics
• Solo founders

About

SaaS entrepreneurs can apply for access to this free founders club that offers a platform for novice and experienced software entrepreneurs alike to connect and collaborate. The aim of the SaaS Club is to make important information and teachable moments accessible to all SaaS company founders.

Best For:

• SaaS companies
• Founders

About

One of the drawbacks of working remotely is that it can sometimes mean sacrificing valuable connections. Fortunately, online communities such as Nomad List provide a space for remote entrepreneurs, workers, expats, and online business owners to connect.

On this platform, you can also find resources and tools for the best places to work remotely as well as important information to make your nomadic work life a success. To become a member, you will need to pay a fee, which ranges from $74.99 to $99, depending on the tier of membership you choose.

Best For:

• Remote entrepreneurs
• Solo founders

About

Specifically built to support SaaS entrepreneurs, StartupSauce provides an online community for entrepreneurs to learn from other founders, build connections, and even secure valuable partnerships. Additionally, members can participate in a number of helpful workshops and courses on everything from public relations to marketing.

Best For:

• SaaS Startups
• Companies based outside of Silicon Valley

About

Aspiring entrepreneurs or young founders, this is the online startup community for you. Future Founders provides educational resources, services, and more to a wide range of young folks with entrepreneurial goals in mind. Separated into three categories; middle school, high school, and 18-30, this organization aims to give the younger generations the tools they need to be successful startup owners. 

Best For:

• Young entrepreneurs
• Students

About

Who knew that a simple startup blog about SaaS coupled with some Quora answers would grow into an industry-leading platform? That's exactly what happened with SaaStr, which is now the world's largest community of SaaS executives, entrepreneurs, and leaders. They have one of the biggest podcasts for the platform and also host the SaaStr annual event, the largest event for non-vendors in the San Francisco Bay Area. SaaStr continues to promote ideas for ARR growth with minimal obstacles and smooth success.

Best For:

• SaaS entrepreneurs
• Bloggers

About

Everyone thinks they have a million-dollar idea at some point or another. CoFoundersLab is the largest startup community on the internet dedicated to helping others harness the potential for creating business and revenue with their million-dollar ideas. CoFoundersLab offers entrepreneurs several benefits, including an accountability partner, resources to learn how to pitch and fund to investors, and much more.

Best For:

• Those interested in using a growth partner
• Those who want to have accountability and need help turning ideas into reality

About

Not everything about starting a business is strictly corporate. One of the best ways to develop partnerships and study customers is by getting out there and exploring the world yourself! Meetup is the perfect place for entrepreneurs to interact with others, get advice from like-minded individuals, and simply have fun in between those stressful work days. You can join groups, find events, and much more with the help of this social platform.

Best For:

• Customer research
• Finding like-minded partners

About

Women entrepreneurs have come a long way in creating a successful business empire for themselves. Hera Hub is a leading coworking space that's perfect for women looking for mentorship, a collaborative environment, and support for their startups. Hera Hub has different coworking spaces across the country, but also offers a virtual membership.

Best For:

• Women in business
• Women who need a collaborative workplace

About

Wish you had access to mentorship with just your phone? NVIDIA provides just that, providing free online services to entrepreneurs and startups at any stage. They offer services including discounted technical workshops, unlimited access to developer forums, and startup portal access for team members. They also offer a dedicated relationship manager for premium members.

Best For:

• Tech-savvy entrepreneurs on the go
• Entrepreneurs at any stage of their startup

About

No business is run without the use of tools to make growing your website, ecommerce, or writing business plans easier. Online Geniuses gathers some of the best digital marketers, SEO consultants, and other experts to share their collective tools and ideas. Members of OG can get benefits ranging from discounts to other perks. Some of the most recognizable tools on this site include Jasper, the AI writing platform; Hopin, which allows you to host interactive webinars and meetings; and more.

Best For:

• Those that need helping running their startup
• Entrepreneurs that don’t mind spending more on useful tools

About

Being a CEO and leader is never easy. It seems almost like an unending task learning something new every day. That’s where YPO comes in. This is a team of global leaders with chapters across the nation. Entrepreneurs can network, learn from other CEOs, and maximize growth and reputation by fostering solid relationships with other top-tier CEO agents. 

While you have to meet certain criteria to join YPO, such as having over 50 employees or 15 employees with a $2 million annual employee compensation, it’s worth it to have the expertise of other leaders at your disposal.

Best For:

• Younger CEOs under the age of 45 (a requirement)
• CEOs, presidents, managing directors, and those with similar titles

About

Starting a business can be daunting, especially for entrepreneurs that don’t have anyone to turn to for help or guidance. Clarity is a conferencing service that allows entrepreneurs to schedule a call with leading experts so they can get answers to their most burning questions. 

It’s simple to look for an expert, schedule a date and time that works for you, and then get your questions answered. You can then pay the per-minute fee of the expert and leave a review for them, making this a great solution for tailored issues!

Best For:

• Entrepreneurs that can’t find help in other forums
• Those that don’t mind spending money on expert advice