Bettermode vs Vanilla Forums:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Bettermode had more branded searches than Vanilla Forums among customer community platforms worldwide. Bettermode had about 3,610 branded searches, while Vanilla Forums had 880. Bettermode made up 6.9% of all customer community platform searches we track, and Vanilla Forums accounted for 1.7%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about customer community platforms, Bettermode appeared in all five answers and Vanilla Forums in two. Bettermode was mentioned before Vanilla Forums in every answer.
Who do people search for more?
Bettermode, about 4 searches for every 1 for Vanilla Forums
Who does AI mention more?
Bettermode, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Bettermode, named ahead of Vanilla Forums in every answer
Follow Bettermode vs Vanilla Forums and get free monthly updates on what changed
By continuing you'll get index updates and occasional product news from Brandwave. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy
Top customer community platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Bettermode appeared in all five answers. Vanilla Forums was mentioned in two out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Bettermode was listed before Vanilla Forums in every answer.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Circle1st- Bettermode2nd
Discourse3rd
Higher Logic4th
Khoros5th
Mighty Networks6th- Vanilla Forums7th
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Circle5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Bettermode5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Khoros4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Discourse3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Higher Logic3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Mighty Networks2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Vanilla Forums2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about customer community platforms
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which customer community platform should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best customer community platforms?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best customer community platform for online customer forum?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“customer community platform”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best community platform”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 20, 2026.
Is Bettermode or Vanilla Forums more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Bettermode and Vanilla Forums by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven customer community platforms we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Bettermode, Vanilla Forums. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Mighty Networks | Circle | Discourse | Bettermode | Khoros | Higher Logic | Vanilla Forums |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 44% | 22.1% | 12.4% | 7.2% | 8.8% | 3.9% | 1.7% |
| Nov 2025 | 43.6% | 24.8% | 11.5% | 7.1% | 7.1% | 3.9% | 2.1% |
| Dec 2025 | 47.9% | 22.3% | 9% | 7.9% | 7.8% | 3.4% | 1.8% |
| Jan 2026 | 45.6% | 24.4% | 11.8% | 7.5% | 6.1% | 3.3% | 1.4% |
| Feb 2026 | 41.7% | 24.5% | 14.2% | 6.8% | 6.8% | 4.5% | 1.5% |
| Mar 2026 | 43% | 26% | 10.9% | 7% | 7% | 4.6% | 1.6% |
| Apr 2026 | 45.1% | 26.5% | 10.1% | 6% | 6% | 4.8% | 1.5% |
| May 2026 | 42.2% | 28.3% | 9.7% | 6.9% | 6.8% | 4.6% | 1.4% |
| Jun 2026 | 42.9% | 28.8% | 8.3% | 7% | 7% | 4.6% | 1.4% |
| Jul 2026 | 43.3% | 27.5% | 7.7% | 8.6% | 7% | 4.7% | 1.2% |
| Aug 2026 | 36.3% | 28.9% | 12.1% | 10.9% | 5.8% | 4.8% | 1.2% |
| Sep 2026 | 34.6% | 26% | 20.6% | 6.9% | 5.6% | 4.6% | 1.7% |
How has the Bettermode and Vanilla Forums comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Bettermode was ahead of Vanilla Forums in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Bettermode’s share of searches among customer community platforms worldwide moved from 7.2% to 6.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 5.4K to 3.6K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Vanilla Forums’ share of searches among customer community platforms worldwide held steady at 1.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1.3K to 880.
How did search popularity change for customer community platforms worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Bettermode lost share of searches among customer community platforms worldwide, from 10.9% to 6.9%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Vanilla Forums worldwide fell 32.3% over 12 measured months, from 1.3K to 880 in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Bettermode’s and Vanilla Forums’ names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Bettermode
2 branded search terms
- bettermode
- bettermode community platform
Vanilla Forums
1 branded search term
- vanilla forums
Other head-to-heads among customer community platforms
Put your own brand in this comparison
Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to the rival you actually watch, with your campaigns, spend and outcomes on the same timeline.