Bettermode vs. Khoros: Which is Better for Your B2B SaaS Customer Community

Bettermode and Khoros are two popular choices for businesses looking to build and engage online communities. But it can be difficult to know which one will meet your needs. We compare Bettermode vs Khoros to help you make an informed choice.

The big takeaway: Bettermode's all-in-one community platform comes with a no-code Design Studio, native CRM integrations (HubSpot, Salesforce, Zendesk), and enterprise security—all without requiring engineering resources. Khoros, while well established, is highly resource-intensive and requires significant engineering investment for customization and integrations.

Bettermode Overview

Bettermode is an all-in-one customer community platform built for mid-market and enterprise B2B SaaS companies. The platform helps businesses reduce support costs, improve customer retention, and drive product adoption through engaged communities.

Key results Bettermode customers achieve:

• 3x better user engagement
• 50% fewer support tickets
• +20 increase in NPS and CSAT scores
• 30% increase in organic traffic

Key Features

• Design Studio: No-code visual builder to create branded communities without engineering resources
• Native CRM integrations: Direct connections with HubSpot, Salesforce, Zendesk, Intercom
• Community spaces: Forum discussions, Q&A, help center, events, product roadmap, ideation
• Built-in CMS: Manage content without external tools
• Embedding capabilities: Integrate community into your web and mobile apps
• Single Sign-On: JWT, OAuth2.0, SAML for seamless authentication
• Gamification: Badges, leaderboards, reactions to drive engagement
• Analytics: Track ticket deflection, engagement, and community ROI
• Enterprise security: SOC2 compliance, SSO, data residency options
• Multi-language support: English, Spanish, French, German, and more

Primary Use Cases

• Customer self-service and peer support
• Knowledge base and help center
• Product ideation and feedback
• Customer success community

Pricing

Bettermode offers three plans.

At $399 per month, Starter gives you a self-service experience with a 14-day free trial to test things out.

Growth runs $1,500 per month and includes onboarding and migration support to get you set up faster.

Premium pricing requires reaching out to sales. It comes with a dedicated CSM, an SLA, and enterprise-level customization.

Khoros Communities Overview

Khoros Communities (a merger of Lithium and Spredfast) is an enterprise platform that helps large businesses build and manage online communities. The platform focuses on improving customer service while reducing support costs.

Key Features

• Community syndication across search, purchase, and support
• Group Hubs for interest-based connections
• Advanced search and analytics
• Community moderation tools
• Gamification features
• AI sentiment analysis
• API and mobile SDK for integration

Primary Use Cases

• Peer-to-peer customer support
• Self-service knowledge hub
• Crowdsourcing knowledge

Key Limitations

• Dated interface: Users report the platform needs modernization
• Engineering-intensive: Customization requires significant developer resources
• Expensive customization: Some users report paying 10x for additional customizations
• Learning curve: Not intuitive without extensive training
• Limited integrations: Fewer out-of-the-box integrations than alternatives

Pricing

Khoros pricing is not publicly available, but users on G2 report subscription fees often exceed $100,000/year.

Bettermode vs Khoros: Key Feature Comparison

1. Customization

Bettermode: Design Studio provides complete no-code customization. Marketing and customer success teams can modify branding, layouts, and components without engineering support. Responsive design automatically adjusts for different devices.

Khoros: Customization requires engineering resources. Users report paying significantly more for customization options, and changes often require developer involvement.

Winner: Bettermode—no engineering dependency means faster iteration and lower total cost of ownership.

2. CRM and Support Tool Integrations

Bettermode: Native integrations with HubSpot, Salesforce, Zendesk, Intercom, Amplitude, FullStory, and more through the App Store. Customer data syncs automatically, enabling you to track community engagement's impact on retention and expansion.

Khoros: Fewer out-of-the-box integrations. Users report that retrieving data often requires chains of API calls, adding complexity and development cost.

Winner: Bettermode—native CRM integrations are critical for B2B SaaS companies to prove community ROI.

3. Embeddability

Bettermode: Embed community components (discussions, Q&A, help center) directly into your product with simple copy-paste code. No engineering required.

Khoros: Offers embed tools through API and SDK, but implementation typically requires developer resources.

Winner: Bettermode—simpler implementation without engineering bottlenecks.

4. Analytics and ROI Measurement

Bettermode: Built-in analytics track engagement, content performance, and community health. Integration with analytics tools (Amplitude, FullStory) enables deeper insights into community's impact on customer success metrics.

Khoros: Advanced analytics including sentiment analysis. However, data extraction can be complex.

Winner: Tie—both offer strong analytics, though Bettermode is easier to integrate with existing analytics stack.

5. Security and Compliance

Bettermode: SOC2 compliance, SSO (JWT, OAuth2.0, SAML), data residency options. Enterprise-ready security without additional cost.

Khoros: Enterprise-grade security appropriate for large organizations.

Winner: Tie—both offer enterprise security, though Bettermode provides this at a lower price point.

Bettermode vs. Khoros: Full Comparison