ProfileGrid – User Profiles, Groups and Communities vs ZenCommunity

WordPress User Profiles & Membership Plugin Create WordPress user profiles, groups, communities, paid memberships, directories, WooCommerce profiles, bbPress profiles, content restriction, sign-up pages, blog submissions, notifications, social activity and private messaging, beautiful threaded interface and a lot more! The #1 Custom User Profile Plugin that brings together user data from all your plugins, which use custom posts or shortcodes. The #1 Free WordPress Community Plugin with inbuilt private messaging & friends system. The #1 Free WooCommerce User Profile Plugin. The #1 Free bbPress User Profile Plugin. For any issues, bugs, feature requests and general help, contact our awesome support team! ProfileGrid is a power-packed user profile, member, community and directory plugin. While ProfileGrid is fundamentally a user profile builder, it also offers User Groups. Groups are equivalent to Profile types where you can have different profile structures for different group of users. Advantages of Group based system is apparent from the very beginning: You can have multiple User Profile types. Each Group can have its own set of fields. Each Group can have its own Group Manager or Moderator. Group Manager can have special privacy level for group members. Each group can have its own registration workflow. You can offer visitors option to sign up or request membership for Group of their choice. Groups can have membership limits. Groups can be mapped to a specific WordPress Roles. Filter user profiles based on groups on directories page. Groups can be Open (public) or Closed (private) Closed Groups require membership approval from Group Manager or site Admin Users can join multiple Groups And so much more! If you do not need multiple Groups, there’s nothing stopping you to use the default Group as single profile type, membership or as user directories system. It’s a unique WordPress profile plugin that’s flexible and modular. A lot of stuff can be turned on or off by single click. ProfileGrid is pretty both on the frontend and the dashboard area. We understand you spend a lot of time inside the dashboard, therefore, we made sure the admin facing interface is clean and organized. You will absolutely love it when you first log into ProfileGrid. And it looks even better once profiles start to fill in! With release of version 4.1.0 we have added a bunch of new shortcodes which offer amazing amount of flexibility with displaying different types of user groups and user profiles data inside your WordPress theme and widgets. Brand new content enclosure shortcodes allow you to take control of content restrictions and membership access to granular level. Using new dynamic content shortcodes you can create personalized content for your users. WORDPRESS COMMUNITY PLUGIN & COMMUNITY BUILDER FEATURES What makes ProfileGrid a perfect WordPress community plugin? Here are a few reasons to start with: Ability to create public and private groups. Adding group specific modules like discussions, photos, events etc. Appointing group managers for community moderation. Community based privacy levels for content. Ability for users to join multiple groups. Allowing users to create their own groups from frontend. And the list does not stops here! There are many other features tucked inside ProfileGrid making it a robust WordPress community plugin for all types of community based websites. WORDPRESS MEMBERSHIP PLUGIN FEATURES ProfileGrid’s WordPress membership plugin features include: Paid membership groups with native checkout process. Separate Group membership registration forms. Content restrictions based on membership levels. Member exclusive group area. Member limits in groups. Member discounts for WooCommerce products (via extension). These, combined with many other similar features, make ProfileGrid the ideal WordPress membership plugin. Dashboard areas include: Group Manager to create, edit and manage groups, and set membership rules. Custom Fields Manager to manager Profile Sections and Fields. User Profiles area to view, search and filters User profiles and members. Requests to manage and moderate membership requests for closed groups. Email Template manager to create and edit email notifications for users. User Blogs to manage user submitted blog posts. Global Settings to fine tune your ProfileGrid installation. Shortcodes page to help you understand how shortcodes work. Frontend offers a slew of shortcodes to present custom user profile related areas to the visitors. These are: Groups page showing a grid of Groups for users to browse and sign up for them. Group page showing Group’s details and all its members. Profile page showing single custom User Profile with blogs and conversations. Single and Multipage sign up forms. Latter splitting Sections into pages. All Users page displays all members without grouping them, with global search. Login and Password Recovery pages. Find complete list of shortcodes here. Group Attributes Group Name Group Type – Open/ Closed Group Description Group Badge/ Icon/ Logo Option to Hide Group Card Membership Limit Associate WordPress User Role Group Manager (Selectable from Group Members) Label for Group Manager Membership Type – Free/ Paid Membership Price Redirection after group registration Custom message after group registration Custom Email notifications for members Email on joining Group Email on joining request being denied Email on account activation Email on account deactivation Email on password change Email on account deletion Email on publishing new post Email when Group Manager resets password Turn on Emails for Group Managers Email on new membership request Email on being assigned Group Manager Groups provide basic setup of using ProfileGrid as a WordPress Community Plugin. WordPress User Profiles Attributes User Profile page user avatar photo User Profile page Cover Photo Parent Group picture appears on user page User Profile page Sections Custom User Profiles (Custom Fields for user profiles) Custom Field Attributes Field Label (as it appears on registration form and user page) Field Description Field Type Placeholder Text CSS Class Maximum Length/ Rows/ Columns etc. Field Label Icon or picture Parent Group Parent Section Display on Sign Up form Required/ Not Required Fields visibility on Profile Page Fields visibility on Group Page Email Template Attributes Template Name Subject Body with Mail Merge fields. Content Restriction Restrict content to logged in users Restrict content to users of specific group Restrict content to friends Make contend private Multi Author Blogging Multi Author Blogs that integrate with frontend user profile Users can write and submit blog entries from a frontend user page Users can upload picture as featured image field Option to choose between WordPress blogs and ProfileGrid blogs Admins can moderate and approve Multi Author blog posts Define initial status of Multi Author blog posts on blog submission Private Messaging System ProfileGrid features an inbuilt private messaging system that works in realtime – a rare WordPress profile plugin that offers advanced messaging capabilities as part of the core. Once you install and visit custom user profile page, you will see Messaging among other profile tabs. Following features boost ProfileGrid user case as a Community Plugin: A system that works in realtime using WordPress Heartbeat API See live status of members you are chatting with Supports emoji Users can message anyone from their user profile page by clicking a button or typing username Users receive live notifications and unread count when messaging tab is not active Notifications also appear in left bar which shows active messaging threads Friends System ProfileGrid also comes with an inbuilt Friends system that allows users to other members as friends – once again a rare WordPress profile plugin that offers Friends system in core. Friends tab automatically appear on custom user profile page once it is activated in ProfileGrid Global Settings. The features include: Users can add other members as ‘Friends’ User can send Friend requests Users can accept or decline Friend request All friends appear on user profile page inside ‘Friends’ tab Users can remove friends from Friends tab. Admin can set rule for resending, once declined friend requests Friend request appear in Notification tab and add to unread count Users can accept or decline friend request from user notification box On accepting friend request friend’s user profile url appear inside user notification box Global Settings Global Settings page includes all plugin-wide settings. It is divided into following subsections: General Settings Template Selection Theme selection Light/ Dark Redirection for Authors Enable Gravatar Allow or Disallow WordPress login page access to visitors Allow or Disallow WordPress login page access to visitors Hide WordPress toolbar Set limit for password reset tries Multiple Attachments Map default WP Registration page Redirection after user login Redirect After logout Map All Groups page Map User Registration page Map Single Group page Define Sign Up form Style Map Profile page Map Login page Map Password Recovery and Password Reset pages Profile Templates A selection of readymade profile page layouts to chose from! Each layout is unique and adopts color scheme of your active theme for a clean native look. Security Settings Toggle reCAPTCHA reCAPTCHA language Site Key Secret Key Request method Auto Logout after inactivity Whitelist IPs Blacklist IPs Email Notifications (Global) Send notifications to site admin Manually define admin email notification recipients User Account review notification Account Deletion email notification Turn on SMTP configuration SMTP Host, Encryption, Port, Authentication, Username, Password Test SMTP Connection User Accounts Turn on automatic approvals Send User Activation Link in email Display User Password change option Show User Privacy options Allow User Profile deletion Account deletion warning text Allow User Email change Allow Users to hide their profiles Default Profile Image, default user avatar Default Cover Image Email Notifications Toggle Admin notifications Define additional notification recipients Toggle SMTP with credential fields Tools Import Users. Importing parameters and field mapping. Export Users. Exporting parameters. User Blogs Turn User Blog Post Submission On/ Off. Fetch Posts from WordPress Posts/ In-built System/ Both Default Post state after user submission Allow Feature Image Allow tags Use rich text editor Privacy settings Notify Users Notify Admin Private Messaging Toggle Messaging On/ Off Friends System Toggle Friend System On/ Off All resending friend requests Period after which resending request is allowed Uploads Profile Image Maximum File Size (in bytes) Cover Image Maximum File Size (in bytes) Image Quality Profile image minimum width Cover image minimum width SEO User Profile Page Title User Profile Description (HTML Meta) Payments Payment Processor – Paypal (Free) & Stripe (Extension). Toggle test mode. PayPal Email. Currency selection. PayPal page style. Currency symbol position. As you can see, ProfileGrid core is pretty powerful in its own right and many will find it useful standalone. For those who need extra, there are plenty of extensions available. Present set of extensions include: Free Custom User Profile Slugs Define how your frontend user profile URL will appear to site visitors and search engines. Take control of your frontend user profile url permalink and add dynamic slugs. Custom User Profile Slugs Group Photos Allow your users to create and share Photo Albums within their Groups. Albums can be public or restricted to group members. Users can browse and enlarge photos, and post comments. Group Photos Free User Display Name Take complete control of your users’ display names. Mix and match patterns and add predefined suffixes and prefixes. There’s both a global and a group based option, allowing display names in different groups stand out! User Display Name Custom Group Properties Create and add custom data fields to user groups! Now your user groups can have more detailed information and personality just like your user profile pages. These fields appear on single group page. Custom Group Properties Free bbPress Integration – ENHANCE BBPRESS USER PROFILES Integrate ProfileGrid user profile properties and sign up system with the immensely popular bbPress community forums plugin. bbPress User Profiles with Community Activity bbPress Custom User Profiles Fields. Edit bbPress User Profiles Free bbPress Integration User Geolocation Maps Publish interactive maps on your website showcasing locations of all registered users or members from a specific group using simple shortcodes. Features location markers with user info popovers. User Geolocation Maps Frontend Group Creator Give your registered users power to create their own user membership Groups. These Groups behave and work just like regular ProfileGrid membership groups. Frontend Group Creator MailChimp Integration Allow users to subscribe to your MailChimp lists. Comes with custom field mapping support and option for users to manage subscriptions right from their user profile area. MailChimp Integration Free WooCommerce Integration – ENHANCE WOOCOMMERCE USER PROFILES Combine the power of ProfileGrid’s user membership groups with WooCommerce to create enhanced WooCommerce user profiles with option to display purchases, reviews, manage addresses and more. This can be used instead of default WooCommerce user profile page for more engaging user experience. WooCommerce Profile Builder. WooCommerce User Profile with Payments, Reviews & Social Activity. WooCommerce Custom User Profiles Fields. Edit WooCommerce Customer Profiles. Social Login Allow users to connect and login using their social networking accounts. Users can manage connected accounts from their profile settings. Social Login Custom User Profile Tabs Display user specific, or custom content, from other plugins as additional tabs on user profiles. You can add as many custom tabs you like. Examples of practical uses include, events, meetings, forms, listings, directories etc. Custom User Profile Tabs myCred Integration Reward your website users with custom ranks and badges, on reaching predefined goals, using powerful and free myCred points system. Ranks and Badges will also be displayed on their user profiles. myCred Integration User Photos Allow users to create albums and upload photos to them. Albums can be public or private, or shared with fellow group members or friends. Other users can post comments on photos. User Photos = Menu Restrictions …

The All-in-One WordPress Community Plugin for Groups, Social Feeds, Real-Time Chat, and Support ZenCommunity is the first WordPress community plugin that unifies groups, posts, support ticketing, and live chat into one native powerhouse. Build social, Facebook-style communities with real-time chat and posts, convert community posts into tracked support tickets, and offer instant live help — all inside your WordPress site. 👉 ZenCommunity Site 👉 Unlock Premium Features 👉 Join Our Official Community Core Features at a Glance Community Tool User-friendly UX Unlimited groups/spaces User profiles Activity feeds Member controls Feeds Comments & reactions Real-time chat Notifications Privacy controls Mentions Hashtags Polls and surveys (Coming soon) Leaderboard (Coming soon) Bookmarks Branding options Welcome message Custom slugs Search Member directory File uploads GIF Emoji Media storage Role manager User approval Email summaries Dark & light mode Support Ticketing [PRO] Convert feed to tickets Ticket status tracking Ticket assignment Ticket stages (ongoing, solved, etc.) Ticket notifications Auto replies (Coming soon) Live Chat [PRO] Customizable website live chat widget (Cross domain also supported) Multi-session handling Instant visitor support Real-time notifications File sharing 24/7 support system ZenCommunity isn’t just another community plugin. It’s the first WordPress solution that combines the three strongest engagement systems — Community, Real-Time Chat, and Support Tickets — together in one place. Most WordPress websites use 3–5 different tools to achieve what ZenCommunity does alone. That creates scattered conversations, missed messages, and poor user experience. ZenCommunity removes that problem completely. By keeping community posts, chats, and support inside one system, your users stay connected, engaged, and supported without ever leaving your site. Below are the core sections that show how ZenCommunity stands out. Community Features — Your Full Social System Inside WordPress ZenCommunity gives you everything needed to build a full, social-style community inside WordPress — no third-party platforms, no separate plugins. Advanced Community Groups Build public or private groups with full admin control. Groups can be used for LMS classes, client spaces, internal teams, membership circles, or interest-based communities. Each group has its own feed, members, and settings. Facebook-Style Posting & Engagement Your members can publish posts, attach media, use @mentions, comment, reply, react, and follow discussions. The interface feels familiar, simple, and fast — encouraging users to talk and stay active. Real-Time Community Chat ZenCommunity includes built-in chat inside groups. Members can start private one-to-one chats or chat as a group with typing indicators, read status, file sharing, and notifications. Conversations stay active without page reloads. User Profiles & Activity Tracking Each user gets a profile with activity, groups, posts, and engagement. This makes your community feel more personal and interactive. Community Growth Features Hashtags, polls, surveys, leaderboards, bookmarks, and email summaries help keep engagement high. Members always have a reason to come back. Admin Control & Community Safety Moderators can manage posts, approve members, customize branding, set privacy rules, and control roles. You decide how open or private each group should be. Support Ticketing — Full Helpdesk Inside Your Community ZenCommunity includes a complete support ticketing system connected directly to your community and chats. Convert Posts Into Support Tickets If a user posts a question that needs deeper help, convert it into a ticket with one click — no platform switching. Clear Ticket Assignments Assign each ticket to a responsible team member so the right person handles the issue. This reduces confusion and improves response time. Status Tracking Each ticket has clear stages (new, ongoing, solved, etc.) so both sides can follow progress. Your support team stays organized, and users always know what’s happening. Personal Support Chat on Each Ticket Tickets include an instant one-to-one chat. Users don’t need email or external help desks — everything is live and inside your site. Smart Notifications Both users and team members get notifications when ticket updates happen. Nothing gets lost. Auto Replies Helpful for off-hours, acknowledgment messages, or routing requests. Live Chat — Instant Help That Converts Visitors ZenCommunity includes a built-in real-time live chat widget for your entire site. Customizable Widget Add your supporter’s name, photo, availability status, and greeting message. This makes your support feel personal and trustworthy. Instant Visitor Support Visitors can start chatting immediately. Control visitor login or anonymous chat. Multi-Session Handling Support agents can handle multiple conversations at once without losing track. Real-Time Notifications & File Sharing Send and receive files instantly, get notified when new messages arrive, and keep the conversation going smoothly. 24/7 Support System The widget stays active at all times, so users always have access to help. Who ZenCommunity Helps ZenCommunity fits a wide range of websites and business types: LMS websites (students + instructors) Membership sites Local groups & communities Agencies SaaS companies E-commerce stores Service providers Creators & educators Internal teams & organizations 🔥 Deep Academy LMS Integration ZenCommunity connects directly with Academy LMS to automate all your course activities inside your community — without any extra work from the admin. When this integration is enabled, key Academy LMS events automatically create posts in your ZenCommunity groups. This means your learners stay updated, active, and informed without any manual posting. What Automatically Gets Shared ZenCommunity can post updates in your community when any of the following events happen inside Academy LMS: Course Enrolled Course Complete Course Announcements User Question Question Answer Lesson Update Quiz Start Quiz End This makes ZenCommunity the perfect LMS community plugin. Extended LMS Integrations ZenCommunity now supports multiple popular WordPress LMS plugins, making it easy to add community, discussion, chat, and support features to your learning website. Tutor LMS Integration with ZenCommunity ZenCommunity integrates with Tutor LMS to bring key course activities directly into your community groups, helping learners stay informed and engaged inside WordPress. This integration turns Tutor LMS course progress into visible community updates, encouraging discussion around learning milestones. Tutor LMS Events Shared in ZenCommunity When Tutor LMS integration is enabled, the following course activities are automatically posted in ZenCommunity group feeds: Course Enrollment Topic Complete Course Complete Quiz Start Quiz End Each event appears inside the selected community group, allowing students and instructors to interact around real course progress in real time. LearnPress Integration with ZenCommunity ZenCommunity integrates with LearnPress to connect course activity, learner questions, and progress updates directly with your community groups. This integration helps LearnPress users turn learning actions into shared discussions, keeping students active and connected inside WordPress. LearnPress Events Shared in ZenCommunity When LearnPress integration is enabled, the following course activities are automatically posted in ZenCommunity group feeds: Course Enrollment Course Complete Lesson Completion User Question Question Answer Quiz Start Quiz End These updates appear inside the selected community groups, allowing learners and instructors to interact around real learning progress in one place. MasterStudy LMS Integration with ZenCommunity ZenCommunity integrates with MasterStudy LMS to connect course progress, learner questions, and completion updates directly with your community groups. This integration helps MasterStudy-based learning sites turn course activity into shared discussions, keeping learners engaged inside WordPress. MasterStudy LMS Events Shared in ZenCommunity When MasterStudy LMS integration is enabled, the following course activities are automatically posted in ZenCommunity group feeds: Course Enrollment Course Complete Lesson Completion User Question Question Answer Quiz End These updates appear inside the selected community groups, allowing students and instructors to interact around real learning progress in one place. Lifter LMS Integration with ZenCommunity ZenCommunity integrates with Lifter LMS to bring course activity, learner questions, and progress updates directly into your community groups. This integration helps Lifter LMS websites keep students engaged through shared discussions and real-time updates inside WordPress. Lifter LMS Events Shared in ZenCommunity When Lifter LMS integration is enabled, the following course activities are automatically posted in ZenCommunity group feeds: Course Enrollment Course Complete Lesson Completion User Question Question Answer Quiz End These updates appear inside the selected community groups, allowing learners and instructors to interact around real course progress in one central place. LearnDash Integration with ZenCommunity LearnDash integrates with ZenCommunity to connect course activity directly with your community groups, helping learners stay active and engaged inside WordPress. This integration turns LearnDash progress into shared community updates, encouraging discussion, motivation, and peer interaction around learning milestones. LearnDash Events Shared in ZenCommunity When LearnDash integration is enabled, the following course activities are automatically posted in ZenCommunity group feeds: Course Enrollment Course Complete Topic Complete Quiz End Each event appears inside the selected community group, allowing students and instructors to interact around real course progress in real time. This makes ZenCommunity a strong companion for LearnDash-based learning sites that want to combine structured courses with active community engagement. ⚡ Performance & Reliability ZenCommunity is built for speed: No external tools No outside servers No extra apps Everything loads inside WordPress Real-time updates with lightweight scripts The plugin is optimized for both small sites and enterprise-level communities. 🛠 Admin Tools Site admins get: A single dashboard for groups, posts, tickets, and chats Role-based permissions Community moderation controls Branding settings Full visibility into engagement and support activity