Is there an open-source alternative to Circle for Rails?

Yes — Thredded. It mounts into an application you already run, so there is no second deployment and no second database.

How do I replace Circle in a Rails app?

Add thredded to your Gemfile, mount it in config/routes.rb at /forum, and run its migrations. The whole integration is two lines and a migration.

How much does replacing Circle save?

Circle is priced from $89/mo. The engines here are open source, so the cost becomes the time to mount one and the resources it uses inside your existing application.

Replace Circle

Discussion spaces, events and courses on a domain that is not quite yours.

Circle website From $89/mo Community

Why teams move off Circle

Circle bundles discussion, events and courses at $89 a month and puts all three on a domain your users do not associate with you.

What you give up

Events, courses and memberships. Thredded is discussion only.

This directory says so when an engine only covers part of the job. A replacement that needs a caveat is still worth knowing about — it just should not surprise you in week three.

Drop-in replacement

Circle → thredded

# Gemfile
gem "thredded"

# config/routes.rb
mount Thredded::Engine, at: "/forum"

Read about Thredded →

1 Rails engine that replaces Circle

Thredded
Covers the core of Community

Discussion spaces. Not courses, events or memberships.

Circle → thredded

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Questions

Is there an open-source alternative to Circle for Rails?: Yes — Thredded. It mounts into an application you already run, so there is no second deployment and no second database.
What do I give up by replacing Circle?: Events, courses and memberships. Thredded is discussion only.
How do I replace Circle in a Rails app?: Add thredded to your Gemfile, mount it in config/routes.rb at /forum, and run its migrations. The whole integration is two lines and a migration.
How much does replacing Circle save?: Circle is priced from $89/mo. The engines here are open source, so the cost becomes the time to mount one and the resources it uses inside your existing application.

Same category

While you are cancelling things

Discourse 1 engine →