Discourse vs Livestorm Pricing (2026)

Which one is cheaper?

Livestorm is the cheaper option, starting at $3/mo vs $100/mo for Discourse.

Can I use either one for free?

Neither has a free plan. But Discourse and Livestorm offer a free trial.

How do they charge?

Different approach here. Discourse uses flat-rate pricing, while Livestorm goes with usage-based. That changes the math depending on your team size and usage.

Which one is a better deal?

Depends on what you need. Discourse: This sits firmly in premium territory for community platforms — there's no free plan, and $100/mo as a starting price screams 'we're for serious operators,' not hobbyists. They're chasing companies and organizations that view community as infrastructure, not casual forum runners who'd bounce off the lack of a free tier. Livestorm: This credit-based model is unusual in a category dominated by flat per-host pricing (Zoom Webinar, GoToWebinar), which makes direct comparison tricky — it can look cheap for small audiences but gets expensive fast at scale. They're clearly targeting teams with unpredictable or growing audience sizes who don't want to overpay for unused host seats.

Still deciding? See the best Discourse alternatives or the best Livestorm alternatives, ranked with verified pricing.