Can anyone recommend other tools or integrations for creating a forum website using Webflow? I'm considering using Website Toolbox for its forum and membership options, but I'm unsure as I can't find any demos. Any suggestions or experiences with these tools on Webflow would be appreciated. Thank you!

Creating a forum website on Webflow requires integrating third-party tools since Webflow doesn't natively support forum functionality. Here's a list of popular tools and integrations, including alternatives to Website Toolbox, along with their pros and limitations when used with Webflow.

1. Website Toolbox

• Pros:
• Built-in membership management, SEO features, and single sign-on options.
• Simple embedding into Webflow via an iframe or html code block.
• Active moderation tools and email notifications.
• Limitations:
• Limited customization to match Webflow’s visual style.
• No drag-and-drop visual control within Webflow Designer.
• No fully working public demo without signup, making evaluation harder.

2. Circle.so

• Pros:
• Designed for modern communities with rich media posts, spaces, and events.
• Clean UI that matches Webflow design aesthetics better than traditional forums.
• Embeddable elements (e.g., links or widgets) can be connected to Webflow.
• Limitations:
• Requires third-party sign-up and switching platforms during navigation.
• Limited control over layout styling directly within Webflow.

3. Discourse

• Pros:
• Open-source and well-established forum solution with rich conversation threading.
• Can be self-hosted for full customization.
• Discourse has SSO options that can connect with membership platforms.
• Limitations:
• Requires server setup or paid managed hosting.
• Styling integration with Webflow may need advanced CSS embedding or wrapper IFrames.

4. Tribe (now Bettermode)

• Pros:
• Community building with customizable layouts and member profiles.
• Offers an SDK and embeddable widgets to integrate Q&A modules into Webflow.
• Limitations:
• Theming isn’t 100% native to Webflow designs unless custom styled via SDK.
• Most advanced features are in higher-tier pricing plans.

5. Memberstack + Jetboost + Webflow CMS (Custom Build)

• Pros:
• Build a fully custom “forum-style” solution using Webflow CMS for posts and comments.
• Memberstack can manage user login/signup.
• Jetboost adds real-time filtering, search, and interactions.
• Limitations:
• Doesn’t provide threaded replies or native notifications.
• Requires significant setup effort and careful design planning.
• Better suited to Q&A or comment-style forums than true threaded discussions.

6. Circle, Discourse, or Website Toolbox Embedding

• How to Embed:
• Use Webflow’s Embed Element, and paste the code or iframe provided by the forum tool.
• Make sure to use lazy-loading (loading="lazy") for performance.
• Use Webflow CMS buttons/links to direct users to the forum platform.

Summary

To integrate a forum into Webflow, your top options include Website Toolbox, Circle.so, Discourse, or building a custom solution using Memberstack + CMS. For full-featured community tools with minimal setup, Circle or Bettermode are modern and embeddable. For full control and complexity, Discourse is powerful but requires more technical setup. Test any tool's embedding capability in Webflow before committing.

Let me know if you’d like walkthrough steps for embedding a specific platform into Webflow.