BuddyPress

BuddyPress is a free, open source plugin that adds community features to a WordPress site. It is released under the GPL and built by volunteer contributors. It covers profiles, groups, activity streams and messaging.

What BuddyPress offers

• Member profiles — custom profile fields, visibility levels and account settings.
• User groups — members can create their own smaller communities.
• Activity streams — site-wide and per-member feeds.
• Friendships and messaging — connections between members and private conversations with several people.
• Notifications — email and on-site alerts.

Who it works with

Uses include a campus social network, an internal company tool, niche interest communities and product communities. It works with bbPress for forums, and unused components can be switched off.

Key facts

• Licence: GPL open source
• Platform: WordPress
• Extensions: hundreds of third-party components