It's been two months since this profile received a new review

Verified User in Online Media

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

9/12/2015

"Looks fresh but has some issues under the hood"

3/5

What do you like best about Higher Logic Vanilla?

It is one of the few fresh but already stable products on the market for online communities / forums and small, but seemingly stable company and developer community behind it. Offers many customization options and is easily extended by plugins.

The best part of Vanilla is its versatility. Extending Vanilla and catering to your specific needs can easily be done in a few hours of development work. This is equally benefitial to the open source as well as the SaaS solution. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Higher Logic Vanilla?

Vanilla has a rather mediocre performance. This is not a problem when going with the hosted SaaS product though.

It has a rather unsightly security history. Vanilla is not written with security in mind which is a problem for an open source product where vulnerabilities can be easily spotted browsing the codebase.

Also, I am a bit unsure about Vanillas capability to adapt to future demands and rejuvenate itself in the long-term future. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Recommendations to others considering Higher Logic Vanilla:

Either go with the SaaS solution (which was not flexible enough for us) or chose the self-hosted Vanilla and be prepared to have a developer at hand to adapt Vanilla to your needs.

If you chose Vanilla not as an appendage to an existing online presence but the main framework on which your online presence relies on be cautious of the aforementioned issues. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is Higher Logic Vanilla solving and how is that benefiting you?

Vanilla was chosen as the foundation for building a community and publishing platform promoting news, articles and services of interest for German and Chinese users.

Competiting products such as Drupal or Wordpress are not meant to cater to the specific needs of an online community with user contributions in the style of a forum.

Alternative forum solutions were either not flexible enough for us or outdated with a stale codebase or just in the first stages of development. Vanilla was the primary choice as the only flexible & stable modern and near-term furture proof forum software with an active company and developer community behind it Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Higher Logic Vanilla Reviews & Product Details

Higher Logic Vanilla is a customer community platform from Higher Logic, a global leader in engagement software headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. Backed by the largest community software organization—with 15+ years of experience and more than 3,000 customers worldwide—Vanilla delivers the scale, stability, and focus enterprise organizations expect, while remaining fully dedicated to driving stronger community outcomes. Vanilla brings together discussion forums, Q&A, knowledge base, ideation, gamification, and advanced moderation in one flexible platform. Organizations can manage multiple products, regions, or sub-communities within a single instance, with full control over branding and permissions. The platform integrates seamlessly across the tech stack, includes advanced analytics and dashboards, and supports workflow automation. Admin teams get intuitive no-code tools for everyday management, while developers can extend capabilities with APIs, theming, and a fully integrated development environment. Personalization, accessibility, SEO, and mobile responsiveness are built in from the start. Organizations use Vanilla to lower support costs, engage advocates, and capture product feedback. Peer-to-peer discussions and Q&A create a living knowledge base that deflects tickets. Gamification, reputation systems, and sentiment analysis surface customer champions who can drive advocacy and engagement. Structured ideation channels provide product teams with direct, actionable insights. Beyond technology, Vanilla offers program-level expertise with practitioner-led guidance, dedicated community success managers, and responsive technical support to help communities grow, scale, and deliver measurable business impact.

Product Website

Seller

Higher Logic

Discussions

Higher Logic Vanilla Community

Languages Supported

Arabic, Bulgarian, Czech, Welsh, Danish, German, Greek, English, Persian, Finnish, French, Scottish Gaelic, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Dutch, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Spanish, Serbian, Swedish, Tagalog, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, Vietnamese, Chinese (Simplified)

Overview by

Megan Langley

Value at a Glance

Averages based on real user reviews.

Time to Implement

2 months

View More Pricing Information

Higher Logic Vanilla Integrations

(12)

Verified by Higher Logic Vanilla

Higher Logic Vanilla Media

Higher Logic Vanilla Demo - Higher Logic Vanilla Community Management Dashboard

The Community Management Dashboard in Higher Logic Vanilla brings all moderation tools into one view. From a single screen, admins can review new posts, flag or pre-moderate content, and quickly triage unanswered questions. Built-in dashboards streamline reporting and escalation, with automation ...

Higher Logic Vanilla Demo - Higher Logic Vanilla Custom Widget Builder

Higher Logic Vanilla’s Widget Builder gives teams the flexibility to fully customize their community without workarounds or bottlenecks. Developers can use the built-in React + TypeScript editor with live preview, version control, and support for third-party APIs to create reusable, brand-aligned...

Higher Logic Vanilla Demo - Higher Logic Vanilla Analytics and Custom Dashboards

Vanilla’s analytics tools are designed specifically for community managers, delivering the insights you need without the complexity. Out of the box, you’ll have access to dashboards that track everything from engagement and search trends to traffic, ideation, Q&A, user activity, and knowledg...

Official Downloads

(3)

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Higher Logic Community RFP Template

Higher Logic Vanilla's Custom Widget Builder Overview

How to Measure and Make Sense of Your Online Community’s Performance

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Verified User in Human Resources

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

11/18/2025

"Great System!"

4/5

What do you like best about Higher Logic Vanilla?

I thoroughly enjoyed the product implementation process. The team was extremely helpful and ensured that we were well prepared for success. From a front-end perspective, the platform is very user-friendly. I appreciate the automation rules and the ability to truly customize the experience for various users and across different discussion categories. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Higher Logic Vanilla?

I would like to see improvements in how the homepage can be customized. While HTML is supported, you are still limited by the widget structure that is provided. Additionally, I find the analytics section could be more user-friendly and easier to navigate. I also feel that the CSMs could take a more strategic approach in partnering with users to help maximize the value of the system and demonstrate its ROI. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Response from bleehe@higherlogic.com Leehe of Higher Logic Vanilla

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Hi there, and thank you for sharing your feedback! We're so glad to hear your implementation experience was smooth and that the platform’s usability and customization options are supporting your community goals. We also appreciate your insights on homepage flexibility, analytics usability, and strategic CSM partnership, these areas are important, and feedback like yours helps guide our improvements. If you'd like, please reach out to Georgina Donahue if you are willing to share some more technical feedback, and she'd be happy to help you - her email is: gdonahue@higherlogic.com. We're grateful that Higher Logic Vanilla is helping your clients connect, learn, and get more value from your product.

Verified User in Manufacturing

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

6/12/2025

"Great community tool, Terrible knowledge base"

3.5/5

What do you like best about Higher Logic Vanilla?

The community functions really well. Gamification and moderation is easy and it was easy to set up. The customer support is always responsive and happy to solve what I'm dealing with unless it requires engineering - then it takes a long time to fix depending on the bug. When we were building our community I was in it constantly, but now that we're established the maintenance is light. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Higher Logic Vanilla?

The knowledge base is terribly buggy and has been for year now with little improvement. It's not their primary focus and you can tell.

The search is also not very friendly and works pretty poorly for our users. I would swap it with a home grown solution or a Grazitti built search if I had the budget. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is Higher Logic Vanilla solving and how is that benefiting you?

We needed a community forum for our users to ask questions and get answers from each other to foster self-service. We also needed a knowledge base that could foster self-service as well for our product. The knowledge base has been most helpful because our users don't want to engage in the forums, but technically it's the poorer built feature. I wish our users wanted to engage in the forums because there are so many features and tools that we just don't use that would make it really powerful if we had an active community. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Response from bleehe@higherlogic.com Leehe of Higher Logic Vanilla

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Thank you for sharing such thoughtful feedback, we’re glad to hear your community setup went smoothly, that moderation and gamification have been easy to manage, and that our support team has been helpful along the way. We also appreciate your candid insights about the knowledge base and search experience; improving these areas is a priority, and feedback like yours helps us continue to refine the product. We're grateful that Vanilla is supporting your self-service goals, even as we work to enhance the features that matter most to you and your users. Thank you again for your honesty and for being a valued partner.

Verified User in Computer Software

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

9/9/2025

"High Logic Vanilla has been a great way for our customers to connect."

5/5

What do you like best about Higher Logic Vanilla?

It is easy for our customers to engage with. Setup is straightforward and supported throughout the process by their team. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Higher Logic Vanilla?

Nothing that I don't like, the platform is easy to use and great for our customers. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Response from bleehe@higherlogic.com Leehe of Higher Logic Vanilla

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Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback, we’re so glad to hear that Higher Logic Vanilla has made it easy for your customers to connect, share ideas, and build stronger relationships. It’s great to know the setup process felt smooth and well-supported by our team. We truly appreciate your positive comments about the platform’s usability and the value it brings to your community. Thanks again for being a valued partner!

Vidya Raman S.

Technical Writing Specialist

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

7/30/2024

"Comprehensive Community Hosting Solution with a Solid Backend"

3.5/5

What do you like best about Higher Logic Vanilla?

Vanilla offers a wide range of out-of-the-box configuration options that can be easily set up by non-technical users. It also integrates seamlessly with various popular CRM applications. The Customer Support team is excellent and responds quickly to inquiries. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Higher Logic Vanilla?

The main drawback is the limited theming and CSS options, particularly for the Knowledge component. Significant customization and development effort are required to enhance the site's visual appeal. Additionally, the editor is missing basic formatting features, such as inserting tables and resizing images. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is Higher Logic Vanilla solving and how is that benefiting you?

Higher Logic Vanilla addresses the need for customer self-service and engagement by providing a centralized platform where users can access information, seek support, and connect with others. This platform empowers customers to find answers on their own through forums, FAQs, and knowledge bases, which reduces the workload on customer support teams. Additionally, it promotes customer engagement by facilitating discussions and community interactions Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Maureen R.

Customer Marketing Manager

Computer Software

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

10/8/2024

"An easy-to-use community platform with just enough bells and whistles that can grow"

4.5/5

What do you like best about Higher Logic Vanilla?

The platform was easy to navigate, with good out of the box reporting that integrated with ChurnZero (our customer success platform) out of the box. I was able to build a beautiful community without taking too much training. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Higher Logic Vanilla?

It's definitely not the most robust community platform on the market, but it has just what we need for a team who is managing community in addition to other jobs. I wish there was more out of the box customization options when it comes to design and more of a 'news feed' approach to discussions where people can like and comment on posts without having to go TO the post beforehand. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Oliver l.

Aspiring Software Engineer

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

12/2/2024

"Great tool as the community platform to connect clients"

3.5/5

What do you like best about Higher Logic Vanilla?

The feature of discussions and Q&As is very helpful. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Higher Logic Vanilla?

Get the quicker speed on feature rolling out. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Tommy M.

CEO

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

12/6/2022

"Horrific experience with product and team"

0.5/5

What do you like best about Higher Logic Vanilla?

Vanilla Forums billed itself as an all-in-one community and content marketing platform. That is what I wanted, but unfortunately, their promises were false. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Higher Logic Vanilla?

Vanilla Forums has zero functionality out of the box. You need hours upon hours of developer time to set up an instance and can't get ahold of anyone on the customer success or service team. Not to mention, they have no communication to customers, no billing system, and just automated invoices that all go to spam. They will put you into collections as a business if you miss a payment without warning. To repeat - they will put you into collections without warning. Definitely stay away from this service for any SaaS products. Once more for the folks in the back, they will put you into collections without warning. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Verified User in Financial Services

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

4/11/2023

"Great platform for Communities in Associations."

5/5

What do you like best about Higher Logic Vanilla?

Higher Logic is a great way to share ideas and to have engagement. We have used the Higher Logic Online Community which provides discussion boards for members to engage. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Higher Logic Vanilla?

I wish Higher Logic has a Google drive concept where members can update in real time. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Verified User in Consumer Electronics

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

8/23/2022

"Strong customer support platform with excellent customer support"

4.5/5

What do you like best about Higher Logic Vanilla?

Vanilla's support is incredibly helpful - they know the product well, are honest about the status of bugs/issues/feature requests, and their response rate is very impressive! They also have a good integration with Zapier and are continuing to add more (as well as other features requested by users) Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Higher Logic Vanilla?

Each community platform has its strengths and weaknesses. Vanilla could benefit from having some more email tools to encourage community engagement/adoption (ex. regular newsletter, ability to add we miss you emails, more welcome emails, etc.). It would also be helpful if they had more of a WYSYWIG editor and ability to change pages without CSS/JS required. I would also love to see a more robust events system. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Verified User in Computer Software

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

8/23/2022

Business partner of the seller or seller's competitor, not included in G2 scores.

"Reliable forum software with the tools you need to grow your community"

4.5/5

What do you like best about Higher Logic Vanilla?

The ability to create categories and groups - the structure of how you can create them is very versatile which will meet many different use cases. It is also easy for the end user to understand how the structure is set up and find what they are looking for and how to participate. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Higher Logic Vanilla?

There is not a built in digest functionality - where you can send a recap of the posts from the prior day. This would be helpful in getting users to come back to community and engage them in discussions - I hope this is something they add in the future as it impacts community engagement greatly! Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.