Ning is a no-code builder for branded social networks and communities. Plans from $12.50/month on annual billing, with a 14-day free trial.
Researched and fact-checked by Bartu Cavusoglu · Updated October 26, 2026
Ning is a hosted platform for building a custom social network or community website. Owners create a network on a .ning.com address and choose a topic such as sport, education, music, charity, gaming or dating, then shape the site around their members.
The company says it began in 2004 in California and now reports 21 thousand customers and 44 million registered social profiles. It positions the product for political, music, religious, arts and charitable communities, among others.
Setup starts with an account, a network topic and a network URL of at least four characters. From there, the drag-and-drop builder lets owners lay out the site without writing code.
Owners then invite members, create groups and schedule events. Visitors can sign up with Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or Google, and content from other social media and RSS feeds can be pulled into the activity feed. Those who want more control can customize the design with HTML and CSS.
Content tools include blogs and articles, forums, groups, polls, events, audio, video and photos. Video can be uploaded or integrated with YouTube and Vimeo. Owners can send broadcast messages to a whole group or private messages to individual members.
Business tools include analytics for visitors, activity and conversions, MailChimp email automation and an e-commerce platform. The site also lists SEO tools, social sharing, a follow option for notifications, SSL certification, custom domain mapping and a Help Center.
Ning is a hosted platform for creating a custom social network or community website. It offers a drag-and-drop builder, groups, forums, blogs, events, media sharing, analytics and an e-commerce module.
Ning plans start at $12.50 per month for Starter, based on annual billing. Basic is $27.95, Performance is $54.95 and Ultimate is $107.95 per month on annual billing. Plans scale by member limit and storage.
Yes. All plans include a 14-day free trial, and you can cancel during that time and pay nothing. Billing information is requested up front to reduce fraud and prevent service interruption.
No. The drag-and-drop network builder is designed for people who do not code. Owners who want deeper design control can customize with HTML and CSS.
Ning lists social sign-in with Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google, video integration with YouTube and Vimeo, MailChimp email automation, and RSS feeds. The pricing page also lists Google Analytics tools and API access.
Ning suits creators, educators, nonprofits, clubs and small organizations that want their own branded community. Its plans range from 10 to 100 000 members.
Ning includes an e-commerce module for selling products, posting ads and converting visitors. The company also says a Paid Access option lets network creators earn from their content.
Yes. Ning states that plans can be changed at any time, and the billing and refund policy gives further details.