
The creators and brands who spent a decade renting attention on other people's feeds are now buying software to build private homes instead. Skool, Patreon, Podia and a stack of quieter forum companies are all fighting to be the front door.

Private equity spent a decade buying up the software that runs your professional association. Personify, Higher Logic, Glue Up and a bootstrapped upstart called GroupApp show what is left of the market - and who owns it now.

Kajabi, Discourse, Disciple and a pack of rivals are selling creators and brands the same promise - leave the algorithm behind and own the people who show up. Here is who is actually fighting for the private community, and what they are betting on.