---
title: What is TrueCommunity?
description: A quick tour of what TrueCommunity does and what you get in the free and Pro versions.
url: "https://truecommunitypro.com/docs/what-is-truecommunity/"
updated: "2026-10-09"
category: Getting Started
---

# What is TrueCommunity?

TrueCommunity turns your WordPress website into a private social network. Your members post updates, join groups, send private messages and take online courses — all on your own website, with the WordPress accounts they already have.

You do not need any other platform. Everything is stored in your own WordPress database.

[![The TrueCommunity activity feed](https://truecommunitypro.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/tc-feed.webp)](https://truecommunitypro.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/tc-feed.webp)
The TrueCommunity activity feed

## What you can build

- A **membership community** where members talk and help each other
- A **course community** where students learn and discuss in one place
- A **customer or support community** for your brand
- A **club, school or team space** with its own groups

## The main parts

| Part | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| **Stories (feed)** | Members share posts with text, photos, videos, files and polls. Others like, react and comment. |
| **Members** | A member directory, profiles, friend requests and blocking. |
| **Groups** | Smaller spaces inside your community. Each group has its own feed and members. |
| **Courses** | Build courses with sections, lessons and quizzes. Students track their progress. |
| **Messages** | Private one-to-one chats with file sharing. |
| **Notifications** | In-app alerts and emails when something happens. |

## Free and Pro

TrueCommunity is free on WordPress.org. **TrueCommunity Pro** is an add-on that sits on top of the free plugin and adds more power to courses, plus a full gamification system.

| Feature | Free | Pro |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Activity feed, polls, reactions, comments | ✓ | ✓ |
| Member profiles, friends and blocking | ✓ | ✓ |
| Public, private and locked groups | ✓ | ✓ |
| Private messages | ✓ | ✓ |
| Notifications and branded emails | ✓ | ✓ |
| Courses, lessons and quizzes (7 question types) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Course settings: order, prerequisites, seat limit, open dates, access expiry | – | ✓ |
| Topics inside lessons | – | ✓ |
| Lesson rules: drip release, timer, required video, file upload, live classes and attendance | – | ✓ |
| Assignments with approval and feedback | – | ✓ |
| Challenge exam ("test out" of a course) | – | ✓ |
| Sell courses with WooCommerce or Easy Digital Downloads | – | ✓ |
| Reset a student's course progress | – | ✓ |
| Gamification: points, ranks, badges, challenges and leaderboard | – | ✓ |

In this documentation, anything that needs Pro is marked with a PRO badge.

**Good to know:** TrueCommunity Pro does not replace the free plugin. You keep the free plugin installed and active, and add Pro next to it.