Feending vs Circle: the alternative for associations and universities

Feending is the best Circle alternative if you run the community of an organization, such as an association, a university or a business club. Circle defines itself as a platform for digital businesses such as coaching, education and creators; Feending is a private, one-of-a-kind platform whose AI suggests who each member should meet and why.

Feending wrote this article, so read it with that in mind. What we say about Circle comes from its own website.

Picture a new member logging in to their association's platform with a clear goal: finding a supplier they can trust. They see a long directory, have no idea who to write to and close the tab. The membership fee is still paid, but they have started to wonder what it pays for. If that sounds familiar, your problem has little in common with selling a course.

What is the difference between Feending and Circle?

The main difference between Feending and Circle is the kind of community each one presents itself for: Feending for an organization's community, Circle for a digital business.

In a digital business, value flows from the creator to the customers. In an association, an alumni network or a business club, value sits between the members themselves: whether they meet decides whether they renew, whether the graduate comes back and whether the company stays in the club. We go deeper in from audience to community.

Feending works for the community manager and for the member. It brings the member database, chat, email, news wall, events, resources, dues and memberships, sponsorships, marketplace and jobs into one place.

What is the best Circle alternative for an association or a university?

Feending is the Circle alternative for associations and universities because more than 70 communities in 7 countries have come through its platform, from universities to business clubs.

1/ The association that has to prove the fee is worth paying. When the board asks what members get in return, a newsletter is a weak answer and a useful connection is a strong one. In Feending, dues and memberships live alongside events and connections. Fundación Lo Que De Verdad Importa achieved 42% more sign-ups and better management of events and mentoring, as the LQDVI case study shows.

2/ The university with data all over the place. Each faculty keeps its own list, and reaching the right graduating class can take days. UCAM Alumni made its segmentation 5 times faster with Feending: the details are in the UCAM case study.

3/ The business club living in Excel. Levante UD's Business Club, with around 400 companies, used to run that way. With Feending it centralized management, automated processes and keeps better control of events and attendees, as the Levante UD case study explains.

4/ The community scattered across channels. Impact Social Cup moved from WhatsApp, email and loose tools to a single platform.

Which AI connects members better, Feending's or Circle's?

Feending's AI connects members by goal, because it builds a profile of each one and suggests who to meet across five dynamics: networking, mentoring, sales, investment and hiring.

Inside one community, a recent graduate wants guidance, a startup is looking for investment, one company wants to sell to another in the club and a third needs to hire. Those are five different conversations, and suggesting "people like you" settles none of them. Knowing why two people should meet is the heart of Feending, and it changes the first message: the sender knows what to ask, and the recipient understands why they are being contacted. The team also stops making every introduction by hand. We explain the logic in how smart networking works.

Circle also has member recommendations: Connect suggests people based on tags, shared engagement and connections, and its site does not detail goals such as mentoring, sales, investment or hiring.

Can I have a platform with my own brand in Feending?

Yes: Feending always includes your brand, your domain and your web app, on a private, one-of-a-kind platform where your members see your organization and nobody else.

For a university or a professional body, that matters: graduates log in to their university, not to yet another tool. The platform is 100% personalised: Feending HUB, Feending for alumni and Feending Business are not three products but three starting points on the same base, and what gets delivered is unique each time. If you need something that does not exist, it is custom-built and quoted separately. An app in the App Store and Google Play under your brand is available as an option.

At Circle, the custom branded app and the dedicated team are reserved for its top plan.

Who helps me grow the community in Feending?

Feending always includes one hour of consulting a month with its team, and does not hold it back for a higher plan: you talk to people, not bots.

A two-person team running the community alongside other jobs needs someone who has seen the same bottleneck before: why nobody signs up for events, which dynamic to switch on first. That experience is organized in the Feending Method, a cycle of five blocks: Ideation, Communication, Engagement, Monetisation and Analysis.

From the first conversation to a working community takes one or two weeks; technically, from 24 hours if you arrive with everything defined and no custom development. The team helps you invite your members, and maintenance, updates, continuous improvements, support and daily backups are included at no extra cost.

How should you compare Feending and Circle in a demo?

The fastest way to compare Feending and Circle is to bring situations from your own community to each demo instead of a feature list. Ask both the same three questions.

1/ One specific member. Describe someone in your community and ask who the platform would suggest they meet, and why.

2/ Your board. Ask what you will be able to show six months from now to prove the community delivers value.

3/ The thing that does not fit. Describe something specific to your organization and ask what happens if the platform does not have it.

Who is Feending best for, and who is Circle best for?

Feending is best if you lead the community of an association, a university, a hub, a foundation or a company, and you want your members to meet with a purpose and a team alongside you every month.

Circle fits better if your business is selling courses, memberships or newsletters to your audience. That is the model its platform presents itself for.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best Circle alternatives?

It depends on your community. For an organization, Feending; for an alumni network, also compare it with PeopleGrove, Almabase and Graduway, and see our Hivebrite alternatives. If you come from the creator world, read Feending vs Mighty Networks.

Does Circle have AI to connect members?

Yes, Circle has Connect, which recommends members based on tags, shared engagement and connections. Feending's AI suggests who each member should meet across five goals, from mentoring to hiring.

Which is better, Circle or Feending?

For an organization's community, Feending, because its core is members meeting with a purpose, and it adds a monthly hour of consulting.

How much does Feending cost?

Feending starts at €300 + VAT a month, with a 12-month commitment. The price depends on the size of your community and what you switch on, and it includes everything above; see pricing for details.

See Feending with your community in mind

If your community belongs to an organization and you want every member to know who to meet and why, bring us your own cases. Request a free demo.