Build it, rent a forum, or launch yours
An honest look at the three ways to get your own social network. We don’t name or score anyone else — check any vendor’s current offer yourself.
Comparison
| Question | Social Tycoonwhite-label, six app types | Build in-houseyour own team | Generic community toolhosted forums and groups, in general |
|---|---|---|---|
| Branded web app live | Day 1, typically | When the team has built it | Quickly, within the vendor’s branding options |
| Native iOS and Android apps in your name | Included — built and published in the setup | Two more codebases to build, ship and maintain | Varies by vendor; often web-first or a shared vendor app |
| Looks like a network members know | Six complete app types — choose one at setup | One design you build and iterate | Usually one forum- or feed-style layout |
| Advertising | Your type’s ad manager, auction, billing and review | A product of its own to build | Rarely built in |
| Payments | Stripe memberships, tips, tokens and ad funds | You integrate and maintain them | Varies by vendor and plan |
| Your revenue | Fees you set on every token payment, ads you sell, plans members buy — all paid to you | Whatever you build | Varies by vendor and plan |
| Admin, moderation and roles | Included, in your type’s words | You build them | Included, in the vendor’s shape |
| Languages | English and Romanian; more by catalog file | You build localization | Varies by vendor |
| Who carries the costs | €999 setup + €10 per 1,000 DAU (min €100/mo) | Salaries, hosting, store accounts, time | Plans per seat, per member or per tier |
| Updates | Included for every network | Your roadmap, your team | The vendor’s roadmap |
| Your brand on everything | Your name, domain and app listings | Yes | Depends on the plan |
“Generic community tool” describes the category, not a product. Plans and features vary by vendor.
Bill of materials
What “build it yourself” means
Everything below is already in Social Tycoon. In-house, each line is a project.
A familiar front end
A Facebook-, Twitter-, Instagram-, TikTok-, LinkedIn- or YouTube-style experience with its own layout and words.
A shared core
Visibility rules, counters, notifications, moderation and limits that every client agrees on.
Two native apps
SwiftUI and Kotlin/Compose apps, plus store submissions and reviews.
An admin console
Members, content, moderation, roles and an audit log.
An ads business
Ad managers, auction, pacing, budgets, billing, lead forms and a review queue.
Payments
Checkout, subscriptions, refunds, disputes and webhooks that never double-count.
Localization
Plural rules, dates, money formats and a voice per network.
Tests across clients
Proof that web, Android and iOS agree, in every language.
Ownership
Your members, your rules, your revenue
You’re the controller of your members’ data; we process it for you under the Data Processing Agreement. Memberships, tips, tokens and ads are paid into your own Stripe account, and the fees you set are yours.
Ready to launch?
Your brand. Your community. Your social empire.
Pick your app, add your brand and go live in about two weeks. Test all six types before you choose.