I was more than a bit perturbed when they said that they were eliminating the free groups. However the announcement today of the options for the future means it looks like I won't have to find a new provider just yet
Ning are now offering a new option called Ning Mini which basically allows for pretty much the same service as before - minus events and groups - for $19.95 pa in the first year or $2.95 per month.
So right now it doesn't look like I need to move sites in the next three months - but I still have to read the small print!
| Ning Mini The simplest and fastest way to set up a social network for your classroom, community group, small nonprofit or family | Ning Plus The tools and features you need to build and grow a branded social network with high engagement – an incredible value at a great price | Ning Pro The ideal solution for building a comprehensive social experience, including additional features, integration, support and bandwidth |
|---|---|---|
$2.95/month or $19.95/year* (save 44%) | $19.95/month or $199.95/year* (save 16%) | $49.95/month or $499.95/year* (save 17%) |
| Up to 150 members | Unlimited members | Unlimited members |
| | Full control over your branding and member experience | Full control over your branding and member experience |
| Features include blogs, photos, forum and video embeds | Full feature set including events, groups, chat, pages and Ning Apps | Full feature set plus video and music uploads and branded players |
| Simple customization options | Advanced customization options including CSS, Javascript and the Language Editor | Advanced customization options, plus the API access upgrade when launched |
| Includes run your own ads | Includes run your own ads, use your own domain and remove Ning links | Includes run your own ads, use your own domain, remove Ning links and add storage and bandwidth |
| Community-based support | Help Center support | Premium support |
* One-time annual pricing
For full comparison of the three plans, click here.
It seems that big Nings will come under pressure.
ReplyDeleteI have no experience with Yahoo Groups. Would a move to yahoo be a free option ?
I do not see the justification for those high prices. As far as I know professional forum software is available at the price or even less than those yearly fees charged by NING for the plus and pro versions.
Personally speaking I detest Yahoo Groups webware as it is just so old fashioned and clumsy.
ReplyDeleteI've not had much experience with Ning, Katherine, but I think I'm glad I didn't invest a lot of time into investigating it. So far, Blogger's working for me, for groups and for sharing, though I do still own several Yahoo groups (hey, I'm a dinosaur!) Sorry you're having a Ning problem--seems like nothing stays free for long. You use Blogger better than anyone I know--I'm curious as to why anything else seems necessary.
ReplyDeleteNing is great for discussion groups for people interested in the same subject matter. It works miles better than Yahoo - mainly because you can add in the image to the discussion thread.
ReplyDeleteI tried Google Wave and was SO not impressed (turns out it doesn't like Windows 7, or didn't anyway)--I guess once burned, twice shy! Wave about drove me crazy, trying to get it to do what it said it would...
ReplyDeleteI have a Ning website too and was upset that they are going to charge But I think I can afford the 420 a year plan It offers a great looking site and my members seem happy I also like the idea of putting in my own ads However I always found they ads they ran had appropriate content and value and often were a great resource for me
ReplyDeleteSeriously - you're going to fork out for the Pro account? That's a total rip off unless you have a very large commercial site.
ReplyDeleteOr did you mean the $20 a year plan - in which case I agree! :)