Membership & community plugin with user profiles, registration & login, member directories, content re...
Free
200k+ installs 4.4★ (1,444)
Commons In A Box
A platform for easy and powerful community websites. Powered by BuddyPress.
The facts
- Rating
- 5★ from 9
- Active installs
- 20+
- Price
- Free
- Last updated
- 16 Jul 2026
- Added
- Nov 2012
- Requires WP
- 4.9.8
- Tested up to
- WP 7.0.4
- Downloads
- 38,797
Our analysis
AI-assistedCommons In A Box (CBOX) is a WordPress plugin designed to simplify the creation of community sites. It facilitates the installation of BuddyPress and includes a selection of compatible plugins, making it easier for users to set up and manage their community platforms.
CBOX offers two main packages: CBOX Classic for general community use and CBOX OpenLab for educational purposes. Both packages come with a user-friendly setup process and responsive design, ensuring accessibility across various devices.
Best for: This plugin is suitable for educators, community organisers, and anyone looking to create a social networking site on WordPress.
What it does well
- ✓Free to use from the WordPress.org directory
- ✓Includes a choice of two customizable packages
- ✓Intuitive setup process for site administrators
- ✓Ensured compatibility with a core set of plugins
- ✓Responsive design for use on tablets and smartphones
Where it falls short
- •Limited information on specific features and additional plugins
- •No details on user support options
Verdict
Commons In A Box provides a straightforward solution for building community sites, particularly in educational settings. Its focus on compatibility and ease of use makes it a practical choice for users with varying technical skills.
From the developer
Boone Gorges's own description of Commons In A Box, lightly tidied.
Commons In A Box (CBOX) dramatically lowers the barrier to building community sites on WordPress. CBOX helps you to install BuddyPress along with a number of carefully selected and vetted BuddyPress plugins, so that you don’t have to worry about which plugins are best and which are compatible with each other.
Commons In A Box (CBOX) includes a choice of two packages that can be customized to meet the needs of your community:
CBOX Classic is designed for communities of all kinds. It is used by groups and organizations to create flexible social networks where members can collaborate on projects, publish research, and create repositories of knowledge.
CBOX OpenLab is specifically designed for teaching, learning, and collaboration. It allows faculty members, departments, and entire institutions to create commons spaces for open learning.
Both packages feature:
– Robust out-of-the-box functionality;
– An intuitive setup process that guides site administrators through installation and customization;
– Responsive design for easy use on many devices, including tablets and smartphones;
– Ensured compatibility with a core set of plugins – when it’s time to update, you simply update CBOX and we take care of the rest;
– Compatibility with many additional WordPress and BuddyPress plugins and themes.
Visit commonsinabox.org for support and documentation.
Credits
Commons In A Box is a generalized, distributable version of the platform powering the CUNY Academic Commons. CBOX OpenLab is modeled on the OpenLab at City Tech.
Commons In A Box is developed by a team based at The Graduate Center, CUNY. It was originally made possible by a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. CBOX OpenLab, a collaboration with New York City College of Technology, was created with funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities’ Office of Digital Humanities. CBOX receives continuing support from the City University of New York and The Graduate Center, CUNY.
Tagged as
industry
Community & Forum
purpose
Forums & Community
platform
BuddyPress & BuddyBoss
feature
Fully Responsive
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