Explore the 8 best LinkedIn alternatives for professional networking in 2025, featuring top platforms to build professional connections, find career opportunities, and grow your network.
For professionals looking to progress beyond LinkedIn, there are other platforms out there that provide narrower and more appealing opportunities to network for literally every imaginable need or industry.
Why Look Beyond LinkedIn?
LinkedIn is also the biggest professional network in the world, with over 1.2 billion users spread across 200 countries. One of its growth moments was when a number of users moved away from X (formerly Twitter), aiming to preserve their networks and audience.
However, LinkedIn’s news feeds have become increasingly crowded with AI-generated content and heavy self-promotion. Algorithm changes now favor ads and sponsored posts, making it harder to see valuable content from your desired contacts.
Luckily, there are other platforms where professionals can engage in meaningful interactions with peers and industry.
Event-Based Networking Platforms
1. Meetup
Meetup has more than 52 million users and is a great way to meet people through common interests. It introduces you to local like-minded groups and facilitates remarkable personal networking.
You can choose or create events from AI workshops to entrepreneurial gatherings and form real connections with others.
2. Eventbrite Communities
Eventbrite has almost 4.7 million events held yearly in 180 countries, which primarily include professional conferences and festivals.
It would be wise to consider virtual (or in-person) networking where you can comfortably network with colleagues, discuss projects and ideas, and grow your network.
Community and Group-Centric Platforms
3. Discord
Beyond gaming (around 90% users play games), Discord has around 200 million monthly active users, including professionals who have used the service for real-time collaboration.
Its server-based organization allows you to engage with users in voice, video and text channels specific to your niche, creating genuine, interactive connections not often found on traditional job sites.
4. Slack Communities
Best known as a work messaging platform, Slack also allows communities to form around specialized professions. (Groups such as Measure and LocallyOptimistic are geared to data experts, with discussions that are focused.)
But Slack’s work-related notifications are often distracting, making it more appealing for professionals who can handle frequent alerts.
5. Facebook Groups
Although it’s more of a personal network, Facebook is home to a vast array of professional groups. Facebook can be a more casual yet effective alternative to LinkedIn, especially through its Groups feature, which continues to be widely used for professional networking.
Simply enter relevant keywords for your field or interests in the Facebook search bar, select “Groups,” and filter the results by location to find active, niche communities.
With 3 billion monthly active users, its groups often serve as hubs for expert advice, freelance opportunities, and industry networking in a more informal environment than LinkedIn.
Open and Social Networking Platforms
6. Reddit
Reddit is an influential niche professional networking source where you can find thousands of active communities (subreddits) such as r/PPC and r/SEO.
These groups are all free to join, and create an opportunity for you to share expertise, establish a brand presence, contacts job opportunities within the dedicated classified subreddits like r/RemoteJobs or r/forhire.
7. X (formerly Twitter) Threads
X (formerly Twitter) is still a vibrant public forum where thought-leaders come together to share ideas and participate in live conversations.
It offers customers a free ai assistant, Grok to provide input on topics that are performing well which is useful for marketers and SEOs. Hashtag communities like #SEOChat bring about thoughtful communication that can result in career expansion.
Startup and Career-Focused Networking
8. AngelList
Especially made for start-up lovers and techies, AngelList helps you find your right partner among 13000+ active startups.
This allows for focused profiling, job applications and engaging directly with founders, making the networking here a more focused version of LinkedIn for people in entrepreneurship and tech.
Final Thoughts
LinkedIn may reign supreme when it comes to professional networking, but these eight alternatives offer a more community-focused approach to establishing connections around business interests and industries. Through casual meetups and social platforms to more event-focused meetups, people in the profession can find something that suits their personal style and goals. The trick is to meet peers where you are, demonstrate your expertise and establish real relationships that will help you advance in your career.
