Hey Zack, glad you have come by here!
Hey you can start out with the JR entry level hosting server plan (your server managed FOR you by the JR Team) at $49/month. That I believe includes ALL modules you need to do all the same stuff and way MORE than a ning network. I suggest getting the Ning Bundle and Site Builder bundle installed to start out with. (that's all included free if you get the JR hosting plan, right Paul?)
Then one thing you will need that JR has not built yet is a chat feature. I bought a higher priced version of CC because I wanted the mobile apps in it, but there are cheaper versions:
https://www.cometchat.com/buy Note that you will be buying cometchat as a ONE TIME purchase...not monthly. You will not be using their monthly 'network/ning' style chat, since it will be on your OWN site, on your server, not piggybacked onto the Ning platform. You will then own the chat software outright and you can choose to update it occasionally (at a price) from CC.
If you choose JR hosting, you will get all the current and future Jamroom-created modules for free.
https://www.jamroom.net/hosting
So I bought my chat and it works great (that was actually my biggest cash outlay-!), I'm paying a very reasonable monthly fee to JR for their hosting, backup, all JR modules, and awesome support service (right now the whole shebang is around the same monthly price for me as my Ning network is costing me), and NO other hidden costs or purchases or additional 3rd party apps really needed. Unless I wanted something in particular that Jamroom doesn't offer...but they do offer a large array of module features that are free to you with their JR hosting plan.
Hope this clarifies a couple things for you.
--
...just another satisfied Jamroom customer.
Migrated from Ning to Jamroom June 2015
updated by @strumelia: 04/13/15 07:13:44AM