Skool is a community platform for coaches, creators and course sellers who want members, courses, videos and live calls in one place. What decides your plan, as of Oct 2026, is the transaction fee: Hobby costs 9 dollars a month with a 10 percent fee, and Pro costs 99 dollars a month with a 2.9 percent fee.
I read Skool's own pricing page and its about page, and choosing a plan turns out to be simpler than most people expect. The two plans list exactly the same features, so there's only one sum you need to do, and I'll walk you through it.
Skool's Hobby and Pro plans, line by line
| Plan | Price | What's included | The limit that bites |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hobby | 9 dollars a month, monthly view | Unlimited members, courses, videos and live calls, a custom URL, affiliates | A 10 percent transaction fee on what members pay you |
| Pro | 99 dollars a month, monthly view | The same list: unlimited members, courses, videos and live calls, a custom URL, affiliates | A 2.9 percent transaction fee, with a higher monthly bill |
Prices as listed on Skool's pricing page, monthly view, as of Oct 2026, check the vendor's page before you buy. The page names no currency, and its yearly toggle says 2 months free without showing the yearly prices.
Where the 10 percent fee stops making sense
Here's the part that surprised me. Hobby and Pro carry an identical feature list on Skool's pricing page: unlimited members, unlimited courses, unlimited videos, unlimited live calls, a custom URL and affiliates. Nothing is held back for the higher plan. What changes is the transaction fee, which is 10 percent on Hobby and 2.9 percent on Pro.
So the question isn't which features you need. It's how much money passes through your community each month. Worked from the page's own rates, the 90-dollar monthly gap between the plans divided by the 7.1-point gap in fees comes to about 1,268 dollars of member payments a month. Below that, Hobby costs you less overall. Above it, Pro does.
That sum only uses the two numbers on the page. Skool's pricing page doesn't list card-processing fees, so leave some room for them when you work out your own position.
A quick way to picture it: if a small paid community brings in a few hundred dollars a month, the 10 percent fee stays smaller than the extra you'd pay for Pro. Once you're comfortably past that break-even line, Pro starts paying for itself, and every sale after that keeps more in your pocket.
Getting the most from the 14-day trial
The page's description line says you can get started at 9 dollars a month with a 14-day free trial, and both plan cards carry a try for free button. There's no free plan, so the trial is your one chance to look around before paying. Here's how I'd use it:
- Set up the community itself first, with a name, a custom URL and a short welcome post.
- Add one course or a handful of videos, so you can see how members will find their way around.
- Book a live call for your first few members to test the events side.
- Decide whether you'll charge a monthly membership or a one-time course price, because that shapes how fast you'll reach the break-even line.
What Skool does for a community owner
Skool's about page describes it as a community platform where you can discover communities or create your own, and some are free while others are paid. If you're building one, you can run a community, courses and events in the same place, and charge either subscription memberships or one-time course purchases. Skool says it's all-in-one, so you don't need to integrate other tools for it to work, and it claims you can set it up in less than 30 minutes. Both plans give you a custom URL and an affiliates feature, and there's no cap on members, courses, videos or live calls on either.
If you're still deciding what to sell inside a community, I've put together a list of digital products a solopreneur can sell, and if courses are the main event, it's worth reading this guide to online course platforms before you commit.
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Who Skool suits, and who should look elsewhere
It's a good match for:
- Coaches and course sellers starting small, since Hobby keeps the monthly bill at 9 dollars while income is low.
- Anyone who wants members, courses, videos and live calls in one place without plugging in extra tools.
- Community owners who want to charge a subscription or sell a course from the same space.
I'd skip it if:
- You want a free plan. Skool's pricing page lists none, only a 14-day free trial.
- Your member payments already run well past about 1,268 dollars a month and you'd stay on Hobby, because the 10 percent fee would then cost you more than Pro.
- You need a full email or funnel toolkit. Skool's pages don't mention either.
Skool verdict: do the sum before you pick a plan
I like how simple Skool's pricing is, because it means you can't stay on the wrong plan for long. Start on Hobby while you're building, since the trial and the 9-dollar entry plan keep the risk low, and you won't lose a single feature by doing so. Keep an eye on what members pay you each month, and switch to Pro once you're regularly past that break-even line of about 1,268 dollars. If you want a free plan, or you need email sequences and funnels built in, it's not the tool for you. Please can you check Skool's pricing page yourself before you sign up, as plans change.
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Frequently asked questions
Is there a free Skool plan?
No. Skool's pricing page lists two paid plans, Hobby and Pro. It mentions a 14-day free trial, and both plan cards carry a try for free button.
What's the difference between Skool Hobby and Pro?
Only the transaction fee, as of Oct 2026. Both list unlimited members, courses, videos and live calls, a custom URL and affiliates. Hobby is 9 dollars a month with a 10 percent fee, and Pro is 99 dollars a month with a 2.9 percent fee.
When does Skool Pro cost less than Hobby?
Worked from the page's own rates, at about 1,268 dollars of member payments a month. Below that Hobby costs less overall, and above it Pro does. That sum leaves out card-processing fees, which the page doesn't list.
Does Skool offer yearly billing?
Yes. The pricing page has a yearly toggle marked 2 months free, but the page text doesn't show the yearly prices, so check them on Skool's site before you switch.
