Skool suits creators who want a simple, ready-made community with courses and a low entry price, and don't need to customise much. Circle suits businesses that want a branded community with a website, automations and their own apps. As of October 2026, Skool starts at $9 a month with a 10% + 30 cents fee on member payments, and Circle starts at $89 a month billed yearly with a 2% transaction fee.
Both platforms host paid communities and courses, but they're built on different ideas. Skool keeps everything simple and the same for every group. Circle gives you far more control over how your community looks and works. I read Skool's pricing page, its Payments FAQ and its payment terms, and Circle's pricing page.
Skool and Circle side by side
| Skool | Circle | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry plan | Hobby, $9 a month | Professional, $89 a month billed yearly |
| Next plan | Pro, $99 a month | Business, $199 a month billed yearly |
| Fee on member payments | 10% + 30 cents on Hobby, 2.9% + 30 cents on Pro | 2% on Professional, 1% on Business and Scale |
| Members | No limit on either plan | Unlimited on Professional |
| Free trial | 14 days | 14 days, no card needed |
| Branding | Skool's standard layout | Custom domain, remove Circle branding on Business |
What Skool does well
Skool's appeal is how little you have to set up. Both plans include unlimited members, courses, videos and live calls, a custom URL and affiliates. Pricing is in US dollars, payouts arrive in your local currency every Wednesday, and if you raise your price later, existing members stay on what they already pay. The trade-off is the fee: 10% + 30 cents on every member payment on Hobby, dropping to 2.9% + 30 cents on Pro for payments up to $899.
What Circle does well
Circle's Professional plan includes a community, courses, live events, a website, a member directory, payments, gamification, a custom domain and apps for iOS, Android and desktop. Business adds workflows, APIs and an MCP connection, plus up to 20 automations, and lets you remove Circle branding. Scale, at $419 a month billed yearly, adds unlimited automations and 1TB of storage. Circle's prices are shown in US dollars based on yearly billing and exclude taxes.
Where the fees cross over
Skool's Hobby plan has the lowest monthly price, but its 10% fee is the highest of the lot. Circle's plans cost more each month but take 2% or 1%. Skool Pro sits in between, with a monthly price close to Circle Professional and a fee of 2.9% + 30 cents. So the bigger your members' total payments, the less the monthly plan price matters and the more the transaction fee does.
For Skool's own plans in detail, see our Skool pricing guide.
Questions to settle before you choose
- Do your members need a branded app with your name on it, or is a shared app fine?
- Will you run automations, like welcome sequences, or keep things manual?
- How much video and file storage will your courses need?
- Do you want a public website on the same platform as the community?
Your answers to those four usually make the choice for you. A creator who wants to go live fast and keep things manual tends to land on Skool, and a business that needs branding and automations tends to land on Circle.
If you're planning the community itself, my community launch mini guide and this moderation playbook will help you get the first months right.
My advice on Skool or Circle
If you want to launch a paid group this week with almost no setup, Skool is the quicker start, and Hobby keeps the risk low while you test demand. If your community is part of a wider brand, with its own website, automations and apps, Circle gives you the control Skool doesn't. Run both 14-day trials with a handful of real members before you move a whole audience.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Skool cheaper than Circle?
Skool's Hobby plan is $9 a month and Circle Professional is $89 a month billed yearly, as of October 2026. But Skool Hobby takes 10% + 30 cents from each member payment, against Circle Professional's 2%.
What transaction fee does Circle charge?
Circle lists 2% on Professional, 1% on Business and Scale, and 0.5% on Circle Plus.
Do Skool and Circle have free trials?
Yes. Both offer a 14-day free trial. Circle says no credit card is required.
Can I use my own domain on Skool or Circle?
Skool includes a custom URL on both plans. Circle includes a custom domain from the Professional plan.
Does Circle have mobile apps?
Yes. Circle Professional includes iOS, Android and desktop apps, and Circle also offers branded mobile apps.
