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It's a split decision.
Choose Skool if you want the lower entry price: Hobby is $9 monthly or $7.50/month billed annually, with a 10% + 30¢ transaction fee. Choose Circle if you need branded mobile apps, email marketing, websites, workflows or API access; Professional starts at $89/month billed annually and charges 2%. Both offer 14-day trials and no free plan. Circle's included admin and space caps, plus add-ons, matter; Skool charges separately for each additional community.
01Side by side
| Circle | Skool | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | From $89/month, billed annually | $9/month; $7.50 annual equivalent |
| Free plan | No free plan; 14-day trial | No free plan; 14-day trial |
| Best for | Branded communities with courses, email and websites | Creator memberships, courses and paid communities |
| Core strength | Branded apps, marketing, automations and APIs | Community, courses, gamification and events |
| Learning curve | Not published | Not published |
| Integrations/data | Integrations, APIs and workflows listed | Stripe-powered subscription billing listed |
| Team/seat costs | 3 admins included; extras $10/month each | One community; each extra community needs another subscription |
| Support | Circle Plus lists support; specifics unpublished | Support details not published |
Circle Choose Circle if
- Choose Circle if branded iOS and Android apps matter.
- Choose Circle if you need email marketing and website tools.
- Choose Circle if workflows and API access are priorities.
Skool Choose Skool if
- Choose Skool if you want the lower starting price.
- Choose Skool if one community covers your needs.
- Choose Skool if you want courses, events and gamification together.
02Pricing compared
Skool has the lower entry price: Hobby is $9 per month, or $7.50 per month billed annually. Pro is $99 monthly or $82.50 per month billed annually. Both plans include one community, and another community requires another subscription. Skool lists transaction fees of 10% + 30¢ on Hobby and 2.9% + 30¢ on Pro up to $899; above $900, Pro’s fee is 3.9% + 30¢.
Circle starts at $89 per month for Professional, billed annually, with a 2% transaction fee. Business is $199 and Scale is $419 per month, also billed annually; both list a 1% fee. Circle’s monthly billing prices are not published. Its plans cap admins and spaces, and add-ons can raise the bill. Both platforms list a 14-day trial and no free plan.
03Features and depth
Circle covers more of the marketing stack around a community. Its listed features include customizable community spaces, courses, events, payments, email broadcasts, websites and sales pages. It also offers branded iOS and Android apps, AI tools, workflows, integrations and APIs. That breadth may suit a business trying to consolidate tools, but some capacity and features cost extra: Circle lists add-ons for Email Hub, additional admins and spaces, brand email notifications and API requests.
Skool’s feature set centers on running a community and teaching in it. Members can post, comment and message; creators can organize courses, schedule events and charge subscriptions. The platform also lists gamification, member profiles and a directory. Hobby and Pro both include unlimited members, courses, videos and live calls, but each includes one community. Skool is more focused; Circle’s listed marketing and brand features give it more scope, while the plan limits and fees deserve a close read.
04Ease of use and learning curve
Skool’s plans keep the basic choice straightforward: Hobby or Pro, with one community on either plan. The trade-off is that you need another subscription for each additional community, and the transaction fee differs by plan.
Circle offers more pieces to configure, including spaces, courses, events, email, websites, workflows and integrations. Its Professional plan includes 3 admins and 20 spaces; higher tiers raise those caps, and add-ons can extend them. That gives teams more room to shape a setup, but also means checking plan limits and extras before committing. We’d favor Skool for a focused community-and-course operation; Circle is a better fit when the listed marketing and branding tools matter enough to justify the higher starting price.
Questions people ask
Which is cheaper, Circle or Skool?
Skool is cheaper to start: Hobby costs $9 monthly or $7.50 per month billed annually. Circle Professional starts at $89 per month billed annually. Compare transaction fees too: Skool Hobby lists 10% + 30¢ per transaction, while Circle Professional lists 2%.
Which platform is better for online courses?
Both list course tools. Skool includes unlimited courses on Hobby and Pro, alongside unlimited videos and live calls. Circle combines courses with community spaces and events, and also lists websites, email marketing and branded apps. Choose based on whether you need that broader set of tools.
Does Circle or Skool offer branded mobile apps?
Circle lists branded iOS and Android apps, including push notifications and custom screens. Skool’s published feature list includes community, course, event and messaging tools, but does not list branded mobile apps. Check Circle’s plan details for availability and any added cost before choosing.
Do Circle and Skool have free plans?
Neither product lists a free plan; both list a 14-day trial. Skool’s pricing lists monthly and annual billing for Hobby and Pro. Circle’s listed plan prices are monthly equivalents billed annually, and its monthly billing prices are not published.