Circle vs Skool
Circle and Skool are both online courses & LMS tools. Circle is aimed at creators and small businesses, while Skool is aimed at creators. Skool costs less, from $9/mo versus $89/mo for Circle.
All-in-one community platform for creators and brands
Community + courses + gamification in one
| Pricing | Paid · $89 | Paid · $9 |
| Starting price | $89/mo | $9/mo |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Free trial | 14 days | 14 days |
| Built for | Creators, Small businesses | Creators |
| Platforms | web, ios, android | web, ios, android |
| Country | US · 2020 | US · 2019 |
| Rating | — | — |
Choose Circle if
Creators and companies who want a premium, branded community with courses and payments.
- Polished, flexible community experience
- Courses, events and payments in one
- Strong for creators and B2B communities alike
Look elsewhere if: Budget communities (Skool, Discord) or knowledge-heavy forums (Discourse).
Choose Skool if
Coaches and creators who want a simple, engaging paid community.
- Simple and fast to launch
- Gamification drives engagement
- Flat pricing on Pro
Look elsewhere if: Brands wanting custom design or complex learning features (Circle, Thinkific).
Circle vs Skool pricing
Circle
- Professional$89/moBilled annually; unlimited members, 3 admins, 2% transaction fee
- Business$199/moBilled annually; 5 admins, 1% transaction fee, workflows, API
- Scale$419/moBilled annually; 10 admins, 1% transaction fee, AI agents
- Circle PlusCustomBranded mobile apps, unlimited admins, 0.5% transaction fee
Skool
- Hobby$9/mo10% transaction fee; unlimited members and courses
- Pro$99/mo2.9% transaction fee, custom URL
Circle · Key features
- Spaces for posts, chat, events and courses
- Live streams and video rooms
- Paid memberships, tiers and gated spaces
- Workflows for automation and member journeys
- Branded mobile apps (Plus)
- AI agent, analytics and API
Cons
- Price plus transaction fees
- Branded app is a significant add-on
- Search and threading can be weaker than forums
Skool · Key features
- Community feed with categories
- Classroom for courses and lessons
- Calendar for events and calls
- Gamification with points and leaderboards
- Paid memberships via built-in payments
- Skool discovery network
Cons
- Limited branding and customization
- Basic course features
- No native email marketing
Circle vs Skool: FAQ
Which is cheaper, Circle or Skool?
Skool starts at $9/mo and Circle at $89/mo. Both prices are checked on the vendors' own pricing pages.
Do Circle and Skool have a free plan?
Circle has no free plan, a 14-day free trial. Skool has no free plan, a 14-day free trial.
Which is better for small businesses, Circle or Skool?
Circle lists small businesses as a core audience, while Skool is aimed more at creators.