Circle vs Whop
Circle and Whop are both community platforms tools. Circle is aimed at creators and small businesses, while Whop is aimed at creators and E-commerce. Only Whop has a free plan.
All-in-one community platform for creators and brands
Platform to sell memberships, courses, communities and software access
| Pricing | Paid · $89 | Free |
| Starting price | $89/mo | Not published |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Free trial | 14 days | — |
| Built for | Creators, Small businesses | Creators, E-commerce, Small businesses |
| Platforms | web, ios, android | web, ios, android |
| Country | US · 2020 | US · 2021 |
| 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 Whop if
Creators, coaches and indie software sellers who want to monetize communities and digital products with no upfront cost.
- No monthly fee, so it costs nothing until you make sales
- Sells many product types from a single storefront
- Fast setup for Discord and Telegram paid communities
Look elsewhere if: Brands wanting a polished, premium course and email platform or a flat-fee community (Kajabi, Skool, Circle).
Circle vs Whop 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
Whop
- Free to start$0No monthly fee; you pay only when you sell
- Card processing2.7% + $0.30/transactionDomestic cards; +1.5% international, +1% currency conversion
- Payouts$2.50/payoutNext-day US ACH; bank wire $23, instant 4% + $2.50
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
Whop · Key features
- Branded whop hubs bundling courses, chat, files and events
- Automatic Discord and Telegram role access for paying members
- Software license keys and app access for SaaS and tool sellers
- Checkout with cards, ACH, wallets and buy-now-pay-later
- Affiliate program and promo codes built in
- Content Rewards campaigns that pay creators per view
Cons
- Add-on, international and payout fees push effective rates higher
- Marketplace includes many low-quality hype offers
- Community and course tools are less refined than Skool or Kajabi
Circle vs Whop: FAQ
Do Circle and Whop have a free plan?
Circle has no free plan, a 14-day free trial. Whop has a free plan.