Skool vs Circle
Entry paid: Skool $9 · Circle —. Free forever: Skool no · Circle no.
At a glance
| Feature | Skool | Circle |
|---|---|---|
| Entry monthly | $9 | — |
| Entry annual /mo | $7.50 | $89 |
| Entry plan | Hobby | Professional |
| Seats model | Unlimited members | Not listed |
| Forever free | No | No |
| Trial | Not listed | 14 |
| Platform fees | Hobby 10%; Pro 2.9% (platform transaction fee on pricing page). | Not listed as a Circle platform % on pricing page. |
| Processor | Skool payments (confirm whether 2.9% is platform-only or includes processing) | Circle payments |
| Category | course-platform | course-platform |
All plans
Skool
| Plan | Mo | Yr/mo |
|---|---|---|
| Hobby | $9 | $7.50 |
| Pro | $99 | $82.50 |
Circle
| Plan | Mo | Yr/mo |
|---|---|---|
| Professional | — | $89 |
| Business | — | $199 |
| Scale | — | $419 |
| Circle Plus | — | — |
Gotchas
Skool
- Hobby’s 10% fee dominates at scale — Pro often wins past modest revenue.
- Confirm whether Pro’s 2.9% stacks with card processing.
Circle
- Published prices are annual-billing based — monthly may be higher (Not listed separately on capture).
- Branded apps and Email Hub are add-ons.
FAQ
How much is Skool vs Circle?
Skool entry plan starts around $7.50/mo (best available monthly or annual-equivalent); Circle around $89/mo. Platform transaction fees often dominate — use the calculator on the courses hub.
Does Skool or Circle have a free plan?
Skool: no forever-free plan cited. Circle: no forever-free plan cited. Trials: Skool Not listed days · Circle 14 days.
Do platform transaction fees matter more than the subscription?
Often yes. A $39/mo Starter with 7.5% platform fees on $100k/year of course sales costs far more in fees than software. We show published fee text when vendors list it; otherwise Not listed.