Nathan FieldThere are five real ways to make money on Skool, and each one comes with a cost. You can charge for a group, run a free group that sells something inside it, refer new owners to Skool, pay your members to refer others, or let Skool find members for a cut. This guide on how to make money on Skool covers what each method takes to work and what Skool keeps. It has no income numbers, because someone else's result tells you nothing about yours. Every Skool fact here was checked on 29 September 2026, on Skool's own pages.
You can make money on Skool by charging for a paid group, selling a course or upgrade inside a free group, referring new owners through Skool's affiliate program for 40% of their plan, paying members to refer others (Pro plan only), or letting Skool's Growth Boost find members for a 30% cut. Most need an audience that already trusts you.
First, what Skool keeps
Every method below runs through Skool's payments, so start with the fees. These come from Skool's pricing page and its Payments FAQ.
| Hobby | Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Plan price | $9 a month | $99 a month |
| Fee on each member payment | 10% + 30c on all transactions | 2.9% + 30c up to $899, 3.9% + 30c above $900 |
| Free trial for you | 14 days | 14 days |
| Member affiliates | No | Yes |
Skool's own example: a $9 a month price pays out $7.80 on Hobby and about $8.40 on Pro. The FAQ also says "Transaction fees are non-refundable." Our Skool pricing guide works out the point where Pro becomes the cheaper plan.
Both plans start with a 14-day free trial, so you can try Skool free for 14 days (affiliate link) and set up your pricing before you pay anything.
1. Charge for a paid group
This is the plain version. Members pay you to be inside. Skool's pricing setup article lists the ways you can charge:
- Subscription. Monthly or annual, with an optional 7-day free trial for members.
- Tiers. Several paid plans, each with its own benefits.
- One-time payment. Skool suggests it for "lifetime access courses, pop-up groups, and seminars."
What it costs
Your plan, plus the fee on every payment. On Hobby, that is a tenth of every payment plus 30c. Skool is the "merchant of record", so it collects and files sales tax and EU VAT for you. All member prices are in US dollars. Your balance is paid out every Wednesday in your local currency, and the first payout can take up to 14 days.
One rule to know before you set a price. If you raise it later, the members you already have stay on their old price. Skool calls this grandfathering. It is fair to early members, but it means a low launch price stays with them.
What it takes
People pay every month for something they value every month: access to you, a result they want, or a room of people they like. That needs people who already know you. Skool will not bring you the first ones. Its Discovery FAQs say a group needs "a minimum threshold of members, posts, and activity" before it shows in Discovery at all. So the first members come from your own audience, your email list or people you talk to. If you are starting from zero, our guide on how to start a Skool community covers the setup.
2. Run a free group that sells something inside it
A free group is easier to join. The money comes from something you sell to members once they are in. Skool gives you two ways to do that without leaving Skool:
- Freemium. A free plan and a paid plan in the same group. Skool says members "can upgrade from the free plan to the paid plan within the group, at any time."
- One-time course purchases. You set a "Buy Now" price on a single course. Skool's course purchase article says this works in a free group or a subscription group, and buyers get instant access.
What it costs
The same plan and the same fee on each sale. You also pay the plan every month even while nobody is buying.
What it takes
A free group is easy to join and easy to ignore. It earns only if the paid thing is clear and members can see why they would want it. If you plan to sell something outside Skool, like coaching sold on a call, know two things. Skool's Discovery FAQs list "Payments off-platform" as a ranking penalty. And Skool's Growth Boost article says: "Toggle it off if you sell members via a sales call or via a sales funnel."
3. Refer new owners: the Skool affiliate program
You do not need your own group for this one. Skool pays you when someone starts a Skool community through your link. Skool's affiliate page says you "earn 40% of monthly recurring revenue for life." Its help article gives the amounts: $39 a month for each Pro group you refer and $3.60 a month for each Hobby group.
- Your link is in your Skool settings, under the Affiliates tab.
- A cookie tracks the click for 14 days, and the last link clicked gets the credit.
- If one of your own members creates a group, Skool credits you automatically.
- Referring yourself is not allowed, and neither is running ads on the word "Skool".
- Commissions stop if the group is archived or moves to a new owner.
What it costs
Neither Skool page lists a fee to join. The cost is your time and your reputation, since people start a paid tool on your word.
What it takes
An audience of people who want to run a community. A Hobby referral pays $3.60 a month, so this method only adds up with a lot of them or with Pro referrals. We use the program on this blog, so the Skool signup links here are ours. Our Skool affiliate program guide has the full rules, payouts and what to do if a referral is missed.
4. Pay your members to bring members (Pro only)
This is a different program. You let your own members earn a commission for bringing new members to your group. Skool's member affiliates article says it is "only available on the Pro plan, and not on the Hobby plan."
- You set the commission percentage in your group's admin settings, under Affiliates.
- You can also switch on a commission for a single course. Skool says this is "particularly helpful for free groups with paid courses."
- Owners and admins cannot refer. It is only for members.
- If you change the percentage, it applies to all current and new affiliates. Skool warns that cutting it "may upset your affiliates and damage your reputation."
What it costs
The Pro plan, plus the commission you set. Skool's analytics article lists "cashflow owed to affiliates that bring paid members to a group" as its own line in your group's cash flow.
What it takes
Members who like the group enough to tell a friend, and a commission worth their effort. It grows a group that already works. It does not start one.
5. Let Skool find members: Discovery and Growth Boost
Discovery is Skool's directory of groups. Skool says groups are "ranked by member growth, engagement, and retention", and a human reviews rankings. Penalties include bots or fake accounts, spam, off-platform payments, bad customer support and an inactive owner.
Growth Boost is how Skool pushes your group further. Skool shows it at the top of search results, in other places on Skool, and in ads off Skool. The Discovery FAQs put the deal simply: "You pay the 30% commission only when Skool gets you a member." Skool's example: "If Skool brings you a paid customer and your group price is $10, Skool deducts $3 and fees."
- It is on by default. You can turn it off any time in Settings, then Discovery.
- "The Growth Boost cut applies to recurring charges, as long as the member's subscription is active."
- A member counts as Skool's if they join through Skool's network within a 14-day window.
- Skool says it is "not recommended for high ticket sales."
What it costs
30% of every payment from those members, plus the normal fee, for as long as they stay. Members you bring yourself pay only the normal fee.
What it takes
A group that already converts and keeps people. Skool's own tips are to build a strong About page, send traffic to it yourself, and give the system a signal "that the group's conversion and retention are good." Growth Boost adds to what you have. It does not replace your own audience.
We go deeper on both in Skool Discovery and Skool Growth Boost.
You may also have heard of The Skool Games. Since July 2026 it is an always-on leaderboard in Skoolers that ranks owners by monthly revenue, with status badges and awards (Skool News #64, 7 Jul 2026). It is not a way to be paid for your group, so it is not on this list. Our Skool Games guide covers it.
Skool's team gave its own answer to how to make money on Skool in Skool News #25 (2 Sep 2025). It is Skool talking about its own platform, so weigh it that way.
The five methods side by side
| Method | Plan | What Skool keeps | What it needs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paid group | Hobby or Pro | The plan plus 10% + 30c (Hobby) or 2.9% + 30c (Pro) per payment | People who already know you |
| Free group that sells inside | Hobby or Pro | The same fee on each sale, plus the plan while nobody buys | A paid offer members can see and want |
| Skool affiliate program | A Skool account | Nothing listed | People who want to start a community |
| Member affiliates | Pro only | The Pro plan, plus the commission you pay members | Members happy to tell friends |
| Growth Boost | Hobby or Pro | 30% of each payment from members Skool brings, plus the fee | A group that already converts and keeps members |
Skool gives you the tools to charge. It does not give you the people. Every method here works better once people already trust you.
The honest downsides
- Hobby's 10% is a big cut. On the $9 plan, Skool keeps a tenth of every payment, plus 30c.
- Growth Boost's 30% repeats. It is taken every month the member stays, not once.
- Some money tools are Pro only. Member affiliates, and plugins like the cancellation video, need the $99 plan. Skool's pricing page lists "Affiliates" on both plans, but its help centre reserves member affiliates for Pro.
- Skool will not find your first members. Discovery needs a minimum of members, posts and activity before it lists you.
- Prices are in US dollars only, and transaction fees are not refunded.
Already earning on Skool? Keep what you make
For owners who already have paying members, the quiet leak is members who leave without meaning to, or without being asked to stay. Skool helps with part of it. When a card fails, Skool retries it, marks the member with a red "Declined" label, prompts them to update their card, and lets you retry the charge yourself (Skool's decline guide). On Pro, you can add a cancellation video that members see on step two of canceling.
Backpack adds a personal follow-up on top. Payment Recovery messages a member in your words when their card fails. Cancellation Recovery messages a member who cancels. You write the messages and Backpack sends them from our servers, so it works with your computer off. It is $9 a month for every Skool community you admin, with every feature, and you can try Backpack free for 7 days. Backpack is not affiliated with Skool.
The short version
How to make money on Skool comes down to five methods: a paid group, a free group that sells inside it, the Skool affiliate program, member affiliates on Pro, and Growth Boost. Skool keeps a fee on all of them, and none of them brings you the first people who trust you. That part is yours. If you have those people, or you are ready to find them, you can start a Skool community here (affiliate link).
FAQ
Can you really make money on Skool?
Yes, Skool lets you charge members through a subscription, tiers, a one-time payment or single course sales, and pays you every Wednesday. Whether you do depends on whether people want what you offer. Skool will not list a new group in Discovery until it has enough members, posts and activity, so the first members come from you.
How much does Skool take from what you earn?
On Hobby, Skool takes 10% + 30c of every member payment, plus $9 a month for the plan. On Pro, it takes 2.9% + 30c up to $899 and 3.9% + 30c above $900, plus $99 a month. Members that Skool's Growth Boost brings you cost an extra 30%.
Do you need an audience to make money on Skool?
For most methods, yes. A paid group needs people who know you, and Skool's Discovery only lists groups that pass a minimum of members, posts and activity. Growth Boost can bring members later, but Skool's own tips say it works best when your group already converts visitors and keeps its members.
Can you make money on Skool without your own community?
Yes, through Skool's affiliate program. You share your referral link, and when someone creates a group through it, Skool pays you 40% of their plan: $39 a month for a Pro group and $3.60 for a Hobby group, per Skool's help centre. Your link is in your Skool settings, under Affiliates.
Can I sell a course on Skool without a paid group?
Yes. Skool lets you set a one-time "Buy Now" price on a single course inside a free group or a subscription group. Members who buy get instant access. You can also use Freemium, which puts a free plan and a paid plan in the same group, so members can upgrade inside it.
We may earn a commission if you start a Skool community through a link on this page. It costs you nothing extra, and it does not change what we write.