Nathan FieldThe best Skool alternatives are Circle, Mighty Networks, Kajabi, Teachable, Thinkific, Patreon and Whop, and the right one depends on what Skool is not giving you. We run our own Skool community and we are Skool affiliates, so read this knowing both. We checked every price and fee below on each company's own pricing page on 29 September 2026. Where a page would not load, we left the number out rather than guess.
The best Skool alternatives are Circle and Mighty Networks for a community on your own domain, Kajabi for a whole business with email and funnels, Teachable and Thinkific for course-first businesses, and Patreon or Whop for no monthly fee. Skool stays the simplest, and at $9 a month it is the cheapest monthly plan here.
Skool, the baseline
Every alternative below is measured against what Skool gives you, so here it is in brief. Skool puts a community feed, courses, a calendar, points and levels, and member billing in one product. It has two plans:
- Hobby at $9 a month, with a fee of "10% + 30c /transaction for all transactions".
- Pro at $99 a month, with "2.9% + 30c" on payments up to $899 and "3.9% + 30c" above $900.
Skool processes the cards itself, so there is no Stripe bill on top. Skool is also the merchant of record, which means it is the seller on paper and handles sales tax. In its words, "Skool handles EU VAT for you." Both plans come with a 14-day free trial. If you have never used it, you can try Skool (affiliate link) before you decide you need something else.
Why owners look for a Skool alternative
These are the real gaps, all checked against Skool's own pages. Our full Skool review goes through each one.
- No own domain. Every group lives at a skool.com address. Skool's help centre has no article on connecting your own domain.
- Little design control. The help centre covers a group icon, a cover photo, an About page and up to 10 categories. It has no article on colours, fonts or layouts, and "Links in the About page description will not work".
- The Hobby fee. 10% + 30c on every payment adds up fast.
- Pro-only plugins. AutoDM, Zapier and the cancellation video are all marked "Pro plan" in Skool's help centre.
- One feed. Posts are organised by categories, capped at 10.
- Follow-up and scheduling. Skool retries a declined card and, on Pro, can show a cancellation video. Anything more personal is up to you, and the help centre has no article on scheduling a feed post.
Be clear which of these is your problem. Some need a new platform. Some do not, and we cover those further down.
Skool alternatives compared
Prices are billed monthly, in USD, from each vendor's own pricing page on 29 September 2026. "Fee on your sales" is the platform's own cut. "Card processing" is what the card payment costs on top, where the vendor says.
| Platform | Monthly price | Fee on your sales | Card processing | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skool | $9 / $99 | 10% + 30c / 2.9% + 30c | Included in the fee | A simple paid community with courses |
| Circle | $99 / $219 / $419 / custom (monthly billing); $89 / $199 billed yearly | 2% / 1% / 1% / 0.5% | Stripe's fee on top | A branded community with many spaces |
| Mighty Networks | $95 / $215 / $425 / custom (monthly billing); $79 / $179 / $354 billed yearly | 2% / 1% / 0.5% / 0.5% | Stripe's fee on top | Community, courses and events on your own domain |
| Kajabi | $179 / $249 / $499 | None on Kajabi Payments; 2% / 1% / 0.5% on other processors | 2.9% / 2.8% / 2.7% + 30c (US) | A whole business: site, email, funnels |
| Teachable | $39 / $89 / $189 / custom | 7.5% / 0% / 0% / 0% | 2.9% + 30c US cards, plus 0.7% on recurring payments | Course-first businesses |
| Thinkific | $54 / $109 / $219 / custom | No separate cut on Thinkific Payments | 2.9% + 30c US cards, plus 0.7% on subscriptions | Courses on your own domain from the first plan |
| Patreon | $0 | 10% of income | Extra, plus currency and payout fees | Fan memberships with no monthly bill |
| Whop | $0 | 2.7% + 30c per domestic card sale | Included; +1.5% international, +1% currency conversion | Selling access with no monthly fee |
The alternatives, one by one
Circle
Circle suits owners who want a community on their own domain, split into many separate spaces, and who already have a Stripe account. Circle's plans are Professional at $99 a month and Business at $219 on monthly billing ($89 and $199 a month billed yearly), Scale at $419, and Circle Plus at a custom price. There is a 14-day free trial with "No credit card required."
Circle takes 2% on Professional, 1% on Business and Scale, and 0.5% on Plus. You connect your own Stripe account, and Circle says its "transaction fees are in addition to Stripe's standard processing fees, which vary by country." A custom domain comes with Professional and up, and Professional includes 20 spaces. Custom branded mobile apps are listed only under Circle Plus.
The trade-off: Circle's cheapest plan costs about ten times Skool's Hobby plan, and you pay Stripe on top of Circle's cut. Circle's payments page does not say it collects sales tax or VAT for you, so check who handles tax before you move. We go deeper in Skool vs Circle.
Mighty Networks
Mighty Networks suits owners who want community, courses and events together, on their own domain, with apps on iOS, Android and the web. On monthly billing its plans are Launch at $95 a month, Scale at $215 and Growth at $425. Billed yearly they are $79, $179 and $354 a month. Mighty Pro is custom priced. The trial is "14 Days. No Credit Card Required."
The fee is 2% on Launch, 1% on Scale, and 0.5% on Growth and Mighty Pro. Every plan lists "Add a Custom Domain", unlimited members, courses, and livestreamed events. "Your Own Branded Apps" are listed only on Mighty Pro. Payments run through your own Stripe account, so Stripe's card fees come on top of Mighty's fee, and sales tax is your job. Our Skool vs Mighty Networks comparison has the detail.
The trade-off: you get more control and more features, but you start at $79 a month instead of $9, and there is more to set up. If all you need is a feed and a classroom, it is more tool than you need.
Kajabi
Kajabi suits experts who want the whole business in one tool: a website, marketing emails, landing pages, funnels, products and a community. Plans are Basic at $179 a month, Growth at $249 and Pro at $499. Billed yearly, they work out at $143, $199 and $399 a month.
Kajabi Payments costs "2.9% + $0.30" on Basic, "2.8% + $0.30" on Growth and "2.7% + $0.30" on Pro, for US entities. If you use another payment provider instead, Kajabi adds 2%, 1% or 0.5%. Every plan lists unlimited marketing emails, landing pages and funnels. Basic allows 5 products, 2,500 contacts and 1 community. Pro allows 3 communities.
The trade-off: Kajabi Basic costs about 20 times Skool Hobby each month. The community is one part of a much bigger product. If you will not use the email, funnels and website, you are paying for them anyway. See Skool vs Kajabi for the full comparison.
Teachable
Teachable suits people who sell courses first and run a community second. Plans are Starter at $39 a month, Builder at $89, Growth at $189, and Custom by quote. Billed yearly they are $29, $69 and $139 a month. Every plan comes with a "7-day free trial".
Starter carries a 7.5% transaction fee. Builder and above carry 0%. Card processing comes on top: 2.9% + 30c for US cards, plus 0.7% on recurring payments. A custom domain starts on the $89 Builder plan, and removing Teachable branding on the $189 Growth plan. Teachable's help centre says its Community feature is in maintenance mode and closed to new schools. See Skool vs Teachable.
The trade-off: on Starter, 7.5% plus 2.9% + 30c comes to more than Skool Hobby's 10% + 30c on a US card, and you do not get your own domain until the $89 Builder plan. Teachable makes sense when the course is the product and the community is a bonus.
Thinkific
Thinkific suits course businesses that want their own domain from the very first plan. Plans are Basic at $54 a month, Start at $109, Grow at $219, and Plus at a custom price. Billed yearly they are $40, $82 and $164 a month. Thinkific offers "a 30-day free trial".
Thinkific's own wording on fees: "When using our built-in processor, Thinkific Payments, we offer pricing in line with other processors like Stripe and Paypal at 2.9%." Its fee page adds 0.7% on subscriptions and 0.5% where tax is charged. A custom domain is on every plan. Removing Thinkific branding starts on Grow. You get 1 community on Basic and Start, 3 on Grow, and unlimited on Plus.
The trade-off: Thinkific's branding stays on your site until the $219 plan, and like Teachable it is built around courses first. For a community-led business, Skool gives you a feed, levels and Discovery from $9 a month.
Patreon
Patreon suits creators with a fan audience who want memberships and one-time sales without a monthly bill. Its pricing page says: "Patreon is free to start. You only pay when you start earning."
The fee is "10% of the income you earn on Patreon", plus "payment processing, currency conversion, and payout fees, and applicable taxes." In return Patreon says it will "handle chargebacks, disputes, and fraud" and "take care of most applicable tax collections and remittance for you." It supports monthly and annual subscriptions, membership tiers and one-time payments, with chats, DMs and comments.
The trade-off: Patreon's 10% is the same rate as Skool Hobby, but card processing and payout fees come on top, where Skool's fee already includes processing. Patreon's pricing page does not mention a course area or points and levels like Skool's.
Whop
Whop suits sellers who want no monthly fee and are happy to build their space from parts. Whop's pricing page says "No setup fees, no monthly costs." Your "whop" is built from apps, and Whop names chat, courses, forums and content among them.
The fee is "2.7% + $0.30" per successful domestic card sale, plus "1.5% for international cards" and "1% if currency conversion applies". Tax collection costs another 2% per transaction when you switch it on. Each dispute costs $15. Getting paid out costs extra too: $2.50 for next-day ACH, 4% + $1 for an instant bank deposit, and $23 for a wire.
The trade-off: Whop has the lowest headline rate here, but the fees stack. Tax handling, which Skool includes, costs 2% more on Whop. And instead of one ready-made layout, you assemble your community from apps.
A note on Discord
You may be wondering about Discord. We left it out of the table on purpose. Discord's creator support pages would not load for us on 29 September 2026, and the only fee figure we could reach was in a blog post from 2022. If you are weighing Discord for a paid community, check its creator support pages for the current terms.
When to stay on Skool
Switching platforms costs you time, and it asks every member to move with you. Stay on Skool if most of these are true:
- You want a feed, courses, a calendar and levels, and nothing more.
- You do not want to deal with sales tax and EU VAT yourself. Skool is the merchant of record and handles it inside its normal fee. If you move, check how your new platform handles tax first.
- You want members from Discovery. Skool takes 30% on the members it brings you, and only on those.
- Your real problem is the Hobby fee. That is fixed by moving to Pro, not by leaving. Pro costs $90 more a month but saves 7.1 cents on every dollar, so it is cheaper once members pay you more than about $1,270 a month.
- Your real problem is follow-up or scheduling. That is fixed without leaving, too. See the next section.
If Skool still fits, you can start a Skool community (affiliate link) and test it for 14 days before you pay.
Before you switch, fill Skool's gaps
Many owners look at Skool alternatives because of two gaps: following up with members whose card fails or who cancel, and posting every day without being online to press the button. Skool retries a declined card and, on Pro, can show a cancellation video. It does not document a way to schedule feed posts. Neither gap needs a new platform.
Backpack fills both on Skool. It is a Chrome extension plus our servers. Payment Recovery messages a member when their card fails. Cancellation Recovery messages a member who cancels. Post Scheduler puts posts up at the time you choose. You can also connect your own Claude or ChatGPT to your community. 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. Backpack is not made by or affiliated with Skool. Try Backpack free for 7 days.
How to choose
- Name the one thing Skool is not doing for you.
- If it is your own domain or brand, look at Circle, Mighty Networks or Thinkific.
- If it is email, funnels and a website in one place, look at Kajabi.
- If the course is the product, look at Teachable or Thinkific.
- If you want no monthly bill, look at Patreon or Whop, and add up the per-sale fees first.
- If it is the fee, follow-up or scheduling, stay on Skool and fix that instead.
None of these Skool alternatives is better at everything. Each one trades Skool's simplicity for something specific, and the trade is only worth it if you need that thing. If Skool is still the right fit, you can start a Skool community here (affiliate link).
FAQ
What is the best alternative to Skool?
It depends on what you are missing. Circle and Mighty Networks are the closest community tools, and both let you use your own domain. Kajabi fits a full business with email and funnels. Teachable and Thinkific fit course-first sellers. Patreon and Whop fit people who want no monthly fee.
Is there a free alternative to Skool?
Patreon and Whop have no monthly fee, but both charge on every sale. Patreon takes 10% of income plus processing and payout fees. Whop charges 2.7% + 30c per domestic card sale, with extra fees for international cards, currency conversion, tax handling and payouts. Nothing on this list is free once you earn.
Is Circle better than Skool?
Circle is better if you need your own domain, separate spaces and more design control. Skool is better if you want the simplest setup, built-in tax handling and Discovery. Circle starts at $99 a month ($89 billed yearly) plus a 2% fee and Stripe's own fee. Skool starts at $9 a month.
Is Kajabi better than Skool?
Kajabi is better if you want a website, marketing emails, landing pages and funnels in the same tool as your community. It costs $179 a month on Basic, about 20 times Skool Hobby. If you mainly run a community with courses, Skool does that for far less.
Which Skool alternative has the lowest fees?
Whop has the lowest headline rate, at 2.7% + 30c per domestic card sale with no monthly fee. Its fees stack for international cards, currency conversion, tax handling and payouts. Among the monthly plans, Skool Pro charges 2.9% + 30c for $99 a month, with card processing and tax handling included.
What does Skool not do that alternatives do?
Skool's help centre has no article on connecting your own domain or changing colours, fonts or layouts. Circle, Mighty Networks, Thinkific and Kajabi all list a custom domain. Skool also documents no way to schedule feed posts, and plugins like AutoDM and Zapier need the $99 Pro plan.
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.