Skool alternatives

Skool alternatives: five platforms, their prices and fees

The Skool alternatives worth pricing are Mighty Networks, Circle, Heartbeat, Kajabi and Patreon: Mighty Networks sells in many currencies, and Patreon has no monthly price.

Skool charges $9 a month for Hobby, with 10% plus 30 cents a transaction, or $99 a month for Pro, with 2.9% plus 30 cents (3.9% above $900), both billed monthly. That fee includes card processing, and members pay in US dollars. Skool also gives a 14-day free trial, per its help center.

Mighty Networks Launch is $95 a month, billed monthly, or $79 a month, billed annually ($950 a year), as read on 4 October 2026. It takes a 2% transaction fee, and Stripe card processing comes on top.

Price and fee on sales, side by side

Prices are billed monthly where the vendor shows monthly billing; Circle shows prices billed annually only. Skool's fee on sales includes card processing; the five alternatives charge it separately.

Skool alternatives that are free to start

Patreon and Discourse are the Skool alternatives that are free to start. Patreon is free to start and takes 10% of income on its standard plan, with card processing on top. Discourse offers a free hosted plan with unlimited members, 2 staff seats, 10 categories and 5 GB. Mighty Networks has no free plan on its pricing page, so its way in without paying is the trial below. See Mighty Networks vs Patreon for the creator case.

Which Skool alternative fits which community

• Mighty Networks for a community whose members should pay in their own currency: it sells in many currencies, while Skool members pay in US dollars.
• Patreon for a creator who wants no monthly price.
• Heartbeat Build, $49 a month, billed monthly, for a small group of up to 350 members.
• Kajabi Basic for a course seller; Skool vs Kajabi sets it against Skool.
• Circle for 20 spaces or fewer with a 30-day money-back guarantee; Circle vs Skool has the numbers.
• Skool itself for a paid group in US dollars that wants one fee with card processing included. Mighty Networks vs Skool has the head-to-head.

On $2,000 of sales in a month from 50 members, Skool Pro totals $172: $99 for the plan plus $58 and $15 from its 2.9% and 30-cent fee, which includes card processing. Mighty Networks Launch, billed monthly, totals $185 to $235: $95, plus a $40 transaction fee, plus $50 to $100 of Stripe card processing, a range that follows the 2.5% to 5% Mighty Networks' help center gives for Stripe.

Mighty Networks has a 14-day trial of its Growth Plan that asks for no credit card.