Skool

Skool is the cheap-and-cheerful entry into paid-community platforms, with a $9/mo Hobby plan that dramatically undercuts Circle ($89) and Mighty Networks ($49). The UI deliberately mimics a Facebook group — single feed with posts, comments, likes — and layers on courses, payment processing, events, and aggressive gamification (leaderboards, levels, points).

Both plans get the same core features; the difference is transaction fees and admin seats. Hobby is $9/mo with a 10% transaction fee, the highest in the industry — meaning a $1,000/mo community pays $100/mo in fees on top of the $9 subscription.

Pro is $99/mo with a 2.9% fee, one of the lowest. The break-even math: at roughly $1,200-$1,400/mo in community revenue, Pro starts winning. Below that, Hobby is cheaper.

The platform is particularly popular in the Alex Hormozi-influenced creator crowd and culturally adjacent to that scene. Multiple communities cost $99/mo each (or $82/mo annual) with no multi-community discount.

Strengths: dirt-cheap entry, real gamification that drives daily activity, simple interface that older audiences pick up faster than Discord. Weaknesses: branding is limited, the cultural valence is polarizing, and the 10% Hobby fee gets expensive fast. Best for very small paid communities where $9 matters, or established ones ready to commit to Pro.