How Much Does Skool Cost in 2026?

Skool's competitive genius is radical simplicity. While Circle offers 3 tiers × many features and Mighty Networks has 4 tiers × granular limits, Skool offers TWO tiers differentiated primarily by transaction fee percentage. For creators who want to focus on content creation (courses, community engagement, live calls) rather than platform feature shopping, this simplicity is genuinely valuable. Hobby at $9/month (or $7.50/month annual with 2 months free = $90/year) is the entry tier: unlimited members, unlimited courses, unlimited videos, unlimited live calls, custom URL, built-in affiliate program. The catch: 10% transaction fee on all paid memberships + course sales. For a $100/month membership community with 100 members ($10,000/month revenue), that's $1,000/month in Skool fees — dramatically more than the $99/month Pro tier would cost. Pro at $99/month (or $82.50/month annual = $990/year) cuts transaction fee to 2.9% (matching Stripe's base rate). For the same $10,000/month community: Pro costs $99 subscription + $290 transaction fees = $389/month total vs Hobby's $9 subscription + $1,000 fees = $1,009/month. Pro breaks even at ~$1,100/month in community revenue — almost every serious creator upgrades. This structure is strategic: Skool uses Hobby to acquire creators cheaply, then upsells to Pro when they start earning. The 2.9% Pro transaction fee is identical to Stripe's base rate — effectively Skool charges you only the payment processor fee (no platform markup). Both tiers include affiliate program — Skool has built-in referral tracking for community members reselling your course. Skool has become the preferred platform for influencer-led communities (high-profile creators like Alex Hormozi, others) driving rapid adoption. Where Skool wins: radical simplicity — two tiers, unlimited everything, choice is just transaction fee, Pro tier's 2.9% transaction fee matches Stripe's base (no platform markup), built-in affiliate program across both tiers, unlimited courses + videos + live calls on all tiers, annual billing saves 2 months (16.7% effective discount). Where it loses: Hobby tier's 10% transaction fee is punitively high (designed to push Pro upgrade), no tier between $9 Hobby and $99 Pro, fewer customization features than Circle, no branded mobile app option, no API access or advanced automation.