4 Skool Alternatives in 2026, Ranked by What They Actually Cost You
I ranked four Skool alternatives by what they'd cost a paid community, using each tool's own published fees, then by what each one does that Skool can't.
This review has paid links: if you sign up through them, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes what I write.
As a Skool user, the question I actually had about alternatives wasn't which one has the most features. It was: if I moved, what would it cost me?
So I ran the same numbers for every platform: a paid community bringing in $5,000 a month, using each tool's own published fees. Only one alternative came in under Skool Pro. And the most expensive option on the whole list was Skool's own $9 plan.
My verdict: if your community is the product, stay on Skool Pro. Move only for something Skool can't do, and pick the alternative that does that one thing best.
How I compared them
I've run a Skool group since 2024 and took it apart for my Skool review. For the four alternatives, every price and fee comes from each tool's own pricing page or help center, checked on November 10, 2026. I also built a test community on Systeme.io's free plan to see what you actually get.
What each one costs at $5,000 a month
Hypothetical example: 100 members paying $50 a month, US cards, cheapest plan that fits.
| Platform (plan) | Plan price | Platform cut | Card processing | Monthly total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Systeme.io (Startup) | $17 | None | Stripe 2.9% + 30¢ | about $192 to $227 |
| Skool (Pro) | $99 | 2.9% + 30¢, processing included | Included | about $274 |
| Kajabi (Basic, annual) | $143 | None | 2.9% + 30¢, plus 0.7% on subscriptions | about $353 |
| Mighty Networks (Launch, annual) | $79 | 2% | Stripe 2.9% + 30¢ | about $354 to $389 |
| Circle (Professional, annual) | $89 | 2% | Stripe 2.9% + 30¢, plus 0.7% Stripe Billing | about $399 |
| Skool (Hobby) | $9 | 10% + 30¢, processing included | Included | about $539 |
These are my own calculations. Where a range appears, the higher number adds Stripe's 0.7% Billing fee for subscriptions, which Circle's and Kajabi's own documents confirm and which may also apply on Systeme.io and Mighty Networks depending on how they bill. Mighty's help center puts Stripe's fees at 2.5% to 5% for web purchases, so check yours. Taxes, refunds and international cards are left out.
Two surprises. Systeme.io is the only alternative cheaper than Skool Pro. And Skool's own Hobby plan is the most expensive option on the list at this size, which is why switching to Pro matters more than switching platforms.
1. Systeme.io: the cheapest way out
Best for: creators on a tight budget who want a community, courses, email and sales funnels without paying a platform cut.
Systeme.io is an all-in-one marketing tool with communities built in. Its free plan never expires and needs no card. According to its pricing page, the free plan includes 2,000 contacts, 3 sales funnels, 1 course with up to 500 students, and 1 community with unlimited members.
Paid plans are $17 a month (Startup), $47 (Webinar) and $97 (Unlimited), mainly scaling by contacts. Every plan includes unlimited email sends and 0% transaction fees; you pay only Stripe or PayPal's processing.
Where it beats Skool: price, plus email marketing, sales funnels, a website and a blog that Skool doesn't have.
What I found when I built one: I set up a test community on the free plan. It took about a minute, and the whole settings page fits on one screen: name, URL path, cover image, private or public, and whether member posts need approval. Inside you get a feed, topics, a members list, scheduled posts and moderation tools.
Two things tripped me up. The URL path box auto-filled as I typed and left me with a garbled address I had to fix by hand. And there's no price field on the community itself. To charge for access you build an offer and a checkout page in Systeme.io's funnel builder, and buyers get added to the community automatically. Systeme.io's help center says access is removed when a subscription is cancelled or a payment refunded.
Where Skool wins: community is Skool's whole product. Pricing, a classroom, a calendar and a points leaderboard all live inside the group. In Systeme.io the community is one tool among many, and you wire the selling part up yourself.
Try Systeme.io free Paid link: I earn a commission if you upgrade, at no extra cost to you.
2. Kajabi: the whole business in one bill
Best for: course businesses that sell to new audiences through email and funnels, or need quizzes and certificates.
Kajabi starts at $179 a month, or $143 billed annually. Every plan includes a website on your own domain, unlimited landing pages, funnels and marketing emails, with contacts capped at 2,500 on Basic. Its help center describes graded quizzes and automatic completion certificates.
It takes no platform cut, but its US card rate is 2.9% plus 30 cents, plus 0.7% on subscriptions.
Where it beats Skool: website, email, funnels, quizzes and certificates.
Where Skool wins: about $80 a month cheaper at this size, and a community built for daily engagement. Full breakdown in Skool vs Kajabi.
3. Mighty Networks: courses, badges and cohorts
Best for: course creators who want quizzes, certifications and cohort programs inside a community.
Mighty Networks' Launch plan is $79 a month billed annually ($950 a year). Its comparison table lists unlimited members and spaces, quizzes and tests, cohort-based courses, automatically awarded badges and certifications, a custom domain and native apps. Its help center lists a 2% transaction fee on Launch, 1% on Scale and 0.5% on Growth, taken on top of Stripe's fees. There's a 14-day free trial with no card required.
Where it beats Skool: quizzes, certifications, unlimited spaces, livestreaming and a custom domain.
Where Skool wins: simpler, cheaper once fees are counted, and members level up into content without you building automations.
4. Circle: the most flexible community
Best for: businesses running several programs or cohorts side by side, or wanting the community on their own domain.
Circle's Professional plan is $89 a month billed annually, with a 2% transaction fee on top of Stripe's card fee and its 0.7% subscription fee. It lets you build a community from separate post, chat, event and course spaces (20 on Professional), with a website builder, custom domain and quizzes. Email marketing is an add-on.
Where it beats Skool: separate spaces for separate groups, your own domain, quizzes and optional email.
Where Skool wins: about $125 a month cheaper at this size, and the gap widens as you grow. Full breakdown in Skool vs Circle.
When you should stay on Skool
Moving a community costs more than money. Members have to log in somewhere new, and some won't. Stay on Skool if:
- The community is the product. Members pay to talk to you and each other, and courses are a reason to join.
- You don't need a website or email marketing, or you already have them elsewhere.
- You're still on Hobby. Moving to Skool Pro at about $1,270 a month in member payments saves more than switching platforms would. I show the math in my Skool review.
The GrowthToolGuide verdict
Skool Pro is the best value for a focused paid community. Leave only for a specific gap: Systeme.io if budget is everything, Kajabi for a full business platform, Mighty Networks for certifications, Circle for several separate spaces.
Stay on Skool
One main community, members engaging daily, your own traffic, and fees that stay low as you grow.
Switch
You need a website, email, funnels, quizzes, certificates or several separate spaces, and you've checked the fee math above.
Try Skool Paid link: I earn a commission if you sign up, at no extra cost to you.
Skool alternatives FAQ
What is the cheapest Skool alternative?
Systeme.io. It has a free plan with one community and unlimited members, paid plans from $17 a month, and no transaction fee of its own. You still pay Stripe or PayPal's processing fees.
Is Circle better than Skool?
For several separate spaces, quizzes and a website on your own domain, yes. For one focused paid community, Skool Pro costs less at every revenue level I calculated.
Which Skool alternative has quizzes and certificates?
Kajabi has graded quizzes and automatic completion certificates. Mighty Networks lists quizzes and automatic badges and certifications. Circle has quizzes but says it doesn't offer native certificates.
Do these alternatives take a cut of my sales?
Circle takes 2% on its entry plan and Mighty Networks 2% on Launch, plus Stripe's fees. Kajabi takes no platform cut but adds 0.7% on subscriptions to its card rate. Systeme.io charges no transaction fee of its own.
Should I move my community off Skool?
Only if you need something Skool doesn't do: a website, email marketing, quizzes, certificates or several separate spaces. If your community is the whole product, Skool Pro is hard to beat on cost.
What's the one thing your community needs that Skool doesn't do? That answer picks your alternative.