How Circle and Skool compare
Circle is where serious community hosts go when the community is the business. Spaces for discussion and chat, courses and events in the same place, paid memberships with branded checkout, gamification, workflows, Circle AI, and on Circle Plus your own branded iOS and Android apps. It has grown into an all-in-one for membership businesses, and the Website Builder and Email Hub mean many hosts no longer need a second tool for the front door. If your members log in every week to talk to each other, Circle is built for exactly that.
Skool does one thing with unusual discipline: a paid community with a feed, a classroom, a calendar, and gamification that keeps members coming back. The pricing is plain, the app is quick, and Discovery can send you members you did not have to find yourself. If your work is a group people join and show up to every week, Skool is shaped for that.
Where they are different
Choose Circle when a paid, private community with courses and events is the product, and you want members in a branded app.
Choose Skool when the membership is the product, and a feed, courses, and leaderboards are how you deliver it.
Compare features
What's on Circle and Skool
A check means that capability is available. Circle and Skool are marked only when the offer is comparable, not the same product.
Site and brand
- Workspace siteCircle: IncludedSkool: Not included
- Custom domainCircle: IncludedSkool: Not included
- Theme and fontsCircle: IncludedSkool: Not included
Public content
- Reader engagementCircle: IncludedSkool: Included
Reach and quality
- SEOCircle: IncludedSkool: Not included
Audience and email
- AudienceCircle: IncludedSkool: Not included
- Marketing emailsCircle: IncludedSkool: Included
Messaging
- Built-in chatCircle: IncludedSkool: Included
Team
- Admin usersCircle: IncludedSkool: Included
- Per-admin permissionsCircle: IncludedSkool: Included
* Note: This table does not capture every feature of Circle or Skool, and is not intended as a comprehensive list. We keep this page current, but Circle or Skool may add or remove features that are not shown here.
Circle vs Skool pricing
Compare plans, prices, and what it costs to get started.
Circle
Current plans and prices
See what Circle charges on their pricing page.
Skool
Current plans and prices
See what Skool charges on their pricing page.
Cardel: An alternative to
Circle and Skool
You don't pay until you publish.
Cardel provides a home for your craft. Share and sell your work, grow your audience, and bring your community together on a site of your own.
Common questions
Is Cardel an alternative to Circle or Skool?
Cardel is a home for your craft: a site of your own with a blog, newsletter, shop, community, and one inbox. It can replace Circle or Skool when you want your work, audience, and sales in one place. The feature list on this page shows where Circle and Skool are marked.
Can I use Cardel with Circle or Skool?
Yes. Cardel pages can link out to other products, so you can keep Circle or Skool for what it does best and bring the rest of your work to Cardel.
How much does Cardel cost compared with Circle and Skool?
You don't pay for Cardel until you publish. Choose Starter, Pro, or Studio when your site goes live. Circle and Skool set their own prices, so check their pricing pages on this page for current plans.
How do I switch from Circle or Skool to Cardel?
Start with Build Your Site, set up your home, and bring your work over at your own pace. You do not have to move everything on day one.