The best Skool alternative in 2026 is a community that does not take a percent of every membership, and that can also sell courses and coaching. WithMe does that at $25/month billed annually (UK £25), with 0% WithMe commission and Stripe fees only. Start a 14-day WithMe trial.
WithMe is an all-in-one creator hub, not a link-in-bio page: the simplicity of Stan Store with the functionality of Kajabi, including community. More than 8,000 creators use it, and there is a 14-day trial.
Prices below were read on each vendor's pricing page on 16 October 2026. Skool's fee split comes from Skool's own help centre as well as the pricing page.
How do Skool alternatives compare on price and fees?
Public USD prices on 16 October 2026. Community history does not move cleanly off Skool, whichever row you pick.
| Platform | Best for | Price | Fees | Where it falls short |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WithMe | Community plus courses, coaching, and a storefront, without a percent of each sale | $25/month billed annually (UK £25) | 0% WithMe commission. Stripe fees apply | Skool points, leaderboards, and old posts do not move. You set channels up fresh |
| Skool | Stay if gamification and Skool discovery are the product | Hobby $9/month. Pro $99/month. 2 months free on annual billing. 14-day trial | Hobby 10% + $0.30. Pro 2.9% + $0.30 | Hobby's 10% fee. One community format. Past posts do not export if you leave |
| Circle | A configurable community: spaces, events, and live rooms | Professional $89/month, Business $199/month, Scale $419/month, on the annual-billing prices Circle displays | Transaction fee on the pricing table: Professional 2%, Business 1%, Scale 1%, Circle Plus 0.5% | A higher starting price than Skool Hobby, and another community tool to learn |
| Mighty Networks | A hosted community with courses and events on one plan | Launch $79/month, Scale $179/month, Growth $354/month. The page offers 2 months free on annual billing | The pricing table lists 2%, 1%, 0.5%, and 0.5% across its plan columns | The fee and the price both climb. You are still on someone else's community host |
| Whop | A paid group with no monthly platform fee | $0 monthly on Whop's public fee schedule | Domestic cards 2.7% + $0.30, plus optional extras. International cards add 1.5% | Fees scale with sales. Not a course-and-coaching hub with your own app |
| Kajabi | Community as one piece of a full marketing suite | Basic $143/month billed annually. One community on Basic and Growth. Three on Pro | 0% revenue share. US Kajabi Payments from 2.9% + $0.30 on Basic | An expensive way to replace a $9 community. Basic allows one community and 2,500 contacts |
| Systeme.io | A community attached to funnels and email, on a low plan | Free, then $17, $47, or $97 a month | 0% systeme.io transaction fee. Stripe or PayPal processing still applies | Course and contact caps. Community is not as central as it is on Skool |
| Podia | A light community beside downloads and courses | Mover $42/month billed yearly, with 25 spaces. Shaker $84/month yearly | 5% on Mover. 0% Podia fee on Shaker and Earthquaker, plus Stripe or PayPal | Spaces, not a Skool-style feed. The 5% fee if you stay on Mover |
Is WithMe a Skool alternative?
Yes, if the community should live next to courses, coaching, and checkout, and you do not want a 10% fee. WithMe is $25/month billed annually with 0% WithMe commission. Members can be imported from a CSV. Comments, likes, points, and the old feed cannot. You open new channels and invite people back.
When should you stay on Skool?
Stay if members come back for the points, the leaderboard, and being found inside Skool. skool.com/pricing on 16 October 2026 showed Hobby at $9/month and Pro at $99/month, plus 2 months free on annual billing. The help centre lists Hobby at 10% + $0.30 and Pro at 2.9% + $0.30. That discovery is real. The fee and the lock-in are the cost.
Is Circle a better Skool alternative for serious communities?
If you want spaces and events more than a single feed, Circle is the usual answer. circle.so/pricing on 16 October 2026 listed Professional at $89/month, Business at $199/month, and Scale at $419/month, with the page stating prices are based on annual billing. The same table lists transaction fees of 2%, 1%, 1%, and 0.5%. There is a 14-day trial. It is more flexible than Skool and much more expensive than Hobby.
Is Mighty Networks cheaper than Skool Pro?
Launch is listed at $79/month against Skool Pro at $99/month, so the subscription can be lower, and the fee is not zero. mightynetworks.com/pricing on 16 October 2026 showed Launch at $79/month, Scale at $179, and Growth at $354, with 2 months free on annual billing, and transaction fees of 2%, 1%, 0.5%, and 0.5% across the plan columns. It is a real community host. It is not a 0% commission hub.
Is Whop a Skool alternative?
For a paid group, it is the one people cite when they do not want $99/month. docs.whop.com/fees on 16 October 2026 lists 2.7% + $0.30 on domestic cards for new merchants, and higher totals if orchestration, billing, or tax remittance are on. There is no flat plan to compare with WithMe's $25/month billed annually. Fine for a shelf of digital products. Thin if you also coach.
Is Kajabi a Skool alternative?
Only if you were going to buy Kajabi anyway. kajabi.com/pricing on 16 October 2026 puts one community on Basic and Growth, and three on Pro, with Basic at $143/month billed annually. You get email and funnels Skool does not have. You pay for them. A community-only move is hard to justify at that price.
Can Systeme.io replace Skool?
It can host a community next to funnels, which Skool does not try to do, and the free plan is real. systeme.io/pricing, checked 16 October 2026, still shows Free, $17, $47, and $97 with 0% transaction fees. The free plan is 2,000 contacts, 3 funnels, 1 course, and 500 students. Members will not get Skool's points or discovery.
Is Podia enough community to leave Skool?
For a small member area, yes. podia.com/pricing on 16 October 2026 lists Mover at $42/month billed yearly with a 5% fee, and higher plans with no Podia fee. You get spaces rather than a gamified feed. If the points are why people stay, Podia will feel quiet. If you wanted courses and a simple member area, it is enough.
Where the other platforms win
Skool wins on gamification and discovery inside Skool, and Hobby is the cheapest way to start. Circle wins when you need spaces, events, and a more configurable community and you can pay from $89/month. Mighty Networks wins as a hosted community with courses if Launch's feature set matches. Whop wins on a $0 monthly fee. Kajabi wins if the community is only one piece of a funnel business. WithMe wins when the community should sit in the same hub as courses, coaching, and checkout, at $25/month billed annually with 0% WithMe commission, and you can start the feed fresh.
Skool alternatives: common questions
What is the best Skool alternative in 2026?
If you want community, courses, and coaching in one hub without a percent of every sale, WithMe is the direct alternative at $25/month billed annually with 0% WithMe commission. Stay on Skool if points, the leaderboard, and Skool discovery are why members pay.
How much do Skool alternatives cost?
On 16 October 2026, Skool Hobby was $9/month and Pro was $99/month. Circle Professional was $89/month on annual billing. Mighty Networks Launch was $79/month. WithMe is $25/month billed annually.
Does WithMe charge Skool's transaction fee?
No. WithMe takes 0% commission. Stripe processing fees still apply. The plan price is $25/month billed annually, unlike Skool Hobby's 10% + $0.30.
Can I move my Skool community posts to another platform?
No. Comments, likes, points, and the old feed do not export. You can export member names and emails, then set up channels fresh and re-invite people.
Is a 0% commission community worth more than Skool Hobby?
Hobby is $9/month plus 10% + $0.30 on every sale. WithMe is $25/month billed annually and takes 0% commission, with Stripe fees on top. At a few hundred dollars a month in memberships, the 10% usually costs more than the gap in the plan price.
