Skool pricing plans, finally explained without the fluff

The single plan

Skool's pricing page lists exactly one plan: $99/month per community. No tiers, no add-ons, no per-seat. That's intentional — the founders have said publicly they wanted to skip the multi-tier maze that most SaaS pulls you through.

What you get for $99:

• Unlimited members in your community.
• Unlimited posts, comments, and reactions.
• Unlimited courses, modules, and lessons.
• Video hosting and streaming.
• iOS + Android mobile apps.
• Stripe payments connection.
• The leaderboard / gamification engine.
• Calendar with RSVPs.
• Direct messaging.
• A custom URL: yourname.skool.com.

14-day free trial. No credit card required to start. You can launch a paid community during the trial and keep all the revenue. After day 14, add a card or the community goes read-only.

Multiple communities = multiple $99 charges. If you want to run three communities, you pay $297/month. Skool does not offer a multi-community discount or any kind of agency tier. It's the most-asked-for change from larger creators.

See the pricing inside Skool itself.

14-day free trial — no card required. Most community owners decide whether Skool fits within the first week.

Start Skool free trial →

Stripe fees on top

If you charge members, you'll pay Stripe's standard processing rate: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction. Skool passes this through and does not add a markup on top.

Real math on a $50/month membership:

• Member pays $50.
• Stripe takes $1.45 + $0.30 = $1.75.
• You net $48.25 per member, per month.
• Across 100 members: $4,825 minus the $99 platform fee = $4,726 net.

Cross-border members add 1% via Stripe's currency conversion. Disputes cost $15 each. Refunds return the percentage but Stripe keeps the $0.30. None of this is unique to Skool — it's just how Stripe works on every platform.

Unlike Patreon (8–12% platform cut) or Whop (3% platform cut on top of card fees), Skool takes nothing from member revenue beyond the flat $99. That's why creators with 100+ paying members usually do better economically on Skool than on percentage-based platforms.

What costs extra (or isn't included)

The pricing surprises don't come from Skool — they come from things Skool doesn't include.

• Email broadcast tool — none. You'll need ConvertKit ($15+/mo), Beehiiv (free tier available), or similar to email your member list.
• Native automation — none. No DM sequences, no churn flows, no lifecycle triggers. Patched by tools4skool ($29–$149/mo) or DIY with Zapier.
• CRM — none. No tags, no pipeline, no notes on members. Most creators eventually export to a real CRM.
• Custom domain — not supported. You're stuck on yourname.skool.com.
• White-label — not supported. Skool branding stays.
• Analytics — basic only. No cohort retention, no LTV, no funnel.

So the real budget for a serious paid community on Skool is closer to:

• Skool: $99
• Email: $15–$50
• Automation layer (tools4skool): $29–$149
• Analytics or sheets work: free–$30

Total: $140–$330/month for a complete stack. Still cheaper than Kajabi ($149+) plus its own automation add-ons or Circle Business ($199+) once you turn on email.

How Skool's pricing stacks up

Skool ($99/mo flat). Best when you have a paying community and want predictable cost. Worst when you run multiple brands.

Circle ($89–$199/mo). Tiers ramp fast. The Basic plan ($89) is missing email and integrations; you'll be on Professional ($199) within a quarter. Better design, better email, similar ceiling.

Mighty Networks ($41–$179/mo). Cheapest entry point if you're cohort-and-courses focused. Good live event tools. Annual discount available.

Kajabi ($149–$399/mo). Heaviest, most full-featured. If your business is courses + funnels + email + community, Kajabi is one tool that does it all. Pricey but the consolidation can pay off.

Whop (free + 3% transaction fee). Cheapest at low volume; gets expensive at scale. A community of 100 paying members at $50/mo would pay Whop ~$150/month in fees vs Skool's $99. Below ~$3,300 in monthly revenue, Whop is cheaper. Above, Skool wins.

Patreon (free + 8–12%). Almost always the most expensive at scale because of the percentage cut. Only wins if you're a fan-funded creator (artist, podcast) where Patreon's brand recognition drives signups.

The cost-saving stack

The way most successful Skool communities get to a complete stack without paying Kajabi-level prices:

1. Skool ($99/mo) — community + courses. 2. [tools4skool](https://tools4skool.com) ($29–$149/mo) — DM sequences, churn-saver, comment miner, scheduled posts, analytics, member CSV export. 3. Beehiiv (free–$49/mo) — newsletter and email broadcasts. 4. Stripe (built into Skool) — payments.

Total mid-range: ~$200/month for a stack that handles community, courses, automation, email, and payments.

tools4skool offers a free plan forever (1 sequence, 20 DMs/day, 1 account). Paid tiers are $29 (Starter), $59 (Pro), $149 (Agency). The Pro tier is the sweet spot for most operators with 100–500 paying members. Kate Capelli's case study: $59/mo on tools4skool, $4,000/mo more in 2 weeks, ~7,000% ROI. Numbers will vary; the math works once you have enough members for automation to compound.