14 Best Skool Alternatives for Better Community Hosting

Skool is a popular online community platform. However, what works for one community might not suit another.

Whether you’re looking for advanced monetization features, different levels of customization, or simply want a change of scenery, there’s a range of Skool alternatives available to you that may better align with your community needs.

I’ll walk you through 14 of the best Skool alternatives in this article.

Here’s a Table Comparing The Best 14 Skool Alternatives

Alternative	Pricing	Trial Duration
Mighty Networks	Starts at $49/mo	14 days
GoHighLevel	Starts at $97/mo	14-days trial
Kajabi	Starts at $149/mo	14 days
Circle	Starts at $49/mo	14 days
Podia	Starts at $39/mo	14 days
Thinkific	Free to $49/mo	Free plan available
Teachable	Free to $59/mo	Free forever plan
Facebook Group	Free	N/A
Patreon	8%-12% of earnings	N/A
Discord	Free to $9.99/mo	N/A
ClickFunnels	Starts at $147/mo	14 days
LearnWorlds	Starts at $24/mo	30 days
Slack	Free to $15/mo	Free plan available
Udemy	Starts at $30/mo	14 days

1. GoHighLevel

GoHighLevel is a powerful alternative to Skool. It has robust community features that cater to varied business needs.

GoHighLevel Key Features

• CRM Integration: GoHighLevel’s community platform seamlessly integrates with its CRM capabilities, allowing you to maintain close connections with your members.
• Marketing Automation: You can automate marketing campaigns within the community, enhancing member engagement without manual effort.
• Customizable Funnels: Create tailored funnels directly in the community space, which help guide members through specific pathways.
• White Labeling: Present the platform as your own branded space, offering a cohesive brand experience to your community members.
• SMS & Email Communication: Engage with your community via SMS and emails directly through GoHighLevel.
• Reporting & Analytics: Track community engagement and measure the performance of your campaigns with detailed analytics.

GoHighLevel Pros and Cons

Here are some of the pros and cons of using GoHighLevel:

Key Differences Between GoHighLevel and Skool

• CRM & Sales Tools: Unlike Skool, GoHighLevel offers an array of CRM and sales tools integrated with community features.
• Customization: GoHighLevel provides more extensive customization options, including white labeling.
• Marketing Automation: GoHighLevel stands out with its marketing automation, a feature not inherent to Skool.

GoHighLevel Pricing

• Starter Plan: $97 monthly + CRM, email marketing, and funnel building.
• Unlimited Plan: $297 monthly + SMS marketing, automation, and booking appointments.

2. Mighty Networks

As you explore Skool alternatives for creating and monetizing online communities, Mighty Networks is one of the more comprehensive options. It equips you with robust tools for community engagement, content delivery, and commerce.

Mighty Networks Key Features

• Unified Community Space: Within a single platform, you can facilitate discussions, share updates, and foster a sense of belonging among members.
• Content Management: Organize and distribute articles, videos, and other materials to provide value and education to your members.
• Membership Management: Handle subscriptions, member data, and activity insights from a user-friendly dashboard.
• Monetization Capabilities: Offer paid memberships, courses, and exclusive content as part of your community strategy.
• Broad Integration: Connect with other services and applications to enhance the functionality of your community space.

Mighty Networks Pros and Cons

Key Differences Between Mighty Networks and Skool

• Design and User Experience: Mighty Networks provides a sleek and modern interface that focuses on ease of use and aesthetic appeal.
• Learning Tools: Unlike Skool, which emphasizes course creation and management, Mighty Networks offers more flexible tools for diverse content types.
• Monetization Options: Mighty Networks has built-in payment and sales features allowing for more direct monetization methods than Skool.

Mighty Networks Pricing

Mighty Networks offers three pricing plans to choose from:

• Courses: $119/month + build-and-sell courses, unlimited members & spaces
• Business: $219/month + features of Basic, white-labeling & customization
• Path-to-Pro: $360/month + with features of Business and dedicated team & start-up services

3. Kajabi

Kajabi serves as a robust platform ideal for your online course creation and marketing needs, distinguishing itself with a suite of tools tailored for entrepreneurs and educators.

Kajabi Key Features

• Comprehensive Course Builder: Design and develop courses with a variety of multimedia options, quizzes, and assignment features to enrich the learning experience.
• Marketing and Sales Tools: Utilize built-in pipelines to craft your marketing funnels, email marketing campaigns, and automated sequences to boost sales.
• Website Builder: Create a custom website with a wide selection of themes without the need for coding knowledge.
• Analytics and Reporting: Keep track of your progress with detailed analytics that measure engagement, conversion rates, and other critical metrics.
• Community Feature: Build a community around your courses, providing a space for your students to interact and engage.
• Mobile App: Offers a mobile app so that your users can access content on-the-go, enhancing accessibility.

Kajabi Pros and Cons

Key Differences Between Kajabi and Skool

• Focus: Kajabi caters to a broader range of business needs with integrated marketing tools (email marketing etc.) and advanced course selling features. Skool prioritizes creating strong learning communities for course delivery.
• Marketing Tools: Kajabi offers built-in marketing tools, while Skool has limited options in this area.
• Course Features: Kajabi provides advanced features specifically designed for selling courses. Skool offers more basic course functionalities.

Kajabi Pricing

Kajabi offers a range of pricing plans to suit different needs:

• Basic plan: $149/month + course creation & sales tools
• Growth plan: $199/month + marketing automation & sales features
• Pro plan: $399/month + all features & coaching

4. Circle.so

In your search for Skool alternatives, Circle.so stands out with its emphasis on a sleek and intuitive user interface, enabling users to build and engage in online communities effectively.

Circle.so Key Features

• Customizable Spaces: You can create different spaces within your community for various topics, each with unique settings and privacy levels.
• Member Profiles: Users have personalized profiles where they can share information about themselves and engage with the community.
• Content Management: Effortlessly organize and manage content with features such as rich text editing and media embedding.
• Direct Messaging: Facilitate one-on-one conversation between members with an integrated direct messaging system.
• Event Integration: Plan and schedule events within the community, seamlessly integrated with calendars.

Circle.so Pros and Cons

Key Differences Between Circle.so and Skool

• Community Style: Circle.so has a clean and customizable interface. Skool is gamified and fosters structured engagement.
• Customization: Circle.so offers extensive options to personalize your community. Skool has more limited customization features.
• Focus: Circle.so prioritizes discussions and content sharing. Skool emphasizes gamified engagement.
• Courses: Circle.so offers a broader set of community tools. Skool provides basic course creation features.

Circle.so Pricing

• Basic Plan: $49/month + core community-building tools, including spaces and posts
• Professional Plan: $99/month + core features like profiles, discussions, events, paid memberships
• Business Plan: $219/month + workflows, custom fields and API access
• Enterprise Plan: $399/month + unlimited workflows, SSO and priority support

5. Podia

Podia enables you create and selling online courses, digital downloads, and memberships, without the need for technical expertise.

Podia Key Features

• Course Creation: Easily create and sell online courses with a user-friendly interface that includes a variety of multimedia content options.
• Membership Site: Build and manage a membership site where you can offer tiered subscription levels and have gated content exclusive to members.
• Email Marketing: Integrated tools for email marketing, allowing you to send newsletters, drip campaigns, and targeted emails directly from Podia.
• Digital Downloads: Sell anything from ebooks to music by uploading and marketing digital files directly to your audience.
• Custom Website: Customize your storefront with a domain of your choosing, enabling you to build and brand your online business effectively.

Podia Pros and Cons

Key Differences Between Podia and Skool

• Focus: Podia focuses on providing you with an individual platform for course creation, and digital downloads while Skool is more of a community-centric environment.
• Courses: Podia gives the flexibility of selling products directly, but Skool is formatted primarily for course creators looking to build a community around their content.

Podia Pricing

• Free Plan: $0/month offers a taste of the Podia experience, albeit with limited features.
• Mover Plan: $39/month for beginning creators who are ready to launch their storefronts.
• Shaker Plan: $89/month best suited for growing your online business with additional features like memberships.
• Earthquaker Plan: $199/month for established businesses that need advanced capabilities like affiliate marketing and dedicated onboarding support.

6. Thinkific

Thinkific is a robust online course platform that offers you a blend of ease-of-use and powerful features, making it an attractive alternative to Skool for your online education business.

Thinkific Key Features

• Customizable Course Pages: Tailor the look and feel of your course pages to match your brand, ensuring a cohesive user experience.
• Quizzes and Surveys: Boost engagement and retention with interactive quizzes and surveys within your course content.
• Support for Multiple Content Types: Integrate various content types, including videos, PDFs, and quizzes, to create a rich learning experience.
• Drip Content: Release your course material over time to keep students engaged and to pace their learning.
• Marketing Tools: Utilize built-in marketing tools to promote your courses, including discounts and membership bundles.
• Analytics and Reporting: Access detailed reporting on student progress, engagement, and course completion rates to make data-driven decisions.

Thinkific Pros and Cons

Key Differences Between Thinkific and Skool

• Community Tools: Thinkific focuses more on course creation and delivery, whereas Skool also offers community-building tools geared toward student interaction.
• Course Marketplaces: Thinkific allows you to sell your courses on its platform, giving you the opportunity to reach more potential students, a feature not directly offered on Skool.
• User Interface: While both platforms are user-friendly, Thinkific offers a more streamlined design and setup process for course creators.

Thinkific Pricing

Thinkific offers a range of pricing plans to suit different needs and budgets:

• Thinkific Free plan: 0% transaction fee + 1 course/product
• Basic plan: $49/month + access to create unlimited courses with 5 spaces per community
• Start plan: $99/month + access to create unlimited courses with 10 spaces per community
• Grow plan: $199/month + access to create unlimited courses with 20 spaces per community

7. Teachable

Teachable is a comprehensive platform for creating and selling online courses. It offers robust features designed to enhance your digital teaching experience and provides tools for course creation, student management, and revenue tracking.

Teachable Key Features

• Drag-and-Drop Builder: Assemble your course with ease using Teachable’s intuitive interface, allowing you to insert lectures, quizzes, and course material without coding.
• Integrated Payment Processing: Connect payment methods like PayPal and Stripe directly to your Teachable account, facilitating straightforward student payments and instructor payouts.
• Advanced Analytics: Track your course’s performance with detailed reporting on student enrollments, course completion rates, and earnings.
• Course Compliance Controls: Ensure students engage with course content fully by setting up mandatory lectures, course completion prerequisites, and quiz scores.
• Custom Domains: Personalize your course website using your domain name, bolstering your brand’s presence and making it easier for students to find you.

Teachable Pros and Cons

Key Differences Between Teachable and Skool

• Focus: Teachable excels at creating and selling online courses, while Skool focuses on building memberships with strong communities.
• Social Learning: Teachable doesn’t prioritize features like forums or member profiles for interaction. Skool emphasizes these features to encourage social learning.
• Integrations: Teachable offers a wider range of third-party app integrations, which Skool does not have yet.

Teachable Pricing

Teachable offers four pricing plans:

• Teachable free plan: $0/month with $1 + 10% transaction fee. 1 product allowed
• Basic plan: $59/month + 5% transaction fee. 5 products allowed
• Pro plan: $159/month + 0 transaction fee. 50 products allowed
• Pro+ plan: $249/month + no transaction fee. 2000 products allowed

8. Facebook Group

Facebook Group is a widely-used platform that allows you to create a community-centered around various interests and topics, ranging from casual hobbies to more structured educational content.

Facebook Group Key Features

• Customizable Privacy Settings: You can set your group to public, private, or secret, controlling who sees your group and its posts.
• Member Management Tools: Admins can manage membership, moderate discussions, and set up group rules.
• Event Creation: Organize virtual or in-person events, complete with RSVPs and event reminders.
• File Sharing and Collaboration: Share documents, images, and other files directly within the group.

Facebook Group Pros and Cons

Key Differences Between Facebook Group and Skool

• Purpose-Built Platforms: Skool is purpose-built for online education, while Facebook Groups are more generalized social platforms.
• Monetization: Skool allows for monetization through courses, unlike Facebook Groups which has no direct monetization features.
• Content Structuring: Skool offers structured educational content and pathways, which Facebook Groups inherently lack.
• Built-In Analytics: Skool provides detailed insights and analytics that are more limited in Facebook Groups.

Facebook Group Pricing

Facebook Group is a free platform, making it accessible for anyone to create and manage a community without financial constraints.

9. Patreon

Patreon stands as a unique alternative to Skool, particularly for creators and artists seeking financial support directly from their audience. Here, you can establish a subscription-based income model tailored to content creators.

Patreon Key Features

• Membership Tiers: Patreon allows you to create multiple tiers with different access levels and rewards, giving your supporters options to choose from.
• Exclusive Content: You can offer exclusive content, posts, or updates only accessible to your paying patrons, which incentives them to support you.
• Direct Communication: Patreon includes a feature for you to directly interact with your patrons, fostering a strong community.
• Analytics and Insights: Gain valuable insights with Patreon’s analytics tools that help you understand your earnings growth and patron behavior.

Patreon Pros and Cons

Key Differences Between Patreon and Skool

• Focus: Skool helps you build online communities and courses, while Patreon is designed for creators to earn recurring income through subscriptions.
• Content: Skool provides structured tools for courses, while Patreon focuses on creators offering a continuous stream of content with different subscription levels.

Patreon Pricing

• Pro: 8% of the income you earn on Patreon + subscriptions, tiers, trials, and offers
• Premium: 12% of the income you earn on Patreon + a dedicated partner manager, team accounts, and merch for memberships

10. Discord

Discord serves as a versatile platform combining robust chat features with community management, making it a popular alternative to Skool for fostering online communities and collaborative projects.

Discord Key Features

• Real-time Chat: You can engage in instant messaging, voice, and video calls, facilitating live interaction and communication within your community.
• Server Creation and Management: Easily create servers for different purposes, assign roles with specific permissions, and manage your community with a suite of moderation tools.
• Integration with Other Services: Integrate with various other platforms such as Twitch, YouTube, and more, which allows for a seamless connection between Discord and your other community platforms.
• Customizable Bots and Apps: Enhance your Discord server with bots that can automate tasks, moderate, or add fun community engagement features.

Discord Pros and Cons

Key Differences Between Discord and Skool

• Communication: Discord focuses on instant messaging, voice, and video calls for building communities. Skool is designed for structured online courses.
• Community Style: Discord fosters a free-flowing, informal environment for chats and large groups. Skool creates a more organized community centered around courses.

Discord Pricing

• Free Version: Offers most features needed to run a vibrant, active community without cost.
• Nitro Basic: $2.99/month + 50MB limit, Custom emojis and Special Nitro badge on your profile
• Nitro: $9.99/month + 500MB limit, HD video streaming and Access exclusive server benefits

11. ClickFunnels

ClickFunnels is a robust marketing platform that streamlines the process of building sales funnels online. It allows you to design, develop, and monitor campaigns all within one ecosystem.

ClickFunnels Key Features

• Drag-and-drop webpage editor: Easily create custom sales funnels without knowing how to code.
• Automation tools: Set up email and Facebook marketing automation to extend your campaigns.
• Analytics: Track your funnel performance with detailed analytics and metrics.
• Membership site functionality: Create a members-only area for your content and courses.
• Integrated payment systems: Accept payments through integrations with major gateways like Stripe and PayPal.
• A/B split testing: Test different elements of your pages to optimize for higher conversions.

ClickFunnels Pros and Cons

Key Differences Between ClickFunnels and Skool

• Focus: ClickFunnels excels at guiding potential toward a purchase. Skool prioritizes community building and course delivery.
• Course Features: ClickFunnels integrates with other platforms for course delivery. Skool is specifically designed for creating engaging and interactive online courses.
• Target Audience: ClickFunnels caters more to businesses looking to sell products or services online. Skool is ideal for educators and content creators who want to share their knowledge and build a community around their courses.

ClickFunnels Pricing

• The Basic plan: $147/month + 20 sales funnels, a drag-and-drop editor, and the ability to host 3 online courses.
• The Pro plan: $197/month + 100 sales funnels, access to 3 domains, and the ability to sell unlimited products.
• The Funnel Hacker plan: $297/month + unlimited funnels, 3 websites, and the ability to manage a team of 15 users.

12. Learnworlds

As you consider your options for online learning platforms, Learnworlds emerges as a robust alternative to Skool with a strong feature set and flexible pricing options.

Learnworlds Key Features

• Course Creation: You can create engaging and interactive courses using a variety of multimedia, including videos, eBooks, and quizzes.
• Customization: Learnworlds allows for personalized learning experiences by offering customizable course paths and completion certificates.
• Social Learning: The platform supports community building through interactive discussion forums and social networking features.
• Analytics and Reporting: Track your course’s progress and student engagement with in-depth analytics tools.
• Mobile Learning: Learners can access courses on-the-go with a mobile-friendly interface and a dedicated app.

LearnWorlds Pros and Cons

Key Differences Between Learnworlds and Skool

• Focus: LearnWorlds is an all-in-one platform. Skool is a community-centric platform.
• Community: LearnWorlds needs integrations. Skool has built-in features for forums & profiles.
• Customization: LearnWorlds has more options for branding & design. Skool has a more streamlined interface.
• Integrations: LearnWorlds has a wider range of third-party integrations. Skool focuses on core community & course features.

LearnWorlds Pricing

LearnWorlds offers three pricing plans:

• Starter Plan: $29/month + basic course builder and limited features.
• Pro Trainer Plan: $99/month + all Starter features, plus no transaction fees, increased engagement tools (live classes, apps).
• Learning Center Plan: $299/month + all features and advanced capabilities (interactive video, multi-language, in-depth reporting).

13. Slack

As you explore alternatives to Skool, Slack emerges as a versatile choice, particularly for communication-focused online communities. This platform provides an organized messaging ecosystem for educational and professional environments.

Slack Key Features

• Channels: Organize conversations for various topics, projects, or teams in dedicated spaces.
• Direct Messaging: Contact community members or instructors directly for private conversations.
• File Sharing: Easily share documents, images, and other files with the ability to search and retrieve shared content.
• Integrations: Enhance functionality by integrating with over 2,000 third-party applications like Google Drive and Trello.

Slack Pros and Cons

Key Differences Between Slack and Skool

• Focus: Slack is primarily a communication platform, distinguishing it from Skool’s targeted education and course management approach.
• Features: Where Skool offers course creation tools and student engagement features, Slack focuses on facilitating robust and real-time interaction between users.
• Community: Unlike Skool’s streamlined focus on educational communities, Slack is versatile and widely used in various industries for team collaboration.

Slack Pricing

• Free Plan: 90 days access to message and file history + Up to 10 integrations with other software
• Pro Plan: $8.75/month/user + Unlimited message history and unlimited apps and integrations
• Business+ Plan: $15/month/user + All benefits of Pro plan and 99.99% guaranteed uptime
• Enterprise Grid Plan: Custom pricing with all benefits of Business+ plan and a built-in employee directory

14. Udemy

In this section, you’ll find a structured look at Udemy as a Skool alternative, focusing on its unique offerings, distinctions from Skool, and the financial aspects for creators considering the platform.

Udemy Key Features

• Course Variety: Udemy boasts an extensive library with courses in a multitude of fields, from programming to personal development.
• Accessibility: Courses are available on-demand, allowing you to learn at your own pace and schedule.
• Certificate of Completion: After finishing a course, you receive a certificate which can be added to your resume or LinkedIn profile.
• Learning Paths: Udemy offers curated sequences of courses, designed to guide you in developing a specific skill set.
• Instructor Interaction: Many courses provide direct communication with instructors through Q&A sections.

Udemy Pros and Cons

Key Differences Between Udemy and Skool

• Monetization: Unlike Skool, Udemy allows you to monetize individual courses rather than a whole community.
• Course Structure: Udemy courses tend to be standalone with a focus on singular topics, while Skool emphasizes community learning around the course material.
• Platform Reach: With a wider audience, Udemy may offer increased exposure for your courses.

Udemy Pricing for Creators

Here’s the version without tiered bullets:

Udemy Pricing for Instructors: It’s All About Revenue Share

There are no upfront costs for creating and managing your courses on Udemy. Instead, you earn money through a revenue share model:

• You get paid a percentage of each course sale.
• The platform’s cut varies depending on how students find your course:
  • 3% commission for students who use your promo code (you keep 97%).
  • 63% commission for students who find your course through Udemy’s marketing (you keep 37%).

In short, you pay Udemy by sharing a portion of your earnings, not through any upfront fees. This can be a great way to test the waters and see if your course sells without any financial risk.

What are The Key Considerations Before Choosing a Skool Alternative?

Value for Money and Affordability

Consider value for money and affordability. You need a platform that offers a robust feature set at a price that matches your budget.

Look for transparent pricing structures to avoid unexpected costs and ensure a good return on investment.

Community/Students Interaction Tools

Effective community/student interaction tools are vital for engagement and retention.

Your chosen platform should facilitate seamless communication through features like forums, chats, or interactive Q&A sessions, enabling students to network and collaborate effortlessly.

Content Delivery and Course Options

Content delivery and course options must be diverse and adaptable.

A worthwhile alternative should support various content formats and course structures — from self-paced to instructor-led programs — enabling you to tailor learning paths to your student’s needs.

User Experience and Accessibility

A positive user experience and accessibility can make or break student satisfaction. Ensure the platform is intuitive, easy to navigate, and accessible across devices, removing barriers and providing a smooth learning journey for all users.

Integration and Customization Capabilities

Integration and customization capabilities allow for a personalized learning environment. Your alternative should offer the ability to integrate with other tools and services and the freedom to customize the look and feel to align with your brand.

Support and Resources

Comprehensive support and resources are essential for smooth operation. Look for platforms with strong customer service, thorough documentation, and a helpful user community so you can access assistance whenever needed.

Design and Branding Opportunities

Finally, design and branding opportunities give you the power to establish your presence. An alternative should offer ample customization options to ensure the platform reflects your unique brand identity and resonates with your community.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some free alternatives to Skool?

Consider engaging with Facebook Groups, Slack, or Discord for a cost-free community. These platforms enable vibrant discussions and interactions without requiring financial investment, although they lack integrated course-creation features.

How does Teachable compare to Skool as an e-learning platform?

Teachable is primarily a platform for course creators to build and sell online courses. Unlike Skool, which focuses on community-building alongside course delivery, it offers extensive customization for course content. Teachable does not have the same community-centric features as Skool.

How much does Skool cost per month?

Skool keeps things simple with one flat-rate plan ($99/month). This gives you everything you need to build your online community with no surprise fees. Host unlimited courses and members, all under one roof! Plus, you can test-drive Skool with a free 14-day trial.