Independently tested ranking
Best Community Platforms for Creators in 2026
8 community platforms for creators compared on transaction fees, courses, live calls, member apps, discovery and what you really pay as your paid community grows.
- Tools compared
- 8
- With a free plan
- 3 of 8
- Median entry price
- $64/mo
- Average rating
- 4.5
On this page
Which community platform is best for creators?
The best community platforms for creators in 2026 are Skool for launching a paid group with a course fast, Circle for a branded creator business with email and automations, Mighty Networks for live sessions and member connections, Patreon for monetizing an existing audience with no monthly fee, and Discord for a free fan community. Skool costs $9 a month plus a 10% fee on Hobby, while Patreon takes 10% of earnings and charges nothing up front.
Our top picks
Best overall
Skool
Gets a paid community with a course, calendar and gamification live fastest, from $9 a month plus a 10% fee.
Paid plans from $9/mo + 10% fee
See why we picked itBest for a branded creator business
Circle
Runs several paid products under your own brand, with paywalls, workflows and email, from $89 a month on annual billing.
Paid plans from $89/mo annual
See why we picked itBest free option
Discord
Free to run, with chat, voice and live events in an app many fans already use.
Paid plans from Free
See why we picked itKey takeaways
- Skool is the fastest way to launch a paid community with a course: $9 a month plus a 10% + $0.30 fee per sale on Hobby, or $99 a month with a 2.9% + $0.30 fee on Pro.
- Transaction fees decide your real cost. Once members pay you about $1,250 a month, Skool Pro becomes cheaper than Hobby, and Circle's fee drops from 2% to 1% when you move up from Professional.
- Patreon and Discord cost nothing up front, but Patreon keeps 10% of what you earn, and neither gives you a branded, searchable community space.
- A branded app is a big jump in price. Circle Plus and Mighty Pro are sales-quoted, Heartbeat bundles one at $849 a month, and Kajabi includes one only on its $499 Pro plan.
- Pick by how you make money: a coaching group needs courses and a calendar, a fan membership needs content drops and chat, and a course business needs checkout and email.
What is a community platform?
A community platform for creators is software that hosts a private, often paid, space where your fans or students talk, learn and meet, with built-in payments so you can charge for access. The best community platforms for creators combine a discussion feed or chat with courses, live calls, events and member profiles, so the community becomes a product you sell instead of a free extra.
For a creator, the platform has to do three jobs well. It has to take payments with fees you can live with, keep members engaged between your posts through gamification, events or chat, and make content easy to find on a phone, where most members check in. Coaches and course sellers also need a classroom, a calendar that handles time zones and a way to open lessons for paying or active members.
Best community platforms compared
| # | Tool | Best for | Free plan | Paid plans from | Our rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Skool |
Launching a paid group fast | No (14-day trial) | $9/mo + 10% fee | ★4.6 |
| 2 | Circle |
Branded creator businesses | No (14-day trial) | $89/mo annual | ★4.6 |
| 3 |  Mighty Networks |
Live sessions and member connections | No (14-day trial) | $79/mo | ★4.3 |
| 4 | Patreon | Memberships with no monthly fee | Yes (free to start, 10% of earnings) | 10% of earnings | Not yet reviewed |
| 5 | Kajabi | Course-first creator businesses | No (14-day trial) | $179/mo | Not yet reviewed |
| 6 | Heartbeat | Chat-first paid groups | No (14-day trial) | $49/mo | Not yet reviewed |
| 7 | Discord | Free fan communities | Yes (free servers) | Free | Not yet reviewed |
| 8 | systeme.io | Free all-in-one starter | Yes (2,000 contacts) | $17/mo | Not yet reviewed |
Ratings are MakeSuccessOnline's. Prices are the cheapest paid plan, billed monthly unless marked annual, checked November 2026; most creator platforms also take a transaction fee on member payments.
The 8 best community platforms in 2026
We ranked these community platforms for creators by how well they turn an audience into a paying, active community, and by what they cost once fees are included. The top three are full community platforms; the rest suit specific creator models.
#1Best for coaches and creators launching a paid group fast
Skool
A simple community platform that puts a feed, courses, a calendar and gamification in one fixed layout.
- Paid plans from
- $9/mo + 10% fee
- Free plan
- No (14-day trial)
- Best for
- Coaches, course creators and creators who want a paid or free group running in a day
- Works on
- Web, iOS, Android
Skool is the quickest way for a creator to go from idea to paid community. Every group has the same four tabs: Community, Classroom, Calendar and Members. That fixed layout means you spend your first day inviting people, not designing pages. Members post in one feed with categories, take your course in the Classroom and see live calls in their own time zone on the calendar.
The engagement engine is gamification. Members earn points for posts and comments, climb levels and can open new lessons at a set level, which rewards your most active fans. The trade-off is control: branding is minimal and integrations are few. Watch the fees too. Hobby costs $9 a month but takes 10% + $0.30 per sale, while Pro costs $99 a month and takes 2.9% + $0.30.
Key features
- Community feed with categoriesOne discussion feed where members post, comment and like, sorted into categories you define. It feels like a social network, so members know what to do without a tour.
- ClassroomHost courses inside the group and release modules by level or by purchase. That lets you sell a premium course to existing members or reward active members with bonus lessons.
- CalendarA shared events calendar shows each session in the member's own time zone, which cuts the 'what time is the call?' questions in a global community.
- Gamification and leaderboardsPoints, levels and leaderboards turn participation into a game. For creators, this is the main reason Skool groups stay busy without constant prompts.
- Paid memberships and discoveryCharge monthly or annual fees with payments handled by Skool, and list your group in Skool's public discovery directory, where new members can find you.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Hobby | $9/mo | Unlimited members, courses, videos and live calls, custom URL, affiliates; 10% + $0.30 per transaction |
| Pro | $99/mo | Everything in Hobby with a 2.9% + $0.30 transaction fee |
List prices as of November 2026; plans change often, so check the vendor's pricing page before you buy. 14-day free trial per new group. Prices are per group.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Launches in hours with no design work
- Gamification keeps members active
- $9 entry price for testing an idea
- Discovery directory can bring new members
Cons
- Little branding or layout control
- 10% fee on Hobby gets expensive as revenue grows
- Few native integrations
Is it right for you?
Choose Skool ifYou are a coach or course creator who wants a paid group with a course and live calls running this week, and you care more about engagement than design.
Look elsewhere ifYou want your own brand, custom pages or deep automation, or you plan to run several products from one community.
#2Best for creators building a branded community business
Circle
An all-in-one community platform that combines discussions, courses, events, paywalls, workflows and email.
- Paid plans from
- $89/mo annual
- Free plan
- No (14-day trial)
- Best for
- Established creators and coaches who sell several community and course products
- Works on
- Web, iOS, Android (branded apps on Circle Plus)
Circle is the best pick when your community is a business with several products. You build spaces for discussion, chat, events and courses, then put paywalls on the whole community, single spaces or one course. That lets a creator run a free space that feeds a paid tier, a cohort course and a premium mastermind under one login, on your own domain with your branding.
The Professional plan costs $89 a month on annual billing with a 2% transaction fee and live streams for up to 100 attendees. Workflows that tag and message members start on Business at $199 a month, where the fee drops to 1%. Email Hub is a $99 a month add-on for 10,000 contacts. It costs more than Skool, but it replaces several tools for a creator with a growing catalog.
Key features
- SpacesSplit the community into discussion, chat, event and course spaces, each with its own access rules, so a growing membership stays easy to navigate.
- PaywallsCharge one-time or recurring prices for the whole community, a single space or a course. You can run free and paid tiers side by side and upsell inside the community.
- Courses inside the communityLessons sit next to the discussion, so students ask questions where they learn instead of in a separate tool.
- Events and live streamsSchedule events and go live inside Circle. Professional covers up to 100 live attendees and 10 hours a month; Business raises that to 200.
- Workflows and emailWorkflows (Business and up) automate onboarding, tags and messages, and Email Hub sends broadcasts and newsletters to members and leads.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Professional | $89/mo (annual billing) | Spaces, courses, events, paywalls, custom domain, live streams up to 100 attendees, 2% transaction fee |
| Business | $199/mo (annual billing) | Adds workflows, branded email notifications, live streams up to 200 attendees, 1% fee |
| Scale | $419/mo (annual billing) | Unlimited workflows, AI agents, live streams up to 500 attendees, 1% fee |
| Circle Plus | Custom | Your own branded iOS and Android apps, Email Hub included, 0.5% fee |
| Email Hub add-on | $99/mo | Email marketing for 10,000 contacts on top of any plan; first 30 days free |
List prices as of November 2026; plans change often, so check the vendor's pricing page before you buy. Prices shown are for annual billing. 14-day free trial with no credit card.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Polished, modern member experience
- Flexible paywalls for tiers, courses and add-ons
- Strong branding on your own domain
- Workflows and email reduce your tool stack
Cons
- No free plan and a higher entry price than Skool
- Workflows need the $199 Business plan
- Email and a branded app cost extra
Is it right for you?
Choose Circle ifYou sell more than one product to your audience and want a branded home for all of them, with automations and email in the same place.
Look elsewhere ifYou are testing your first paid group on a small budget, or you want a simple layout members cannot get lost in.
#3Best for creators who run live sessions and connect members
Mighty Networks
A community platform that combines spaces, courses, events, live streaming and paid memberships, with branded apps on Mighty Pro.
- Paid plans from
- $79/mo
- Free plan
- No (14-day trial)
- Best for
- Creators and coaches whose community is built around live sessions and member-to-member connections
- Works on
- Web, iOS, Android (branded apps on Mighty Pro)
Mighty Networks suits creators whose members want to meet each other, not only hear from you. Rich member profiles help people find others with the same goals, and the platform puts live streaming, events, courses and paid memberships in one network. Every plan includes livestreaming, starting at 20 hours a month for up to 100 viewers on Launch, so weekly calls and workshops run without Zoom.
Launch costs $79 a month ($950 a year) with a 2% transaction fee and unlimited members. Scale at $179 a month adds integrations, APIs and a 1% fee, and Growth at $354 cuts the fee to 0.5%. The 14-day trial includes Growth features, so you can test everything. The trade-off is a busier interface than Skool, and a branded app needs the sales-quoted Mighty Pro tier.
Key features
- Spaces for courses, events and discussionOrganize members into spaces so a cohort, a course and a general community can live in one network with different access.
- Native live streamingGo live to members on every plan, with 20 hours a month and 100 viewers per stream on Launch, rising on higher tiers.
- Member profiles and matchingRich profiles help members find and connect with each other, which keeps a community valuable even when you are not posting.
- Paid memberships and bundlesSell memberships, bundles and courses with recurring payments, with the transaction fee falling from 2% to 0.5% as you move up.
- AI toolsAI Cohost and AI writing helpers such as Make it Better speed up setup and content, which saves time when you launch a new course or program.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Launch | $79/mo ($950/yr) | Unlimited members, courses, events, 20 livestream hours/mo, 3 hosts, 200 GB storage, 2% fee |
| Scale | $179/mo | Adds more automations, APIs and integrations, 30 livestream hours/mo, 1% fee |
| Growth | $354/mo | Advanced automations, priority support, migration services, 1,000 viewers per stream, 0.5% fee |
| Mighty Pro | Custom | Custom branded iOS and Android apps, 4 TB storage, 0.5% fee |
List prices as of November 2026; plans change often, so check the vendor's pricing page before you buy. 14-day free trial with no credit card that includes Growth features.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Live streaming included on every plan
- Strong member profiles and connection features
- Courses, events and community together
- Good apps for members
Cons
- Interface can feel busy for new members
- Integrations and APIs start on the $179 Scale plan
- Branded apps are a sales-quoted upgrade
Is it right for you?
Choose Mighty Networks ifYour paid community runs on weekly live sessions and members who want to meet each other, and you want streaming built in.
Look elsewhere ifYou want the simplest possible setup, or your budget is under $79 a month.
#4Best for creators monetizing an existing audience
Patreon
A membership platform where fans pay creators for posts, video, podcasts, chats and livestreams.
- Paid plans from
- 10% of earnings
- Free plan
- Yes (free to start, 10% of earnings)
- Best for
- YouTubers, podcasters, artists and writers with fans who will pay monthly
- Works on
- Web, iOS, Android
Patreon is the easiest way to charge an audience you already have on YouTube, a podcast or social media. Fans know the brand and the checkout, which lowers signup friction. You set membership tiers, post video, audio and text, go live and run group chats for members, with posts sent to inboxes as emails. There is no monthly fee, so a creator can start with nothing to lose.
The cost is the cut. Creators who launched after August 4, 2025 pay 10% of earnings, plus payment processing, currency conversion and payout fees. Patreon is also a membership feed, not a full community platform: there are no spaces, forums or courses, and your page lives on patreon.com. Many creators pair it with a Discord server for deeper conversation.
Key features
- Membership tiersOffer several paid tiers with different perks, so superfans can pay more than casual supporters, plus annual options and one-time payments.
- Free membershipsFans can join free and get free-member posts by email and in the app, which builds a list you can later upgrade to paid.
- Chats, DMs and commentsGroup chats and direct messages give members a place to talk with you and each other inside Patreon.
- Native video and livestreamingUpload video and go live for members without a separate video host.
- Autopilot and analyticsAutomated offers such as discounts and free trials help win and keep members, and the dashboard shows growth, churn and earnings.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | 10% of earnings | Membership tiers, free memberships, one-time payments, video, livestreams, podcasts, chat, newsletter emails, analytics; plus processing and payout fees |
Patreon charges no monthly fee. Creators who launched after August 4, 2025 pay 10% of earnings plus payment processing, currency conversion and payout fees; older creators may be on legacy rates. Check Patreon's pricing page for current terms.
Pros and cons
Pros
- No monthly fee: you pay only when you earn
- Fans already trust the checkout
- Video, podcasts, livestreams and chat in one membership
- Member email list can be exported
Cons
- 10% fee plus processing and payout fees
- No spaces, forums or courses
- Little branding control
Is it right for you?
Choose Patreon ifYou already have a following and want to start charging for bonus content this week with no upfront cost.
Look elsewhere ifYou want to run a coaching program with courses and cohorts, or you want members inside a space you brand and control.
#5Best for course creators who want community, email and checkout together
Kajabi
An all-in-one creator platform for courses, coaching, communities, email, funnels and a website.
- Paid plans from
- $179/mo
- Free plan
- No (14-day trial)
- Best for
- Established course creators and coaches who sell several knowledge products
- Works on
- Web, iOS, Android
Kajabi makes sense when your courses and coaching are the product and the community supports them. It runs your whole creator business: course hosting, coaching, a private community with groups, email marketing, funnels, a website and checkout. Students buy, learn and discuss in one place, and you do not need to wire together a course host, an email tool and a community app.
It is the most expensive pick here. Basic costs $179 a month ($143 on annual billing) for 5 products, 2,500 contacts and one community. Growth at $249 adds live cohort courses and comment-to-DM automation, and Pro at $499 includes a branded App Store app and three communities. Kajabi Payments card rates apply, and using an outside processor adds a 2% fee on Basic.
Key features
- Communities with groupsA private community with multiple groups sits next to your courses, so each program or cohort can have its own space.
- Courses and live cohortsHost video courses with drip content, and run live cohort courses on Growth and Pro for higher-priced programs.
- CoachingSell one-to-one or group coaching with scheduling and session management in the same account.
- Email marketing and funnelsSend broadcasts and sequences and build sales funnels without a separate email tool, which matters when your community is fed by launches.
- Checkout and paymentsTake payments with order bumps, upsells, coupons and payment plans through Kajabi Payments.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | $179/mo ($143/mo annual) | 5 products, 2,500 contacts, 1 community; 2% fee if you use an outside processor |
| Growth | $249/mo ($199/mo annual) | 50 products, 25,000 contacts, live cohort courses, comment-to-DM automation; 1% outside-processor fee |
| Pro | $499/mo ($399/mo annual) | Unlimited products, 100,000 contacts, 3 communities, branded App Store app; 0.5% outside-processor fee |
List prices as of November 2026; plans change often, so check the vendor's pricing page before you buy. 14-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Kajabi Payments card rates for US entities run from 2.9% + 30 cents on Basic.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Courses, community, email and checkout in one login
- Live cohorts and coaching built in
- Branded app included on Pro
- Strong templates and creator education
Cons
- Expensive entry price
- Product and contact limits on Basic
- Community features are less deep than Circle or Skool
Is it right for you?
Choose Kajabi ifYour income comes from courses and coaching, and you want the community, email list and checkout to live in the same platform.
Look elsewhere ifThe community itself is the product and you only need a group with a course, where Skool or Circle cost far less.
#6Best for small, chat-first paid communities
Heartbeat
A community platform that combines chat channels, threads, events, courses and documents.
- Paid plans from
- $49/mo
- Free plan
- No (14-day trial)
- Best for
- Coaches and creators running small private or paid groups that live in chat
- Works on
- Web, iOS, Android
Heartbeat is for creators whose members would rather chat than scroll a feed. It mixes Slack-style channels with threaded discussions, then adds events, courses and documents, so a mastermind or small paid group can talk in real time and still keep resources organized. Checkout pages, memberships and upsells are built in, and every plan includes a custom domain and member directory.
Build costs $49 a month ($40 on annual billing) for up to 350 members with a 5% transaction fee. Grow at $149 a month covers 5,000 members, cuts the fee to 2.5%, removes Heartbeat branding and adds unlimited automation workflows. Video hosting is a $19 add-on on Build. The member cap on Build means a growing community will move up quickly.
Key features
- Channels and threadsReal-time chat channels sit next to threaded discussions, so quick questions and long conversations each have a home.
- EventsSchedule events with RSVPs and reminders inside the community, with Zoom and Google Calendar integrations.
- Courses and documentsHost courses and publish resource docs next to the chat, so new members find the basics without asking.
- Memberships and checkoutSell memberships, upsells and waitlists through checkout pages, with Stripe-powered payments.
- Automation workflowsFive workflows on Build and unlimited on Grow handle onboarding messages and access changes.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Build | $49/mo ($40/mo annual) | Up to 350 members, unlimited channels, courses and events, 5 workflows, custom domain, 5% fee |
| Grow | $149/mo ($124/mo annual) | Up to 5,000 members, unlimited workflows, white-label emails, affiliate program, API, Heartbeat branding removed, 2.5% fee |
| Scale | $849/mo ($766/mo annual) | Unlimited members, branded mobile app, advanced analytics, dedicated onboarding, 1.25% fee |
List prices as of November 2026; plans change often, so check the vendor's pricing page before you buy. 14-day free trial with no credit card.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Chat, threads, events and courses in one tool
- Simple setup for non-technical owners
- Custom domain on every plan
- Mobile apps for members
Cons
- 350-member cap on Build
- 5% fee on the entry plan
- Smaller ecosystem than Circle or Mighty Networks
Is it right for you?
Choose Heartbeat ifYou run a mastermind or small paid group where members want chat, and you want courses and events in the same place.
Look elsewhere ifYou expect thousands of members soon, or you want a feed-style community with discovery.
#7Best free community platform for creators
Discord
A free voice, video and text chat app where creators run servers for their fans.
- Paid plans from
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes (free servers)
- Best for
- Streamers, YouTubers, gaming and hobby creators with younger, chat-heavy audiences
- Works on
- Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
Discord is the best free community platform for creators, and for many fan bases it is where the audience already is. Creating and running a server costs nothing, and you get text channels, forum channels, voice rooms, stage events and screen sharing. Roles control who sees what, and thousands of bots add moderation, games and polls. Patreon and Twitch connections can give supporters special roles.
Eligible creators can sell Server Subscriptions for premium roles and channels. The trade-offs are real for a creator business: chat buries useful posts, nothing is indexed by search engines, branding is limited, and you do not own the platform or the member list. Discord works best as a free fan hub or as the chat layer next to Patreon.
Key features
- Text, forum and voice channelsOrganize the server into chat channels, thread-based forum channels and drop-in voice rooms for hangouts.
- Stage channels and Go LiveHost audio events with speakers and an audience, or stream your screen or game to a channel.
- Roles and permissionsGranular roles control access, which is how creators gate channels for supporters or moderators.
- Bots and AutoModBots add moderation, games and automations, and AutoMod filters spam and harmful content in busy servers.
- Server SubscriptionsEligible creators can charge a monthly fee for premium roles and channels inside the server.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Unlimited servers, text, voice and video channels |
| Nitro Basic | $2.99/mo | Per-user perks: custom emoji everywhere, larger uploads |
| Nitro | $9.99/mo | Per-user perks: bigger uploads, HD streaming, Server Boosts included |
| Server Boosts | Higher | Add server perks such as better audio, more emoji slots and a vanity URL |
Running a Discord server is free. Nitro and Server Boosts are optional paid perks. Nitro prices can vary by region; check Discord for current prices.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Free to create and run
- Voice, video and chat in one app
- Many fans already have accounts
- Huge bot ecosystem
Cons
- Knowledge gets lost in fast chat
- No search engine visibility
- You do not own the platform or member data
Is it right for you?
Choose Discord ifYou want a free, lively fan community for a gaming, streaming or younger audience, or a chat layer next to Patreon.
Look elsewhere ifYou sell courses or coaching and want a professional, branded space where answers stay findable.
#8Best budget all-in-one for creators starting from zero
systeme.io
An all-in-one marketing platform with funnels, email, courses, communities and checkout, including a free plan.
- Paid plans from
- $17/mo
- Free plan
- Yes (2,000 contacts)
- Best for
- New creators and coaches on a tight budget who want funnels, email and a community in one tool
- Works on
- Web
systeme.io is the cheapest way to get a community, a course, a sales funnel and an email list under one account. The free plan includes 2,000 contacts, unlimited emails, three funnels, one course and a community, with Stripe and PayPal checkout and no transaction fees from systeme.io. For a creator who has not sold anything yet, that removes the monthly bill while you test an offer.
The community tool is simpler than Skool or Circle: it is a member area for your students, not a social network with gamification or live streaming. Startup costs $17 a month for 5,000 contacts and five courses, and Unlimited costs $97 a month. Pick systeme.io when the funnel and email matter as much as the community.
Key features
- CommunitiesRun a member community alongside your courses without paying for a separate community tool.
- Online coursesHost courses and memberships with drip release, so students can move from purchase to lesson to discussion.
- Sales funnels and checkoutBuild opt-in and sales funnels with order bumps and upsells, taking payments through Stripe or PayPal.
- Email marketingSend newsletters and automated sequences with no cap on emails sent.
- Affiliate programRecruit affiliates and track their commissions on your own products.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 2,000 contacts, 3 funnels, 1 course, community, unlimited emails, no transaction fees |
| Startup | $17/mo | 5,000 contacts, 10 funnels, 5 courses |
| Webinar | $47/mo | 10,000 contacts, 50 funnels, 20 courses, evergreen webinars |
| Unlimited | $97/mo | Unlimited contacts, funnels and courses |
List prices as of November 2026; plans change often, so check the vendor's pricing page before you buy. Annual billing gives 2 months free. The free plan needs no credit card.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Real free plan with a community and a course
- No transaction fees from systeme.io
- Funnels and email included
- Low paid plans
Cons
- Basic community features with no gamification
- No native live streaming
- Less polished member experience
Is it right for you?
Choose systeme.io ifYou are starting from zero and want a free funnel, email list, course and community in one place before you spend money.
Look elsewhere ifThe community experience is your main product and you need engagement tools, live calls and a strong mobile app.
Best community platform by need
- Launching a paid coaching group this weekSkool
- Several paid tiers and products under one brandCircle
- Weekly live sessions with built-in streamingMighty Networks
- Charging an existing audience with no monthly feePatreon
- Selling courses with email and checkoutKajabi
- A small chat-first mastermindHeartbeat
- A free fan serverDiscord
- Starting with a free funnel, course and communitysysteme.io
What to look for in a community platform
- Transaction fees on member paymentsCompare the fee on the plan you would actually use: Skool Hobby takes 10%, Heartbeat Build 5%, Circle Professional and Mighty Launch 2%, and systeme.io charges no transaction fee of its own. On a $5,000 a month community, that gap is hundreds of dollars.
- Courses next to the conversationA community platform with courses keeps students in one login. Skool's Classroom, Circle, Mighty Networks, Heartbeat and Kajabi all host lessons inside the community, so questions sit next to the content.
- Live calls and eventsMost paid communities are built around live sessions. Check the event calendar, time-zone handling and native live streaming limits, such as Circle's 100 attendees on Professional or Mighty's 20 hours a month on Launch.
- Engagement tools that run without youGamification, leaderboards, member maps and automated welcome messages keep people posting when you are busy. Skool's points and levels are the simplest version; Circle and Heartbeat add workflows.
- A good member appMembers check in on their phones. Most picks here have iOS and Android apps for members; a branded app with your own name in the app store costs extra almost everywhere.
- Ownership and exitCheck whether you can export members and emails, use your own domain and connect your own payment account. Patreon and Discord keep members inside their own platforms, which makes moving later harder.
How much do community platforms for creators cost in 2026?
Community platforms for creators cost from $0 to several hundred dollars a month, and most also take a transaction fee on what members pay you. Compare the monthly price and the fee together.
| Tier | Typical price | Tools at this level | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free or revenue share | $0 up front | Discord (free), Patreon (10% of earnings), systeme.io Free | Creators testing demand or monetizing an existing fan base |
| Starter paid groups | $9 to $49/mo | Skool Hobby ($9 + 10% fee), systeme.io Startup ($17), Heartbeat Build ($49 + 5% fee) | First paid community, under a few hundred members |
| Growing creator businesses | $79 to $199/mo | Mighty Launch ($79 + 2%), Circle Professional ($89 annual + 2%), Skool Pro ($99 + 2.9%), Heartbeat Grow ($149), Kajabi Basic ($179) | Creators earning steady revenue from a community or courses |
| Advanced and branded apps | $249/mo to custom | Kajabi Growth and Pro, Mighty Growth ($354), Circle Scale ($419), Heartbeat Scale ($849), Circle Plus and Mighty Pro (custom) | Large communities and creators who want their own app |
Monthly list prices checked November 2026. Circle prices are for annual billing. Transaction fees are on top of card processing.
Run the numbers at your expected revenue, not today's. At $2,000 a month in member payments, Skool Hobby costs $9 plus about $200 in fees, while Pro costs $99 plus about $58, so Pro is cheaper. Patreon's 10% on the same revenue is $200 a month with no subscription. If you sell courses too, count the tools you would drop: Kajabi or systeme.io can replace a course host, email tool and funnel builder, which changes the comparison. Budget separately for a branded app, since it is either sales-quoted or tied to a top plan.
How we chose the best community platforms
We started with the community platforms in the MakeSuccessOnline directory and added well-known creator tools we have not reviewed yet, including Patreon, Kajabi, Heartbeat, Discord and systeme.io. We judged each one on the jobs a creator actually does: setting up a paid tier, adding a course, scheduling a live call, onboarding a new member on mobile and working out the fees at different revenue levels. Vendor documentation and pricing were checked in November 2026, and scores use the criteria below.
- Monetization and feesPayment options, paywalls, tiers and the transaction fee you pay as revenue grows.25%
- Member engagementGamification, live calls, events, chat and tools that keep members active between your posts.20%
- Courses and contentHow well courses, resources and content drops sit inside the community.15%
- Member experience and appsHow easy it is to join and take part, especially on the mobile app.15%
- Price and valueEntry price, free options and how costs grow with members and features.15%
- Ease of launchHow fast a solo creator can go from signup to a live, paid community.10%
How to choose a community platform
- Decide what members are paying forWrite down the promise: access to you, a course, live coaching, peer support or bonus content. Coaching and courses point to Skool, Circle, Mighty Networks or Kajabi; bonus content points to Patreon.
- Pick feed, chat or membershipA feed with gamification suits coaching groups, chat suits masterminds and fan servers, and a content membership suits video and podcast creators.
- Model your fees at three revenue levelsWork out what each platform costs at $500, $2,000 and $10,000 a month in member payments, including transaction fees. The cheapest plan today is often the most expensive later.
- Check live calls and coursesIf live sessions are central, check streaming limits and calendar time zones. If courses matter, check drip release and whether lessons can be released by level or purchase.
- Test the member side on a phoneDuring the trial, join your own community from the mobile app as a member. Post, find the next call and open a lesson. If it is confusing for you, it will be for them.
- Plan your exitConfirm you can export member emails and that payments run through an account you control, so you can move later without losing your community.
Check during the free trial
- What exactly is the transaction fee on my plan, and is it on top of card processing?
- How many members can join live calls on my plan, and how many hours a month are included?
- Can I release course lessons by purchase or by member activity?
- Can I export member emails and payment history if I leave?
- What does the member mobile app look like, and is a branded app an option at my size?
Red flags
- A low monthly price with a high transaction fee you only notice after launch
- Member caps on the entry plan that force an upgrade as soon as you grow
- No way to export member emails
- Live streaming or automations locked to plans far above your budget
- Running a paid coaching business only in fast-moving chat, where lessons and answers disappear
Community platforms for creators FAQ
What are the best community platforms for creators?
The best community platforms for creators in 2026 are Skool for launching a paid group with a course quickly, Circle for a branded creator business, Mighty Networks for live sessions and member connections, Patreon for monetizing an existing audience and Discord for free fan communities. Kajabi suits course-first creators, Heartbeat suits chat-first groups and systeme.io is the best free all-in-one starter.
What is the best free community platform for creators?
Discord is the best free community platform for creators: running a server costs nothing and many fans already have accounts. systeme.io has a free plan with a community, a course and 2,000 contacts. Patreon is free to start but takes 10% of earnings. Skool, Circle, Mighty Networks and Heartbeat have free trials, not free plans.
How much does a paid community platform cost?
A paid community platform costs $9 to $499 a month for most creators, plus transaction fees. Skool starts at $9 a month with a 10% fee, Heartbeat at $49, Mighty Networks at $79 and Circle at $89 a month on annual billing. Kajabi starts at $179 a month. Branded apps usually need a sales-quoted plan.
Skool vs Circle: which is better for creators?
Skool is better if you want a paid group with a course live fast, a fixed layout and built-in gamification for $9 to $99 a month. Circle is better if you run several products and want branding, paywalls on individual spaces, workflows and email. Skool is simpler; Circle gives you more control and a more polished brand.
Patreon vs Skool: which should I use?
Use Patreon if you already have an audience and want to sell bonus content with no monthly fee, accepting a 10% cut. Use Skool if you sell coaching or a course and want a community with a classroom, calendar and gamification. Skool's Pro plan is cheaper than Patreon's 10% once you earn more than about $1,400 a month.
Is Discord good for a paid creator community?
Discord works for free or low-priced fan communities, especially gaming and streaming audiences, and eligible creators can sell Server Subscriptions. It is a weaker fit for paid coaching or courses because chat buries answers, content is not searchable on the web, branding is limited and you do not own the member list.
Which community platform has the lowest transaction fees?
systeme.io charges no transaction fees of its own, and Circle Plus, Mighty Networks Growth and Mighty Pro charge 0.5%. Among entry plans, Circle Professional and Mighty Networks Launch charge 2%, Skool Pro 2.9%, Heartbeat Build 5% and Skool Hobby 10%. Card processing is extra on most platforms.
How do I choose a community platform as a creator?
Start with what members pay for: coaching and courses point to Skool, Circle, Mighty Networks or Kajabi, while bonus content points to Patreon. Then model fees at your target revenue, check live call limits and test the member app on your phone during the free trial before moving your audience.
About the reviewer
Editor & Reviewer, MakeSuccessOnline
William Harrison is an editor and reviewer at MakeSuccessOnline. He reviews each tools ranking before it goes live, checking plans, prices, free tiers and features against the tool's own documentation, and keeps rankings current as tools change.