Skool
5/10Skool is an all-in-one community platform that lets creators, coaches and small businesses run paid online communities with courses, live calls and gamification.
Data last updated November 2026 · Our methodology
Overview
Skool combines a discussion feed, a course classroom, an events calendar for live calls, a member directory and a points leaderboard on one simple screen. It also has iPhone and Android apps. Members earn points for posting, commenting and liking, and those points unlock levels and, if the owner chooses, gated courses. Owners can sell recurring memberships, one-time course purchases or access tied to member levels. Skool acts as merchant of record, so it handles sales tax and pays out every Wednesday. It suits coaches, consultants, creators and small businesses that market through a community. A public discovery page can also bring in members without paid ads. There are two plans per community. Hobby costs 9 USD a month with a 10 percent plus 30 cent fee on each payment. Pro costs 99 USD a month with a 2.9 percent plus 30 cent fee, rising to 3.9 percent on charges of 900 USD or more. Annual billing gives two months free, and both plans have a 14-day trial. Pro adds a custom URL, member affiliates, webinars, AutoDM, Zapier and advanced analytics. Integrations are thin beyond Zapier and calendar sync. You cannot connect your own Stripe account. The main limitation is how little you can customise: there are no full email marketing campaigns, landing page or funnel builder, quizzes or certificates, and every group looks largely the same.
Our Rating
Who Skool is best for
Good fit
Built for creators running paid communities with courses, live calls and gamification.
Solo coaches and creators can launch a paid community cheaply on the 9 USD Hobby plan.
Consultants can sell their expertise through gated courses and live calls inside a community.
Flat pricing and simple setup suit small businesses that build an audience through a community.
Less suited
Includes a course classroom and gated content, but it is not built for institutions.
Useful for building a community, but it lacks broader marketing automation.
It has no client management features and branding is limited.
It offers little branding control and few integrations, and there is no evidence of enterprise compliance features.
It has no email marketing, landing pages or funnel builder.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Feed, courses, calendar and leaderboard sit in one simple interface, so members need little onboarding.
- The points and levels system can gate content and encourages members to return.
- Both plans include unlimited members, courses and videos at a flat monthly price.
- Skool acts as merchant of record, handling sales tax and paying out weekly.
- A discovery page can bring in new members without paid advertising.
Cons
- The Hobby plan's 10% fee becomes expensive once monthly revenue passes about 1,300 USD.
- There is no native email marketing, landing page or funnel builder.
- Branding is limited to a custom URL, and fonts, colours and layout cannot be changed.
- Zapier, webinars, affiliates and the custom URL are Pro-only.
- You cannot use your own Stripe account, and Trustpilot reviews complain about cancellations and unanswered support requests.
Key Features
Not included
- Landing Pages
- SMS Marketing
- A/B Testing
Skool Pricing
Hobby
or $90/year (save 17%)
- One admin seat
- 14-day free trial
- 10% + 30 cent transaction fee
- Unlimited members, courses, videos and live calls
Pro
or $990/year (save 17%)
- 14-day free trial
- Webinars, AutoDM and Zapier
- Custom URL and member affiliates
- Advanced analytics and more admin seats
- Unlimited members, courses, videos and live calls
- 2.9% + 30 cent fee, or 3.9% on charges of 900 USD or more
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Both Hobby and Pro come with a 14-day free trial, and there is no permanent free plan.
Hobby charges 10% plus 30 cents per member payment. Pro charges 2.9% plus 30 cents, or 3.9% plus 30 cents on charges of 900 USD or more.
No. Reviews say it has no built-in email suite and recommend pairing it with a tool such as Kit or Mailchimp.
Zapier is available on the Pro plan, along with calendar sync for events. The native integration catalogue is otherwise small.
Yes. Annual billing gives roughly two months free.
Yes. Each community needs its own subscription, with no discount for running several.
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