Circle vs Skool vs Mighty Networks: Community Platform Comparison for Spiritual Educators (2026)
Circle retired its $39/mo plan in 2024 - entry price jumped to $89/mo. Skool: $99/mo flat, unlimited members. 2026 community platform comparison.
Circle retired its $39/month Basic plan in 2024. Entry price jumped to $89/month overnight - a 128% increase. The migration that followed sent a significant portion of small community builders to Skool, which charges $99/month flat with no per-seat fees and no transaction fee tiers based on member count. Understanding that context explains why Skool's momentum in 2025 and 2026 happened.
For spiritual practitioners building paid communities - astrology membership circles, tarot study groups, certification cohorts - the fee structure and entry price matter more than feature depth at the early stage. This comparison covers all three platforms at current 2026 pricing.
All prices as of mid-2026. Verify at circle.so/pricing, skool.com/pricing, and mightynetworks.com/pricing before committing.
2026 Pricing Comparison
Plan | Circle | Skool | Mighty Networks |
|---|---|---|---|
Entry | Professional $89/mo (annual) / $129/mo (monthly) | Hobby $9/mo - 10% membership fee | Launch $41/mo (annual) / $49/mo (monthly) - 3% fee |
Mid | Business $199/mo (annual) / $219/mo (monthly) | Pro $99/mo - 2.9% fee | Launch + Apps $79/mo (annual) - 2% fee, iOS/Android included |
Upper | Circle Plus ~$360+/mo (custom) | None above Pro | Business $119/mo (annual) - 2% fee, white-label apps |
Transaction fee | 2% (Professional), 1% (Business), 0.5% (Plus) | 10% (Hobby), 2.9% (Pro) | 3% (Launch), 2% (Launch+/Business) |
Note: Circle fees stack on top of Stripe's 2.9% + $0.30. At Professional, total effective processing is approximately 4.9%. At Business, approximately 3.9%.
Source: aifunnelinsider.com/circle-so-pricing-2026/ (2026); skool.com/pricing (official); mightynetworks.com/resources/skool-vs-circle (official).
Running the Numbers: 100-Member Community at $30/Month
A realistic early-stage scenario: 100 members paying $30/month = $3,000/month gross membership revenue.
Platform | Plan | Monthly Cost | Fee on $3,000 | Total Monthly Overhead | % of Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Circle Professional | $89/mo (annual) | $89 | $60 (2%) + Stripe ~$87 | ~$236 | 7.9% |
Skool Pro | $99/mo | $99 | $87 (2.9%) | $186 | 6.2% |
Mighty Networks Launch+ | $79/mo (annual) | $79 | $60 (2%) | $139 | 4.6% |
Mighty Networks Launch+ is the cheapest option for this scenario. Skool Pro costs less than Circle Professional at this member count. Circle's entry price ($89/mo) plus its 2% platform fee makes it the most expensive option for community builders under ~200 members.
Source: earnifyhub.com/creator-economy/circle-vs-mighty-networks-vs-skool-2026 (2026).
Circle: Feature Depth at a Price
Circle Professional ($89/mo annual) covers 3 admins, 20 spaces, 200GB storage. Business ($199/mo annual) adds automation, API access, 5 admins, and 500GB. Circle Plus (custom, approximately $360/mo+) includes AI Agents, a branded mobile app, and a dedicated customer success manager.
Mobile apps on Circle cost $360+/month. Mighty Networks includes iOS/Android apps from $79/month. That feature gap matters significantly for practitioners who want a native app experience for their members without enterprise pricing.
Circle's Email Hub is a separate paid add-on, priced by contact count. Factor that into any comparison if email is part of your community communication plan.
Source: schoolmaker.com/blog/circle-so-pricing (2026).
Skool: One Price, No Surprises
Skool Hobby at $9/month is meaningful for testing: real community feed, unlimited courses, video hosting with auto-captions, and a basic classroom. The 10% transaction fee is high - at about $1,270/month in membership revenue, the fee savings from Pro's lower 2.9% rate cover the $90 plan difference. Above that, Pro ($99/mo, 2.9% fee) pays for itself.
Skool Pro covers unlimited admins, 2.9% transaction fee, custom URL, and the complete platform without seat-based pricing surprises as membership grows. No "per additional member" charges at any member count.
Skool's community feed is modeled on social platforms (similar structure to a Facebook Group or Reddit). The gamification system (XP, levels, leaderboards) drives engagement in active communities - relevant for astrology study cohorts or tarot practices where consistent participation matters.
Source: kourses.com/skool-pricing/ (2026); schoolmaker.com/blog/skool-pricing (2026).
Mighty Networks: Mobile Apps from $79/Month
Mighty Networks Launch ($41/mo annual, 3% fee) is the lowest-cost entry with courses and community combined. Launch + Community Apps ($79/mo annual, 2% fee) adds branded iOS and Android apps - the same feature Circle charges $360+/month for.
For practitioners building communities where mobile accessibility matters (members checking in daily, posting questions, watching content on phones), the app inclusion at $79/month is the strongest value proposition in this comparison.
The 2% platform fee persists on Business ($119/mo annual) - it doesn't drop to 0% on any Mighty Networks plan. Compare that against Skool Pro (2.9% fee) and Circle Business (1% fee) when modeling fees at your expected membership revenue.
Source: aifunnelinsider.com/skool-vs-mighty-networks-2026/ (2026).
Which Should You Pick
Testing a paid community under ~$1,270/month membership revenue: Skool Hobby ($9/mo, 10% fee). Entry cost is negligible. The 10% fee becomes expensive as revenue grows, but it's the lowest upfront commitment to validate whether your community concept works before a monthly platform subscription.
Established solo astrologer or tarot practitioner, 50-200 members, need courses + community combined: Skool Pro ($99/mo, 2.9% fee) or Mighty Networks Launch+ ($79/mo annual, 2% fee). Mighty Networks is cheaper at this member range and includes mobile apps. Skool is simpler to set up and has no per-seat pricing surprises.
Building a spiritual school with a branded mobile app: Mighty Networks Launch+ ($79/mo annual). Mobile apps at this price point have no equivalent in Skool or Circle below $360/month.
Large established community, content operations team, needs API access and advanced automation: Circle Business ($199/mo annual). The API access and automation features at this tier serve the operational complexity that large communities require. Justified at the scale where the per-member economics work.
For a broader overview of software for building spiritual practitioner communities, see software/community-platforms.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Circle remove its $39/month Basic plan? Circle retired the Basic plan in 2024. Entry price moved from $39/month to $89/month - a 128% increase. The change pushed many small community builders toward Skool and Mighty Networks. Source: schoolmaker.com/blog/circle-so-pricing (2026).
Does Skool include course hosting? Yes. Unlimited courses with video hosting and auto-captions are included on both Skool Hobby ($9/mo) and Pro ($99/mo). The course module is built in - no integration required.
What is the break-even between Skool Hobby and Pro? Skool Pro pays for itself at about $1,270/month in membership revenue, where the fee savings (10% vs 2.9%) cover the $90/month difference between Hobby ($9/mo) and Pro ($99/mo). Below that, Hobby's lower upfront commitment wins. Source: kourses.com/skool-pricing/ (2026).
Does Mighty Networks work outside the US? Yes. Mighty Networks supports international communities and payments through Stripe. Currency and payment localization depend on Stripe's regional availability in your country.