Are you considering using Skool for your online community? Perhaps you're wondering how much Skool pricing will cost you?

In this article, we'll guide you through the various Skool pricing options, cover the basics of what you get with the platform, and help you decide if it's right for you.

Skool used to have one plan: $99 a month, and that was it. That changed when Skool quietly added a $9/month Hobby tier - and most of the articles ranking for "Skool pricing" still say it's a single-plan platform. They are out of date.

Skool now offers two plans, and the choice between them is not as simple as "$9 looks cheaper." The Hobby plan charges a 10% transaction fee on every sale you process. The Pro plan charges 2.9%. Once you start moving real revenue, that gap matters more than the headline subscription price.

This guide breaks down both Skool plans, runs the transaction-fee math at different revenue levels, compares Skool to the alternatives at their current 2026 pricing, and helps you work out which plan, if either, actually fits your business.

Skool is an online platform that allows creators, coaches and online educators to host communities, create and sell courses, and provide online coaching to members. 

As the name suggests, the platform acts a bit like an online classroom where students can ask questions, learn new skills and join in discussions, creating an engaged community.

The Skool platform combines three important parts:

• Courses: You can create lessons and share knowledge.
• Community: There are discussion boards where community members can share their ideas.
• Coaching: You can hold live sessions or talk to students one-on-one.

Now that you know what Skool is, let's talk about how much it costs.

Skool's two plans are functionally identical on features. The only real differences are the monthly price and the transaction fee.

Yearly billing is offered on both plans, with Skool advertising "2 months free" - effectively a 16% discount when you commit annually.

If you are not selling anything through Skool - for example, you are running a free community or using an external checkout - Hobby is the obvious pick. Once you start charging members, the math changes fast.

The $9 Hobby tier is Skool's answer to creators who want the platform without the $99 commitment. You get the same features as Pro: unlimited members, courses, videos, live calls, custom URL, affiliates. The only catch is the transaction fee.

Skool charges 10% on every sale processed through Hobby. That is on top of payment processing fees from your card processor (typically Stripe at 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction). So a $99 community subscription processed through Hobby actually costs you:

• $9.90 to Skool (10% transaction fee)
• ~$3.20 to Stripe (2.9% + $0.30)
• Net to you: ~$85.90 per member, per month

Compared to Pro on the same $99 sale:

• $2.87 to Skool (2.9% transaction fee)
• ~$3.20 to Stripe
• Net to you: ~$92.93 per member, per month

That is a $7 difference per member, per month. Hobby looks cheap on the subscription, but the gap closes the moment you have paying members.

When Hobby actually makes sense

Hobby is the right plan if any of these describe you:

• You are running a free community with no paid memberships or course sales (the 10% fee never gets triggered)
• You are testing demand for a paid offering before committing to Pro - you would rather spend $9/month for two months than $99/month while you figure out if Skool is the right fit
• Your paid membership is small - fewer than ~10 paying members at $99/month, or equivalent
• You are using an external checkout for paid offerings and only using Skool to host the community (in which case Skool's transaction fee may not apply, but verify this with Skool support before relying on it)

When Hobby costs you more than Pro

The break-even point is straightforward: Hobby costs less than Pro until your monthly transaction volume hits roughly $1,300/month in sales processed through Skool's checkout.

The crossover is around $1,300 in monthly Skool-processed revenue. If you are above that consistently, Pro pays for itself.

The Pro plan is Skool's flagship - and historically, the only plan. At $99/month with a 2.9% transaction fee, it is what most established Skool communities run on.

What makes Pro the better deal isn't the feature set (it is identical to Hobby). It's the lower transaction fee. If you are doing meaningful revenue through Skool's checkout, the savings on transaction fees more than offset the higher monthly cost.

The 2.9% fee is roughly comparable to standard Stripe processing - meaning you are paying Skool a fee approximately equal to your payment processor on top of the platform itself. That is something to keep in mind when comparing Skool to platforms that charge zero transaction fees.

Both plans include the same feature set. Skool's product is deliberately simple, there is one set of features, and you get all of them at either tier:

What is conspicuously missing for the price: native video hosting. You will need a separate service like Vimeo, Wistia, or Bunny.net to host your course videos, which adds anywhere from $7 to $79+ per month depending on volume.

Both plans include a 14-day free trial. Skool requires a credit card to start the trial - they will bill you automatically when the trial ends unless you cancel first. That is standard for the SaaS world but worth flagging if you want to test the platform without commitment.

Two weeks is enough to set up a basic community, invite a few members, and decide whether the discussion-board format suits how you want to teach. It is not enough to test a course launch.

Pricing across the creator/membership platform space changed substantially in the last 18 months. Most competitor pricing pages have been updated. This table reflects current pricing as of April 2026:

The standout in that table for cost-conscious creators is the gap between platforms that charge transaction fees and those that don't. Skool's Hobby plan has the lowest sticker price tied with Kourses, but the 10% transaction fee adds up fast, at the same $1,000 monthly revenue level, Skool Hobby effectively costs $109 while Kourses stays at $9.

Skool is a strong fit if:

Skool's pricing is harder to defend if:

If you have read this far and the transaction fees are giving you pause - that is a reasonable reaction. There is a structural argument for picking a platform that does not charge them at all.

Kourses is built for creators selling courses, communities and digital products from one branded platform - without the 10% transaction fee surcharges that Skool charges.

What you get with Kourses:

• 0% transaction fees on every plan - you only pay standard Stripe processing
• Online courses with native video hosting included (no separate Vimeo bill)
• Community spaces for member discussion and engagement
• Optimized checkout and funnels - order bumps, upsells, abandoned-cart recovery built in
• A fully branded experience - your domain, your design, no Skool-style discovery page sending traffic elsewhere

Plans start at $9/month - the same entry price as Skool Hobby, without the 10% transaction fee. See Kourses pricing for current plan details.

This is not the right platform for everyone - if you are deeply invested in Skool's specific community style, the gamification mechanics, or the discovery features, the move doesn't make sense. But for creators picking a platform from scratch, the math at almost any revenue level favors a 0% transaction fee model.

How much does Skool cost?

Skool offers two plans. The Hobby plan is $9/month with a 10% transaction fee on sales. The Pro plan is $99/month with a 2.9% transaction fee. Both include unlimited members, courses, videos, live calls, custom URL, and affiliates.

Does Skool charge transaction fees?

Yes. Skool charges 10% on Hobby and 2.9% on Pro for every sale processed through their checkout, on top of payment processor fees (such as Stripe at 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction). These are platform fees that go to Skool, separate from card processing.

Is Skool's $9 Hobby plan a good deal?

It depends on your sales volume. For free communities or very small paid memberships (under ~$1,300/month in revenue processed through Skool), Hobby is cheaper. Above that, the 10% transaction fee makes Pro the better deal even though the subscription is higher.

What is the difference between Skool's Hobby and Pro plans?

Features are identical between the two plans - same unlimited members, courses, videos, live calls, custom URL, and affiliates. The only differences are the monthly price ($9 vs $99) and the transaction fee (10% vs 2.9%).

Does Skool have a free plan?

No. There is no permanently free tier. Skool offers a 14-day free trial on either plan, but it requires a credit card and bills automatically when the trial ends unless you cancel.

Does Skool include video hosting?

No. Skool does not host video for course content - you need to bring your own hosting (Vimeo, Wistia, Bunny.net, or similar). Budget an additional $7–$79+/month for video hosting depending on volume.

How does Skool compare to Kajabi pricing?

Skool's Pro plan is $99/month with a 2.9% transaction fee. Kajabi's Starter plan is $89/month ($71 if billed annually) with 0% transaction fees, and includes email marketing, landing pages, and funnels. Different products: Skool is community-first, Kajabi is course-and-marketing-first.

How does Skool compare to Mighty Networks?

Mighty Networks Launch starts at $79/month - higher than Skool Hobby ($9) and lower than Skool Pro ($99). Mighty Networks doesn't charge platform transaction fees, while Skool charges 10% on Hobby and 2.9% on Pro. The platforms have different community styles: Skool is discussion-board driven; Mighty Networks is more network/feed driven and includes a branded mobile app. For paid communities, Mighty Networks' fee-free model is often cheaper than Skool Pro once you include Skool's 2.9% transaction fee on every sale.

Can I get a refund from Skool?

Skool's billing terms allow cancellation anytime - your subscription ends at the close of the current billing cycle. There is no pro-rated refund for partial months. Always confirm current refund terms on Skool's official terms page before subscribing.

Who owns Skool?

Skool was founded by Sam Ovens, an entrepreneur known for online communities and coaching programs. The platform is privately held.

How much does the Skool platform cost?

Skool costs $99 per month. This includes all features such as courses, community, coaching, and unlimited members.

What transaction fees does Skool charge?

Skool does not charge additional fees on top of their monthly subscription to a community.

If you use Skool's online checkout, they charge 2.9% on transactions which is comparable to using Stripe for payments.

How much do the Skool games cost?

Access to the Skool games is included with your membership into the Skool software.

Do you have to pay to use Skool?

Yes, Skool costs $99 per month. However, there is a 14-day free trial you can use to try it out before committing.

Does Skool have a free plan?

There's no free plan available with Skool, however there is a 14-day free trial so you can test out the platform. This is a credit-card up front trial and you will be billed if you do not cancel before the end of your trial.

What is the difference between Patreon and Skool?

Patreon is mainly a platform for crowdfunding and subscription support, while Skool is an all-in-one platform for courses, community, and coaching. Skool focuses more on teaching, community management, and connecting people, while Patreon focuses on financial support from fans.

What is the difference between Skool and Kajabi?

Kajabi is another platform for creating courses and community. However, Kajabi starts at $149 per month and includes email marketing tools. Skool, on the other hand, costs $99 per month and focuses on community engagement, gamification, and community building.

Who owns Skool Platform?

The Skool platform is owned by Sam Ovens, an entrepreneur known for building online communities and coaching programs.

Final Thoughts on Skool Pricing

Skool's pricing is simple on the surface - two plans, same features - but the transaction-fee structure is the part that determines what you actually pay. Hobby looks cheap until you start selling. Pro looks expensive until you do the math.

If you are running a free community or testing demand, Hobby at $9/month is a reasonable place to start. If you are doing $1,300+ in monthly revenue through Skool, Pro pays for itself in transaction-fee savings. And if you are starting from scratch with paid membership in mind, it is worth comparing Skool's transaction-fee model against platforms that charge none.

Pricing accurate as of April 28, 2026. Verified from: https://www.skool.com/pricing, https://kajabi.com/pricing, https://teachable.com/pricing, https://www.mightynetworks.com/pricing, https://kourses.com/pricing/.