PaywallTools monetization wizard

Best Skool alternatives in 1970.

Looking for alternatives to Skool? Here are the best options depending on your use case.

Why look for alternatives?

Skool ranks lower on tax handling, advanced billing flexibility, which is the most common reason teams evaluate alternatives.

Top alternatives

01
Circle

Community platform with courses and memberships

Clean community platform for creators and coaches. Courses, live streams, events, and memberships in one place. 0% transaction fee on all plans.

Pricing
Professional $89/mo. Business $199/mo (lower transaction fees, branded apps add-on). Circle Plus: custom pricing for large-scale businesses. 0% transaction fee on Professional and above.
Pick if
you want the fastest, simplest setup
Facts
PaywallsNo-code
02
Kajabi

All-in-one platform for online courses and memberships

Most complete all-in-one platform: courses, community, email, coaching, and website builder. Most expensive option but covers everything.

Pricing
Basic $143/mo, Growth $199/mo, Pro $399/mo (annual billing). Kajabi Payments: 2.7-2.9% + $0.30. 0-2% fee on 3rd-party payment providers depending on plan.
Pick if
paywall and conversion tooling is the priority
Facts
PaywallsNo-code
03
Whop

Sell communities, courses, and software access

Best for selling community access, Discord groups, and bundled digital products. Not MoR.

Pricing
3% platform + Stripe fees (~5.7–7.2% all-in)
Pick if
lowest fees matter most
Facts
No-code
04
Mighty Networks

Community platform with courses and memberships

Community-first platform with courses and live events. Native mobile apps for members. Has transaction fees on lower tiers. Competes directly with Circle and Kajabi.

Pricing
Courses $33/mo (3% transaction). Business $99/mo (2%). Path-to-Pro $360/mo (0%).
Pick if
you want the fastest, simplest setup
Facts
PaywallsNo-code
05
Thinkific

Create and sell online courses and memberships

One of the most popular course platforms. 0% transaction fee on all plans including free. Strong for course creators who want control without Kajabi's price tag.

Pricing
No free plan. Basic $49/mo ($36/mo annual). Start $74/mo. Grow $149/mo. 0% transaction fee.
Pick if
lowest fees matter most
Facts
PaywallsNo-code
06
Lemon Squeezy

Payments, subscriptions and MoR for indie SaaS

Default choice for indie SaaS founders. Tax compliance out of the box, license key management, excellent DX. Acquired by Stripe in 2024.

Pricing
5% + $0.50 per transaction. Acquired by Stripe 2024.
Pick if
you want global tax and VAT handled for you
Facts
Merchant of recordNo-code
07
Polar

Open-source monetization for developers

Lowest MoR fees on the market (4% + $0.40). Open source, built for developers and OSS projects.

Pricing
4% + $0.40 per transaction (lowest MoR fees on the market)
Pick if
you want global tax and VAT handled for you
Facts
Merchant of recordNo-codeOpen source
08
Gumroad

Sell anything digital, instantly

Fastest path from idea to first sale. Built-in marketplace gives discovery. Now a Merchant of Record (since Jan 2025) — handles all global tax compliance. High fees (10% + $0.50) are the trade-off for zero setup friction.

Pricing
10% + $0.50 per transaction (direct). 30% via Gumroad marketplace. MoR since January 2025 — handles all global tax.
Pick if
you want global tax and VAT handled for you
Facts
Merchant of recordNo-code

Comparison table

ToolPricingMoRA/BEase
Skool$99/month flat. 2.9% + $0.30 transaction fee.NoNo5/5
CircleProfessional $89/mo. Business $199/mo (lower transaction fees, branded apps add-on). Circle Plus: custom pricing for large-scale businesses. 0% transaction fee on Professional and above.NoNo4/5
KajabiBasic $143/mo, Growth $199/mo, Pro $399/mo (annual billing). Kajabi Payments: 2.7-2.9% + $0.30. 0-2% fee on 3rd-party payment providers depending on plan.NoNo4/5
Whop3% platform + Stripe fees (~5.7–7.2% all-in)NoNo4/5
Mighty NetworksCourses $33/mo (3% transaction). Business $99/mo (2%). Path-to-Pro $360/mo (0%).NoNo4/5
ThinkificNo free plan. Basic $49/mo ($36/mo annual). Start $74/mo. Grow $149/mo. 0% transaction fee.NoNo4/5
Lemon Squeezy5% + $0.50 per transaction. Acquired by Stripe 2024.YesNo5/5
Polar4% + $0.40 per transaction (lowest MoR fees on the market)YesNo5/5
Gumroad10% + $0.50 per transaction (direct). 30% via Gumroad marketplace. MoR since January 2025 — handles all global tax.YesNo5/5

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