Skool Pricing Analysis + Fee Calculator (2026) | It Starts Cheap But Gets Expensive

TL;DR: How Much Does Skool Cost (And Is It Justified)
Skool offers two pricing plans:
Hobby ($9/month + 10% + $0.30 per transaction)
Pro ($99/month + 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction, or 3.9% above $900 per payment)

Both plans include the same core features: community, courses, and built-in payments.

When your revenue is under $1K/month → Hobby is cheaper
Around $1.2K–$1.4K/month → Pro becomes more cost-effective
Above that → Pro is the clear choice

Skool starts cheap, but costs scale with your revenue and number of transactions. Compared to platforms like Kajabi, Thinkific, and Podia, Skool is more flexible early on but becomes more expensive as you grow due to percentage-based pricing.

In my experience, it still makes sense when your business depends on community engagement and retention, because that’s where Skool consistently performs better than most alternatives.

Try Skool for Free

Pricing is where most creators get confused with Skool. On the surface, it looks simple. But once you start selling, the percentage-based fees change the equation quickly.

I’ve used Skool alongside platforms like Kajabi and Thinkific, and the real difference only becomes clear when revenue starts growing. What feels cheap at $1,000 per month can look very different at $10,000.

In this guide, I’ll break down exactly what Skool costs, how those costs scale, and when it makes financial sense compared to other platforms.

To skip the math entirely, use the free Skool pricing calculator below that we’ve developed for you. Just enter your membership price and member count and it tells you exactly which plan costs less

Read my detailed Skool review to learn more about its features and how it works

Skool Pricing Plans Explained

Skool offers two paid plans: Hobby and Pro. There’s no free plan, but you can try it before committing. Skool also offers annual billing with roughly 2 months free, which lowers the effective monthly cost on both plans.

Both plans give you access to the same core system: a combined community + course platform with built-in payments. You’re not unlocking new features as you upgrade—you’re changing how much you pay as your revenue grows.

Skool Pricing Plan Comparison Table

Before diving deeper, let me give you a high level comparison of Skool’s pricing plans.

Feature	Hobby Plan	Pro Plan
Price (Monthly)	$9/month	$99/month
Price (Annual)	$7.50/month (2 months free)	$82/month (2 months free)
Transaction Fee	10% + $0.30 per sale	2.9% + $0.30 per sale (up to $900) 3.9% + $0.30 (above $900)
Members	Unlimited	Unlimited
Courses	Unlimited	Unlimited
Videos	Unlimited	Unlimited
Live Calls	Unlimited	Unlimited
Community (posts, feed, engagement)	✔ Included	✔ Included
Payment Processing	✔ Built-in (via Skool Payments)	✔ Built-in (via Skool Payments)
Custom URL	✔ Included	✔ Included
Affiliate System	✔ Included	✔ Included
Core Features Difference	Same as Pro	Same as Hobby
Best For	Testing ideas, early-stage creators	Scaling revenue and maximizing profit

Skool’s pricing includes both platform fees and payment processing in one structure, but each transaction also includes a fixed $0.30 fee.

For higher-ticket payments (above $900), the Pro plan fee increases to 3.9% + $0.30, which can slightly impact margins for premium offers.

Hobby Plan: What You Pay and What You Get

• $9/month
• 10% + $0.30 per transaction

With the Hobby plan, you can:

• Run a full community with posts, comments, and discussions
• Host unlimited courses with lessons and modules
• Upload unlimited videos and run live calls
• Charge members using built-in payment processing
• Manage members, access, and payments in one place

You’re not limited in what you can build. You can run a complete paid community or course business on this plan.

The trade-off is pricing. The 10% fee plus $0.30 applies to every sale, which adds up quickly once revenue becomes consistent.

In my experience, Hobby works well as a testing phase. As soon as sales stabilize, the percentage cut becomes hard to justify, and most creators move to Pro.

Pro Plan: What You Pay and What You Get

• $99/month
• 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction (up to $900)
• 3.9% + $0.30 for transactions above $900

The Pro plan includes the same core setup (community, courses, and payments) but is built for scaling.

You still get:

• The same community structure with posts and engagement
• Unlimited courses, videos, and live calls
• Built-in memberships and payment processing
• Full control over members, access, and monetization

Nothing changes in terms of features. You’re using the same system as Hobby.

The difference is financial. The lower percentage means you keep significantly more of your revenue as sales grow.

Each transaction includes a fixed $0.30 fee along with the percentage. For payments up to $900, you pay 2.9% + $0.30, and for payments above $900, it increases to 3.9% + $0.30.

Compared to the Hobby plan’s 10%, this lower percentage makes a significant difference as revenue grows. For example, on a $100 sale you keep about $97 on Pro versus $90 on Hobby, and that gap compounds quickly across multiple sales.

In my experience, this becomes the default plan as soon as revenue stabilizes. The monthly fee is higher, but the savings on transaction fees quickly outweigh the cost.

The Key Difference in Skool Hobby vs Pro

Functionally, both plans let you:

• Run a community
• Host courses
• Sell access

You’re not gaining or losing features as you upgrade. The experience stays the same.

What changes is how much you keep from each sale.

• Hobby → low monthly cost, high percentage (10% + $0.30)
• Pro → higher monthly cost, much lower percentage (2.9% + $0.30, or 3.9% on payments above $900)

This difference looks small at first, but it changes how your business behaves financially.

On Hobby, every sale takes a noticeable cut. That works when you’re testing or making occasional sales. But once revenue becomes consistent, that 10% starts eating into your margins.

On Pro, the monthly fee is higher, but you keep a much larger share of each sale. As revenue grows, that difference compounds quickly, which is why most creators move to Pro once sales stabilize.

Platform Fees vs Processing: What This Actually Means

With Skool, everything is handled inside one system. The percentage you see is what you pay per transaction, along with a fixed $0.30 fee.

That means you don’t have to think about separate platform fees and payment processing fees. It’s all bundled into one pricing structure, which keeps things simple.

On other platforms like Circle or Mighty Networks, the pricing is usually layered. You pay a platform fee, and then payment processing gets added on top of that.

In practical terms:

• With Skool, you can estimate your cost per sale quickly because everything is combined
• With some alternatives, your total cost per sale is made up of multiple layers, which can be harder to track

This starts to matter more as revenue grows. A small difference in how fees are structured can translate into hundreds of dollars per month once your sales increase.

When Should You Choose Skool Hobby vs Pro?

This decision comes down to one thing: how much you’re selling each month.

On paper, both plans look almost identical. In reality, the moment you start generating consistent revenue, the pricing difference starts to matter.

Here’s the simplest way to think about it:

• Under $1,000/month → Hobby makes sense: At this stage, you’re either testing an idea or just getting your first sales. Keeping your fixed cost low matters more than optimizing fees.
• Around $1,300/month → Pro starts making more sense: This is the tipping point where the lower percentage on Pro begins to offset the higher monthly fee. You’re no longer just testing—you’re starting to see consistent traction.
• Above that → Pro becomes the obvious choice: Once revenue grows beyond this level, staying on Hobby means giving up too much from each sale. The higher percentage starts to eat into your margins in a noticeable way.

What’s happening behind the scenes is simple.

On Hobby, you pay less upfront but give up more per sale.
On Pro, you pay more upfront but keep a larger share of your revenue.

At low revenue, the difference is small. As revenue grows, that gap widens quickly.

That’s why most creators naturally move to Pro as soon as their sales become consistent.

Quick Decision Table

Your Situation	Recommended Plan	Why
Just testing an idea, low or no revenue	Hobby	Lowest upfront cost, no pressure
Making under $1K/month	Hobby	Fees are still manageable at this level
Around $1K–$1.5K/month	Transition to Pro	You’re close to the break-even point
Consistently above $1.3K/month	Pro	You keep more revenue with lower fees
Scaling beyond $3K–$5K/month	Pro (no question)	Hobby becomes unnecessarily expensive

In my experience, Hobby is more of a testing phase plan.

Once you’ve validated your offer and sales start coming in regularly, staying on Hobby stops making financial sense. The percentage cut becomes too high, and switching to Pro becomes less of a choice and more of a necessity.

How Much Does Skool Cost As You Scale?

At low revenue, both Skool plans feel affordable. The difference between them is small, and pricing is not a major concern.

But as sales grow, the percentage-based fees start to change the equation. On top of that, each transaction also includes a fixed $0.30 fee, which affects your real cost depending on how many payments you process.

For the Pro plan, there’s one more detail you need to understand:

• 2.9% + $0.30 applies to payments up to $900
• 3.9% + $0.30 applies to payments above $900

This applies to each individual payment, not your total monthly revenue.

So if your membership fee or course price is above $900 per payment, you move into the higher 3.9% rate.

What feels inexpensive at $500/month can look very different at $10,000/month.

Let me break it down with more realistic numbers.

Real Cost at Different Revenue Levels

Monthly Revenue	Hobby Cost (10% + $0.30 + $9)	Pro Cost (2.9% + $0.30 + $99)	Better Option
$500 (5 sales @ $100)	$50 + $1.50 + $9 = $60.50	$14.50 + $1.50 + $99 = $115	Hobby
$1,000 (10 sales @ $100)	$100 + $3 + $9 = $112	$29 + $3 + $99 = $131	Hobby
$3,000 (30 sales @ $100)	$300 + $9 + $9 = $318	$87 + $9 + $99 = $195	Pro
$5,000 (50 sales @ $100)	$500 + $15 + $9 = $524	$145 + $15 + $99 = $259	Pro
$10,000 (100 sales @ $100)	$1,000 + $30 + $9 = $1,039	$290 + $30 + $99 = $419	Pro
$20,000 (200 sales @ $100)	$2,000 + $60 + $9 = $2,069	$580 + $60 + $99 = $739	Pro

This assumes an average price of $100 per payment. At this level, Pro uses the 2.9% rate.

What This Table Actually Shows

At lower revenue levels, the Hobby plan keeps your costs low. You are paying a small monthly fee, and the percentage plus fixed fee does not feel significant.

As you approach the $1,000 to $1,300 range, the gap between Hobby and Pro starts to close. This is where the decision begins to shift.

Once you move beyond that point, the difference becomes more noticeable. The higher percentage on Hobby starts taking a larger share of your revenue, while Pro becomes more efficient.

At higher revenue levels, the gap becomes significant.

For example, at $10,000/month:

• Hobby → $1,039
• Pro → $419

That’s a difference of $620 every month, even after including the $0.30 transaction fee.

What Changes for High-Ticket Memberships and Courses

If your membership fee or product price is above $900 per payment, the Pro plan uses the higher 3.9% + $0.30 rate.

This mainly affects:

• High-ticket coaching programs
• Premium memberships
• Expensive one-time courses

Even then, Pro remains significantly more efficient than Hobby.

For example:

• $1,000 membership on Hobby → $100 fee
• $1,000 membership on Pro → about $39 fee

So while the percentage increases slightly on higher-priced offers, it is still far lower than the 10% on Hobby.

What This Means for You

Skool’s pricing is simple to understand, but it behaves differently depending on:

• how much you sell
• how many payments you process
• your price per membership or product

Your cost increases with your revenue, and your pricing model affects how much you actually pay.

If you understand how the percentage and fixed fee work together, it becomes much easier to choose the right plan and avoid giving up more revenue than necessary as your business grows.

The Hidden Costs of Using Skool

One thing that struck me while using Skool is that the base pricing doesn’t always tell the full story.

Skool keeps things simple, but depending on how you run your business, there are a few things you may still need to pay for outside the platform.

What You May Still Need to Pay For

Email tools: If you’re building a serious business, you’ll likely want an email system to follow up with leads, onboard members, or run campaigns. Skool doesn’t replace that, so tools like ConvertKit or ActiveCampaign often become part of your stack.

Funnel builders: If you’re driving traffic from ads or want structured sales funnels, you may need a separate tool. Skool handles payments and access, but it’s not designed to build full marketing funnels.

Landing pages: For lead capture or sales pages, many creators still use external page builders. Again, Skool focuses on delivery and community—not front-end marketing pages.

How This Affects Your Total Cost

This is where the pricing model becomes more nuanced.

• With Skool → you start with a low base cost, but may add tools as your business grows
• With Kajabi → you pay more upfront, but many of these tools are already included
• With Podia → you land somewhere in the middle, with basic email and selling tools built in

From my experience, Skool works best if you’re comfortable building a small stack around it. But if you prefer everything under one roof, platforms with higher upfront pricing can sometimes feel more predictable overall.

Break-Even Comparison Table (Skool vs Alternatives)

To understand where Skool makes financial sense, you need to compare it with platforms that use fixed pricing versus those that take a percentage of your sales.

The table below shows how costs change as your revenue grows.

Assumes average price of $100 per sale (so $0.30 per transaction is included in Skool, Circle, and similar platforms)

Monthly Revenue	Skool Pro ($99 + 2.9% + $0.30)	Kajabi (~$149)	Thinkific (~$99)	Podia (~$89)	Circle (~$89 + 2% + $0.30)	Mighty Networks (~$99 + 2% + $0.30)
$1,000	$131	$149	$99	$89	~$112	~$122
$3,000	$195	$149	$99	$89	~$158	~$168
$5,000	$259	$149	$99	$89	~$204	~$214
$10,000	$419	$149	$99	$89	~$319	~$329
$20,000	$739	$149	$99	$89	~$549	~$559

As you can see, at lower revenue levels, the difference between platforms is relatively small.

Skool remains competitive because the percentage fee does not add up to much yet. The lower upfront cost makes it easy to start.

But as revenue grows, the pricing models start to behave very differently.

Platforms like Kajabi, Thinkific, and Podia stay flat because you pay a fixed monthly fee. Your cost does not change as your revenue increases.

Skool, Circle, and Mighty Networks increase in cost because they take a percentage of every sale. The more you earn, the more you pay.

• At $1K–$3K/month, the difference is small and often not worth worrying about
• At $5K–$10K/month, Skool becomes noticeably more expensive than fixed-cost platforms
• At $20K/month and beyond, the gap becomes significant

For example:

• Skool at $10K → $419/month
• Podia → $89/month
• Thinkific → $99/month

That difference compounds over time.

What this actually means

Skool gives you flexibility early. You pay less when you are starting, and your cost grows with your business.

Other platforms give you predictability. You know exactly what you will pay every month, no matter how much you sell.

So the real decision comes down to whether you prefer:

• a percentage-based model that scales with you
• or a fixed-cost model that stays stable as you grow

Read: The best Skool alternatives compared

Where Skool Pricing Still Makes Sense

In my experience, Skool continues to make sense even as the cost increases, but only in specific types of businesses.

If your revenue depends on an active community, the higher cost can still be justified. The platform helps keep people engaged, conversations going, and members coming back. 

That ongoing activity supports retention and makes recurring revenue more stable.

At $10K or even $20K per month, the fees are clearly higher than fixed-cost platforms. But if that same community is what keeps your members paying and participating, then the cost is tied to the outcome you are getting.

Plus, switching to a different platform after growing your community to thousands of members can be a real headache for both you and your members.

In that situation, the percentage you pay is not just a platform expense. It is part of the system that supports how your business grows.

When Other Platforms Become Cheaper

The math changes when your business does not rely heavily on community engagement.

If your revenue is driven more by structured courses, funnels, or one-time sales, then Skool’s pricing becomes harder to justify as you scale.

At that point:

• costs continue to increase with revenue
• your usage of the platform stays the same
• margins start to shrink

This is where fixed-cost platforms like Thinkific or Kajabi become easier to justify financially. You know what you will pay each month, regardless of how much you sell.

Final Verdict: Which Skool Plan Should You Choose?

If you’re deciding between the two plans on Skool, the choice is more straightforward than it looks.

• Hobby → use this if you’re in the testing phase
  If you’re validating an idea, building your first community, or not generating consistent revenue yet, Hobby keeps your upfront cost low. It gives you everything you need to get started without committing much financially.
• Pro → the default choice for most serious creators
  Once you’re making consistent sales, Pro becomes the practical option. The lower transaction fee means you keep more of your revenue, and the higher monthly cost quickly pays for itself.

In my experience, very few people stay on Hobby for long. As soon as revenue stabilizes, the math pushes you toward Pro.

Skool is easy to justify early on. 

The pricing is simple, the upfront cost is low, and you can start without overthinking it.

As your business grows, the pricing model starts to matter more. The percentage-based structure means your costs increase alongside your revenue, and that’s something you need to be aware of as you scale.

If you go in understanding that, the decision becomes much clearer.

Detailed Skool Comparisons With Other Platforms

Check out my detailed Skool comparisons with other course and community platforms

• Skool vs Mighty Networks
• Skool vs Kajabi
• Skool vs Circle
• Skool vs Whop
• Skool vs Thinkific
• Skool vs Teachable

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the break-even point between Skool Hobby and Pro?

Around $1,268–$1,300 per month in gross sales. At that revenue level, the fee savings on Pro (7.1 percentage points lower than Hobby) offset the extra $90/month you pay for the plan. If you sell anything above $900 per transaction, the break-even arrives slightly later because Skool charges 3.9% on those payments instead of 2.9%.

Does Skool charge a higher fee on high-ticket sales?

Yes. On the Pro plan, Skool charges 2.9% + $0.30 on payments up to $900, but 3.9% + $0.30 on any payment of $901 or more. This matters if you’re selling premium memberships or one-time high-ticket offers. The Hobby plan stays flat at 10% regardless of transaction size.

Can you run multiple communities on one Skool subscription?

No. Each Skool community requires its own subscription. If you run two communities, you pay two monthly fees — either $9 or $99 per community depending on the plan. This is one of the more significant hidden costs for creators who want to segment audiences or test different offers.

How does Skool pricing compare to Kajabi at $10,000 per month in revenue?

At $10,000/month, Skool Pro costs around $389 total (platform fee plus 2.9% transaction fee), while Kajabi charges a flat $149/month with no transaction fees. That’s a $240 monthly difference. Kajabi also includes email marketing and funnel tools, which Skool doesn’t, so the real comparison depends on what you’re paying for those tools separately.

Is Skool cheaper than Circle for community-based memberships?

At lower revenue levels, yes. Skool Pro starts at $99/month with a 2.9% fee. Circle charges lower monthly rates on entry plans but its transaction fees run higher on certain plans which makes it more expensive once revenue grows. The gap closes quickly depending on which Circle plan you’re on.

What happens to your Skool data if you cancel?

You can export a basic CSV with member names and email addresses. However, there is no export for course content, community discussions, or payment data. Payment history is locked inside Skool’s Stripe Express sub-account, which is not the same as your own Stripe account. This is an important consideration before migrating off the platform.

Does Skool have a free plan?

No. Skool offers a 14-day free trial that requires a credit card. After the trial, you choose either Hobby ($9/month) or Pro ($99/month). There is no permanent free tier.

Can you offer one-time purchases on Skool instead of subscriptions?

Yes, but with limits. Skool supports one-time payments for course access and add-ons through a “Buy Now” option. However, its primary model is built around subscription-based memberships. If your business relies heavily on one-time course sales rather than recurring memberships, the platform’s design may feel restrictive compared to something like Thinkific or Kajabi.

Is Skool worth it for course creators who don’t need community features?

Probably not. Skool’s core value is the combination of community, gamification, and courses in one place. If you don’t plan to use the community actively, you’re paying for a course platform that lacks features most dedicated course tools offer — no quizzes, no certificates, no drip content, no assignments. In that case, Thinkific or Podia gives you more for the same or lower cost.

Does Skool pricing change if you pay annually?

Yes. Annual billing saves roughly two months of fees — the Hobby plan drops from $9 to $7.50/month and the Pro plan drops from $99 to $82/month. Skool does not offer public coupon codes. The annual discount is the only pricing break available.

Jeff Cobb, Founder of Learning Revolution

Jeff Cobb is an expert in online education and the business of adult lifelong learning. Over the past 20+ years he has built a thriving career based on that expertise – as an entrepreneur, a consultant, an author, and a speaker. Learning Revolution is a place where Jeff curates tips, insights, and resources to help you build a thriving expertise-based business. Learn more about Jeff Cobb here.