Skool Pricing Analysis + Fee Calculator (2026) | Hobby vs Pro Fees and 30% Growth Boost

TL;DR: How Much Does Skool Cost (And Is It Worth It)

Skool offers two pricing plans.
Hobby: $9/month (or $7.50/month billed yearly) + 10% + 30¢ per transaction
Pro: $99/month (or $82/month billed yearly) + 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction, or 3.9% + 30¢ on payments above $900

Both plans include unlimited members, courses, videos, and live calls, with built-in payments. Pro adds a custom URL and an affiliate program. Both come with a 14-day free trial.

Under about $1,270 a month in sales, Hobby costs less. Above that, Pro wins, and the gap grows with every sale.

Skool’s fees already include card processing. On Kajabi, Thinkific, and Podia you pay a flat plan price and still pay about 2.9% + 30¢ in processing on every sale.

Once you count that, Pro costs about the same as those platforms at any revenue level. The real cost traps are the 10% fee on Hobby and Growth Boost, a 30% commission Skool takes on members its Discovery feed brings you.

In my experience, Skool makes the most 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. 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 once you count their payment processing too.

To skip the math, use the free Skool pricing calculator below. Enter your membership price, your member count, and the share of members who find you through Skool Discovery, and it shows 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 either one free for 14 days. Annual billing gives you roughly 2 months free, which brings Hobby to $7.50/month and Pro to $82/month.

Both plans give you the same core system, a combined community + course platform with built-in payments. Upgrading mainly changes how much you pay per sale. Pro also adds two features Hobby lacks, a custom URL and an affiliate program.

Skool Pricing Plan Comparison Table

Here’s a high-level comparison of Skool’s two plans before we go deeper.

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% + 30¢ per sale	2.9% + 30¢ per sale (up to $899) 3.9% + 30¢ (above $900)
Card Processing	Included in the fee	Included in the fee
Growth Boost (Discovery members)	30% commission + fee	30% commission + fee
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	✘ Not included	✔ Included
Affiliate System	✘ Not included	✔ Included
Free Trial	14 days	14 days
Best For	Testing ideas, early-stage creators	Scaling revenue and maximizing profit

Skool’s fee covers both its platform cut and card processing in one number. Each transaction also carries a fixed 30¢ charge.

For higher-ticket payments above $900, Skool’s Help Center lists a Pro fee of 3.9% + 30¢, which trims margins on premium offers. Skool’s pricing page only shows the 2.9% figure, so check your payouts if you sell high-ticket offers.

Hobby Plan: What You Pay and What You Get

• $9/month, or $7.50/month billed yearly
• 10% + 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 can run a complete paid community or course business on this plan. Two things are missing, a custom URL and an affiliate program, and both need Pro.

The trade-off is pricing. The 10% + 30¢ fee 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, or $82/month billed yearly
• 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction (up to $899)
• 3.9% + 30¢ for transactions above $900

The Pro plan includes the same core setup (community, courses, and payments) and 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
• A custom URL for your community
• An affiliate program, so members earn a commission for bringing in new people

Apart from the custom URL and affiliates, you’re using the same system as Hobby.

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

Each transaction includes a fixed 30¢ charge on top of the percentage. Payments up to $899 cost 2.9% + 30¢, and payments above $900 cost 3.9% + 30¢.

Compared to Hobby‘s 10%, this lower percentage makes a big difference as revenue grows. On a $100 sale you keep $96.80 on Pro versus $89.70 on Hobby, and that gap compounds across every sale.

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

The Key Difference in Skool Hobby vs Pro

Functionally, both plans let you:

• Run a community
• Host courses
• Sell access

Your members see the same platform on both plans. Pro adds a custom URL and an affiliate program on your side.

What changes is how much you keep from each sale.

• Hobby → low monthly cost, high percentage (10% + 30¢)
• Pro → higher monthly cost, much lower percentage (2.9% + 30¢, or 3.9% + 30¢ 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. Once revenue becomes consistent, that 10% starts eating into your margins.

On Pro, the monthly fee is higher, and 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, the percentage you see already includes card processing. Skool runs the payment itself, so no separate Stripe charge shows up on top.

Most course platforms work differently. Kajabi, Thinkific, and Podia charge a flat monthly fee, and you still pay card processing on every sale, usually about 2.9% + 30¢ on US cards through Stripe or the platform’s own payments.

Community platforms like Circle and Mighty Networks stack three layers, a monthly fee, their own transaction fee, and card processing on top of both.

In practical terms:

• Skool Pro‘s 2.9% + 30¢ matches what you’d pay in card processing on most other platforms, so its real platform cost is the monthly fee
• On fixed-price platforms, your true cost is the plan price plus processing
• On Circle and Mighty Networks, your cost is the plan price, their transaction fee, and processing

This changes how you should compare Skool. Put Skool’s fee next to a competitor’s sticker price and Skool looks expensive. Add processing to the competitor’s side and the picture changes, as the break-even table below shows.

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. Once you generate consistent revenue, the pricing difference starts to matter.

Here’s the simplest way to think about it:

• Under about $1,270/month, choose Hobby. At this stage, you’re either testing an idea or getting your first sales. Keeping your fixed cost low matters more than optimizing fees.
• Around $1,270/month, the two plans cost the same. This is the break-even point on monthly billing, where the lower percentage on Pro offsets its higher monthly fee. On yearly billing, the break-even drops to about $1,050/month.
• Above that, choose Pro. Staying on Hobby means giving up an extra 7.1 cents of every dollar you earn, and that adds up fast.

What’s happening behind the scenes is simple.

On Hobby, you pay less upfront and give up more per sale.
On Pro, you pay more upfront and 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 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 $1,000/month	Hobby	Fees stay manageable at this level
Around $1,000 to $1,300/month	Transition to Pro	You’re near the break-even point (about $1,050 on yearly billing, $1,270 on monthly)
Consistently above $1,300/month	Pro	You keep more revenue with lower fees
You need a custom URL or an affiliate program	Pro	Both features are Pro-only
Scaling beyond $3,000 to $5,000/month	Pro (no question)	Hobby costs hundreds of dollars more each month

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

Once you’ve validated your offer and sales come in regularly, staying on Hobby stops making financial sense. The percentage cut becomes too high, and switching to Pro becomes 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.

As sales grow, the percentage-based fees start to change the equation. Each transaction also carries a fixed 30¢ charge, which affects your real cost depending on how many payments you process.

Skool’s Help Center also lists a tiered fee for the Pro plan.

• 2.9% + 30¢ applies to payments up to $899
• 3.9% + 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 pay the higher 3.9% rate.

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

Let me break it down with more realistic numbers.

Real Cost at Different Revenue Levels

Monthly Revenue	Hobby Cost (10% + 30¢ + $9)	Pro Cost (2.9% + 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 and monthly billing. At this price, Pro uses the 2.9% rate.

What This Table Actually Shows

At lower revenue levels, the Hobby plan keeps your costs low. You pay a small monthly fee, and the percentage plus the fixed charge stays small.

As you approach the $1,000 to $1,300 range, the gap between Hobby and Pro closes. This is where the decision shifts.

Beyond that point, the higher percentage on Hobby takes a larger share of your revenue, and 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 30¢ charge on each transaction.

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% + 30¢ rate.

This mainly affects:

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

Even then, Pro remains far more efficient than Hobby.

For example:

• $1,000 membership on Hobby → $100.30 fee
• $1,000 membership on Pro → $39.30 fee

So while the percentage rises on higher-priced offers, it stays 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, you may still pay for a few things outside the platform.

Growth Boost: Skool’s 30% Discovery Commission

Skool runs a Discovery directory that recommends communities to its users. When Discovery brings you a paying member, Skool’s Growth Boost program takes a 30% commission on that member’s payments, plus the normal transaction fee. On a $50 membership, that’s $15 to Skool before fees.

Skool’s Help Center describes Growth Boost as on by default, and Skool’s documentation says the commission keeps applying to recurring charges for as long as that member stays subscribed.

Members you bring in yourself, through your own audience, ads, or links, only carry the standard fee. To switch Growth Boost off, go to Settings > Discovery. Switching it off also removes your community from Discovery, so you lose that source of free traffic.

If Discovery sends you a meaningful share of new members, include that 30% in your break-even math. The calculator at the top of this page lets you enter the share of members who come from Discovery.

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 Kit 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, and it isn’t designed to build full marketing funnels.

Landing pages. For lead capture or sales pages, many creators still use external page builders. Skool focuses on delivery and community, and leaves front-end marketing pages to other tools.

How This Affects Your Total Cost

This is where the pricing model becomes more nuanced.

• With Skool, you start with a low base cost and may add tools as your business grows
• With Kajabi, you pay more upfront ($143/month for Basic on yearly billing), and email, funnels, and landing pages come included
• With Podia, you land somewhere in the middle, with email and a website builder 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, compare it with platforms that use fixed pricing and those that take a percentage of your sales. The fair way to compare is to add card processing to every platform, because Skool’s fee already includes it.

The table below shows the total monthly cost, meaning plan price, platform fees, and processing, as your revenue grows.

Assumes yearly billing, an average sale of $100, and standard card processing of 2.9% + 30¢ on platforms that charge it separately. Skool’s fee already includes processing. Kajabi Basic, Thinkific Start, and Podia Shaker charge no platform transaction fee.

Monthly Revenue	Skool Pro ($82 + 2.9% + 30¢, processing included)	Kajabi Basic ($143 + processing)	Thinkific Start ($82 + processing)	Podia Shaker ($84 + processing)	Circle Professional ($89 + 2% + processing)	Mighty Networks Launch ($79 + 2% + processing)
$1,000	$114	$175	$114	$116	$141	$131
$3,000	$178	$239	$178	$180	$245	$235
$5,000	$242	$303	$242	$244	$349	$339
$10,000	$402	$463	$402	$404	$609	$599
$20,000	$722	$783	$722	$724	$1,129	$1,119

Once you add processing to every platform, the picture changes. Skool Pro costs the same as Thinkific Start, a couple of dollars less than Podia Shaker, and about $61 a month less than Kajabi Basic at every revenue level.

That happens because Skool Pro‘s 2.9% + 30¢ matches standard card processing. You pay that rate on almost any platform, so the monthly fee becomes the real difference. Other platforms often charge extra processing on international cards too, which can tilt the math further toward Skool.

Circle and Mighty Networks cost more as you grow, because their own transaction fee sits on top of processing. At $10,000 a month, that extra 2% adds $200.

Hobby is the plan that gets expensive. At $10,000 a month on yearly billing, Hobby costs about $1,038, more than double any platform in the table.

So the idea that Skool gets expensive as you scale holds for Hobby, and for members who arrive through Discovery under Growth Boost. On Pro, your cost grows with revenue at the same rate it would on any platform that charges card processing.

• At $1,000 to $3,000 a month, Skool Pro, Thinkific Start, and Podia Shaker cost almost exactly the same
• At $5,000 to $10,000 a month, Circle and Mighty Networks cost about $100 to $200 more than Skool Pro
• At $20,000 a month and beyond, Kajabi’s flat premium matters less, and the extra percentage on Circle and Mighty Networks matters more

Here’s how the totals compare at $10,000 a month.

• Skool Pro → $402/month
• Thinkific Start → $402/month
• Podia Shaker → $404/month
• Kajabi Basic → $463/month

At that point, what you get for the monthly fee matters more than the fees themselves.

What this actually means

Skool gives you flexibility early. You pay very little on Hobby while you’re starting, and Pro keeps your cost in line with other platforms once you grow.

Fixed-price platforms give you predictable plan prices, though you still pay processing on every sale.

So the real decision comes down to what you need the platform to do.

• a community-first platform with courses built in, where Skool shines
• or a course and marketing platform with email, funnels, and deeper course tools, where Kajabi, Thinkific, and Podia do more

Read: The best Skool alternatives compared

Where Skool Pricing Still Makes Sense

In my experience, Skool makes the most sense in specific types of businesses.

If your revenue depends on an active community, Skool earns its price. 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, Skool Pro costs about the same as fixed-price course platforms and less than Circle or Mighty Networks. If that same community is what keeps your members paying and participating, you get strong value for that money.

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 part of the system that supports how your business grows.

When Other Platforms Make More Sense

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

If your revenue comes from structured courses, funnels, or one-time sales, you’ll likely pay for extra tools on top of Skool, and that’s where its value drops.

At that point:

• you add an email tool, a funnel builder, or a page builder to fill the gaps
• the community features you pay for go unused
• a course platform with those tools built in gives you more for a similar price

This is where platforms like Thinkific or Kajabi become easier to justify. Kajabi includes email and funnels, and Thinkific Start adds certificates and assignments that Skool doesn’t offer.

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, the higher monthly cost pays for itself above about $1,270 a month, and you get a custom URL and affiliates.

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 plan you’re on matters more. On Hobby, costs rise fast with revenue. On Pro, costs track standard card processing, so Skool stays competitive with fixed-price platforms. Keep an eye on Growth Boost if Discovery sends you members, since those sales cost you 30% extra.

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 $1,270 a month in gross sales on monthly billing, or about $1,050 on yearly billing. At that revenue level, the lower fee on Pro (7.1 percentage points below Hobby) offsets its higher plan price. If you sell payments above $900, the break-even arrives later, at about $1,475 a month on monthly billing, because Pro charges 3.9% on those payments.

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

Yes. Skool’s Help Center lists the Pro fee as 2.9% + 30¢ on payments up to $899 and 3.9% + 30¢ on payments above $900. This matters if you sell premium memberships or one-time high-ticket offers. Hobby stays flat at 10% + 30¢ regardless of transaction size.

Can you run multiple communities on one Skool subscription?

No. Each Skool community needs 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 bigger 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 a month with $100 sales on yearly billing, Skool Pro costs about $402 with card processing included. Kajabi Basic costs $143 a month plus Kajabi Payments processing of 2.9% + 30¢, about $463 in total. Kajabi includes email marketing and funnels, which Skool leaves out, though Basic caps you at 5 products and 2,500 contacts.

Is Skool cheaper than Circle for community-based memberships?

Yes, once you count fees. Circle Professional costs $89 a month on yearly billing and adds a 2% transaction fee on top of card processing. Skool Pro costs $82 a month on yearly billing, with processing included in its 2.9% + 30¢. At $10,000 a month, Circle Professional comes to about $609 and Skool Pro to about $402.

What happens to your Skool data if you cancel?

You can export a basic CSV with member names and email addresses. Skool doesn’t export course content, community discussions, or payment data. Payment history stays inside Skool’s Stripe Express sub-account, which is separate from your own Stripe account. Weigh this before you build a large community on the platform, because moving off it means rebuilding that content elsewhere.

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). Skool has 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 without quizzes, certificates, or assignments. In that case, Thinkific Start or Podia Shaker gives you more course tools for about the same price.

Does Skool pricing change if you pay annually?

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

What is Skool’s Growth Boost fee?

Growth Boost is a 30% commission Skool takes when its Discovery directory brings you a paying member, on top of the normal transaction fee. It’s on by default. You can switch it off under Settings > Discovery, which also removes your community from Discovery. Members you bring in yourself only carry the standard fee.

Does Skool’s transaction fee include Stripe processing?

Yes. Skool processes payments itself, so Hobby‘s 10% + 30¢ and Pro‘s 2.9% + 30¢ already include card processing. On Kajabi, Thinkific, or Podia you pay processing separately, usually about 2.9% + 30¢ on US cards, which is why Skool Pro costs about the same as those platforms once you compare totals.

Which Skool features are only on the Pro plan?

A custom URL for your community and the affiliate program. Members, courses, videos, and live calls are unlimited on both plans, and the community and classroom work the same way on Hobby and Pro.

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.