Skool Review | Pricing & Community Features (Legit, No Scam But Is It Worth It?)

TL;DR: Skool Review | Is It the Best Community Platform for Beginners?
Skool is a community-first platform that puts a discussion feed, simple courses, a calendar, live calls, gamification, and payments in one plain interface. Skool also runs a public Discovery page where people find and join communities, which helps creators who start without an audience.

Pricing: Hobby $9/mo + 10% + 30¢ per sale, or Pro $99/mo + 2.9% + 30¢ per sale ($7.50 and $82/mo billed annually)
Free trial: 14-day free trial, with no permanent free plan

What Skool does best:
– Gets members posting quickly with a feed, points, levels, and leaderboards
– Hosts video lessons, live calls, and events without extra tools
– Sells subscriptions, tiers, free trials, and one-time course purchases
– Brings in new members through Discovery, for a 30% commission on paying members it sends you
– Runs well on the iOS and Android apps

What Skool lacks: Quizzes, certificates, email marketing, funnels, a custom domain, design control, and native integrations beyond Zapier and webhooks.

Use Skool when: Your business depends on member participation, such as group coaching, cohorts, masterminds, and skill communities.
Skip Skool when: You need structured courses with assessments, strong branding, or a full marketing system.

Try Skool for free

Over the past few years, Skool has gone from a simple idea to one of the most talked-about community platforms in my corner of the market.

Part of the reason is a shift across learning businesses. AI makes information cheap, so people pay more for connection, accountability, and a group that keeps them going.

Skool puts that community at the center and adds courses, events, and payments around it.

In this Skool review, I explain what Skool is, what changed in 2026, what each plan costs, where it falls short, and who should choose something else.

Skool Product Snapshot

Here’s a quick look at what Skool offers.

	Skool
What it is	A community-first platform with courses, events, live calls, and payments
Founded by	Sam Ovens, with Alex Hormozi as a major investor and partner
Best for	Coaches, cohort programs, masterminds, and skill-based communities
Starting price	$9/mo + 10% + 30¢ per sale ($7.50/mo billed annually)
Free trial	14-day free trial, no permanent free plan
Members and courses	Unlimited on both plans
Video and live calls	Native video hosting and Skool Calls for live sessions
Monetization	Subscriptions, annual plans, tiers, free trials, freemium, and one-time purchases
Discovery	Public Discovery page, with a 30% commission on paying members Skool brings you
Mobile apps	iOS and Android with push notifications
Integrations	Zapier and webhooks, with no native CRM or email integrations
Not included	Quizzes, certificates, email marketing, funnels, custom domain, and design control

Read my list of the top online community platforms for course sellers

Quick Verdict | Is Skool Worth It?

Skool is worth it if member participation is the product. The feed, points, and leaderboards get people talking, Discovery can bring members without an email list, and setup takes hours instead of weeks.

Skool is the wrong choice for structured courses, branded experiences, or marketing automation. Start on Hobby to test an idea, and move to Pro once your community earns about $1,270 a month, when the lower fee covers the higher plan price.

What Is Skool and Why Is It Popular?

Skool is an online community platform with a feed, a course area called the Classroom, a calendar, live calls, member profiles, gamification, and payments in one place.

None of these tools are new on their own. What sets Skool apart is how little setup they need and how the same plain layout looks in every community, so new members know where to click.

Sam Ovens founded Skool after years of selling courses and consulting programs, and Alex Hormozi backs and promotes it. Their audiences helped Skool grow fast, and the Skool Games contests keep creators competing on revenue growth.

Skool also works differently from most course platforms because of Discovery. People browse a public directory of communities by topic, so a creator with no list can still find members, and Skool keeps 30% of the revenue from paying members it sends.

What Skool Offers

Here’s what you get on both plans.

• Community feed: Posts, comments, categories, and pinned posts in one distraction-free stream.
• Classroom: Build courses with modules, video, text, and files, and open lessons by schedule, level, or purchase.
• Native video hosting: Upload lessons directly, with captions and chapters.
• Skool Calls and calendar: Run live calls inside Skool or link Zoom, with events shown in each member’s time zone.
• Gamification: Reward participation with points, levels, and leaderboards that can open new content.
• Payments: Monthly and annual subscriptions, tiers, free trials, freemium access, and one-time course purchases.
• Discovery and reviews: Get found in Skool’s directory and collect star ratings from members.
• Mobile apps: Full iOS and Android apps with push notifications.

What Skool Does NOT Offer

These gaps decide whether Skool fits your business.

• No quizzes, assignments, or certificates: Skool lists no assessment tools for courses.
• No email marketing or funnels: Broadcasts, sequences, landing pages, and upsells need other tools.
• No custom domain or design control: Communities live on skool.com and look alike.
• No native integrations: Connections to your CRM or email tool run through Zapier or webhooks.
• No 1:1 coaching tools: Private scheduling, session notes, and contracts need a coaching platform.

Is Skool Legit or a Scam?

Skool is a legitimate software platform used by thousands of creators. The scam reputation comes from some communities on it, not from the platform.

Anyone can open a group, charge money, and market it however they like. Some communities are excellent, and others overpromise or push aggressive sales.

Skool removes communities that break its terms, such as fraud, prohibited content, or payment abuse. Skool doesn’t review course quality or verify expertise, though, and the new member reviews launched in August 2026 now help buyers judge a group before they pay.

Before joining any paid community, research the creator, look for independent proof of their results, and read member reviews.

If you need an online course platform instead, see my top picks

Who Is Skool For, and Who Is It Not For?

Here’s where I draw the line.

Skool is for	Skool is not for
Coaches running group programs and accountability calls	Educators who need quizzes, grading, or certificates
Creators starting without an email list	Businesses that need a branded site and custom domain
Fitness, art, language, and skill communities	Course sellers who rely on email funnels and upsells
Cohort programs and masterminds	Corporate trainers who need SCORM or compliance tracking
Creators who want a simple, fast setup	Businesses with several products and complex automations

My position is that Skool fits businesses where members learn from each other. If your value lies in structured content, a course platform will serve your students better.

Skool Pricing and Plans

Skool offers two plans and a 14-day free trial, with no permanent free plan. Unlimited members, courses, videos, and live calls come with both plans.

Skool pricing plans:

• Hobby ($9/mo + 10% + 30¢): All core community, course, video, event, and payment tools, with a higher fee on every sale.
• Pro ($99/mo + 2.9% + 30¢): A much lower fee, removed Skool branding, extra admins, and automation plugins such as Zapier and webhooks.

Skool features by plan:

The fee matters more than the plan price. On Hobby, a community earning $3,000 a month pays about $300 in fees, while Pro costs about $87 plus the $99 plan, so Pro wins once you pass roughly $1,270 a month.

Two more costs deserve a look. Third-party breakdowns report that the Pro fee rises to 3.9% + 30¢ on single sales above $899, and Growth Boost keeps 30% of the revenue from paying members that Skool’s Discovery sends you.

I break down every fee, with a calculator, in my Skool pricing analysis.

How Skool Works

Running a Skool community follows five steps.

• Create the community: Name the group, add a cover and description, set rules, and choose free, paid, or tiered access.
• Build the Classroom: Add modules and lessons with video, text, and files, and decide whether each course opens by level, date, tier, or purchase.
• Bring in members: Share your link, invite members, or let Discovery and member referrals bring people in.
• Run the rhythm: Post prompts in the feed, schedule weekly calls, and let points and levels reward people who show up.
• Manage the business: Track payments, renewals, failed charges, and activity from the admin area.

Members move between the feed and the Classroom all day. They watch a lesson, ask a question about it in the feed, and earn points for both, which is the loop Skool centers on.

What’s New in Skool for 2026

Skool shipped several updates in 2026, according to SkoolPrep’s platform news tracker.

• One-time purchases: Sell individual courses with a Buy Now option, alongside subscriptions.
• Tiers, freemium, and free trials: Run free and paid levels in one community and lock content during trials.
• Close Doors (July 2026): Stop new signups to create launch windows.
• Member reviews (August 2026): Star ratings on communities, now shown in Google results.
• Faster payouts and 11 languages (August to September 2026): Global fast payouts and automatic language detection.
• Skool Games revamp (July 2026): Leaderboards that rank creators by monthly revenue growth.

Skool Core Features

Below, I start with a summary table, then cover each feature with its limitations.

Skool Features at a Glance

Feature	What it does	Limitations
Community feed	Keeps discussion in one simple stream	Little control over layout and structure
Classroom	Hosts courses with modules and access rules	No quizzes, assignments, or certificates
Video hosting	Uploads lessons with captions and chapters	Few analytics for large video libraries
Calendar and Skool Calls	Runs live calls and time-zone-aware events	Group-focused, with no 1:1 booking
Gamification	Rewards activity with points, levels, and unlocks	Can reward volume over quality
Member directory	Lets members find and message each other	Basic profiles and search
Payments	Sells subscriptions, tiers, trials, and one-time access	No payment plans, bundles, or upsells
Integrations	Connects through Zapier and webhooks	No native email, CRM, or analytics integrations

Feature #1: Community Feed

The feed is the center of Skool. Members post questions, wins, updates, and resources, and categories keep threads easy to find later.

Compared with Facebook Groups, the feed has no ads and no outside distractions. Compared with Circle, it has far fewer settings, so new members start posting on day one.

Communities on Skool tend to settle into steady habits, such as daily progress posts, quick questions, and peer feedback.

Limitations: Skool won’t let you change the layout or create separate branded spaces. Running several programs under one brand usually means opening several communities.

Feature #2: Classroom Courses

The Classroom holds courses made of modules and lessons with video, text, and files. Each course can be open to everyone or gated by level, date, tier, or a one-time purchase.

Members discuss lessons in the main feed instead of separate lesson comments, so questions and answers reach the whole group. For example, a photography community can post a lesson on lighting and then run a feed thread where members share their practice shots.

Limitations: Skool offers no quizzes, assignments, certificates, branching paths, or detailed learner reports. For structured training, Thinkific or Kajabi fits better.

Feature #3: Native Video Hosting

Upload lessons straight into the Classroom without Vimeo or Loom. Videos now support captions and chapters, and members can change speed and go full screen.

Limitations: Video analytics stay basic, so creators who study watch time closely may still prefer a dedicated video host.

Feature #4: Calendar, Events, and Skool Calls

The calendar schedules group calls, workshops, and Q&A sessions, and shows each event in the member’s own time zone. Members get email reminders, and events also appear in the feed.

Skool Calls run live sessions inside Skool, so you no longer need a Zoom link for every call, though Zoom or YouTube Live links still work if you prefer them.

Limitations: Skool designed calls for groups, so 1:1 coaching sessions with booking, notes, and payments need a separate tool.

Feature #5: Gamification With Points, Levels, and Leaderboards

Members earn points when others like their posts and comments. As points add up, members level up, and you can gate courses or resources behind set levels, so participation leads to access.

In my work with learning businesses, simple engagement systems beat complicated ones because members don’t need to learn rules first. Skool’s points system is about as simple as it gets.

Limitations: Because points reward volume, so some members chase likes with low-value posts. Watch for this and moderate early.

Feature #6: Member Directory and Messaging

The directory shows each member’s name, photo, level, and recent activity, and members can follow and message each other, which supports the peer learning that makes communities valuable.

Limitations: Profiles stay basic, and the directory offers no matching or advanced search.

Feature #7: Payments and Monetization

Skool handles payments itself, so you set a price and Skool collects it. Options now include monthly and annual subscriptions, tiered memberships, free trials, freemium access, and one-time course purchases.

The admin area shows who has paid, failed charges, and upcoming renewals, and you decide whether to approve refunds. Skool also lets you sell elsewhere and add buyers to the community, but you add them manually or through Zapier.

Limitations: Skool offers no payment plans, bundles, order bumps, or upsells. If you sell several products, a platform like Kajabi gives you far more control.

Feature #8: Integrations

Skool keeps integrations minimal on purpose. On Pro, plugins connect Skool to Zapier and webhooks, so you can add new members to your email list or send them to other tools.

Limitations: Skool has no native email marketing, CRM sync, or public API. Each extra connection adds a Zapier cost and a point of failure.

Skool Pros and Cons

Here’s the short version of what works and what doesn’t.

Pros	Cons
Simple interface that members learn in minutes	No quizzes, assignments, or certificates
Feed, points, and leaderboards drive participation	No email marketing, funnels, or upsells
Discovery brings members without an email list	Growth Boost keeps 30% on members Discovery sends
Native video, captions, and Skool Calls	No custom domain or design control
Unlimited members, courses, and videos on both plans	High 10% + 30¢ fee on Hobby
Subscriptions, tiers, trials, and one-time sales	Only Zapier and webhooks for integrations
Strong iOS and Android apps	Guru-heavy reputation from low-quality groups

Skool Alternatives

Here’s how the main alternatives compare with Skool.

Platform	Starting price	Where it’s better	Where Skool is better
Circle	$89/mo billed annually	Branding, spaces, tiers, and automation	Simplicity, engagement, and Discovery
Kajabi	$143/mo billed annually	Email, funnels, quizzes, and certificates	Lower price and livelier community
Thinkific	$82/mo billed annually	Structured courses and assessments	Community engagement and gamification
Mighty Networks	$79/mo billed annually	Branded apps, native livestreams, and layered spaces	Easier setup and Discovery
Teachable	$29/mo billed annually	Course sales, affiliates, and coaching	Community and engagement
Whop	Free to start	Marketplace sales of many product types	Learning structure and engagement

For more options, read my full Skool alternatives guide.

Verdict | Is Skool Worth Using in 2026?

Overall I recommend Skool for coaches, cohort programs, masterminds, and skill communities where members learn from each other. The feed and gamification get people participating, Discovery can bring members without an email list, and setup takes an afternoon.

I don’t recommend Skool for structured courses, certification programs, or businesses that depend on email funnels and branding. Use Thinkific or Kajabi for those, and add a community later if you need one.

Start the 14-day free trial on Hobby, launch one community, and switch to Pro once monthly revenue passes about $1,270.

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.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are answers to the questions people ask me most often about Skool.

How much does Skool cost?

Skool costs $9 a month plus a 10% fee per sale on Hobby, or $99 a month plus 2.9% + 30 cents per sale on Pro. Annual billing lowers the plans to about $7.50 and $82 a month, and both include unlimited members, courses, videos, and live calls.

Does Skool have a free plan?

Skool has no permanent free plan. A 14-day free trial lets you build and test a community before paying. Members can still join for free, though, since free communities and freemium tiers are both allowed, while you pay Skool’s monthly plan fee to run the community.

Does Skool offer quizzes or certificates?

Skool offers no quizzes, assignments, or completion certificates. The Classroom handles modules, video, text, files, and access rules, but nothing for assessment. If your program needs tests or proof of completion, use Thinkific or Kajabi, or pair Skool with a separate quiz tool.

What is Skool Growth Boost?

Growth Boost lists your community in Skool’s Discovery so new people can find it. When a paying member joins through Discovery, Skool keeps a 30% commission on that member’s revenue. Turning Growth Boost off removes the cut, but your community then disappears from Discovery, so weigh the reach against the cut.

Can I use my own domain on Skool?

Skool doesn’t support custom domains. Each community lives on skool.com, with a custom URL path such as skool.com/yourname. If a branded domain and design matter to your business, Circle, Mighty Networks, or Kajabi give you far more control over how your community looks.

Does Skool integrate with email marketing tools?

Skool has no native email marketing integrations. Pro plugins connect Skool to Zapier and webhooks, so you can send new members to Kit, ActiveCampaign, or Mailchimp. Skool sends its own notifications, but you need a separate tool for broadcasts and sequences.

Is Skool good for coaching?

Skool works well for group coaching, accountability programs, and masterminds, since it combines a feed, live calls, and lessons. Skool has no 1:1 coaching tools, such as private session booking, notes, or contracts. Coaches selling individual programs should pair Skool with a coaching platform.

What happens if I stop paying for Skool?

If you stop paying, your community goes inactive and members lose access. Skool lets you export basic member data but offers no structured export for courses or posts. Keep your own copies of lesson videos and files so you can rebuild elsewhere if you leave.