Paid communities tools
Run a membership community. 5 tools we track, checked .
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Short answer page: What's the best paid communities tool?
Ranked by fit for solo businesses: tools we profile in depth first, then those used in our research notes, then the rest. Affiliate status never changes the order.
- 1
Skool
Pick this if you want a paid community with a course inside.
Community platform with courses, a calendar and gamification.
Paid plans only · Free plan: Trial only · $9/mo · Difficulty 1/5
- 2
Circle
Pick this if you want branded communities with many spaces.
Community platform with courses, events and memberships.
Paid plans only · Free plan: Trial only · Difficulty 2/5
- 3
Discord
Pick this if you want free real-time community chat.
Free chat servers for communities, with paid server subscriptions.
Free · Free plan: Yes · Difficulty 2/5
- 4
Patreon
Pick this if you want fans supporting your creative work.
Memberships where fans pay creators monthly; Patreon takes a share.
Free to join, fee per sale · Free plan: Yes · Difficulty 1/5
- 5
Whop
Pick this if you want selling access to communities and software.
Marketplace and platform for selling digital products, communities and memberships.
Free to join, fee per sale · Free plan: Yes
Side-by-side
| Tool | Pricing model | Free plan | Starting price | Difficulty | Output rights | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skool | Paid plans only | Trial only | $9/mo | 1/5 | Not a content generator | A paid community with a course inside |
| Circle | Paid plans only | Trial only | See official site | 2/5 | – | Branded communities with many spaces |
| Discord | Free | Yes | Free | 2/5 | – | Free real-time community chat |
| Patreon | Free to join, fee per sale | Yes | See official site | 1/5 | – | Fans supporting your creative work |
| Whop | Free to join, fee per sale | Yes | See official site | – | – | Selling access to communities and software |
"Starting price" is shown only for tools we profile in depth, where we read the official pricing page on . For the others, check the official site.