# Circle vs Skool

**Leader by Vioscale score:** Circle

| Attribute | Circle | Skool |
|---|---|---|
| **Vioscale score** | 56.1 (55% (medium)) | 19.7 (9% (low)) |
| deployment.options | `{"cloud":true}` | `{"cloud":true}` |
| description.long | Circle enables community builders to create a centralized space for their communities, courses, events, and live streams—all with custom branding and integrated payment systems. The platform provides tools for member engagement, content delivery, and monetization without requiring technical expertise. | An online community platform where users can discover and join existing communities or create new ones, with built-in management tools for community owners including member communication, content scheduling, and payment processing. |
| features.capabilities | `{"pricing_model":"monthly_subscription_tiered","deployment_model":"creator_cloud_saas","native_live_video_streaming":true,"custom_css_and_html_theme_editing":true,"mobile_app_ios_android_deployment":true,"event_calendar_and_rsvp_management":true,"salesforce_hubspot_crm_contact_sync":false,"gamification_badges_and_leaderboards":true,"custom_domain_cname_and_white_labeling":true,"native_paywalls_and_paid_subscriptions":true,"white_label_custom_domain_and_branding":true,"native_video_hosting_bandwidth_included":true,"member_directory_and_direct_messaging_dm":true,"email_marketing_and_funnel_builder_native":true,"native_community_forum_and_discussion_boards":true}` | `{"deployment_model":"creator_cloud_saas","native_community_forum_and_discussion_boards":true}` |
| integrations.count | 6 | 1 |
| integrations.list | `[{"name":"Zapier"},{"name":"Make"},{"name":"Memberstack"},{"name":"MemberSpace"},{"name":"Memberful"},{"name":"Integrately"}]` | `[{"name":"Meta"}]` |
| market.availability | `{"hqCountry":"US","primaryMarkets":[],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` | `{"primaryMarkets":["US"],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":["US"],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` |
| platform.support | `{"ios":true,"web":true,"android":true}` | `{"web":true}` |
| pricing | `{"type":"subscription","plans":[{"free":false,"name":"Professional","summary":"$89/month with 14-day free trial","features":["Circle AI","Unlimited members","Courses","Discussions","Events","Website Builder","Live streams","Live rooms","Custom branding","Reporting & analytics","Searchable member directory","Rich member profiles","Paid memberships","Gamification","Custom domain","Weekly community digest","Migration services for payments"],"components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":89,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"description":"Get key community building features, all in one place","contactSales":false},{"free":false,"name":"Business","summary":"$199/month (contact sales for customizations)","features":["Everything in Professional","Workflows","Custom profile fields","Circle MCP","Headless Member API","Admin API","Branded email notifications","Content co-pilot","Automated transcriptions","Activity scores","Standard migration services","Remove Circle branding"],"components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":199,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"description":"Scale your community with workflows and customizations","contactSales":true},{"free":false,"name":"Circle Plus","summary":"Custom pricing with dedicated customer success management","features":["Everything in Business","AI Agents & AI workflows","Custom single sign-on (SSO)","Highest limits (Live, Storage, Workflows)","10k Email Hub contacts included","Sandbox community","Priority technical support","Priority platform migrations","Dedicated Customer Success Manager","Custom branded iOS and Android apps","In-app purchases","Fully managed branded apps"],"description":"Run your business with AI Agents, hands-on expert strategy, and optional branded apps","contactSales":true}],"addOns":[{"name":"Email Hub","components":[{"per":{"qty":1000,"unit":"contacts"},"kind":"metered","amount":10,"currency":"USD"}]},{"name":"Sender email customization","components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":49,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}]},{"name":"Integrately integration","components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":40,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}]}],"summary":"From $89/month (Professional) with a 14-day free trial. Custom pricing for Circle Plus.","currency":"USD","freeTier":false,"sourceUrl":"https://circle.so/pricing","retrievedAt":"2026-08-25T08:33:10.396Z","freeTrialDays":14,"startingPrice":{"amount":89,"period":"month","currency":"USD"},"billingPeriods":["month","year"]}` | `{"type":"subscription","currency":"USD","sourceUrl":"https://www.skool.com","retrievedAt":"2026-08-24T21:05:34.890Z","billingPeriods":["month"]}` |
| pricing.free_tier | no | - |
| pricing.model | commercial | commercial |
| pricing.price_level | high | unknown |
| pricing.starting_price | `{"amount":89,"currency":"USD"}` | - |
| pricing.transparent | yes | - |
| security.gdpr | yes | - |
| security.soc2 | yes | - |

## Capabilities (Online Course Platforms)

| Capability | Circle | Skool |
|---|:--:|:--:|
| **Capabilities** |  |  |
| Deployment model | Creator cloud saas | Creator cloud saas |
| Native video hosting bandwidth included | ✓ | - |
| Integrated checkout and payment gateway stripe | - | - |
| Drip content scheduling unlocking over time | - | - |
| Student quizzes assessments and certificates | - | - |
| Cohort based live class enforcement zoom sync | - | - |
| Native community forum and discussion boards | ✓ | ✓ |
| Affiliate marketing program for student referrals | - | - |
| Email marketing and funnel builder native | ✓ | - |
| White label custom domain and branding | ✓ | - |
| SOC2 type ii | - | - |
| ISO 27001 | - | - |
| Pricing model | monthly_subscription_tiered | - |

*Source: Vioscale. Generated 2026-09-01T16:45:08.703Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*