Buying guide
The Best Online Community Platforms in 2026, Compared From Their Own Pricing Pages
By Uyi Abraham, Founder and CEO, VonzaLast reviewed Vendor pages read on and
The best online community platform depends on what your community is for. Circle and Mighty Networks suit creators who want a dedicated community with member apps on iOS and Android. Skool suits a simple paid group with courses and a leaderboard from $9 a month, if the 10% Hobby fee is acceptable, and Heartbeat starts a paid community at $49 a month. Bettermode suits a company’s customer community. Kajabi, Podia and Thinkific add a community to a course business, and Discord and Facebook Groups cost nothing if you do not need to sell access from your own site. Vonza suits creators who want the community, courses, events, live streams and email in one plan, paid through Stripe or Paystack and used in the browser rather than an app.
An online community platform gives a group with a shared interest a home of its own on the internet: a feed for posts, spaces for topics, member profiles, chat and events and, for a business, a way to charge for access. Online community software runs from free social tools, where the group lives on someone else’s platform, to community builders you brand and sell under your own name.
Eleven are compared here: ten competitors and Vonza, which publishes this guide. The table lists each platform’s lowest monthly price, its transaction fee, its free plan or trial and whether it has a native mobile app, exactly as its own pages stated them on the date shown, so you can check every number.
Prices change often. Each competitor’s card links to the page it was read from, and the Vonza comparison page for each vendor goes deeper on features and free migration.
At a glance
Each competitor row is what its own pricing page stated on 21 October 2026 or 2 November 2026. “Not stated” means the page did not mention it.
| Platform | Best for | Lowest price | Fee | Free plan or trial | Native mobile app |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vonza | Creators, coaches and schools who want a paid community with courses, events, live streams and email in one plan | $99/mo | In addition to Stripe's standard 2.9% + $0.30 payment processing fee, Vonza charges an additional platform fee per transaction — 20% during your free trial, 1% on any paid plan. | 14-day free trial on every plan | No native app; works on any phone, in the browser |
| Circle | Creators and brands who want a dedicated community with group chat, live rooms and member apps | $89 a month (Professional), billed annually; monthly-billing prices are not shown | 2% on Professional; 1% on Business ($199) and Scale; 0.5% on Circle Plus | 14-day free trial, no card; no free plan | Yes: iOS and Android app on every plan; custom branded apps on Circle Plus |
| Mighty Networks | Communities that combine courses, events and paid memberships, with a branded app on Mighty Pro | $79 per month (Launch Plan); $950 a year on annual billing | 2% on Launch; 1% on Scale ($179); 0.5% on Growth ($354) | 14-day free trial, no credit card, run on the Growth Plan; no free plan | Yes: “Available on iOS, Android & the Web”; your own branded apps on Mighty Pro |
| Skool | A simple paid group with courses, a calendar and a leaderboard in one place | $9 a month (Hobby); Pro $99 a month | 10% + 30¢ per transaction on Hobby; 2.9% + 30¢ on Pro | 14-day free trial; no free plan | Yes: the official Skool app on iOS and Android, with push notifications |
| Heartbeat | Paid communities that want chat channels, group messages, courses and automations from a low entry price | $49 a month (Build), billed monthly; $40 a month billed annually ($490 a year) | 5% on Build, 2.5% on Grow, 1.25% on Scale, on top of Stripe’s processing fee | 14-day free trial, no credit card; no free plan on the page | Yes: iOS and Android app in the plan comparison; a white-label branded app on Scale |
| Bettermode | Companies running a branded customer or product community with Q&A, single sign-on and integrations | $149 a month (Starter) billed yearly ($1,788 a year); $199 a month billed monthly | Not stated; the pricing page lists no payment features | 14-day free trial, no credit card; no free plan on the page | Not stated on the pricing page |
| Kajabi | Established creators who sell courses and coaching first and want a community beside them | $179 a month (Basic); $143 on annual billing | No platform fee; Kajabi Payments 2.9% + $0.30, or 2% with a third-party processor on Basic | Free trial, length not stated; 30-day money-back guarantee | Yes: the pricing page lists the Kajabi Customer App; your own app in the App Store on Pro |
| Podia | Creators who sell downloads, courses and coaching and want a community in the same store | $49 a month (Mover); $42 on annual billing | 5% on Mover; no Podia fees on Shaker and Earthquaker | 14-day free trial, no card; no free plan | Not stated on the pricing page |
| Thinkific | Course businesses that want a community attached to their courses | $109 a month (Start); $82 on annual billing | Not stated on Thinkific’s pricing page | 30-day free trial; no free plan | Branded iOS and Android app as a $199 a month add-on |
| Discord | Free, chat-first communities that meet in real-time text and voice channels | Free: Discord won’t charge a fee for the basic functionality; Nitro is an optional paid membership | Server Subscriptions: owners keep 90% after applicable deductions | Free to use | Yes: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android and consoles |
| Facebook Groups | Free groups that grow from people who are already on Facebook | Free: “We do not charge you to use Facebook” | None stated; Facebook earns from advertisers | Free to use | Yes: Facebook’s iPhone, iPad and Android apps |
Vonza publishes this guide and sells one of the platforms in it. Every competitor figure is quoted from that vendor’s own page, read on the date shown and saved so it can be checked, and Vonza’s own price is its live price from the pricing page. There are no affiliate links.
The eleven platforms, one by one
1. Vonza
PublisherBest for: Creators, coaches and schools who want a paid community with courses, events, live streams and email in one plan
Vonza AI drafts a community’s spaces, welcome posts and images from a short description, or you start from one of six templates or a blank space. Members join from a sales page on your own site and pay through Stripe or Paystack on free, one-time, subscription, installment or pay-what-you-want plans. Inside, the community carries linked courses, events in formats such as Q&A, workshop, webinar and office hours, live streams hosted in Vonza, points, levels and a leaderboard, a moderation queue and payment analytics.
Vonza is the publisher of this guide. It has no native mobile app and no push notifications: members use the community in a phone or desktop browser, with email and in-app notifications. Chat is one-to-one direct messages, without group chats. Community counts follow the plan: Starter includes 2 communities, Growth 5 and Business 1,000.
- Price
- $99/mo on the lowest plan, live from the pricing page
- Fee
- In addition to Stripe's standard 2.9% + $0.30 payment processing fee, Vonza charges an additional platform fee per transaction — 20% during your free trial, 1% on any paid plan.
- Free plan or trial
- 14-day free trial on every plan
- Native mobile app
- No native app; works on any phone, in the browser
Source:vonza.com/pricinglive price; feature facts from the Vonza product pages.
Start 14 Day Free Trial2. Circle
Best for: Creators and brands who want a dedicated community with group chat, live rooms and member apps
Circle’s pricing page lists unlimited members, direct messaging, group chat, events, live streams and live rooms, courses, gamification and an iOS and Android app on every plan, with Circle AI credits included.
Professional allows 20 spaces and live streams for up to 100 attendees and takes 2% of sales. The displayed prices assume annual billing, Scale ($419) is annual only, and email marketing is a paid add-on (Email Hub, +$99 a month).
- Price
- $89 a month (Professional), billed annually; monthly-billing prices are not shown
- Fee
- 2% on Professional; 1% on Business ($199) and Scale; 0.5% on Circle Plus
- Free plan or trial
- 14-day free trial, no card; no free plan
- Native mobile app
- Yes: iOS and Android app on every plan; custom branded apps on Circle Plus
Source:circle.soread on 21 October 2026.Vonza vs Circle
3. Mighty Networks
Best for: Communities that combine courses, events and paid memberships, with a branded app on Mighty Pro
Mighty Networks’ page lists chat spaces with threads, online and in-person events, simultaneous livestreaming events, on-demand and cohort-based courses and paid memberships, and lets you charge for one-time events.
Every plan takes a share of sales, and Launch allows 3 hosts and 10 moderators. Email marketing, scheduling, invoicing and a store are not on the pricing page.
- Price
- $79 per month (Launch Plan); $950 a year on annual billing
- Fee
- 2% on Launch; 1% on Scale ($179); 0.5% on Growth ($354)
- Free plan or trial
- 14-day free trial, no credit card, run on the Growth Plan; no free plan
- Native mobile app
- Yes: “Available on iOS, Android & the Web”; your own branded apps on Mighty Pro
Source:mightynetworks.comread on 21 October 2026.Vonza vs Mighty Networks
4. Skool
Best for: A simple paid group with courses, a calendar and a leaderboard in one place
Skool’s pricing page lists unlimited members, courses, videos and live calls on both plans, with a custom URL and affiliates. Its help center describes points from likes, levels, a leaderboard and live calls hosted on Skool.
Hobby takes 10% of every sale, and members pay in US dollars. Email marketing, a website builder, scheduling and invoicing are not on the pricing page.
- Price
- $9 a month (Hobby); Pro $99 a month
- Fee
- 10% + 30¢ per transaction on Hobby; 2.9% + 30¢ on Pro
- Free plan or trial
- 14-day free trial; no free plan
- Native mobile app
- Yes: the official Skool app on iOS and Android, with push notifications
Source:skool.comread on 2 November 2026.Vonza vs Skool
5. Heartbeat
Best for: Paid communities that want chat channels, group messages, courses and automations from a low entry price
Heartbeat’s Build plan lists unlimited channels, courses, events, documents and landing pages, member badges and gamification, a member directory, 5 automation workflows and member data migration. Its plan comparison lists chat channels, one-to-one and group messages, and voice and video rooms for up to 256 people.
Build caps the community at 350 members, counting admins and moderators, and takes 5% on top of Stripe’s fee; Grow ($149) allows 5,000 members at 2.5%. Native video hosting is a $19 a month add-on on Build.
- Price
- $49 a month (Build), billed monthly; $40 a month billed annually ($490 a year)
- Fee
- 5% on Build, 2.5% on Grow, 1.25% on Scale, on top of Stripe’s processing fee
- Free plan or trial
- 14-day free trial, no credit card; no free plan on the page
- Native mobile app
- Yes: iOS and Android app in the plan comparison; a white-label branded app on Scale
Source:heartbeat.chatread on 2 November 2026.
6. Bettermode
Best for: Companies running a branded customer or product community with Q&A, single sign-on and integrations
Bettermode’s Starter plan lists Q&A, discussion, events and polls, a custom domain, private messaging and chat, social login and up to 10,000 members; Growth adds AI search, webhooks and OAuth2 and JWT login.
Growth is $1,500 a month billed yearly. Paid memberships, courses and live streaming are not on the pricing page, so it fits a support or product community more than a paid creator community.
- Price
- $149 a month (Starter) billed yearly ($1,788 a year); $199 a month billed monthly
- Fee
- Not stated; the pricing page lists no payment features
- Free plan or trial
- 14-day free trial, no credit card; no free plan on the page
- Native mobile app
- Not stated on the pricing page
Source:bettermode.comread on 2 November 2026.
7. Kajabi
Best for: Established creators who sell courses and coaching first and want a community beside them
Kajabi lists communities alongside courses, coaching, a website, funnels, unlimited marketing emails and a contact CRM on every plan, with no revenue share.
Basic and Growth include 1 community and Pro ($499) 3, so the community supports a course business rather than standing alone. Basic is limited to 2,500 contacts.
- Price
- $179 a month (Basic); $143 on annual billing
- Fee
- No platform fee; Kajabi Payments 2.9% + $0.30, or 2% with a third-party processor on Basic
- Free plan or trial
- Free trial, length not stated; 30-day money-back guarantee
- Native mobile app
- Yes: the pricing page lists the Kajabi Customer App; your own app in the App Store on Pro
Source:kajabi.comread on 21 October 2026.Kajabi Alternatives
8. Podia
Best for: Creators who sell downloads, courses and coaching and want a community in the same store
Podia’s page describes its community as “Topic-based spaces, group chats, DMs, free or paid tiers”, with live workshops, webinars and in-person meetups as events, alongside courses, a website and Podia Email.
Mover allows 25 community spaces and 100 email subscribers and takes 5% of sales; Shaker ($99) raises that to 100 spaces with no fee.
- Price
- $49 a month (Mover); $42 on annual billing
- Fee
- 5% on Mover; no Podia fees on Shaker and Earthquaker
- Free plan or trial
- 14-day free trial, no card; no free plan
- Native mobile app
- Not stated on the pricing page
Source:podia.comread on 21 October 2026.Podia Alternatives
9. Thinkific
Best for: Course businesses that want a community attached to their courses
Thinkific lists communities as standalone products for member discussions, events and spaces, with one community and 10 spaces on Start, 3 communities on Grow and 10 on Expand, beside unlimited courses.
Grow is $219 a month and Expand $499, and the branded app is extra. The community is one part of a course platform rather than the centre of it.
- Price
- $109 a month (Start); $82 on annual billing
- Fee
- Not stated on Thinkific’s pricing page
- Free plan or trial
- 30-day free trial; no free plan
- Native mobile app
- Branded iOS and Android app as a $199 a month add-on
Source:thinkific.comread on 21 October 2026.Thinkific Alternatives
10. Discord
Best for: Free, chat-first communities that meet in real-time text and voice channels
Discord is free to run, with voice, video and text channels and screen streaming on every major device. Servers that meet Discord’s minimum requirements can sell Server Subscriptions priced from $2.99 to $199.99.
The community lives on Discord under its terms, and members need a Discord account. Courses, a sales page on your own domain and email to members are not part of it.
- Price
- Free: Discord won’t charge a fee for the basic functionality; Nitro is an optional paid membership
- Fee
- Server Subscriptions: owners keep 90% after applicable deductions
- Free plan or trial
- Free to use
- Native mobile app
- Yes: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android and consoles
Source:discord.comread on 2 November 2026.Discord Alternatives
11. Facebook Groups
Best for: Free groups that grow from people who are already on Facebook
Anyone with a Facebook account can start a group, make it public or private, and require admin approval for new members and for posts.
Members need a Facebook account and the group sits inside Facebook’s feed and ads. Facebook’s group help pages describe no way to charge for access, and courses and a sales page are not part of it.
- Price
- Free: “We do not charge you to use Facebook”
- Fee
- None stated; Facebook earns from advertisers
- Free plan or trial
- Free to use
- Native mobile app
- Yes: Facebook’s iPhone, iPad and Android apps
Source:facebook.comread on 2 November 2026.Facebook Groups Alternatives
What to look for in online community software
Community platforms are built for different jobs. First decide which of three you are doing: a brand or customer community for an established business, a paid community for a coach, creator or mastermind leader, or a free group for friends and fans. Then check these.
- Posts members want to make
- Discussion posts, polls, questions and comments that are quick to create. A community lives on what its members write, so try the composer on a phone before you choose.
- Spaces or subgroups
- Separate areas for separate jobs, such as announcements, a course group and an events group, with private or paid spaces when not every member should see everything.
- Ways to earn, and what they cost
- Paid memberships, subscriptions, one-time payments, paid spaces, courses and events. Add the platform’s transaction fee to the card processor’s fee: a low monthly price with a high fee costs more once you sell.
- Courses and live sessions
- If you teach, the platform should host recorded lessons and run live calls or streams inside the community, not only link out to them.
- Profiles, chat and analytics
- Member profiles and a directory, direct messages, and numbers on who joins, who stays active and who pays.
- Phone access
- A native app can send push notifications; a browser-based community works on any phone without an install. Check which one the platform offers and whether a branded app costs extra.
- Ownership and room to grow
- Your own domain and brand, a way to bring members in and take them with you, and limits on members, spaces and communities that you will not outgrow in a year.
How we chose
- Circle, Mighty Networks, Kajabi, Podia and Thinkific were read on 2026-10-21; Skool, Heartbeat, Bettermode, Discord and Facebook on 2026-11-02. Every page is saved as plain text so each figure can be checked; nothing comes from review sites, listicles or memory.
- The mobile app column says only what each vendor’s own page or app-store listing states. "Not stated" means the page did not mention an app, not that the platform has none.
- Discord and Facebook Groups are included because many communities start there for free, although they are social platforms rather than community software you brand and sell.
- Vonza is the publisher and appears first with its live price; its row is written from its own product pages, and no competitor is scored or ranked.
Questions
Answered from the pages we read, with the date we read them.
The one that fits what the community is for. Circle (from $89 a month on annual billing) and Mighty Networks (from $79 a month) suit a dedicated creator community with iOS and Android apps; Skool starts at $9 a month with a 10% fee on Hobby; Heartbeat starts at $49 a month for up to 350 members; Bettermode starts at $149 a month for company communities. Kajabi, Podia and Thinkific add a community to a course business, and Discord and Facebook Groups are free. Vonza suits creators who want the community, courses, events, live streams and email in one plan.
Software that gives a group with a shared interest its own home online: a feed for posts, spaces for topics, member profiles, chat and events, and for a business a way to charge for access. Free social tools such as Discord and Facebook Groups host the group on their own platform; community software such as Circle, Mighty Networks, Skool, Heartbeat, Bettermode and Vonza lets you brand the community and sell it.
Discord and Facebook Groups cost nothing to use: Discord says it won’t charge a fee for basic functionality, and Facebook says it does not charge you to use Facebook. The community software in this guide offers trials rather than a free plan: 14 days at Circle, Mighty Networks, Skool, Heartbeat, Bettermode and Podia, 30 days at Thinkific, and a trial of unstated length at Kajabi. Vonza offers a 14-day free trial on every plan.
Circle lists an iOS and Android app on every plan; Mighty Networks says it is “Available on iOS, Android & the Web”; Skool’s official app is on the App Store and Google Play with push notifications; Heartbeat lists an iOS and Android app; Kajabi lists the Kajabi Customer App; Discord and Facebook have apps. Thinkific sells a branded iOS and Android app for $199 a month, and Podia and Bettermode do not mention an app on their pricing pages. Vonza has no native app: members use the community in any phone or desktop browser, with email and in-app notifications.
Kajabi charges no platform fee with Kajabi Payments (2.9% + $0.30 processing). Mighty Networks takes 2% on Launch down to 0.5% on Growth, Circle 2% on Professional down to 0.5% on Circle Plus, and Heartbeat 5% on Build down to 1.25% on Scale, on top of Stripe’s fee. Skool takes 10% + 30¢ a transaction on Hobby and 2.9% + 30¢ on Pro, Podia 5% on Mover and none above it, and Discord server owners keep 90% of subscription money after applicable deductions. Thinkific and Bettermode state no fee on their pricing pages. Vonza’s platform fee is the one stated on its pricing page.
Yes. Heartbeat lists member data migration on its Build plan, Circle offers a free payment migration service, Mighty Networks lists migration services on its Growth plan and Podia gives migration help on every plan. Vonza’s team migrates your courses, community, email lists and scheduling calendar at no extra cost when you sign up for an annual plan.
Only if you teach. Circle, Mighty Networks, Skool, Heartbeat, Kajabi, Podia and Thinkific list courses beside the community; Bettermode, Discord and Facebook Groups do not. Vonza links courses, products and bundles to the whole community or to one space, and members find them in a classroom inside the community.
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