Skool pricing 2026: the simplest pricing in online education (and what it includes)
Skool costs $99/month. That's the entire pricing page. One plan. Every feature included. No Starter vs Basic vs Pro tiers. No features locked behind upgrades. No transaction fees beyond the 2.9% payment processing rate. In a market where every competitor has 3–5 confusing plan tiers, Skool's flat pricing is either brilliantly simple or frustratingly inflexible — depending on what you need.
Monthly subscription: $99/month (no annual discount available)
Payment processing: 2.9% all-in (replaces Stripe — no separate Stripe fee, no per-transaction flat fee)
Transaction fee: 0% platform fee
Free trial: 14 days
Total cost to run a $5,000/mo community: $99 + $145 processing = $244/month (4.88% effective rate)
Affiliate earnings potential: 40% of $99 = $39.60/month per referral, lifetime. 3 referrals = break even on your subscription.
What $99/month includes
| Feature | Included? | Limits |
|---|---|---|
| Community feed | Yes | Unlimited posts, comments, categories |
| Course classroom | Yes | Unlimited courses, unlimited modules |
| Event calendar | Yes | Unlimited events |
| Gamification leaderboard | Yes | Points, levels, rankings |
| Members | Yes | Unlimited |
| Affiliate program | Yes | Built-in, customizable commission (10–50%) |
| Skool platform affiliate | Yes | 40% lifetime recurring for Skool referrals |
| Custom domain | Yes | 1 per group |
| Admin seats | Yes | Multiple admins and moderators |
| File storage | Yes | Unlimited (video hosted externally via YouTube/Vimeo/Loom embed) |
| Email marketing | No | Not included — need external tool ($29+/mo) |
| Sales funnels / landing pages | No | Basic group page only |
| Website builder | No | Not included |
| Quizzes / certificates | No | Not included |
| Drip content scheduling | No | All content unlocks immediately |
| Payment plans / tiered pricing | No | One price per group only |
How Skool's pricing compares
| Platform | Comparable Plan | Monthly Cost | Transaction Fee | Email Included | Funnels Included |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skool | One plan (everything) | $99 | 2.9% all-in | No | No |
| Kajabi | Basic | $149 | 0% + Stripe 2.9% | Yes (full automation) | Yes |
| Thinkific | Start | $99 | 0% + Stripe 2.9% | No | No |
| Teachable | Pro | $159 | 0% + Stripe 2.9% | Basic | No |
| Podia | Shaker | $79 | 0% + Stripe 2.9% | Yes (basic) | No |
| Circle | Basic | $89 | 2% + Stripe 2.9% | No | No |
Skool is $99 with no email and no funnels. Kajabi is $149 with email and funnels included. The $50 gap closes when you add ConvertKit ($29/mo) to Skool — making the real comparison $128/mo (Skool + email) vs $149/mo (Kajabi all-in-one). Whether that $21/month difference matters depends on whether you value Skool's superior community gamification or Kajabi's superior marketing automation. Full analysis in our Kajabi pricing breakdown and complete platform comparison.
The affiliate math that changes everything
Skool's 40% lifetime affiliate commission means your effective cost can drop to zero — or become a profit center. The math:
| Referrals | Monthly Affiliate Income | Your Net Skool Cost |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | $0 | $99/mo |
| 1 | $39.60 | $59.40/mo |
| 3 | $118.80 | $0 (break even + $19.80 profit) |
| 5 | $198.00 | $99/mo profit |
| 10 | $396.00 | $297/mo profit |
Three referrals make Skool free. This is why Skool's pricing model works despite lacking features that competitors include — the affiliate program subsidizes (or eliminates) the subscription cost for active community builders. No other platform offers this economic structure. For the full review of Skool's features, limitations, and who it's actually built for, read our complete Skool review.
Skool
$99/mo · 14-day free trial · 2.9% payment processing · 40% lifetime affiliate commission
One plan, everything included, no tiers. Best for community-first creators, coaches, and membership businesses. Break even with just 3 referrals. Missing email marketing and sales funnels — add ConvertKit ($29/mo) if needed.
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Frequently asked
Does Skool offer annual billing?
No. Skool only offers monthly billing at $99/month. There's no annual discount. This is consistent with their one-plan, no-tiers philosophy — but it means you can't save by committing annually like you can with Kajabi (20% annual discount) or Thinkific (similar). The upside: you can cancel any month with no penalty or long-term commitment.
Are there any hidden fees on Skool?
No hidden fees. The 2.9% payment processing rate is the only additional cost. There are no platform transaction fees, no bandwidth charges, no member overage fees, and no per-course fees. What you see ($99 + 2.9% processing) is what you pay. This is genuinely the most transparent pricing in the course-platform market.
Can I run multiple Skool groups?
Yes. Each group costs $99/month. If you want a $47/month beginner community and a $297/month premium community, that's two Skool groups = $198/month total. Members are separate between groups. There's no multi-group discount. For creators who need tiered access within one community, this is a limitation — Kajabi handles multi-tier pricing within a single product.