The Short Answer
Move to Skool if: You're ready to charge for your community, want better organization, and need actual course hosting. The cleaner interface and gamification features make paid communities thrive.
Stay with Facebook if: Your community is 100% free forever, you need massive reach, or your members aren't willing to create another login. Facebook's network effect is real.
Feature by Feature: What Actually Matters
| Feature | Skool | Facebook Groups |
|---|---|---|
| Price to Use | $9/month (includes payments) | Free |
| Your Own Branding | ✓ Custom domain, no Skool branding | ✗ Stuck with Facebook look |
| Built-in Payments | ✓ Direct charging (Stripe) | ✗ Need external tools |
| Course Hosting | ✓ Native video courses | ✗ Just discussions and files |
| Gamification | ✓ Leaderboard, levels, points | ✗ None |
| Calendar/Events | ✓ Built-in calendar | ✓ Facebook Events (better reach) |
| Member Discovery | ✗ Private, invite-only | ✓ Search + suggestions |
| Mobile App | ✓ iOS + Android | ✓ Everyone already has it |
| Content Organization | ✓ Categories, searchable | ✗ Chronological chaos |
| DMs Between Members | ✓ Built-in chat | ✓ Facebook Messenger |
| Post Scheduling | ✗ None (use StickyHive) | ✓ Native scheduling |
| Member Data | ✓ Full access, export anytime | ✗ Limited, Facebook owns it |
| Distraction Level | ✓ Focused, no ads | ✗ Ads, notifications, news feed |
The Real Pros and Cons
Skool
✓ Pros
- Clean interface that members actually enjoy using
- Gamification drives engagement way up
- Payment processing included (no Stripe + Memberful setup)
- Courses built in, no need for Teachable/Kajabi
- Your brand, not Facebook's
- Members can't see Facebook drama/distractions
- Better content organization
- You own the member data
✗ Cons
- $9/month before you make a dollar
- Zero organic discovery (no one browses Skool)
- Another login for members to remember
- No native post scheduling
- Smaller feature set than Facebook
- Members need to download another app
- Can't leverage Facebook's network effects
Facebook Groups
✓ Pros
- Completely free, no monthly fees
- Everyone already has Facebook
- Huge organic discovery potential
- Members get notifications they actually see
- Easy to invite people (they're already on Facebook)
- Native post scheduling works great
- Video works without issues
- Familiar interface for older demographics
✗ Cons
- Content is buried after a day
- No payment processing (need external tools)
- Can't host courses properly
- Ads everywhere distract members
- Facebook controls reach with their algorithm
- You don't own the member data
- Facebook branding, not yours
- Facebook could shut you down anytime
The Pricing Reality Check
Skool
$9/month
Includes everything: hosting, payments, courses, unlimited members. No transaction fees beyond Stripe's standard 2.9%.
Facebook Groups
$0/month
Free to use. But add Memberful ($25-$100/mo) for payments, Teachable ($39-$119/mo) for courses, and you're at $64-$219/month anyway.
Real talk: If you're charging for your community, Skool pays for itself with just 2-3 members at $49/month. If you're staying free forever, Facebook Groups makes way more sense.
How to Move from Facebook to Skool
Moving a community sounds scary, but hundreds of people have done it successfully. Here's the playbook that actually works.
Step 1: Set Up Skool First (Week 1)
Create your Skool community and get it looking good before telling anyone. Import your best content from Facebook so the new space doesn't feel empty. Set up your courses if you have them. Test everything. Don't rush this part.
Step 2: Tell Your Community (Week 2)
Make a pinned post in Facebook explaining why you're moving. Be honest about it. "We're moving to Skool so we can offer courses, remove distractions, and build something we actually own." Give them 2 weeks notice. Some people will freak out, that's normal.
Step 3: Offer Early Access (Week 3)
Let your most engaged members join Skool first. Give them a discount if it's paid. Make them feel special. These early adopters will create the initial content and make the new space feel alive when everyone else arrives.
Step 4: The Big Move (Week 4)
Post the Skool link in Facebook. Make a video showing how to join. Post it multiple times because Facebook's algorithm will hide it. Expect only 30-50% of members to make the jump initially. That's fine. Quality over quantity.
Step 5: Keep Both Running (Months 1-2)
Don't shut down Facebook immediately. Keep it open but post less. Use it to remind stragglers about Skool. Post teasers of what's happening in Skool. Eventually people either move or they weren't that engaged anyway.
Step 6: Archive Facebook (Month 3)
Make Facebook read-only. Pin a final post with the Skool link. Some people will stay on Facebook checking occasionally. That's fine. Your real community is now on Skool.
Pro tip: The migration process is your chance to filter for serious members. The people who won't take 5 minutes to join Skool probably weren't that engaged anyway. You'll lose quantity but gain quality.
Automate the transition: Use StickyHive to schedule welcome messages for new Skool members, send check-ins at Day 3 and Day 7, and automate the onboarding process so you're not manually welcoming everyone.
Just Tell Me Which One to Pick
Choose Skool If...
- → You're charging money for access
- → You want to host courses inside your community
- → You're building a business, not just a hobby
- → Your members are tired of Facebook's distractions
- → You want gamification to boost engagement
- → You're comfortable with $9/month
Choose Facebook If...
- → Your community is free and always will be
- → You need organic discovery and growth
- → Your members are older and love Facebook
- → You can't afford $9/month right now
- → You're just starting and testing the waters
- → You need Facebook's native scheduling
What Community Managers Actually Say
"I moved my 2,500-member fitness community from Facebook to Skool in October. Lost about 40% of members in the migration but the remaining 60% are way more engaged. Monthly revenue actually went up because I could finally charge properly. Best decision I made."
— Sarah M., Fitness Community
"Tried moving to Skool but came back to Facebook after 3 months. My audience is 50+ and they just wouldn't make the switch. The $9/month felt wasted when I could engage them for free on Facebook where they already spend their time."
— James T., Real Estate Community
"The leaderboard on Skool changed everything. Members started posting daily just to climb the ranks. We went from 5-10 posts per day on Facebook to 40-50 on Skool. The gamification is legit. Worth every penny of the $99."
— Marcus L., Marketing Community
Ready to Make the Switch to Skool?
Automate your Skool community from day one. Welcome messages, check-ins, and engagement workflows that run on autopilot.
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