The short answer
Hobby plan: $9/month — 10% + $0.30 per paid transaction. Unlimited members. Good for testing.
Pro plan: $99/month — 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction up to $899. 3.9% + $0.30 for transactions above $900. Unlimited members. $99/month per additional community.
Both plans include a 14-day free trial. Annual billing saves 2 months: Hobby is $90/year ($7.50/mo), Pro is $990/year ($82.50/mo).
Skool Plans Side by Side
- 1 community
- Unlimited members
- Community feed and posts
- Course and lesson hosting
- Gamification (points, leaderboard)
- Calendar events
- 14-day free trial
- Lower transaction fees
- AutoDM messages
- 1 community (+ $99/mo each extra)
- Unlimited members
- Community feed and posts
- Course and lesson hosting
- Gamification (points, leaderboard)
- Calendar events
- AutoDM welcome messages
- Skool discovery network
- 14-day free trial
- Annual billing: $990/year (2 months free)
The Real Monthly Cost at Every Revenue Level
The platform fee is only part of what you pay. Here's the total Skool cost (platform + transaction fees) at different monthly revenue levels.
| Monthly revenue | Hobby total cost | Pro total cost | Which is cheaper? |
|---|---|---|---|
| $100/mo | $19 ($9 + $10 fee) | $102 ($99 + $3) | Hobby saves $83 |
| $300/mo | $39 ($9 + $30 fee) | $108 ($99 + $9) | Hobby saves $69 |
| $500/mo | $59 ($9 + $50 fee) | $114 ($99 + $15) | Hobby saves $55 |
| $900/mo (break-even) | $99 ($9 + $90 fee) | $126 ($99 + $27) | Nearly equal |
| $2,000/mo | $209 ($9 + $200 fee) | $157 ($99 + $58) | Pro saves $52 |
| $5,000/mo | $509 ($9 + $500 fee) | $244 ($99 + $145) | Pro saves $265 |
| $10,000/mo | $1,009 | $389 | Pro saves $620 |
The break-even point is around $900/month in paid revenue. Below that, Hobby's $9/month base cost makes it cheaper even with the 10% fee. Above $900/month, Pro pays for itself. Most serious community builders hit this within their first 2-3 months.
The fee tier most reviews don't mention
Skool's Pro plan doesn't just charge 2.9% on every transaction. The rate jumps to 3.9% + $0.30 for any individual transaction above $900.
This matters if you sell high-ticket courses, annual memberships, or one-time program fees. A $1,000 course sale costs you 3.9% ($39) not 2.9% ($29) — a $10 difference per sale that adds up fast.
Example: You sell a $1,500 course. Skool charges 3.9% + $0.30 = $58.80 per sale. At 10 sales/month that's $588 in transaction fees on top of your $99/month plan cost. Total Skool cost: $687/month.
Compared to a platform with 0% transaction fees (like GoHighLevel at $97/month), you'd save $590/month at that revenue level.
Multiple Communities: The Cost Adds Up Fast
Each additional community on the Pro plan costs another $99/month. There's no bundle pricing.
Running 3+ communities on Skool costs $297/month in platform fees alone — before transaction fees. GoHighLevel's Starter plan at $97/month includes unlimited communities. If you manage more than two communities, the math favors GHL heavily on cost alone.
Skool Free Trial
Both Hobby and Pro include a 14-day free trial. No credit card required to start. You get full access to all features during the trial period — feed, courses, gamification, member management, everything.
There is no permanent free plan. Once the trial ends, you need to choose Hobby ($9/mo) or Pro ($99/mo) to keep your community live. Members cannot access a paused or cancelled community.
What Skool Doesn't Include at Any Price
Some things are outside Skool's scope regardless of which plan you're on:
| Feature | Skool Hobby | Skool Pro | Where to get it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Post scheduling | Not included | Not included | StickyHive |
| Multi-step DM sequences | Not included | AutoDM only (1 message) | StickyHive |
| Member churn alerts | Not included | Not included | StickyHive |
| Engagement analytics | Basic only | Basic only | StickyHive, Linodash |
| CRM / contact pipeline | Not included | Not included | GoHighLevel, HubSpot |
| Email marketing | Not included | Not included | ConvertKit, Mailchimp |
| Sales funnels | Not included | Not included | GoHighLevel, ClickFunnels |
Already on Skool? Here's How to Get More Out of It
The $99/month gets your community live. The work of keeping members engaged, preventing churn, and growing consistently is a separate problem — and Skool doesn't solve it natively.
StickyHive is the automation layer that sits on top of your Skool community. Post scheduling, behavior-based DM sequences, churn prevention, and member analytics — all connected directly to Skool without moving platforms.
Post scheduling
Queue weeks of content in advance. Stay consistent without logging in every day.
Multi-step DM sequences
Day 1, Day 3, Day 7 follow-ups sent automatically when someone joins — not just one AutoDM.
Churn detection
Know which members are going quiet before they cancel. Reach out before the loss.
Engagement analytics
See who's active, who's falling off, and which posts drive the most interaction.
Skool Pricing FAQ
How much does Skool cost per month?
Skool has two plans: Hobby at $9/month and Pro at $99/month. Both include a 14-day free trial and unlimited members. The main difference is the transaction fee: Hobby charges 10% + $0.30 per paid transaction, Pro drops that to 2.9% (or 3.9% for transactions above $900). Each additional community on Pro costs another $99/month.
What is the difference between Skool Hobby and Pro?
Both plans allow unlimited members. The main differences are transaction fees (10% on Hobby vs 2.9% on Pro) and AutoDM access (Pro only). The break-even point is around $900/month in membership revenue — above that, Pro saves you more than it costs.
Does Skool have a free plan?
No. There's no permanent free plan. Both Hobby and Pro start with a 14-day free trial, but you need a paid subscription to keep your community accessible after that.
Does Skool charge transaction fees?
Yes. Hobby charges 10% + $0.30 per paid transaction. Pro charges 2.9% + $0.30 for transactions up to $899, and 3.9% + $0.30 for transactions above $900. These fees are all-in — Skool acts as the merchant and handles payment processing, so there's no separate Stripe fee on top.
Does Skool offer annual billing?
Yes. Both plans offer annual billing with 2 months free. Hobby drops from $9/month to $7.50/month ($90/year). Pro drops from $99/month to $82.50/month ($990/year). If you're committed to Skool long-term, annual billing saves you $18/year on Hobby or $198/year on Pro.
When should I upgrade from Hobby to Pro?
When your paid membership revenue exceeds roughly $900/month. Below that, Hobby's low base cost ($9) makes it cheaper even with the high 10% fee. Above $900/month, the Pro plan's lower fee rate (2.9%) means it pays for itself and starts saving you money.
How much does it cost to run multiple Skool communities?
$99/month each on the Pro plan. Two communities cost $198/month. Three cost $297/month. There's no multi-community bundle or discount.