Circle vs Skool: The One Feature That Made My Decision Clear

Key Takeaways

1. Overview

  • The speaker has been using multiple tools like Podia, Slack, and Zoom.
  • They found managing multiple tools challenging as their community grew.
  • Decided to switch to a more streamlined platform: Skool or Circle.

2. Feature Comparison

  • Course Hosting: Both platforms provide solid course hosting experiences with features needed for a good student experience, such as progress tracking and file downloads.
  • Gamification: Both platforms include engagement-based gamification to encourage community interaction.
  • Event Management: Both platforms can manage live events and consolidate tools like Zoom and Google Calendar.
  • Live Chat: Both offer real-time chat capabilities, potentially replacing Slack.

3. Key Differences

  • Email Broadcasting:
    • Skool: Offers an email broadcast feature, eliminating the need for separate email tools.
    • Circle: Does not have an email broadcast feature but offers group messaging for subgroups within the community.
  • Navigation (especially for large communities):
    • Circle: Features spaces and space groups, making it easier to organize content and discussions.
    • Skool: Uses a single feed, which can become cluttered as the community grows.
  • Automation and Integrations:
    • Circle: Strong automation tools, including Zapier and custom API, allowing more flexible and advanced automation.
    • Skool: Limited automation with basic Zapier integration.
  • Customization:
    • Circle: More customizable in terms of layout, branding, and design, allowing a unique community feel.
    • Skool: Limited customization options.

4. Pricing

  • Skool:
    • $99 per month with unlimited members, courses, and features.
    • 2.9% transaction fee.
    • Example cost for 10 memberships: $1,536 per year.
  • Circle:
    • Professional plan starts at $99 per month, limited to 20 spaces.
    • Transaction fees include 2% platform fee plus Stripe fees (total around 4.9% plus $0.30 per transaction).
    • Example cost for 10 memberships: Approximately $1,812 per year.
    • Has higher-tier plans with more features and reduced fees.

5. Final Decision and Reasons for Choosing Circle

  • Navigation: Better for growing communities with structured spaces to organize content.
  • Automation: Offers robust built-in automation and API support.
  • Customization: Provides more branding and design flexibility.
  • Long-term Flexibility: Considered Circle a better long-term bet despite being slightly more expensive.

Conclusion

  • The speaker chose Circle due to its advantages in navigation, automation, customization, and long-term flexibility. However, they suggest trying both platforms to see which best suits one's needs.

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