The best community platforms for creators in 2026: 8 picks compared
The best platforms for a paid or free community, compared on price, fees, chat, forums, events, email, and phone apps. Prices checked October 2026.
The best community platform depends on what else you sell and how big the group will get. Eden is best when the community sits next to your store, courses, and email, from $29 a month plus 5%. Skool is best for a simple feed with a classroom, and Skool Pro has the lowest all-in fee. Circle is best for a large, structured community. Mighty Networks is best when the community is the whole business. Kajabi is best for the full suite, Discord for a big free group, Heartbeat for a small organized one, and Whop for no monthly fee.
Full disclosure: we make Eden, one of the platforms below, and we say plainly where the others are the better pick. Every price was checked on each company's own pricing page on October 8, 2026.
The short version
| Platform | Best for | Price from | Platform cut per sale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eden | A community next to your store and email | $29/mo (Starter) | 5%, or 2% on Max |
| Skool | A simple feed with a classroom | $9/mo | 10%, or 2.9% on Pro, all-in |
| Circle | A large, structured community | $89/mo, billed yearly | 2% |
| Mighty Networks | A community-first business | $79/mo | 2% |
| Kajabi | The full suite: site, funnels, email | $179/mo | 0% (card fees 2.9% + 30¢) |
| Discord | A big free group | Free | 10% on Server Subscriptions |
| Heartbeat | A small, organized group | $49/mo (up to 350) | 5% |
| Whop | Selling access with no monthly fee | Free | 0% (2.7% + 30¢ processing) |
Card processing (Stripe's standard US rate is 2.9% + 30¢) is extra on Eden, Circle, Mighty Networks, and Heartbeat. Skool, Kajabi, and Whop include it in the numbers above.
What it really costs
Say your community, The Writing Room, has 100 members paying $29 a month: $2,900 a month in sales. Monthly cost with card fees included:
| Platform | You pay a month | How |
|---|---|---|
| Skool Pro | $213 | $99 + 2.9% + 30¢ each, all-in |
| Mighty Networks Launch | $251 | $79 + 2% + Stripe |
| Circle Professional (yearly) | $261 | $89 + 2% + Stripe |
| Eden Starter | $288 | $29 + 5% + Stripe |
| Kajabi Basic | $293 | $179 + Kajabi Payments 2.9% + 30¢ |
| Heartbeat Build | $308 | $49 + 5% + Stripe |
| Skool Hobby | $329 | $9 + 10% + 30¢ each, all-in |
For the community alone, Skool Pro costs the least at this size. Eden is cheaper while you're small: Eden Starter costs less than Skool Pro below about $1,400 a month in sales, and less than Circle Professional below about $2,000. Past that, the flat-price platforms win on fees.
What changes the math is what else you pay for. Skool and Discord have no email marketing. Circle's email add-on is $99 a month for 10,000 contacts. Eden Starter includes email to 10,000 contacts with 10,000 sends a month, a store, courses, and coaching in the same $29.
What each one has
| Platform | Group chat with channels | Forum or feed | Events | Courses | Email marketing | Store and checkout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eden | Yes | Library | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes, every product |
| Skool | No (DMs only) | One feed | Yes | Yes | No | Group and courses |
| Circle | Yes | Spaces | Yes | Yes | Add-on, $99/mo | Paywalls |
| Mighty Networks | Yes | Feed | Yes | Yes | Connects to Kit | Plans and courses |
| Kajabi | Yes | Feed | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes, plus funnels |
| Discord | Yes | Forum channels | Yes | No | No | Server Subscriptions |
| Heartbeat | Yes | Channels | Yes | Yes | Digests, automations | Paid access |
| Whop | Yes | Forums app | Via apps | Yes | No | Yes, plus marketplace |
Phone apps
| Platform | Members use | App in your own name |
|---|---|---|
| Eden | The Eden app, iOS and Android | No |
| Skool | The Skool app | No |
| Circle | The Circle app | Circle Plus (custom price) |
| Mighty Networks | The Mighty app | Mighty Pro (custom price) |
| Kajabi | The Kajabi app | Pro ($499/mo) |
| Discord | The Discord app | No |
| Heartbeat | The Heartbeat app | Scale ($849/mo) |
| Whop | The Whop app | No |
1. Eden: best next to your store and email
Eden sells a community as a product in your store, next to your courses, coaching, downloads, newsletter, and Custom AI. One checkout, one customer list, and one login for members.
What it does well:
- Chat that feels like Telegram. One chat with channels, each showing its last message. Threads with an inbox, @mentions, photo grids, voice notes, and typing dots.
- A Library (Eden's forum) for posts worth keeping. Guides, breakdowns, and wins in categories, with pinned posts, covers, and video. Lock a category so only hosts post.
- Events. One-off or repeating, in an Eden live room or on your own call link, with a private Sync to calendar feed.
- Easy to join. One link, an optional apply-first step, a welcome pop-up, and a welcome email. Channels can be for some members only, like VIP.
- Safe by default. Admins and moderators, reports, slow mode, and links held for new free members for their first 24 hours.
- Members on phones. Chat, the Library, and events in the Eden app for iOS and Android, with badges for mentions and replies.
Where it falls short: no discovery directory, no leaderboards, no member-to-member direct messages, and no app in your own name. Setup is on the web. At high revenue, Circle, Mighty, and Skool Pro take less per sale.
Price: Starter $29 a month (1 community), Pro $79 (3), Max $199 (unlimited, 2% per sale). 5% per sale on Starter and Pro. No member caps.
Best for: creators who sell courses, coaching, or a newsletter and want the community in the same place.
2. Skool: best simple feed with a classroom
One feed, a classroom, a calendar, and leaderboards. Members learn it in a minute, and Skool's directory brings some of them to you.
Where it falls short: no group chat or channels, no email marketing, and no store beyond the group and its courses. Hobby takes 10% + 30¢.
Price: Hobby $9 a month with 10%, Pro $99 with 2.9%. Card fees included.
Best for: a coach whose group runs on one feed and a course. See Skool alternatives.
3. Circle: best for a large, structured community
Spaces for posts, chat, events, and courses, plus live streams and AI agents.
Where it falls short: email costs $99 a month more, there's no store or link in bio, and an app in your own name needs Circle Plus.
Price: Professional $89 a month with 2%, Business $199 with 1%, Scale $419 with 1%, billed yearly.
Best for: communities with hundreds of active members and a team to run them. See Circle alternatives.
4. Mighty Networks: best when the community is the business
A feed, chat spaces, events, courses, challenges, and live streams.
Where it falls short: no email marketing of its own, and an app in your own name needs Mighty Pro.
Price: Launch $79 a month with 2%, Scale $179 with 1%, Growth $354 with 0.5%.
Best for: a membership business built around the group.
5. Kajabi: best full suite
A website, funnels, unlimited email, courses, coaching, and communities.
Where it falls short: $179 a month to start. Basic and Growth include 1 community, and Pro includes 3.
Price: Basic $179, Growth $249, Pro $499 a month.
Best for: creators who'll use the website, funnels, and email every week.
6. Discord: best big free group
Text channels, forum channels, voice rooms, and events, on an app most people already have.
Where it falls short: answers get lost in fast chat, and there's no checkout, courses, or email. Server Subscriptions keep 10% and launched for owners in the US.
Price: free.
Best for: a large free community, or a paid one sold through Whop, Patreon, or LaunchPass.
7. Heartbeat: best small, organized group
Chat channels, post channels, documents, courses, and events with reminders.
Where it falls short: Build stops at 350 members and takes 5%.
Price: Build $49 a month with 5%, Grow $149 with 2.5%, Scale $849 with 1.25%.
Best for: a small group that wants channels and a place for docs.
8. Whop: best with no monthly fee
Chat, forums, and courses apps, plus a Discover marketplace that can bring buyers.
Where it falls short: payout fees, 1.5% more on international cards, and no email marketing.
Price: free. 2.7% + 30¢ per domestic card sale.
Best for: selling access to a group without a monthly bill. See Whop alternatives.
How to choose
- Choose Eden if the community is one of several things you sell, and you want chat, a Library, events, email, and a store in one place.
- Choose Skool if a single feed and a course are all you need, and you'll earn enough to move to Pro.
- Choose Circle if you have a big community and want the most structure.
- Choose Mighty Networks if the community is the whole business.
- Choose Kajabi if you want the full suite and will use it.
- Choose Discord if it's free and big.
- Choose Heartbeat if it's small and organized.
- Choose Whop if you want no monthly fee.
Start a community on Eden
- 01
Create it
In Your store, go to Communities and click New community.
- 02
Price it and set it up
Set the price on Offer: free, one-time, monthly, or yearly. On Community, add channels, Library categories, a welcome line, and rules.
- 03
Publish and share
Finish Page and Publish, then share the link.
Full steps in how to start a paid community.
Frequently asked questions
What's the best free community platform?
Discord, for a big group that likes fast chat. On Eden, a free community is a $0 product, but you need the $29 Starter plan to publish it.
Which community platform has the lowest fees?
Skool Pro at 2.9% + 30¢ with card fees included, then Circle and Mighty Networks at 2% plus card fees. Eden takes 5% on Starter and Pro, and 2% on Max.
Which community platforms have email marketing built in?
Eden and Kajabi. Circle sells it as a $99 a month add-on for 10,000 contacts.
Which community platform has the best phone app?
Every platform here has iOS and Android apps. Eden members use the Eden app. An app in your own name costs extra on Circle, Mighty Networks, and Heartbeat.
Sources: Skool pricing, Skool payments FAQ, Circle pricing, Mighty Networks pricing, Kajabi pricing, Heartbeat pricing, Whop fees. Checked October 8, 2026.
Want your community next to everything else you sell? Start Eden free.