The 7 best community building platforms in 2026
Seven community platforms for coaches, creators and community builders, with who each one suits, what users say and what the branded app really costs.
Monica McCormick
9 Minute Read
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The right community platform depends on what you’re building. A free group chat, a paid membership, a course with a community on the side, or your own branded app all need different tools.
We looked at the platforms coaches, creators and community builders ask us about most. For each one we cover who it suits, what it does well, what’s worth knowing before you sign up, and what it costs.
Full disclosure: I co-founded Movement, so it’s at the top of the list. I’ve kept every entry fair and factual, because choosing the wrong platform can costs you months.
Key Takeaways
The biggest difference between community platforms is whose brand your members see.
Movement includes your own branded app on every plan. Circle and Mighty Networks charge custom prices for one, and Kajabi needs its Pro plan (plus it's an add-on to your subscription)
Skool, Patreon and Discord keep your members inside their own apps
Add the monthly fee and the transaction fee together at your expected revenue before you choose
Quick picks
Movement (movement.so): best for launching your own branded app with community, courses, payments and workouts in one place
Skool: best for simple, gamified communities with courses
Circle: best for larger communities that need lots of spaces and automation
Mighty Networks: best for community-first businesses that want events and courses built in
Kajabi: best for course creators who want marketing tools, with community as an add-on
Patreon: best for creators with an existing audience who want fan memberships
Discord: best for free, chat-based communities
Pricing and branded apps at a glance
Movement is the only platform here that includes your own branded app on every plan. Elsewhere it’s a custom-priced add-on, a top-tier plan, or not offered at all.
Platform | Starting price (billed annually) | Transaction fee | Your own branded app? | Branded app cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Movement | Free plan; paid from $39/mo | 2.5% on paid plans (15% on Free) | Yes, on every plan. Your logo is the app icon; Movement branding removed from Pro; App Store listings on Business | Included |
Skool | $9/mo (Hobby) | 10% Hobby, 2.9% Pro | No. Members use the Skool app | Not offered |
Circle | $89/mo | 0.5% to 2% | Yes, on the separate Plus Branded App plan | Custom pricing, quote from sales |
Mighty Networks | $49/mo | 1% to 3% | Yes, with Mighty Pro | Custom pricing, reported from about $17,000/yr |
Kajabi | $71/mo | 0% | Yes, on the Pro plan only | Pro plan, from $319/mo billed annually |
Patreon | Free | 10% for new creators | No. Members use the Patreon app | Not offered |
Discord | Free | 10% on Server Subscriptions | No. Members use the Discord app | Not offered |
Prices in USD as of October 2026. Payment processing fees (for example Stripe’s) apply on top for every platform.
1. Movement
Best for: coaches, creators and brands who want their community, content and payments inside their own branded app & website.
Most community platforms give you a space inside their product and brand. Movement gives you your own app (accessible on any platform: desktop, mobile or tablet). Your logo is the icon on your members’ phones, and everything they pay for lives in one place: community feeds and group chat, courses, workout programs, live events, memberships and one-to-one coaching.
What it does well
Your brand, not ours. Custom app icon, colours and layout, with Movement branding removed on Pro and above.
Community plus everything else. Feeds, comments, group and one-to-one messaging, and push notifications sit next to your courses, workouts and downloads, so members don’t bounce between tools.
Built for movement and wellness pros. Workout programs, video and audio hosting and coaching tools come built in. Fitness trainers, physios, yoga teachers and meditation teachers already run their businesses on it.
Start from a template. Pick a professional template, then drag and drop to make it yours.
A team behind you. Live support on every plan, a free setup session, and a Done For You service if you’d rather we build it.
See all of Movement’s community features →
Worth knowing: members open your app from a link or QR code, so there’s no download barrier. An optional App Store listing and custom domain come with the Business plan.
What users say: rated 4.9/5 from 22 reviews on Capterra. Reviewers praise how easy it is to use and the customer support. The most common asks are more integrations.
Pricing: paid plans start at $39/month billed annually, and you keep 97.5% of every sale (before Stripe fees). You can build your app before you pay for anything.
“We spent months searching for the right platform to host our community. We were especially impressed by the level of customization available [on Movement]—from sign-up flows to profile builders and event scheduling. It was an easy choice!”
Angelina Perino & Samantha Johnson, Cove Circle
Read how Cove Circle chose Movement over Circle →
Build your own branded app on Movement →
2. Skool
Best for: simple communities with a course attached, where engagement through points and leaderboards matters.
Skool keeps things simple: a community feed, a classroom for courses, a calendar for calls and events, and gamification that rewards members with points and levels for taking part. It’s quick to set up and easy for members to learn.
What it does well
Clean, simple layout members pick up fast
Gamification (points, levels, leaderboards) built in
Community, courses and calendar in one place
iOS and Android apps for members
Worth knowing: every Skool group looks much the same, and branding options are limited. There’s no fully custom domain, and members join through the Skool app alongside every other Skool group they’re in. Each community needs its own subscription.
What users say: owners like how fast they can launch and say the gamification keeps members active. The recurring complaints are limited branding and customisation, basic course features, thin analytics and search that makes older posts hard to find.
Pricing: Hobby $9/month with a 10% transaction fee, or Pro $99/month with a 2.9% fee. 14-day trial, no free plan.
See how Movement compares to Skool →
3. Circle
Best for: established communities and brands that need lots of spaces, automation and admin roles.
Circle is built for running a community at scale. You organize members into spaces, run courses, events and live rooms, and on higher plans automate onboarding and engagement with workflows and AI agents.
What it does well
Flexible spaces for discussions, courses and events
Custom domain on every plan
Workflows, APIs and analytics on Business and above
Live streams and live rooms built in
Worth knowing: your own branded iOS and Android app is a separate plan with custom pricing, so you’ll need to talk to sales. Workouts and coaching programs aren’t part of the product. Transaction fees apply on top of Stripe fees. Limited customization so many Circle's start looking alike.
What users say: rated 4.7/5 from 48 reviews on Capterra. Reviewers like the clean interface and easy onboarding. The main complaints are pricing that climbs quickly as you scale, less customisation than some want, and live video that doesn’t match Zoom.
Pricing: Professional from $89/month billed annually ($129 monthly) with a 2% transaction fee. Business from $199/month billed annually. A branded app needs Circle Plus, which isn’t priced publicly. You have to request a quote, and estimates put it at $1,000+ a month on a committed contract. 14-day trial, no free plan.
See how Movement compares to Circle →
4. Mighty Networks
Best for: community-first businesses that want events, courses and memberships under one roof.
Mighty Networks puts community at the center, with courses, events, livestreams and paid memberships layered around it. It suits creators whose main product is the community itself.
What it does well
Strong community and event features
Courses, memberships and livestreaming on higher plans
Built-in tools to prompt member activity
Worth knowing: on standard plans, members join through the Mighty Networks app rather than your own. Your own branded app (Mighty Pro) has custom pricing, reported to start around $17,000 a year. The entry plan carries a 3% transaction fee, and courses need a higher tier.
What users say: rated 4.5/5 from 94 reviews on Capterra. Reviewers like the community tools and responsive staff. Common complaints are limited analytics, weak integrations, confusing navigation for new members and a buggy chat.
Pricing: Community from $49/month billed annually (3% fee). Courses from $109/month and Business from $189/month billed annually (2% fee). Mighty Pro on request. 14-day trial.
See how Movement compares to Mighty Networks →
5. Kajabi
Best for: course creators who want email marketing, funnels and a website alongside their community.
Kajabi is an all-in-one business platform for selling courses and coaching. Community is one product type among many, next to email campaigns, landing pages, funnels and checkout.
What it does well
Marketing tools built in: email, funnels, landing pages
No transaction fees on any plan
Courses, coaching and memberships in one account
Worth knowing: Kajabi costs more than most community-only tools, and the entry plan limits you to one product, one community and 250 contacts. Community is a part of Kajabi rather than its focus, and a branded app needs the Pro plan.
What users say: rated 4.4/5 from 230 reviews on Capterra. Reviewers value having courses, email, website and payments together. Price is the most frequent complaint, especially for beginners, along with a learning curve and community features that lack gamification.
Pricing: Kickstarter from $71/month billed annually ($89 monthly). Basic from $119/month billed annually. 0% transaction fees.
See how Movement compares to Kajabi →
6. Patreon
Best for: creators with an existing audience who want a simple way to sell fan memberships.
Patreon lets fans pay a monthly fee for exclusive posts, videos, chats and perks. It’s well known, so many fans already have an account and trust the checkout.
What it does well
Familiar to fans, with built-in discovery
Simple membership tiers
Posts, video and group chats for members
Worth knowing: your community lives inside Patreon’s app and brand, not yours. There are no structured courses or workout programs, and new creators pay a 10% platform fee on top of processing.
What users say: rated 4.1/5 on G2 (60+ reviews) but 1.2/5 on Trustpilot (800+ reviews). Creators like the recurring income and simple tiers. Complaints focus on support, billing issues and account suspensions, and Patreon brings you no new audience.
Pricing: free to start. New creators (pages launched after 4 August 2025) pay a 10% platform fee, plus payment processing from 2.9% + $0.30.
See how Movement compares to Patreon →
7. Discord
Best for: free, chat-based communities, especially gaming, tech and hobby groups.
Discord is real-time chat at its core: text channels, voice and video rooms, roles and bots. It’s free and very active for communities that like to talk all day.
What it does well
Free to use, with no limit on members
Voice, video and text chat in one place
Roles, permissions and bots for moderation
Worth knowing: Discord is built for conversation, not content. There’s no proper course or program structure, and fast-moving channels can overwhelm members who aren’t used to it. Your community sits inside Discord’s app and brand.
Pricing: free. Server Subscriptions let you charge members, with Discord taking a 10% share.
How to choose a community platform
Start with what your members are paying for, then work back to the tool. Five questions narrow it down fast:
Whose brand do members see? If you want your logo on their home screen, you need your own app (Movement, or a custom-priced plan on Circle or Mighty). Skool, Patreon and Discord keep members inside their own apps.
Is community the product, or part of it? If you also sell courses, workout programs or coaching, choose a platform that holds them all, so members aren’t juggling logins.
What’s the real cost at your size? Add the monthly fee and the transaction fee together at your expected revenue. A $9 plan with a 10% fee costs more than a $99 plan once you pass about $1,300 a month in sales.
How will members actually use it? Daily chat suits Discord. Weekly lessons and check-ins suit a structured app with push notifications.
Who helps when you get stuck? Check whether live support is on every plan or only the top tier, and whether anyone can set it up for you.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best community building platform?
It depends on what you’re building. Movement is best if you want your own branded app with community, courses and workouts together. Skool suits simple gamified groups, Circle suits large communities, and Discord suits free chat-based groups.
What is the best community platform for coaches?
Coaches usually need more than a feed: programs, check-ins, messaging and payments. Movement puts all of that in a branded app, so clients get one place for everything.
Which community platform lets me have my own branded app?
Movement includes your own app on every plan, with your logo as the icon on members’ phones. Circle and Mighty Networks offer branded apps on separate custom-priced plans, and Kajabi includes one on its Pro plan. Skool, Patreon and Discord don’t offer one.
What’s a good alternative to Skool or Circle?
If you want your own brand, Movement gives you a branded app with community, courses and events in one place, with full design and customization options. Cove Circle tested Circle before choosing Movement and found “the layout and template options were pretty much set.” If you mainly need lots of spaces and automation, Circle is a solid Skool alternative.
Can I run a paid community on Discord?
Yes. Discord Server Subscriptions let you charge members, with Discord taking a 10% share. There’s no built-in course or program structure, though.
Which community platforms charge transaction fees?
Most do. Skool charges 2.9% to 10%, Circle 0.5% to 2%, Mighty Networks 1% to 3%, Patreon 10% for new creators, and Movement 2.5% on paid plans. Kajabi charges none. Payment processing fees apply on top for all of them.
Build a community that’s yours
Every platform on this list can host a community. The difference is whose name is on it. If you want your members opening your app for your community, courses and programs, start with Movement.