Groups.io vs Hylo (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Hylo grades higher than Groups.io: 3.2 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Hylo grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Groups.io
Email discussion groups with files, calendar and wiki
Which one is for you
Pick Groups.io if
- Fits if your group already lives in email
- Works for clubs under 100 members that only need a mailing list
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you have more than 100 members, as free stops there
- Pricey if the list grows, as Premium bills per member
- Watch out: Paid Memberships is in early access and must be requested from support
- Not for you if you want a phone app, as none is listed
Pick Hylo if
- Fits if you run a mutual-aid or place-based group on a zero budget
- Works for groups that want chat, events and decisions in one place
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you need an API or video streaming, as Hylo Pro is not out yet
- Watch out: attachments cap at 50 MB each
- Watch out: stewardship help costs extra, from $300 for a support call
- Skip it if you want branding, as Hylo Whitelabel is listed as coming soon
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAGroups.ioGood | 3.2GPAHyloVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BPremium is $20 a month minimum at $0.04 per member, the cheaper-quarter line of the category. | AFree for every group with unlimited members and groups, and no paid plan is on sale yet. |
| Free plan and trial | CFree is a core email group for 100 members with 1 GB of attachments and no files, calendar, chat or wiki, and a 30-day Premium trial without a card. | AThe full platform is free with no member cap, and the 50 MB attachment limit is one a normal group will rarely hit. |
| Features | BEmail-first groups, files, photos, wiki, calendar, chat and paid memberships on Premium. Paid memberships is in early access. | BGroups, chat, events, projects, proposals, a member map and mobile apps. API access and video streaming are not available yet. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You set up groups, settings and members. | CNo store rating on record. You set up groups, subgroups and decision rules. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb and email, with Stripe and Google Calendar listed. | BWeb plus iOS and Android apps, but no desktop app and no integrations listed. |
| Best for | email groups with a small free plan | a free community platform with mobile apps |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Groups.io and Hylo. How we grade
Price against what you get
Groups.io starts at $20 a month and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Hylo has no paid plan and scores 2.7.
They score the same, and Hylo starts $20 a month lower. Of the other course and community platforms on the chart, none scores higher than Groups.io for less, and none scores higher than Hylo for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Hylo is open source, according to its own site.
- Groups.io also covers wiki.
At a glance
| Groups.io | Hylo | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | $20 per month minimum, at $0.04 per member | Free |
| Free plan | Core email group for up to 100 members with 1 GB of attachment storage and no files, photos, calendar, chat or wiki. | The full platform is free for every group, with unlimited members and groups, and 50 MB maximum per attachment. |
| Free trial | 30-day free trial of Premium, no card needed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Groups.io, Inc. | Terran Collective |
| Price read from | groups.io | hylo.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Groups.io
- The free plan stops at 100 members and has no files, calendar, chat or wiki.
- After the 30-day trial a group with more than 100 members must pick a paid plan to continue.
- Premium is billed per member, so cost grows with the list.
- Paid Memberships is in early access and has to be requested from support.
Hylo
- File storage is limited, with a 50 MB maximum per attachment.
- Hylo Pro (an estimated $60 per group per month) and Hylo Whitelabel are listed as coming soon, so API access and video streaming are not yet available.
- Hands-on stewardship support is sold separately: $300 for a support call, $2,500 for onboarding, $100 per month for ongoing support.
Key features
Groups.io
- Email-first groups
- People can take part by email or on the web, and the site says it does not sell member data to advertisers.
- Files, photos and wiki
- Premium and Enterprise groups share files and photos and keep a wiki. Attachments count toward storage; messages do not.
- Calendar with RSVPs
- Single and recurring events with reminders, attendee limits with a wait list, guests, attendee export and printable name tags.
- Paid memberships
- Premium and Enterprise groups can charge for membership tiers through their own Stripe account. This is in early access and needs approval.
- Enterprise options
- White-label web and email, a custom domain, single sign-on and a customizable home page.
Hylo
- Groups and subgroups
- Nested and peer groups with unlimited members, plus a public commons for discovering other groups.
- Discussion and chat
- Threaded conversations with topics and tags, and real-time chat rooms inside any group.
- Requests, offers and projects
- Mutual-support requests and offers with completion tracking, and projects with tasks, roles and timelines.
- Proposals and decisions
- Polls, proposals and quorum for structured decisions, with shared agreements and roles.
- Events and map
- In-person and virtual events with RSVPs and calendar sync, and a member map for place-based groups.
- Mobile apps
- iOS and Android apps that the vendor describes as full-featured, with email, push, in-app and digest notifications.
Plans
Groups.io
Free$0
Core email group for up to 100 members, 1 GB attachment storage, no files, photos, calendar, chat, wiki or integrations.
Premium$20
per month minimum, at $0.04 per member
30 GB storage, files, photos, wiki, calendar, chat and member data. Annual: $0.44 per member, minimum $220 a year.
Enterprise$200
per month and up, commercial ($100 non-profit)
White-label web and email, single sign-on, 1 TB storage and custom home page, plus $0.10 to $0.20 per member.
Hylo
Hylo$0
Free forever: groups and subgroups, chat, events, projects, proposals, map, member directory and mobile apps.
Ways to pay less
Groups.io
- Annual discount
One month free on annual Premium
Premium billed annually is $0.44 per member with a $220 minimum, and the pricing page says it includes one month free.
- Nonprofit
50% off Enterprise for nonprofits
Legally recognized non-profits get a 50% discount on the Enterprise plan after verification.
Hylo
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Groups.io or Hylo?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Hylo is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $20 a month for Groups.io. Groups.io starts at $20 per month minimum, at $0.04 per member, and Hylo is free.
Which has a free plan, Groups.io or Hylo?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Groups.io and Hylo have a free plan.
Which platforms do Groups.io and Hylo run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Hylo lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.