Hylo vs Loomio (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Hylo grades higher than Loomio: 3.2 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Hylo grades higher on value for money, the free plan, features and platforms. They get the same grade on ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Loomio
Group decision-making software for organizations and co-ops
Which one is for you
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
Pick Loomio if
- Fits if a group needs to decide things in writing
- Works for co-ops and boards that want a record of reasons
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if your group is over 30, as Starter caps at 30 and one group
- Skip it if you want one-off subgroups on Starter, as it has none
- Watch out: SSO and custom branding need the custom Private Loomio plan
- Watch out: after cancelling, data is kept 30 days before it is deleted
How we grade them
| 3.2GPAHyloVery good | 2.0GPALoomioFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree for every group with unlimited members and groups, and no paid plan is on sale yet. | CStarter is $33 a month billed annually for a whole group of up to 30, in the middle of the category's prices; Pro is $83. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe full platform is free with no member cap, and the 50 MB attachment limit is one a normal group will rarely hit. | CA 14-day trial for up to 10 people and 10 discussions. The card is not mentioned. No free plan. |
| Features | BGroups, chat, events, projects, proposals, a member map and mobile apps. API access and video streaming are not available yet. | CDiscussion, proposals and a searchable record cover decision-making fully, but it is a smaller job than running a community. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You set up groups, subgroups and decision rules. | CNo store rating on record. You build groups, invite people and set up proposals. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb plus iOS and Android apps, but no desktop app and no integrations listed. | CWeb only, and no integrations are listed apart from Zoom on Pro. |
| Best for | a free community platform with mobile apps | group decisions with discussion and voting |
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: Hylo and Loomio. How we grade
Price against what you get
Hylo has no paid plan and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Loomio starts at $33 a month and scores 2.0.
Hylo scores higher and starts $33 a month lower. Of the other course and community platforms on the chart, none scores higher than Hylo for less, and 26 score higher than Loomio 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 also covers calendar and team chat.
At a glance
| Hylo | Loomio | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free trial |
| Starts at | Free | $33 per month, billed annually ($39 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | The full platform is free for every group, with unlimited members and groups, and 50 MB maximum per attachment. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 14-day free trial, up to 10 people and 10 discussions |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Terran Collective | Loomio Cooperative Limited |
| Price read from | hylo.com | loomio.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Loomio
- Starter is for one group of 30 people with no subgroups; larger groups need Pro.
- Prices are for the whole group, and the figures above are the commercial rate.
- After cancelling, data stays available for 30 days before it is deleted.
- Single sign-on and custom branding need the custom Private Loomio plan.
Key features
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.
Loomio
- Discussion with context
- Put the question, background and documents in one thread, and invite the right people to take part.
- Voting with reasons
- People record their position along with the reasoning, so concerns show up early and the proposal can change.
- A searchable record
- The discussion, reasons and final outcome stay searchable for later reference.
- Subgroups
- Pro allows unlimited subgroups for teams and working groups within one organization.
- Data export and regions
- Group admins can export data as CSV, HTML or JSON, and choose hosting in the USA, EU or Australia.
Plans
Hylo
Hylo$0
Free forever: groups and subgroups, chat, events, projects, proposals, map, member directory and mobile apps.
Loomio
Starter$33
per month, billed annually ($39 billed monthly)
Commercial rate. One group of up to 30 members, no subgroups, email support. $399 a year when paid annually.
Pro$83
per month, billed annually ($99 billed monthly)
Commercial rate. Up to 3,000 members, unlimited subgroups, Zoom and email support. $999 a year when paid annually.
Private LoomioCustom
Dedicated server and database, SAML or OAuth single sign-on, custom branding and domain, unlimited users.
Ways to pay less
Hylo
No public discounts listed.
Loomio
- Nonprofit
Nonprofit pricing
Eligible nonprofits and member-funded groups pay less: Starter is $299 a year and Pro $499 a year, with Pro covering up to 300 members.
- Annual discount
Save about 15% by paying annually
The pricing page shows annual payment saving about 15% on Starter and 16% on Pro at the commercial rate.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Hylo or Loomio?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Hylo is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $33 a month for Loomio. Hylo is free, and Loomio starts at $33 per month, billed annually ($39 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Hylo or Loomio?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Hylo has a free plan. Loomio does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do Hylo and Loomio 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.