The Circle Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Circle in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Circle
The Insider’s Guide
Community platform with courses, events, payments and branded apps
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among course and community platforms, read from Circle’s own pages.
Made by Circle · checked Oct 17, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Circle’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Circle’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 17, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.8
GPA, above 16 of the 18 other course and community platforms we grade
Circle is a community-first platform for running a paid or free community under your own brand. Discussions, chat, courses, events and live streams sit in spaces members join, with payments, a website builder and gamification included. Higher plans add workflows, an API, AI agents and, on Circle Plus, a custom branded mobile app.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Circle, taken from its own pages and our grades.
- 1
Best for a branded community with courses and events
Circle is the most complete of the community platforms: spaces, chat, courses, events and live streams, payments and a website, with workflows and an API on Business.
- 2
Paid plans start at $89 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $89 per month, billed annually ($99 billed monthly).
- 3
You can try it first
14-day free trial, no credit card required
- 4
It runs on 3 platforms
Web, iOS and Android.
- 5
Spaces, discussions and chat
Members join topic spaces for posts and chat, with a member directory, rich profiles and gamification. Professional allows 20 spaces.
- 6
Courses
Courses live inside the community on every plan, and course migration from another platform is free on annual Business plans and above.
- 7
Events and live streams
Live events, live streams and live rooms: Professional covers 100 stream attendees, 15 room participants and 10 hours.
- 8
A 2.8 GPA, above 16 of 18
That is against the other course and community platforms we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Circle you would be making connections to other products, each kept working as those products change. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Circle at a glance
- Pricing
- Free trial, from $89 per month, billed annually ($99 billed monthly)
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- 14-day free trial, no credit card required
- Runs on
- Web, iOS, Android
- Made by
- Circle
- Category
- Courses & Communities
- Our grade
- 2.8 GPA, good
- Store rating
- 4.9 on the App Store, 86,034 ratings
The report card
Best for a branded community with courses and events
Circle is the most complete of the community platforms: spaces, chat, courses, events and live streams, payments and a website, with workflows and an API on Business. Its app has a 4.87 from about 86,000 ratings. It costs more than Skool or Mighty Networks once its 2% cut is in, and email marketing is an add-on.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Graded against its alternatives, community platforms. Professional is $89 a month billed yearly plus Circle's 2% of sales, $40 on $2,000: $129 a month. That's mid-pack, above Skool Pro ($82.50) and Mighty Networks ($119), below Heartbeat ($140). |
| Free plan and trial | C | No free plan, but a 14-day trial with no card needed, which is enough to set up spaces and invite a few people. |
| Features | B | Spaces with posts and chat, courses, events, live streams and rooms, paid memberships, a website builder, gamification and AI credits on every plan. Nothing in the listing shows a gap in the job; workflows and the API just start on Business. |
| Ease of use | A | 4.87 from about 86,000 App Store ratings, the strongest record in this category. Members open the app and they're in. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web, iPhone and Android, with Zapier, Stripe, PayPal, Slack, HubSpot, Mailchimp and Teachable, plus an API and MCP on Business. No desktop app, which an A needs. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Circle is for
- Great if the community is your product and courses and events hang off it
- Good for brands that want their own domain and website around the community
- Handy when you want workflows and an API around your members
Who it is not for
- Pricey if you also need email campaigns, as Email Hub starts at $19 a month extra
- Skip it if you want an app under your own name, which is only in custom-priced Circle Plus
- Tight if you outgrow 20 spaces and 3 admins on Professional
Good to know
Good for
- Creators and brands whose main product is a community
- Communities that also sell courses and run live events
- Teams that want automations and an API around their community
Worth knowing
- Circle takes 2% of each sale on Professional, 1% on Business and Scale and 0.5% on Circle Plus.
- Email Hub costs extra on top of any plan except Circle Plus: $19 a month for up to 1,000 contacts, $99 at 10,000.
- Workflows, the API and removing Circle branding need Business; AI agents and webhooks need Scale.
- An app under your own name in the app stores is only in Circle Plus, which is priced through sales.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$89
A month to start
Circle is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $89 per month, billed annually ($99 billed monthly).
Graded against its alternatives, community platforms.
Professional
$89
per month, billed annually ($99 billed monthly)
Unlimited members, courses, events, website, payments, apps, 3 admins, 20 spaces, 2,500 AI credits. Circle takes 2% of each sale.
Business
$199
per month, billed annually ($219 billed monthly)
20 workflows, APIs and MCP, custom profile fields, branded emails, no Circle branding, 5 admins, 30 spaces. 1% transaction fee.
Scale
$419
per month, billed monthly or annually
AI agents and AI workflows, unlimited workflows, webhooks, custom SSO, 10 admins, 100 spaces, 5,000 AI credits. 1% transaction fee.
Circle Plus
Custom
Custom branded iOS and Android apps, unlimited admins and spaces, Email Hub with 10,000 contacts, a dedicated expert. 0.5% transaction fee.
Trying it first
14-day free trial, no credit card required
Read from circle.so on Oct 17, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
Lower monthly price with annual billing
Circle's pricing lists Professional at $89 a month billed annually against $99 monthly, and Business at $199 against $219. Scale costs the same either way.
Stated on circle.so
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
3
Places it runs: Web, iOS and Android
Community platform with courses, events, payments and branded apps. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, AI features, workflow automation, email campaigns, online courses, community.
Nothing in the listing shows a gap in the job; workflows and the API just start on Business.
- Spaces, discussions and chat
- Members join topic spaces for posts and chat, with a member directory, rich profiles and gamification. Professional allows 20 spaces.
- Courses
- Courses live inside the community on every plan, and course migration from another platform is free on annual Business plans and above.
- Events and live streams
- Live events, live streams and live rooms: Professional covers 100 stream attendees, 15 room participants and 10 hours.
- Payments and website
- Paid memberships and products through Circle's checkout, a website builder and a custom domain on every plan.
- Workflows, API and AI
- Business adds workflows, APIs and an MCP server; Scale adds AI agents, AI moderation and webhooks. Extra AI credits cost $10 per 1,000.
- Email Hub
- An optional add-on for broadcasts, scheduled campaigns, sign-up forms, segments and marketing automations to contacts and members.
Where it runs
- Web
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- Zapier
- Stripe
- PayPal
- Slack
- Google Analytics
- HubSpot
- Mailchimp
- Teachable
Circle is made by Circle.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
16/18
Other course and community platforms it is graded above
Circle's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 16 of the 18 other course and community platforms we grade, and level with 2.
It stands best on ease of use (A, above 17 of 18) and worst on value for money (C, above 3).
Its paid plans start at $89 a month, against a middle price of $41 for the category: 15 of the 17 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.3 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 19 course and community platforms we grade, cut by the letter each got. Circle’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 3 of 18
- CFree plan and trialAbove 3 of 18
- BFeaturesAbove 10 of 18
- AEase of useAbove 17 of 18
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 18
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 19 course and community platforms. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Circle is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Circle you would be making connections to other products, each kept working as those products change. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 2.8 is higher than 16 of the 18 other course and community platforms we grade. It costs $1,068 a year.
What you could make
- Online courses: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- Connections to other products, each kept working as those products change.
- Newsletters sent to thousands of people that still reach the inbox.
- A members' space with posts, chat and events that people keep coming back to.
- A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Circle’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Mighty Networks, Skool, Heartbeat, Disco and Kajabi
The 5 tools Circle is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.4GPA
Mighty Networks
Free trial · from $79/mo
Community platform with courses, livestreams and paid memberships.
- Circle also covers email campaigns.
- 2.4GPA
Skool
Free trial · from $9/mo
Community platform with courses, events and paid memberships.
- Circle also covers workflow automation and email campaigns.
- 2.6GPA
Heartbeat
Free trial · from $40/mo
Paid community platform with courses, events and member payments.
- Only Heartbeat lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps.
- Circle also covers email campaigns.
- 2.0GPA
Disco
Free trial · from $399/mo
Branded learning academy for cohort courses, community and AI help.
- Circle also covers workflow automation and email campaigns.
- Disco also covers surveys.
- 2.0GPA
Kajabi
Free trial · from $143/mo
All-in-one platform for selling courses, coaching and communities.
- Circle also covers workflow automation.
- Kajabi also covers marketing automation and paid newsletters.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
15
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Circle free?
No, Circle is a paid product, but you can try it first. 14-day free trial, no credit card required.
How much does Circle cost?
Circle lists 4 plans. Professional: $89 per month, billed annually ($99 billed monthly).
What platforms does Circle work on?
Circle is available on Web, iOS and Android.
Does Circle offer any discounts?
Circle publicly lists the following: Lower monthly price with annual billing.
How is Circle rated?
Circle's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.9 out of 5 from 86,034 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 17, 2026.
Does Circle have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. Circle is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Does Circle have a macOS app?
No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. Circle is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Is Circle open source?
Circle is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 17, 2026.
Does Circle have an API?
Yes. Circle offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Circle integrate with?
Circle's listing names Zapier, Stripe, PayPal, Slack, Google Analytics, HubSpot, Mailchimp and Teachable.
Who makes Circle?
Circle is made by Circle.
What are the alternatives to Circle?
The closest alternatives to Circle in our directory are Mighty Networks, Skool, Heartbeat, Disco and Kajabi.
How does Circle compare with other course and community platforms?
Circle's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 16 of the 18 other course and community platforms we grade, and level with 2.
Is Circle good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Circle C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $89 a month, against a middle price of $41 for the category: 15 of the 17 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Circle?
To replace Circle you would be making connections to other products, each kept working as those products change.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Circle’s own pages on Oct 17, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 17, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Circle's own pages on 17 October 2026, and its App Store rating. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Circle. Prices change, so check circle.so before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
1,880
Tools graded, in 47 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
ToolGPA is free to read. It may earn a commission from affiliate links and it works with sponsors, but anything paid for is labelled and no one can pay for a grade. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
1,880
tools graded
47
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Circle, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/circle
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Circle: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 17, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/circle
Know someone choosing between course and community platforms?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/circle/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded course and community platforms after Circle, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Courses & Communities Insider's GuideEvery one of the 19 course and community platforms we grade, compared
- Simplero Insider's GuideAll-in-one platform for courses, community, email and coaching2.8 GPA
- systeme.io Insider's GuideAll-in-one marketing suite with funnels, email, courses and community2.8 GPA
- Heartbeat Insider's GuidePaid community platform with courses, events and member payments2.6 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Circle’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. ToolGPA uses affiliate links and may earn a commission from them, and it works with sponsors; anything paid for is labelled, and no one can pay for a grade. Circle is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Circle. Prices and plans change: check circle.so before you buy.