Groups.io review (2026): is the free plan enough?
Email discussion groups with files, calendar and wiki
Black Friday: is there a Groups.io sale?
Groups.io report card
Good · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 13, 2026
Best for email groups with a small free plan
Groups.io runs email groups that people can use by email or on the web. Free stops at 100 members with no files, calendar or wiki, and Premium costs $0.04 per member with a $20 monthly minimum.
Who Groups.io is for
- Fits if your group already lives in email
- Works for clubs under 100 members that only need a mailing list
Who Groups.io is not for
- 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
Why Groups.io gets a 2.6
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- BValue for moneyPremium is $20 a month minimum at $0.04 per member, the cheaper-quarter line of the category.
- CFree plan and trialFree 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.
- BFeaturesEmail-first groups, files, photos, wiki, calendar, chat and paid memberships on Premium. Paid memberships is in early access.
- CEase of useNo store rating on record. You set up groups, settings and members.
- BPlatforms and integrationsWeb and email, with Stripe and Google Calendar listed.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Groups.io's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/groups-io#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/groups-io.svg" alt="Groups.io: 2.6 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Groups.io stands among course and community platforms
Groups.io's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 83 of the 98 other course and community platforms we grade, and level with 8.
It stands best on value for money (B, above 79 of 98) and worst on ease of use (C, above 23).
Its paid plans start at $20 a month, against a middle price of $36 for the category: 16 of the 65 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 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 99 course and community platforms we grade, cut by the letter each got. Groups.io’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 79 of 98, level with 14
- CFree plan and trialAbove 34 of 98, level with 36
- BFeaturesAbove 56 of 98, level with 42
- CEase of useAbove 23 of 98, level with 72
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 25 of 98, level with 72
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 78 course and community platforms. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
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
Keep Groups.io, or make your own?
Keep it
To replace Groups.io you would be making chat that a whole team counts on staying up. 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 2.6 is higher than 83 of the 98 other course and community platforms we grade. It costs $240 a year.
What you could make
- Wiki and calendar: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Chat that a whole team counts on staying up.
- A members' space with posts, chat and events that people keep coming back to.
- What a company asks for before it lets staff use something: single sign-on.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Groups.io’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.
What is Groups.io?
Groups.io hosts email-based discussion groups, positioned as an alternative to listserv software. Members can post by email or on the web, and paid groups add shared files, photos, a wiki, a calendar with RSVPs, chat and databases. Small groups are free; larger ones pay by the member.
Worth knowing
- 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.
Key features
- 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.
Groups.io pricing
As of Nov 13, 2026, Groups.io has a free plan, and paid plans start at $20 per month minimum, at $0.04 per member.
- Starts at
- $20 per month minimum, at $0.04 per member
- Free plan
- Core email group for up to 100 members with 1 GB of attachment storage and no files, photos, calendar, chat or wiki.
- Free trial
- 30-day free trial of Premium, no card needed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Core email group for up to 100 members, 1 GB attachment storage, no files, photos, calendar, chat, wiki or integrations. |
| Premium | $20per 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 | $200per 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. |
Read from groups.io on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Groups.io before you buy.
Ways to pay less
- Annual discountOne 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.
Stated on groups.io - Nonprofit50% off Enterprise for nonprofits
Legally recognized non-profits get a 50% discount on the Enterprise plan after verification.
Stated on groups.io
Works with
Groups.io alternatives
- Groups.io vs Loomio
Free trial · from $33/mo
- Groups.io vs Discourse
Free plan · from $100/mo
- Groups.io vs NodeBB
Free plan · from $20/mo
- Groups.io vs Bettermode
Free trial · from $149/mo
Common questions
Does Groups.io have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Groups.io is listed for Web.
Does Groups.io have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Groups.io is listed for Web.
Is Groups.io open source?
Groups.io is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 13, 2026.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026.