The SchoolMaker Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about SchoolMaker 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.
SchoolMaker
The Insider’s Guide
Course platform with milestones, community, coaching and AI coaches
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among course and community platforms, read from SchoolMaker’s own pages.
Made by SchoolMaker · checked Nov 12, 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 SchoolMaker’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on SchoolMaker’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 12, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.2
GPA, above 14 of the 41 other course and community platforms we grade
SchoolMaker is a course platform where lessons are organized as steps and milestones, with a built-in community, live sessions, coaching and testimonial collection. Plans are priced by member count and charge no transaction fee. Connected AI coaches can answer students from course content.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about SchoolMaker, taken from its own pages and our grades.
You build the school and its steps yourself.
- 1
Best for a coach selling a course with community and AI coaches
SchoolMaker is a course platform with milestones, a community, coaching sessions and AI coaches.
- 2
Paid plans start at $29 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $29 per month, billed monthly.
- 3
You can try it first
14-day free trial
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Steps and milestones
Courses are built as step-by-step journeys with milestones that students work through.
- 6
Built-in community
A community space for students inside the school, on every plan.
- 7
Live sessions and coaching
Consultations, live sessions and coaching, with Zoom or Google Meet links.
- 8
A 2.2 GPA, above 14 of 41
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 SchoolMaker you would be making live video to hundreds of people at once. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
SchoolMaker at a glance
- Pricing
- Free trial, from $29 per month, billed monthly
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- 14-day free trial
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- SchoolMaker
- Category
- Courses & Communities
- Our grade
- 2.2 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for a coach selling a course with community and AI coaches
SchoolMaker is a course platform with milestones, a community, coaching sessions and AI coaches. Lite at $29 a month keeps a SchoolMaker badge, is capped at 100 members and is only open to new customers, and a real business lands on Starter at $99.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Lite is $29 a month, inside the cheaper quarter, but it has a badge, 100 members and is for new customers only. Starter is $99, Pro $165 and Business $249. |
| Free plan and trial | C | 14-day free trial. No free plan, and the listing does not say a card is needed. |
| Features | C | Steps and milestones, community, live sessions, AI coaches, checkout, referrals, an API and webhooks. Members and courses are capped on every plan. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record. You build the school and its steps yourself. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web only, with 8 integrations and an API on record. |
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 SchoolMaker is for
- Fits if you coach in steps and want a community inside the same product
- Works for course makers who want AI coaches for their students
Who it is not for
- Tight if you grow, because plans cap members from 100 to 5,000 and above that you contact the vendor
- Skip it if you want no badge on the cheapest plan, as Lite keeps a SchoolMaker badge
- Watch out: Lite is only open to new customers
- Watch out: extra member packs come only with Business, and the page offers annual billing but the monthly price is the one recorded here
Good to know
Good for
- Coaches and experts who want a gamified course with a community and live support
- Creators who want pricing tied to member count, not a share of sales
Worth knowing
- Plans cap members (100 to 5,000) and courses; above 5,000 members the vendor asks you to contact it.
- The Lite plan keeps a SchoolMaker badge on and is only open to new customers.
- The page offers annual billing with a stated saving, but the monthly price is the one recorded here.
- Business is the only plan that includes extra member packs.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$29
A month to start
SchoolMaker is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $29 per month, billed monthly.
No free plan, and the listing does not say a card is needed.
Lite
$29
per month for up to 100 members, billed monthly
1 course, 1 owner account, 100 GB storage and a SchoolMaker badge that stays on. Only for new customers.
Starter
$99
per month for up to 500 members, billed monthly
15 courses, 5 team accounts, unlimited storage and free migration.
Pro
$165
per month for up to 2,500 members, billed monthly
30 courses, 10 team accounts, priority support and free migration.
Business
$249
per month for up to 5,000 members, billed monthly
Unlimited courses and team accounts, extra member packs, priority support and free migration.
Trying it first
14-day free trial
Read from schoolmaker.com on Nov 12, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
Annual billing saving
The page lists a saving with annual billing: $120 a year on Lite, $240 on Starter, $408 on Pro and $600 on Business.
Stated on schoolmaker.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Course platform with milestones, community, coaching and AI coaches. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, AI features, online courses, community, webinars.
Steps and milestones, community, live sessions, AI coaches, checkout, referrals, an API and webhooks.
- Steps and milestones
- Courses are built as step-by-step journeys with milestones that students work through.
- Built-in community
- A community space for students inside the school, on every plan.
- Live sessions and coaching
- Consultations, live sessions and coaching, with Zoom or Google Meet links.
- AI coaches
- AI coaches that answer from course content: 10 on Lite, up to 30 on Business.
- Checkout and referrals
- Native checkout through Stripe, with no transaction fee from SchoolMaker.
- API, MCP and webhooks
- API, MCP server and webhooks on every plan, plus Zapier and Make.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Stripe
- Zapier
- Make
- ThriveCart
- Wistia
- Vimeo
- Google Meet
- OpenAI
SchoolMaker is made by SchoolMaker.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
14/41
Other course and community platforms it is graded above
SchoolMaker's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 14 of the 41 other course and community platforms we grade, and level with 11.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (B, above 6 of 41) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $29 a month, against a middle price of $49 for the category: 7 of the 36 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 2 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 42 course and community platforms we grade, cut by the letter each got. SchoolMaker’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 9 of 41
- CFree plan and trialAbove 13 of 41
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 41
- CEase of useAbove 4 of 41
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 6 of 41
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 39 course and community platforms. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. SchoolMaker 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 SchoolMaker you would be making live video to hundreds of people at once. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It costs $348 a year.
What you could make
- Online courses: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- Live video to hundreds of people at once.
- A members' space with posts, chat and events that people keep coming back to.
- It plugs into other products, Stripe, Zapier and Make among them, and has an API.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- People on the other end: coaches and live sessions. No app builder makes those.
What this rests on. SchoolMaker’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
Thinkific, Teachable, Podia, Kajabi and Heights Platform
The 5 tools SchoolMaker is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.4GPA
Thinkific
Free trial · from $82/mo
Course, community and membership platform for experts and academies.
- SchoolMaker also covers webinars.
- Thinkific also covers invoicing.
- 2.4GPA
Teachable
Free trial · from $29/mo
Online course, coaching and membership platform with its own checkout.
- Only Teachable lists iOS and Android apps.
- SchoolMaker also covers community and webinars.
- Teachable also covers email campaigns.
- 2.4GPA
Podia
Free trial · from $42/mo
Website, store, courses, community and email for creators in one place.
- SchoolMaker also covers webinars.
- Podia also covers marketing automation and email campaigns.
- 2.0GPA
Kajabi
Free trial · from $143/mo
All-in-one platform for selling courses, coaching and communities.
- Only Kajabi lists iOS and Android apps.
- SchoolMaker also covers webinars.
- Kajabi also covers marketing automation, email campaigns and paid newsletters.
- 2.4GPA
Heights Platform
Free trial · from $19/mo
Course, challenge and community platform with built-in AI tools.
- Only Heights Platform lists macOS and Windows apps.
- SchoolMaker also covers webinars.
- Heights Platform also covers video calls and email campaigns.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
14
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 SchoolMaker free?
No, SchoolMaker is a paid product, but you can try it first. 14-day free trial.
How much does SchoolMaker cost?
SchoolMaker lists 4 plans. Lite: $29 per month for up to 100 members, billed monthly.
What platforms does SchoolMaker work on?
SchoolMaker is available on Web.
Does SchoolMaker offer any discounts?
SchoolMaker publicly lists the following: Annual billing saving.
Does SchoolMaker have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. SchoolMaker is listed for Web.
Does SchoolMaker have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. SchoolMaker is listed for Web.
Is SchoolMaker open source?
SchoolMaker is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 12, 2026.
Does SchoolMaker have an API?
Yes. SchoolMaker offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does SchoolMaker integrate with?
SchoolMaker's listing names Stripe, Zapier, Make, ThriveCart, Wistia, Vimeo, Google Meet and OpenAI.
Who makes SchoolMaker?
SchoolMaker is made by a company of the same name.
What are the alternatives to SchoolMaker?
The closest alternatives to SchoolMaker in our directory are Thinkific, Teachable, Podia, Kajabi and Heights Platform.
How does SchoolMaker compare with other course and community platforms?
SchoolMaker's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 14 of the 41 other course and community platforms we grade, and level with 11.
Is SchoolMaker good value for money?
ToolGPA grades SchoolMaker C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $29 a month, against a middle price of $49 for the category: 7 of the 36 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of SchoolMaker?
To replace SchoolMaker you would be making live video to hundreds of people at once.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from SchoolMaker’s own pages on Nov 12, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 13, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from SchoolMaker's own pages on 12 November 2026. 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 SchoolMaker. Prices change, so check schoolmaker.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
5,038
Tools graded, in 95 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.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
5,038
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- SchoolMaker, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/schoolmaker
- 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, "SchoolMaker: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 12, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/schoolmaker
Know someone choosing between course and community platforms?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/schoolmaker/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded course and community platforms after SchoolMaker, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Courses & Communities Insider's GuideEvery one of the 42 course and community platforms we grade, compared
- Circle Insider's GuideCommunity platform with courses, events, payments and branded apps2.8 GPA
- Fourthwall Insider's GuideCreator shop with merch, digital products and memberships2.8 GPA
- Simplero Insider's GuideAll-in-one platform for courses, community, email and coaching2.8 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 SchoolMaker’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. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. SchoolMaker is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by SchoolMaker. Prices and plans change: check schoolmaker.com before you buy.