Glossary
Paid community
A paid community is an online community that charges members for access, typically via a subscription or one-time fee.
A paid community monetizes access directly: members pay to join or to reach premium spaces, content, or events. It's one of the most durable creator and business models because revenue is recurring and tied to ongoing value rather than a one-off sale.
Paid communities can be fully paid (you pay to enter at all) or freemium (a free tier for reach plus paid tiers for depth). The freemium approach lowers the barrier to entry and gives members a clear reason to upgrade.
Running a paid community well means watching two numbers: the value members get each month, and the platform fees you pay. Transaction fees of 3–5% on every payment quietly tax growth, so operators increasingly prefer platforms whose fees drop as they scale.
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Related terms
Membership site
A membership site is a website where people pay a recurring fee for access to gated content, a community, courses, or services.
Community monetization
Community monetization is the set of models — memberships, tiered access, courses, events, sponsorships, and services — used to turn an engaged community into revenue.
Community platform
A community platform is software for building a branded online space where members connect, discuss, learn, attend events, and pay for access — all in one place.
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Launch a branded community with discussions, events, courses, AI, and monetization in one platform.