Free tool
Community platform fee calculator
Enter how many members pay you and how much. See what each platform costs a month, plan plus fees, and what you keep. Ranked by cost alone, whoever comes out cheapest.
Adjust processing rates
Monthly revenue: $2,500
| # | Platform | Plan | Platform fee | Processing | Monthly cost | You keep |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Skool Pro | $99 | $103 | Included | $202 | $2,299 |
| 2 | Mateflow Starter | $49 | $75 | $120 | $244 | $2,256 |
| 3 | Mighty Networks Launch | $95 | $50 | $103 | $248 | $2,253 |
| 4 | Heartbeat Build | $49 | $125 | $103 | $277 | $2,224 |
| 5 | Circle Professional | $129 | $50 | $120 | $299 | $2,201 |
Read this before you pick
Fees are only part of the decision
At most revenue levels Skool costs the least, because its percentage already covers card processing. Mateflow's Free plan is cheapest when you are starting out. What separates the platforms beyond fees is whether the community runs on your own domain, whether you can export your members, and which tools you get for courses, events and live sessions.
Method
How the numbers are worked out
- Revenue is paying members × monthly price, with one payment per member per month.
- Monthly cost is the plan's monthly list price, plus the platform's fee on revenue, plus card processing where the platform doesn't include it.
- Skool's fee already includes processing: 10% + 30¢ per payment on Hobby and 2.9% + 30¢ on Pro.
- Mateflow and Circle subscriptions also carry a recurring-billing charge from the payment processor, typically 0.7%. Mighty Networks and Heartbeat don't publish whether one applies, so none is added for them.
- Prices are monthly-billing list prices. Annual plans lower the plan price but not the fees. Taxes and currency conversion are not included.
Competitor prices and fees checked November 3, 2026. Sources:
Mateflow prices come from our live pricing.
Community platform fee questions
What the calculator counts, and why.
It depends on how much you earn. When you are starting out, Mateflow's Free plan costs the least. Above a few hundred dollars a month, Skool usually does, because its percentage already includes card processing. Enter your own numbers to see the ranking.
Yes. Skool charges 10% + 30¢ per payment on Hobby and 2.9% + 30¢ on Pro, rising to 3.9% + 30¢ on single payments above $899. Those rates include card processing.
Members pay through your own payment account, which charges card processing (typically 2.9% + 30¢) and a recurring-billing charge on subscriptions (typically 0.7%). Mateflow's platform fee comes on top, as Circle's, Mighty Networks' and Heartbeat's fees do.
Monthly-billing list prices. Most platforms discount annual plans, which lowers the plan price but not the transaction fees.
Because the ranking is by cost alone, and Mateflow isn't the cheapest at every revenue level. What sets it apart, such as your own domain and member export, is on the comparison pages.
Starting a paid community?
Mateflow's Free plan has no monthly fee and covers up to 100 members, on your own domain.