For creators looking to build and monetize online communities, choosing the right platform is essential. Skool and LaunchPass offer different approaches to community building and monetization, with distinct feature sets and pricing models. This comparison breaks down their strengths and limitations to help you make an informed decision.
Skool is an all-in-one platform that combines community, courses, and events in a single interface with a flat monthly fee and low transaction fee.
Platform Fee: 2.9% - transaction fee
Payment Processing: 0% + $0 (domestic)Included in platform fee
Posts, comments, likes, mentions, real-time interactions
Integrated courses with progress tracking
Scheduling with timezone conversion
Points, levels, and rewards system
Search across posts, comments, courses, and members
For a creator with $1,000 in monthly revenue
LaunchPass offers a straightforward approach with a fixed monthly fee plus transaction fee model, focused specifically on membership community management for Discord, Telegram, and Slack.
Platform Fee: 3.5% - per transaction
Payment Processing: 2.9% + $0.3 (domestic)Standard Stripe fees apply separately
Discord, Telegram, and Slack integration
Core membership business tools
Different subscription levels
Sign-up widget for your website
For a creator with $1,000 in monthly memberships
Your choice between Skool and LaunchPass should depend on your specific needs and existing platform preferences:
- Choose Skool if you want to build a complete community from scratch with integrated courses, gamification, and events all in one platform. Skool offers a lower transaction fee (2.9%) but requires a higher monthly investment ($99/month). It's ideal for creators who want to host everything in one place.
- Choose LaunchPass if you already have communities on Discord, Telegram, or Slack and want to monetize them without moving your audience. LaunchPass has a lower monthly fee ($29/month) making it more accessible for creators just starting out, but higher transaction fees (3.5% plus Stripe fees).
For creators with higher monthly revenue, Skool's lower transaction fee may provide better long-term value despite the higher monthly cost. For creators with existing communities on messaging platforms or those who want to start with lower overhead costs, LaunchPass offers a more targeted solution.