Best Course Platforms · pricing · Updated June 2026
Circle pricing (2026)
Circle starts at $89/mo (Professional), across 3 plans. Best for Community builders who want courses as a secondary feature. Every figure links to Circle's own page and the date we captured it.
At a glance
- Entry price: $89/mo (Professional)
- Free tier: No
- Compliance: HIPAA No · SOC 2 — · GDPR Yes
- Best for: Community builders who want courses as a secondary feature; Podcast hosts, coaches, and content creators monetizing an audience; Membership businesses needing discussion forums alongside structured courses
Circle plans & pricing
| Plan | Monthly | Annual | Billing | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professional | $89 | — | flat | $89/mo (annual-billing rate not separately published on page). 2% transaction fee. Unlimited members, 3 admins, 10 moderators, 20 spaces, 200GB storage, 20 automations; courses, events, custom domain. | circle.so |
| Business | $199 | — | flat | $199/mo (annual-billing rate not separately published on page). 1% transaction fee. Unlimited members, 5 admins, 15 moderators, 30 spaces, 500GB storage, unlimited automations; workflows, custom profile fields, APIs, automated transcriptions. | circle.so |
| Circle Plus | Quote-only | — | flat | Quote-only tier (contact sales). 0.5% transaction fee. Unlimited members/admins/moderators/spaces, 1TB storage, AI agents, custom SSO, branded apps, priority support, dedicated success manager. | circle.so |
Last verified 2026-06-13. https://circle.so/pricing (official pricing page, accessed 2026-06-13; page renders prices client-side, monthly USD figures captured directly). Community-plus-courses platform; transaction fee decreases with tier.
Capabilities
Integrations: Zapier, Native embed, Snippets, API (Business+), Webhooks, Custom SSO (Circle Plus).
Key features: Community-first platform with discussion feeds, posts, and rich media; Course hosting with gated access and learning paths; Live streaming and events; Built-in email marketing and automation workflows; AI agents for member support and coaching (Circle Plus); Branded native mobile apps (Circle Plus); Gamification and engagement tools; Automated moderation; AES-256 encryption at rest; TLS 1.2+ in transit (confirmed in DPA); Annual penetration testing and monthly vulnerability scans (confirmed in DPA).
Plan limits: Professional: 3 admins, 10 moderators, 20 spaces, 200GB storage, 20 automations, 2% transaction fee; Business: 5 admins, 15 moderators, 30 spaces, 500GB storage, 1% transaction fee; Circle Plus: 1TB storage, 0.5% transaction fee; SSO and branded apps require top tier; No free plan or trial period publicly listed.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Circle cost?
Circle starts at $89/mo (Professional); it has 3 published plans. Verified 2026-06-13.
What are cheaper alternatives to Circle?
Cheaper course platforms than Circle (entry $89/mo) include Systeme.io at $17/mo, LearnWorlds at $29/mo, Teachable at $39/mo. Verified 2026-06-13.
Does Circle support HIPAA?
Circle HIPAA support: No. SOC 2: —. GDPR: Yes.
Does Circle have a free plan?
Circle free tier: No.
Circle vs alternatives
Cheaper course platforms alternatives
- Mighty Networks from $79/mo
- Thinkific from $49/mo
- Podia from $42/mo
- Teachable from $39/mo
- LearnWorlds from $29/mo
- Systeme.io from $17/mo