Circle

Circle's founders left Teachable to build the community layer they felt course platforms were missing: a real discussion feed organized into topic-based spaces, live events, and direct messaging, wrapped around the same course-hosting and paid-membership tools a creator would otherwise need Podia or Kajabi for. It's become a common choice for creators who want their community to feel like a proper platform, not a repurposed group chat.

Circle charges a flat subscription based on plan tier and community size, without taking a cut of what members pay to join, which distinguishes it from Mighty Networks' transaction-fee model. The tradeoff is a learning curve setting up spaces, automations, and course structure well, and pricing that climbs at the higher tiers with more members and admins. It fits a creator or business building a serious, long-term community around content, courses, or professional networking.