3 hand-picked tools · 9 verified reviews · pricing fact-checked
Free here means two different things: genuinely free software you host yourself, or free to start with fees on revenue. Both are viable, and the trade is operational work against a percentage of income.
Best for public, searchable communities and open-source projects
Discourse is the best public forum software available and the only self-hostable option here. Ideal when discussion should be searchable and permanent; wrong when the product is a paid private membership.
Free plan
paid from $100/mo
Best for creators selling recurring access to their work
Patreon is a membership business rather than a community platform: tiers, exclusive content, payment handling and a discovery audience. Community features are basic and the platform fee is significant.
Free plan
starting price
Best value and simplest to run for coaching and creator communities
Skool is deliberately minimal: one flat price, courses included, and a gamification layer that measurably drives participation. Customisation and integrations are correspondingly limited.
$99/mo
14-day free trial
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Membership & Community Platforms by the numbers
$99.50/mo
Median starting price
67%
Offer a free trial
67%
Have a free plan
9
Verified reviews
Computed live from the 3 hand-picked Membership & Community Platforms products in this list.
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