Skool Review 2026: The Best Community and Course Platform?

If you’ve ever tried to run a community on Facebook Groups, you know the frustration. Your members are one notification away from being distracted by a cat video or a political argument.

By 2026, many creators have abandoned the "Big Social" platforms for Skool.

Founded by Sam Ovens and supercharged by Alex Hormozi, Skool is built on a single, powerful premise: Community and Education should live in the same house. It’s not just a course player; it’s a game where your members are the players.

After running my own community here for the last year, here is the honest 2026 breakdown.

The Magic of Gamification

The "secret sauce" of Skool is the Leaderboard.

Every time a member likes a post or comments, they earn points. As they earn points, they "Level Up." As an admin, you can set "Rewards" for these levels. For example, when a member hits Level 3, Skool automatically unlocks a "Bonus Masterclass" for them.

What Surprised Me:

I expected this to feel "gimmicky." Instead, I found that members were actively helping each other and answering questions just to climb the rankings. It turns your community into a self-sustaining engine. You no longer have to be the only person providing value.

The Level-Up Blueprint

Setting up a leaderboard is one thing; making it profitable is another. Successful groups use a "Three-Tier Unlock" to keep people coming back:

• Levels 1-3 (The Fast Win): These levels should unlock a "Quick Start" PDF or a short video. It rewards people within their first 48 hours.
• Level 5 (The Status Symbol): Offer something that doesn't scale, like a group audit or a physical gift. By Level 5, a member has proven they are a power user.
• Level 8+ (The Inner Circle): High-level players get a direct line to you or access to a hidden sub-group.

New for 2026: The $9 Hobby Plan

For years, Skool only had one price: $99/month. While that was great for simplicity, it was a high barrier for new creators.

In late 2025, Skool introduced the $9 Hobby Plan.

• The Good: You get almost all the community features for the price of two coffees.
• The Catch: You are limited in member count and course hosting.

This is the "Start Here" button for 2026. You can validate your community idea for $9, and only upgrade to the $99 Pro plan once you have paying members covering the cost.

The "Merchant of Record" Update

Just like Lemon Squeezy, Skool has moved to a Merchant of Record (MoR) model for its native payments.

This is huge for 2026 solo founders. When you charge for your community, Skool handles the global sales tax (VAT) for you.

You don't have to worry about the complexities of European or Australian tax laws. They take the payment, keep their 2.9% + 30c processing fee, and send the rest to your bank every Wednesday.

The "Discovery" Factor

Most platforms feel like ghost towns until you send an email blast. Skool changed that with the Search & Discovery tab. If your group stays active, Skool’s algorithm pushes you to the front page of the platform. These public "About" pages also rank high on Google, meaning your community acts as a 24/7 lead generator for your brand.

Skool vs. Circle vs. Mighty Networks

The technical differences matter when you're looking at your margins.

Is Skool Right For You?

To answer this question and make sense of it all, we have to look at the pros and cons.

The Pros:

• Engagement: The gamification is the best in the industry.
• Simplicity: You can set up a whole school in 20 minutes.
• The App: The mobile app is lightning-fast and keeps members addicted to the feed.

The Cons:

• Limited Design: Your Skool will look exactly like everyone else's. There is very little "branding" you can do.
• No Quizzes: If you need complex testing or certifications, the "Classroom" feature is still a bit basic compared to tools like Teachable.

Why Completion Rates are Sky-High

Course completion on Skool is nearly 4x higher than on old-school platforms. Since the "Classroom" and the "Feed" sit on the same screen, members don't have to log in to separate sites to learn. They are there to talk to friends, and the learning happens as a result of being in the room.

The Verdict:

If you want to build a "tribe" and sell your knowledge, Skool is the gold standard for 2026. It trades complex features for high engagement—and in the creator economy, engagement is the only thing that pays.