Skool Pricing vs Global Alternatives (Communi, Graphy, TagMango, Kajabi, Teachable, Thinkific) – Best Community Platform Comparison Worldwide Best Creator Platform 2025
Communi + Bunny secure video vs TagMango vs Graphy vs Skool vs Teachable vs Thinkific (USD)
If you’re starting a paid community or course business in the US, Europe, Australia, Singapore, or any high-PPP market, the very first choice you make—your platform—quietly shapes your margins for years. This study gives you a transparent, dollars-and-cents view across five years. We keep the conversation practical: how much you pay in subscriptions, how much disappears as commission, how payment processing stacks up, and how secure video hosting adds a tiny but important cost if you choose to protect premium lessons.
Our goal isn’t to crown a single “best” tool. Rather, we want you to see the compounding effect of fees while your audience is small, how those costs behave as your business scales, and which trade-offs remain acceptable when you hit sustained revenue. The examples are realistic—not hypey peak months, but steady, repeatable growth.
Why early savings matter more than you think
In Year 1, your gross might be only a few tens of thousands of dollars. This is when platform choice has outsized impact: a commission of 5–10% or a per-group fee can remove the exact cash you need for ads, contractors, or better learning assets. By Year 4–5, your revenue can dwarf these fees—but the reason you got there is because you had funds to reinvest early. This case study highlights where you keep the most oxygen in the first 24 months and still remain lean as you scale.
What you’ll learn (with visible, real tables)
We simulate five years using USD and a simple set of course prices and buyer counts. You’ll see a clear, side-by-side breakdown that includes the expenses creators often underestimate:
- Platform subscriptions: recurring plans required to operate your course/community stack.
- Commissions on sales: some platforms take 5–10% per sale, which scales linearly with revenue.
- Payment processing: we assume a baseline of 2.9% + $0.30/transaction (typical Stripe/PayPal US rate).
- Secure video hosting: when using Communi, we model Bunny.net for signed delivery and hotlink protection.
- Net take-home: after subtracting all the above, what lands in your bank.
Note: taxes like VAT/sales tax vary by region, product type, and whether you pass them through or absorb them. Confirm with your accountant and your payment provider’s tax tools.
Assumptions (USD, high-PPP)
Our aim is not to predict your business exactly but to present a comparable baseline that helps decision-making. Adjust numbers up or down to reflect your niche, CAC, and audience size.
- Course prices: $99 (starter), $249 (core), $999 (premium).
- Total buyers per year (across courses): 100, 250, 500, 1,000, 2,000.
- Payment fee assumption: 2.9% + $0.30/transaction (US baseline; your local rate may differ).
- Skool billing model: $99 per group per month + 2.9% transaction (we avoid double-counting payment fees).
- TagMango tiers: Basic ~10% commission; Pro ~$1,200/yr + 5%; Advanced ~$2,550/yr + 2.5%.
- Graphy tiers: Launch ~$300/yr + 10%; Rise ~$1,200/yr + 5% (local VAT/GST may apply).
- Teachable + Circle: community + course combo modeled at ~$1,296/yr; Thinkific Grow at ~$1,188/yr.
- Bunny.net hosting: for a 10-hour HD course watched fully by buyers: ~$30, $60, $90, $180, $300 per year (Years 1–5).
These aren’t official quotes; they’re representative snapshots for comparison. Always check each platform’s current pricing.
Save now, scale later: the practical compounding effect
In a creator business, the first two years are fragile. You’re learning positioning, testing hooks, optimizing funnels, and improving curricula. Cash saved on platform cost is cash you can redeploy into experiments. If you save $150/month for 18 months, that’s ~$2,700 you can put into ads, thumbnails, production, or part-time help. That reinvestment often increases conversion rates faster than any feature in your tech stack.
By Year 4–5, once you’re doing consistent launches and cohorts, the same $150/month becomes a tiny line item. But the habit of keeping your stack lean—while preserving student experience and protecting content—continues to pay dividends. You want a solution that doesn’t tax your growth at small scale and doesn’t get in your way at large scale.
This is the core case for Communi + Bunny: Communi organizes unlimited groups and courses under one roof; Bunny gives you secure video delivery with negligible overhead relative to revenue. You keep control of your assets and can still pivot if you need platform-native uploads later.
What competitors charge (with links)
Before we dive into the tables, here’s a quick, visual pass through common options. Click through to confirm the latest numbers; pricing and plan structure can change. We’ve annotated implications so you can see how each model bites as you add cohorts, groups, or SKUs.
Secure video for premium lessons without overspending
Many platforms (including Communi today) embed videos by URL. That’s normal and fast to ship. The trade-off is that public/semipublic links (YouTube unlisted, Loom) are easy to share and rip. For paid courses, you want to raise the barrier—so only authorized learners watch your content, and link sharing or hotlinking doesn’t work.
What Bunny adds
- Signed URLs with token authentication and expirations (docs)
- Referrer/hotlink protection so your videos play only where you intend (guide)
- Stream security controls built for gated/premium content (overview)
- Optional Media Cage DRM to deter mass ripping (feature)
No service fully prevents screen recording on end-user devices. The point is to reduce casual copying and increase the effort required to steal, while keeping playback smooth for legitimate students.
Tiny cost, big peace of mind
In our USD model (10 hours of HD lessons watched fully by all buyers), Bunny costs roughly $30 → $300 per year from Year 1 to Year 5. That’s about 0.1% of net in the Communi scenarios—so small that it’s hard to justify not having signed delivery and hotlink protection for premium content.
You can also bring your own player or use Bunny’s embed—the security is attached to the delivery, not the specific UI. If Communi adds direct uploads in the future, you can keep using Bunny for protection or switch selectively for certain modules.
Two Communi options (pick what fits your runway)
Scenario A • Communi Lifetime
- One-time $495 (only in Year 1; limited founder window).
- No platform commission on course/community sales.
- Pair with Bunny for secure, signed video delivery.
- From Year 2 onward, your fixed platform cost is effectively $0—this compounds.
Lifetime helps cash flow when you’re small. By Year 3–5, it’s usually the lowest total cost of ownership in our model while still providing unlimited groups and courses.
Scenario B • Communi $99/mo
- $1,188/year subscription (if you miss the lifetime window).
- No platform commission; straightforward cost structure.
- Same Bunny security profile and tiny overhead.
- Competitive at scale; predictable for budgeting.
Monthly pricing is viable if you prefer spreading cost or want to test before committing. It remains lean compared to commission-based models as your revenue grows.
Year-by-year numbers (USD)
Below are the visible tables many creators wish they’d seen earlier. We keep the math simple and consistent across platforms so it’s an apples-to-apples comparison. You can export these assumptions to your own sheet and tweak price points, buyer counts, or gateway rates. The goal is clarity, not perfection.
Buyers per year across $99, $249, $999 courses: 100, 250, 500, 1,000, 2,000. Processing fee assumption = 2.9% + $0.30/txn. For Skool, we apply Skool’s 2.9% transaction instead of gateway fees to avoid double counting. Bunny hosting applies to Communi scenarios only, since that’s where we model secure video delivery.
Year 1 • Starter: 100 buyers, first $23.4k test revenue
Year 1 is about learning and validating. You likely run one or two cohorts, tidy your onboarding, and build the community habit. Saving even a few hundred dollars here can fund creative testing and support. Watch how commission-based models pull a noticeable slice at this scale.
Gross course revenue
$23,400
Payment fees baseline
$708.60
2.9% of gross + $0.30 × 100 txns
| Platform | Gross | Static fees | Commission | Payment fees | Hosting | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Communi Lifetime | $23,400 | $495 | $0 | $708.60 | $30 | $22,166.40 |
| Communi $99/mo | $23,400 | $1,188 | $0 | $708.60 | $30 | $21,473.40 |
| TagMango Basic (10%) | $23,400 | $0 | $2,340.00 | $0 | $0 | $21,060.00 |
| TagMango Pro ($1,200/yr + 5%) | $23,400 | $1,200 | $1,170.00 | $0 | $0 | $21,030.00 |
| TagMango Advanced ($2,550/yr + 2.5%) | $23,400 | $2,550 | $585.00 | $0 | $0 | $20,265.00 |
| Graphy Launch ($300/yr + 10%) | $23,400 | $300 | $2,340.00 | $708.60 | $0 | $20,051.40 |
| Graphy Rise ($1,200/yr + 5%) | $23,400 | $1,200 | $1,170.00 | $708.60 | $0 | $20,321.40 |
| Skool (3 groups) | $23,400 | $3,564 | $678.60 | $0 | $0 | $19,157.40 |
| Teachable + Circle | $23,400 | $1,296 | $0 | $708.60 | $0 | $21,395.40 |
| Thinkific Grow | $23,400 | $1,188 | $0 | $708.60 | $0 | $21,503.40 |
Year 2 • Momentum: 250 buyers, $58.5k revenue
With a few cycles behind you, add a second community stream or a new module. As revenue steps up, per-sale commission grows proportionally, while flat subscriptions remain predictable. This is where creators often notice the practical difference between a platform fee and a platform tax.
Gross
$58,500
Payment fees
$1,771.50
2.9% + $0.30 × 250
| Platform | Gross | Static fees | Commission | Payment fees | Hosting | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Communi Lifetime | $58,500 | $0 | $0 | $1,771.50 | $60 | $56,668.50 |
| Communi $99/mo | $58,500 | $1,188 | $0 | $1,771.50 | $60 | $55,480.50 |
| TagMango Basic (10%) | $58,500 | $0 | $5,850.00 | $0 | $0 | $52,650.00 |
| TagMango Pro ($1,200/yr + 5%) | $58,500 | $1,200 | $2,925.00 | $0 | $0 | $54,375.00 |
| TagMango Advanced ($2,550/yr + 2.5%) | $58,500 | $2,550 | $1,462.50 | $0 | $0 | $54,487.50 |
| Graphy Launch ($300/yr + 10%) | $58,500 | $300 | $5,850.00 | $1,771.50 | $0 | $50,578.50 |
| Graphy Rise ($1,200/yr + 5%) | $58,500 | $1,200 | $2,925.00 | $1,771.50 | $0 | $52,603.50 |
| Skool (3 groups) | $58,500 | $3,564 | $1,696.50 | $0 | $0 | $53,239.50 |
| Teachable + Circle | $58,500 | $1,296 | $0 | $1,771.50 | $0 | $55,432.50 |
| Thinkific Grow | $58,500 | $1,188 | $0 | $1,771.50 | $0 | $55,540.50 |
Year 3 • Product–market fit: 500 buyers, $117k revenue
By now, your offer resonates, retention improves, word of mouth kicks in, and your support ops stabilize. You can forecast with more confidence. Watch how flat-fee vs commission plays out: the gap in net take-home becomes hard to ignore if you’re on % revenue.
Gross
$117,000
Payment fees
$3,543.00
2.9% + $0.30 × 500
| Platform | Gross | Static fees | Commission | Payment fees | Hosting | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Communi Lifetime | $117,000 | $0 | $0 | $3,543.00 | $90 | $113,367.00 |
| Communi $99/mo | $117,000 | $1,188 | $0 | $3,543.00 | $90 | $112,179.00 |
| TagMango Basic (10%) | $117,000 | $0 | $11,700.00 | $0 | $0 | $105,300.00 |
| TagMango Pro ($1,200/yr + 5%) | $117,000 | $1,200 | $5,850.00 | $0 | $0 | $109,950.00 |
| TagMango Advanced ($2,550/yr + 2.5%) | $117,000 | $2,550 | $2,925.00 | $0 | $0 | $111,525.00 |
| Graphy Launch ($300/yr + 10%) | $117,000 | $300 | $11,700.00 | $3,543.00 | $0 | $101,457.00 |
| Graphy Rise ($1,200/yr + 5%) | $117,000 | $1,200 | $5,850.00 | $3,543.00 | $0 | $106,407.00 |
| Skool (3 groups) | $117,000 | $3,564 | $3,393.00 | $0 | $0 | $110,043.00 |
| Teachable + Circle | $117,000 | $1,296 | $0 | $3,543.00 | $0 | $112,161.00 |
| Thinkific Grow | $117,000 | $1,188 | $0 | $3,543.00 | $0 | $112,269.00 |
Year 4 • Scale: 1,000 buyers, $234k revenue
With scale comes reliability. If you’re on a % model, absolute dollars paid in commission rise sharply. If you’re on a flat model, the relative weight of subscriptions shrinks as a % of revenue. Communities are now a durable retention layer, not just a marketing channel.
Gross
$234,000
Payment fees
$7,086.00
2.9% + $0.30 × 1,000
| Platform | Gross | Static fees | Commission | Payment fees | Hosting | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Communi Lifetime | $234,000 | $0 | $0 | $7,086.00 | $180 | $226,734.00 |
| Communi $99/mo | $234,000 | $1,188 | $0 | $7,086.00 | $180 | $225,546.00 |
| TagMango Basic (10%) | $234,000 | $0 | $23,400.00 | $0 | $0 | $210,600.00 |
| TagMango Pro ($1,200/yr + 5%) | $234,000 | $1,200 | $11,700.00 | $0 | $0 | $221,100.00 |
| TagMango Advanced ($2,550/yr + 2.5%) | $234,000 | $2,550 | $5,850.00 | $0 | $0 | $225,600.00 |
| Graphy Launch ($300/yr + 10%) | $234,000 | $300 | $23,400.00 | $7,086.00 | $0 | $203,214.00 |
| Graphy Rise ($1,200/yr + 5%) | $234,000 | $1,200 | $11,700.00 | $7,086.00 | $0 | $214,014.00 |
| Skool (3 groups) | $234,000 | $3,564 | $6,786.00 | $0 | $0 | $223,650.00 |
| Teachable + Circle | $234,000 | $1,296 | $0 | $7,086.00 | $0 | $225,618.00 |
| Thinkific Grow | $234,000 | $1,188 | $0 | $7,086.00 | $0 | $225,726.00 |
Year 5 • Durable business: 2,000 buyers, $468k revenue
A mature creator business optimizes for focus and margin. This is where compounding differences in earlier years show up in your bank account and optionality. Whether you stay independent, build a team, or partner with brands, cash efficiency is a strategic advantage—not just a line in your budget.
Gross
$468,000
Payment fees
$14,172.00
2.9% + $0.30 × 2,000
| Platform | Gross | Static fees | Commission | Payment fees | Hosting | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Communi Lifetime | $468,000 | $0 | $0 | $14,172.00 | $300 | $453,528.00 |
| Communi $99/mo | $468,000 | $1,188 | $0 | $14,172.00 | $300 | $452,340.00 |
| TagMango Basic (10%) | $468,000 | $0 | $46,800.00 | $0 | $0 | $421,200.00 |
| TagMango Pro ($1,200/yr + 5%) | $468,000 | $1,200 | $23,400.00 | $0 | $0 | $443,400.00 |
| TagMango Advanced ($2,550/yr + 2.5%) | $468,000 | $2,550 | $11,700.00 | $0 | $0 | $453,750.00 |
| Graphy Launch ($300/yr + 10%) | $468,000 | $300 | $46,800.00 | $14,172.00 | $0 | $406,728.00 |
| Graphy Rise ($1,200/yr + 5%) | $468,000 | $1,200 | $23,400.00 | $14,172.00 | $0 | $429,228.00 |
| Skool (3 groups) | $468,000 | $3,564 | $13,572.00 | $0 | $0 | $450,864.00 |
| Teachable + Circle | $468,000 | $1,296 | $0 | $14,172.00 | $0 | $452,532.00 |
| Thinkific Grow | $468,000 | $1,188 | $0 | $14,172.00 | $0 | $452,640.00 |
Who takes the most from you over 5 years (fees only)
The chart below shows the total “drag” over five years: platform subscriptions, commissions, payment processing, and (for Communi) Bunny hosting. We deliberately exclude gross revenue here to spotlight cost headwinds. Your goal is to keep this drag low without compromising student experience.
Takeaway: Communi Lifetime + Bunny carries the lightest drag from Year 2 onward in this model. Even Communi at $99/mo remains competitive with lean stacks while giving you unlimited groups and courses in one place.
FAQ for US/EU/AU/SG creators
Is Communi the “best” community platform globally?
“Best” depends on what you’re optimizing for. This study isolates cost efficiency and control: Communi keeps pricing simple (lifetime or $99/mo, no commission) and lets you layer secure video with Bunny. If you need a highly opinionated all-in-one with built-in marketing tooling, compare feature-by-feature and decide whether those tools are worth the cost delta for your model.
Can I just use YouTube or Loom links?
Yes—lots of early-stage creators do. It’s fast, free, and frictionless. The trade-off is risk: unlisted or public links are easily shared. If you’re selling premium programs, signed delivery + hotlink protection and optional DRM through Bunny reduce casual piracy substantially for a small cost.
Why not rely on platform-native video hosting?
Convenience is great, but you may pay for it and lose flexibility. With Communi, you can choose the video layer (Bunny today, something else later), keep control of assets, and avoid being locked into a single vendor’s pricing and policies. If Communi ships native uploads later, you can re-evaluate with zero rush.
How do taxes and VAT fit into this?
Sales tax/VAT thresholds and rules vary by jurisdiction. Some platforms help collect and remit; some require external tools. Always confirm your region’s obligations with an accountant and your payment processor.
Build lean, keep control, scale with confidence
Start with a free community to gather your early adopters. Introduce a paid cohort once engagement is steady. Add secure video for premium lessons so your best content stays protected. A lean stack gives you margin, and margin gives you choices: invest in content, hire help, or simply take home more.
Important Disclaimer (Read Before You Decide)
This article is a neutral financial case study prepared for educational purposes. We’ve used publicly available pricing pages and common processing-rate assumptions to produce a clear, side-by-side comparison. The scenarios are illustrative rather than predictive; they are not guarantees of performance, profitability, or product fit for your specific business.
No platform in this study is endorsed or recommended as a universal best choice. Every creator’s situation is different: audience size and geography, sales model, tax obligations, support expectations, content type, and compliance needs all affect the right decision. Always verify pricing, fees, features, and terms on the platforms’ official pages, and speak with a qualified accountant or advisor to understand tax/VAT implications in your country and state.
We may use affiliate links for some services (for example, Communi or Bunny.net). If you purchase through those links, we may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Affiliate relationships do not influence the math shown here; the tables and totals are driven by the assumptions disclosed above. You are under no obligation to purchase via our links; please buy directly if you prefer.
Prices and feature sets change. Some platforms add or remove features, alter commission structures, or re-tier plans over time. This study reflects a point-in-time understanding and reasonable mapping for comparison. It is your responsibility to double-check any cost before committing and to select the platform that best aligns with your product, ethics, compliance needs, and student experience goals.
Final note: This is not financial, legal, or tax advice. Use it as a starting point to build your own pro forma and sensitivity analysis. If a platform’s feature solves a revenue-critical problem for you, paying more might be the right choice. If lean margins and maximum control matter most, prioritize those. Either way, the decision is yours.
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