Circle

circle.so
Communication & Collaboration
Few Days

Choose the Circle plan that's right for you

How to Replace Circle

Overview

Circle is a community building platform that provides all-in-one tools for creating and managing online communities. It includes features for courses, discussions, events, live streams, and member engagement with customizable branding and analytics.

Features

83 features across 22 categories

AI(8)

AI AgentsAIPremium

Use AI agents to automate community management tasks

AI Content WriterAIPremium

AI-powered content writing assistance

AI InboxAIPremium

AI-powered inbox management

AI ModerationAIPremium

AI-powered content moderation

AI WorkflowsAIPremium

Create AI-powered automated workflows

Automated TranscriptionsAIPremium

Automatically transcribe live streams and recordings

Content Co-pilotAIPremium

AI-assisted content creation and recommendations

Knowledge EngineAIPremium

AI-powered knowledge management system

Also in: monday.com, Notion, Airtable

API(3)

Admin APIPremium

Access admin functions via API

API Access

Access to Circle APIs

Headless Member APIPremium

Access member data via API for custom integrations

Analytics(7)

Activity ScoresPremium

Track and score member activity

Advanced AnalyticsPremium

Advanced analytics and insights for Circle Plus

Advanced Reporting

Advanced analytics and reporting capabilities

Affiliate/Conversion Tracking Code

Track affiliates and conversions with custom code

Analytics FilteringPremium

Filter analytics data for custom insights

Reporting & Analytics

View community analytics and reporting

SDK for Ad-Performance TrackingPremium

Track ad performance with SDK

Also in: Hugging Face, Notion, Smartsheet

Automation(1)

WorkflowsPremium

Automate community workflows and processes

Also in: monday.com, Notion, Airtable

Communication(6)

Branded Email NotificationsPremium

Customize email notifications with your branding

Chat Spaces

Dedicated chat spaces for conversations

Direct Messaging

Enable direct messaging between members

Group Chat

Enable group chat functionality

In-App Notifications

Send in-app notifications to members

Weekly Community Digest

Send weekly digest emails to community members

Also in: Jobber, Jira, Insightly

Compliance(1)

GDPR Compliance

GDPR compliant community platform

Also in: Insider CDP, Airtable, 1Password

Content(4)

Courses

Create and manage courses within the community

Private Spaces

Create private spaces within the community

Scheduled Posts

Schedule posts to be published at specific times

Website Builder

Build custom community websites

Also in: Squarespace, Hunter, Notion

Core(1)

Unlimited Members

Host unlimited community members

Customization(8)

Color Themes

Customize community colors and themes

Custom App BuilderPremium

Build custom apps with no-code builder

Custom Branding

Customize community branding and appearance

Custom CSS/Javascript

Add custom CSS and Javascript code

Custom Domain

Use a custom domain for your community

Custom Profile FieldsPremium

Create custom fields for member profiles

Remove Circle BrandingPremium

Remove Circle branding from community

White-Labeled Community

Fully white-labeled community experience

Data Management(1)

Bulk Import/Export

Bulk import and export member data

Development(1)

Sandbox CommunityPremium

Access to sandbox environment for testing

Engagement(5)

Discussions

Enable community discussions and conversations

Events

Create and manage community events

Gamification

Add gamification elements to drive engagement

Live Rooms

Host real-time interactive live rooms for community engagement

Live Streams

Host live streaming events for community members

Integration(3)

Embed Widgets

Embed community widgets on external websites

Integrately Integration

Connect with hundreds of apps via Integrately

Zapier Integration

Connect to hundreds of apps via Zapier

Marketing(8)

Custom Contact SegmentsPremium

Create custom segments for targeted email campaigns

Email AnalyticsPremium

Track performance of email campaigns

Email AutomationPremium

Automate email marketing workflows

Email BroadcastsPremium

Send email broadcasts to your audience

Email Campaign SchedulingPremium

Schedule email campaigns in advance

Email FormsPremium

Create forms to capture email contacts

Email HubPremium

Unified email marketing and contact management platform

Email PersonalizationPremium

Personalize emails based on member actions and data

Member Management(2)

Rich Member Profiles

Create detailed member profiles with custom information

Searchable Member Directory

Members can search and discover other community members

Migration(6)

Course Migration ServicePremium

Migrate course content from other platforms

Email Hub MigrationPremium

Migrate email contacts and workflows to Circle

Member and Content MigrationPremium

Migrate members and content from other platforms

Migration Services for Payments

Migrate payment information from legacy platforms

Priority Platform MigrationsPremium

Priority support for platform migrations

Standard Migration ServicesPremium

Professional migration support for switching to Circle

Mobile(6)

Branded AppsPremium

Create fully branded iOS and Android mobile apps

Branded iOS and Android App Store ListingsPremium

Create branded app store listings

Custom Branded iOS and Android AppsPremium

Create custom branded mobile apps for iOS and Android

Desktop App

Desktop application for community access

iOS and Android App

Native iOS and Android mobile applications

Mobile Push Notification ManagerPremium

Manage mobile push notifications

Moderation(1)

Basic Moderation

Basic tools for moderating community content

Monetization(3)

In-App PurchasesPremium

Enable in-app purchases within branded apps

Native In-App Mobile PaymentsPremium

Accept payments directly in mobile apps

Paid Memberships

Enable paid membership tiers and subscriptions

Onboarding(1)

Customizable Welcome ExperiencePremium

Create custom welcome experience for new members

Security(1)

Custom Single Sign-On (SSO)Premium

Implement custom SSO authentication

Support(6)

Concierge OnboardingPremium

Personalized onboarding assistance

Dedicated Customer Success ManagerPremium

Access to a dedicated customer success manager

Monthly Strategy CallsPremium

Monthly strategic planning calls with Circle team

Priority Access to Beta FeaturesPremium

Get early access to new beta features

Priority Technical SupportPremium

Priority support for technical issues

Quarterly Strategy CallsPremium

Quarterly strategic planning calls with Circle team

Pricing

Professional

$89/mo
  • Unlimited members
  • Courses
  • Discussions
  • Events
  • Website Builder
  • Live streams
  • Live rooms
  • Custom branding
  • Reporting & analytics
  • Searchable member directory
  • Rich member profiles
  • Paid memberships
  • Gamification
  • Custom domain
  • Weekly community digest
  • Migration services for payments
  • Private spaces
  • Bulk import/export
  • In-app notifications
  • Direct messaging
  • Group chat
  • Basic moderation
  • GDPR compliant
  • iOS and Android App
  • Desktop app
  • Chat spaces
  • Scheduled posts
  • Advanced reporting
  • Custom CSS/Javascript
  • Zapier integration
  • Embed widgets
  • White-labeled community
  • Color themes
  • Affiliate/conversion tracking code
  • Integrately integration
  • API access

Business

Popular
$199/mo
  • Everything in Professional
  • Workflows
  • Custom profile fields
  • Headless Member API
  • Admin API
  • Branded email notifications
  • Content co-pilot
  • Automated transcriptions
  • Activity scores
  • Standard migration services
  • Remove Circle branding
  • 5 Admins
  • 15 Moderators
  • 30 Spaces
  • 1% Transaction fees
  • 250GB Storage
  • Unlimited Workflows
  • Unlimited Scheduled workflows
  • Unlimited Bulk actions
  • 200 Live stream attendees
  • 20 Live room participants
  • 20 Hosts
  • 15 Hours
  • 30,000/mo Admin API requests
  • 500 MAU Headless API requests
  • Custom single sign-on (SSO)
  • Email Hub
  • AI content writer
  • AI moderation
  • Knowledge engine
  • AI inbox

Circle Plus

Custom Pricing
  • Everything in Business
  • AI Agents
  • AI workflows
  • Custom single sign-on (SSO)
  • Highest limits (Live, Storage, Workflows)
  • 10k Email Hub contacts included
  • Lower transaction fees
  • Advanced analytics
  • Sandbox community
  • Priority technical support
  • Concierge onboarding
  • Priority platform migrations
  • Dedicated Customer Success Manager
  • Unlimited Admins
  • Unlimited Moderators
  • Flexible Spaces
  • 0.5% Transaction fees
  • 1TB Storage
  • Flexible Live stream attendees
  • Flexible Live room participants
  • Flexible Hosts
  • Flexible Hours
  • Unlimited Admin API requests
  • Extra Admin API requests at $0.002/request
  • Extra Headless API requests at $0.3/MAU
  • Branded Apps
  • Custom app builder
  • Customizable welcome experience
  • Mobile push notification manager
  • Native in-app mobile payments
  • Branded iOS and Android app store listings
  • SDK for ad-performance tracking
  • Priority access to beta features
  • Quarterly strategy calls
  • Branded iOS and Android apps
  • Offer in-app purchases
  • Fully managed branded apps
  • Dedicated launch team

Cost Calculator

Keep Paying Circle

Monthly$89/mo
Yearly$1.1k/yr
5-Year Total$5.3k

Build It Yourself

Est. Build Time~9 hrs
Hosting$20/mo
DifficultyEasy

Total Cost Comparison

1 YearSave $828
SaaS
$1.1k
DIY
$240
3 YearsSave $2.5k
SaaS
$3.2k
DIY
$720
5 YearsSave $4.1k
SaaS
$5.3k
DIY
$1.2k

DIY hosting estimate based on Vercel + Supabase free/pro tiers (~$20/mo). Build time estimated from 83 features at easy complexity.

Build vs Buy

Should you build a Circle alternative or buy the subscription? Estimate based on 83 features.

Buy Circle

Better Value
Monthly cost$890/mo
3-year total$32,040
Time to deployDays

Build Your Own

Development cost$72,000
Maintenance$1,080/mo
3-year total$110,880
Dev time~6 months

Buying Circle saves ~$78,840 over 3 years vs building.

Estimates based on 83 features and a BuildScore of 4/5. Actual costs vary.

Integrations

12 known integrations

Auth0BubbleFacebookIntegratelyMemberfulMemberSpaceMemberstackOutsetaTeachableTwitterWordPressZapier