Circle.so Pricing 2023: Which Plan Is Best for You?
Circle.so is one of the most popular cloud-based online community platforms out there with over 8,000 global users. If you’re considering creating an online community using Circle.so, you will need to decide on a pricing plan that suits your business best.
However, it can be difficult to do this as its features vary a lot between pricing plans. In this article, we’re going to cover all the pricing plans offered by Circle.so so you can decide on the best one for your business.
Circle.so: Overview
Circle.so is an “all-in-one” solution for businesses that want to create an engaging online community.
The platform lets you set up a professional online community and offers tools that let you manage and monetize your online communities. You can sell online courses, set up gated content, offer recurring membership subscriptions, and even set up payment installments for your target audience.
For most membership site owners, it’s important to have a solid online community platform to keep your members engaged with your content and encourage them to keep interacting with your brand for a long time. With an online community platform, you can let your subscribers create posts, leave comments, and up-vote or down-vote posts. This enables social connection between members and adds more value to your brand’s membership offering.
Circle.so: Pricing Plans
Let’s go over the various pricing plans Circle.so offers so it’s easier for you to decide on the right one for your business.
Basic plan
Let’s start off with the most basic plan Circle.so offers at $49 per month. This plan essentially gives you access to the platform’s core features required for setting up your brand’s online community.
You can set up a full-fledged online community with spaces and posts while also giving your members the option to create group chats or send private messages. You also get access to basic online community features like setting up a members-only directory, the ability to use your own domain for an online community, and dedicated customer support to help effectively manage your membership community.
A COMPLETE STEP-BY-STEP CHEATSHEET
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In addition to this, your target audience also gets to access your brand’s online community via the free Circle.so mobile app. This way, it lets your members stay connected with your community spaces even if they’re on the move or only want to use their mobile devices to interact with other members.
The Basic plan of Circle.so is best suited for businesses that want to launch a new online community and test it out. It offers all the features you need to get started with an online community and manage it effectively.
Professional plan
The Professional plan of Circle.so is a huge upgrade from the Basic plan and offers a ton more features for brands that need it. Starting at $99 per month, it’s the most popular plan that most businesses opt for, as it offers great value for money.
Other than all the features included in the Basic plan, the Professional plan lets you create online courses using the intuitive course builder by Circle.so. This way, you can host an online community and sell online courses to your community members to start increasing revenue for your business.
You also get the option to host live streams for your community members so you can keep your members engaged or send out important messages in a more interactive way. One of the highlight features of the Professional plan is the ability to completely white-label the community platform according to your brand’s unique aesthetics. As a result, you can improve your brand image and customize online communities that resonate well with your target audience.
The Professional plan by Circle.so also removes the 100-member limit in the Basic plan and lets you invite and create online communities with unlimited members. The transaction fee is also reduced to 2% compared to the hefty 4% transaction fee you have to pay with the Basic plan.
This plan is the best option for businesses that want all the tools required to create an engaging community without having to break the bank. In addition to this, the unlimited member limit means you can grow your online community without worrying about upgrading your plan.
Business plan
Business plan pricing starts at $219 per month and gives you access to advanced community management features as well as a few automation tools to improve workflows.
While it does have all the features available in both the Basic and the Professional plans, it gives you access to advanced features like bulk actions to make changes to your online communities quickly with a single click. You also get automation features that let you enhance the workflows for your team members and help effectively manage your online communities.
One of the main features of the Business plan is the Circle Community AI which lets you use artificial intelligence to write content, create captions for your videos or livestream clips, and automatically record user behavior to give meaningful insights to your business. Additionally, you also get a fully white-labeled email service and free course migration services to facilitate your community members or encourage them to upgrade their membership plans.
The Business Plan by Circle.so is a great option for businesses that want advanced community features like bulk edits, AI, and automation tools, as well as increased account limits for adding more spaces, live-streaming hours, and of course, the 1% lower transaction fee.
Enterprise plan
The Enterprise plan by Circle.so is one of their most expensive pricing options starting at $399 per month, and is designed with large-scale businesses and online communities in mind.
Other than all the features offered in the Business plan, the Enterprise plan offers new features like priority email support and a dedicated customer service manager. This is best suited for large communities or organizations that require a dedicated support team to run and manage their huge online communities effectively. While dedicated customer support is a “must-have” feature for enterprise-level companies with huge online communities, the Enterprise plan also increases the account limits by a lot.
Instead of being limited to creating 30 spaces with the Business plan, you can set up to 100 spaces with the Enterprise plan. You also have access to over 1TB of cloud storage for attachments and over 1,000 attendee limits for your live streams. It also further reduces the transaction fee from 1% to merely 0.5%, which is ideal for large organizations that receive a lot of registrations.
Circle.so: Comparing pricing with other alternatives
Circle.so is one of the most popular online community platforms that’s easy to use and offers tons of community engagement features out of the box. Most businesses choose Circle.so over other competitors like Mighty Networks due to its compelling pricing plans and features.
While Mighty Networks is a solid online community platform, Circle.so offers many more features at the same price point. The Professional plan of Mighty Networks starts at $119 per month, while Circle.so is only $99 per month. Both platforms charge the same 2% transaction fee but one of the major advantages of Circle.so is that it lets you completely customize the branding of your online communities.
However, Mighty Networks has the most cost-effective basic plan, which will set you back $39 per month, compared to Circle. so is $49 per month basic plan. You can also register unlimited members to your online community with the Mighty Networks Basic plan, while Circle.so only allows for a limited amount.
Circle.so: Custom pricing and add-ons
While Circle.so offers four pricing plans out of the box that you can subscribe to at any time, you can also get Circle Plus which is a custom pricing plan offered by the online community platform. While it’s hard to know the exact price of a custom pricing plan, it is estimated to be about $30,000 per year.
Circle Plus is only attainable by getting a pricing quote according to your brand’s unique requirements. This gives you access to branded iOS and Android apps designed just for your brand’s online community. The Circle.so team will develop, manage, and keep your branded app updated on the Google Play Store or the App Store.
In addition to this, brands that want to get more functionality out of Circle.so can also pay for add-ons. These add-ons can help cater to your brand’s unique requirements without upgrading pricing plans. For example, if you only want to pay for the Professional plan but require more live-streaming hours, you can purchase extra live-streaming hours on the same plan using add-ons. The add-on cost will be charged on top of your monthly pricing plan and is a great way for brands to cater to unique needs without breaking the bank.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is Circle.so and what does it offer?
A: Circle.so is an all-in-one community platform that offers a range of features, including membership management, community-building tools, workflow automation, live streaming, and the ability to host online courses. It also provides a mobile app for easy access and management on the go.
Q: How does Circle.so pricing work?
A: Circle.so offers various plans with different features and pricing. The plans include a free trial and a pro plan starting at $99 per month.
Q: What are the key features of Circle.so?
A: Circle.so offers a comprehensive set of features, including community AI, single sign-on (SSO), live streams, and automation tools. It also provides a platform for hosting online courses and paid memberships, making it an all-in-one solution for community management.
Q: Can I get a free trial of Circle.so?
A: Yes, Circle.so offers a 14-day free trial for users to explore and experience its features before committing to a paid plan.
Q: How does Circle.so compare to Mighty Networks or other platforms?
A: Circle.so differs from other platforms like Mighty Networks in its focus on being an all-in-one solution for community building, with features such as workflow automation and live streaming. It also offers single sign-on (SSO) and community AI to enhance the user experience.
Q: Is Circle.so suitable for brands and businesses?
A: Yes, Circle.so is designed to cater to the needs of brands and businesses looking to build and manage their online communities, host courses, and offer paid memberships, making it a suitable choice for such purposes.
Q: What are the alternatives to Circle.so?
A: There are several alternatives to Circle.so, including platforms like Mighty Networks, Teachable, and other community-building tools that offer similar features for managing online communities and hosting courses.
Q: What makes Circle.so an all-in-one platform?
A: Circle.so is considered an all-in-one platform because it provides a comprehensive suite of tools for membership management, community building, online course hosting, and workflow automation, all within a single solution.
Q: How can Circle.so help me build a thriving community?
A: Circle.so provides the necessary features and tools, such as community AI, live streams, and mobile app access, to help you build and manage a thriving online community, fostering engagement and interactivity among your members.
Q: What is the best way to choose a plan on Circle.so?
A: When choosing a plan on Circle.so, consider your specific needs and the features required for your community or business. It’s advisable to explore the free trial and compare the features of different plans to make an informed decision.
Conclusion
Choosing a Circle.so the pricing plan comes down to your business’s unique requirements, budget, and major goals.
If you’re thinking about launching a new online community, the Basic plan is the best option for you. However, if you want to create online communities with unlimited members, the Professional plan is recommended. Additionally, if you’re a big company or want to create huge online communities, you’ll want to subscribe to the Business or Enterprise pricing plans, as they offer fewer restrictions and more automation features that are useful for larger communities.
What are some of the features you look for in an online community platform? Let us know in the comments box below.