Switching / Circle
Leave Circle for something easier to run
The founder helps you set it up and answers your questions himself. You get a cleaner admin, course certificates, a blog with premium posts, and 0% platform fees on every plan.
14-day free trial, no cardCancel anytime30-day refund on your first payment
Circle and TribeCrafter, side by side
The facts that change what you pay and what your members get.
| Fact | TribeCrafter | Circle |
|---|---|---|
| Platform fee on your sales | 0% on every planStripe's normal card fee applies | 2% on ProfessionalOn top of Stripe's fees; 1% on Business and Scale, 0.5% on Plus |
| Lowest plan, billed annually | $49/moStarter: 100 GB, 3 team seats, unlimited members | $89/moProfessional |
| Course certificates | YesA PDF at 100%, with a verify page and Add to LinkedIn | Not in Circle's help center |
| A blog with premium posts | YesPublic or members-only posts, categories, search settings per post | Not in Circle's help centerCircle has spaces and website pages |
| Who answers support | The founder, on every plan | Standard supportPriority from Scale, $419/mo |
Sources: circle.so/pricing and Circle's help center (help.circle.so, including "Paywall transaction fees"), checked 12 Nov 2026; tribecrafter.net/pricing. "Not in Circle's help center" means none of its help articles covers it. We re-check every time this page changes.
Easier to run, day to day
Studio is one admin app, built for owners who aren't technical. Here's what that means day to day.
- Prices in one placePlans and one-time products live in one Pricing area. A higher plan can include the cheaper ones, and an "all courses" offer picks up new courses by itself.
- Nothing goes live unsellableA paid group or course needs an offer before you can publish it.
- A checklist to go liveSix items, from your logo to your first group. Studio ticks each one as you save it, then asks what you want to set up next: a course, a paid membership or a bundle.
- Settings in one placeBranding, domain, sending email, sign-in and Stripe payouts, all in one place. Staff get a smaller menu with only their work.
The menus are grouped in a way that just makes sense. It's not complex at all, super self-explanatory, and easy to pick up.Cheerlyn, Creative Director at Great Big Photography World
Two things Circle owners ask us about
On every plan, with no add-on to buy, and 0% of your sales.
Build a course from a folder of videos
Drop in a folder and each video becomes a lesson. Students get free preview lessons and progress, and a PDF certificate at 100% they can verify and add to LinkedIn.
- Public posts with SEO settings
- Premium posts for paying members
- Categories and a sitemap
A blog with premium posts
Public posts with search settings per post and a sitemap, and premium collections you keep for paying members.
See what Circle takes from your sales.
$720a year
What Circle's Professional plan takes from $3,000 a month: 2% of every sale, on top of Stripe's fee and the plan price. TribeCrafter takes 0%.
Circle's pricing page and help center, 12 November 2026. Stripe's card fee applies on both platforms.
How moving works
You add your content; the founder walks you through Studio and answers every question. Your members get an email invite.
- A 30-minute callWhat you run on Circle today, and what moves.
- Set up togetherYour brand, domain and plans in Studio, with the founder.
- Rebuild your spacesSpaces become groups and courses. Upload each course as a folder of videos.
- Invite your membersBy email, with content already waiting for them.
- Go liveThen close Circle once your members have moved.
Talk it through with the founder.
I answer support myself, and a small team builds the product with me. On a 30-minute call we look at what you want to run and how to set it up here.
Faizan, founder and technical leadMoving from somewhere else?
- Starting freshNo members needed. Pick a goal in Studio, and the founder helps you plan your first launch.Start from zero →
- KajabiCourses and community in one place, with 0% platform fees.Moving from Kajabi →
- Mighty Networks0% platform fees, and one plain menu to run it all.Moving from Mighty →
- SkoolYour own brand, with courses, events and a blog in the same place.Moving from Skool →
Moving from Circle, answered
Do my members have to sign up again?
Yes, with an email invite: they set up their account when they arrive, and your content is already there.
What happens to members who pay on Circle?
They subscribe again on TribeCrafter, through Stripe checkout paid out to your own account. If someone has already paid Circle for the month or year, you can give them access in Studio without charging them, until the date their Circle period ends, so nobody pays twice. On the call, the founder helps you plan when to switch and when to close your Circle paywalls.
Can I set up tiers and access rules like on Circle?
Yes. Sell monthly and annual plans and one-time products, and make higher plans include the cheaper ones. Offers can cover all groups, all courses or all premium posts, and new items are included automatically.
What about my courses?
You rebuild them in Studio: upload each course as a folder of videos and the lessons appear. Video plays only for enrolled students, plus any free preview lessons you choose, and you can unlock sections a set number of days after someone enrolls. Students start each course fresh on TribeCrafter. The founder walks you through it.
Can I see how my community is doing?
Studio shows members, paid members, sign-ups, revenue, sales and recurring revenue, plus course enrollments, completions and certificates.
Is it reliable?
Each community runs on its own database, storage and search, so another community's data never mixes with yours. Members-only photos, course files and certificates open only for people allowed to see them, even with a direct link. We ship updates about every one to two weeks, and you can read the release notes in our changelog.
Is there an app?
Members use TribeCrafter in their phone's browser, with notifications in the site as they happen, plus email for event reminders, announcements and a digest of what they missed. Native iOS and Android apps are coming in early 2027.
Can I keep my own domain?
Yes. Your community runs on your own domain on every plan.
What if it isn't right for us?
Ask within 30 days of your first payment and we refund it in full. After that, cancel anytime.
Try it beside your Circle community.
Set it up yourself, or book 30 minutes with the founder first and ask anything.
14-day free trial, no cardCancel your plan anytime30-day refund on your first payment