Skool Vs. Patreon: Which is a better community platform?
It’s obvious you’ve been searching for a place where you could manage courses, build a thriving community, and even monetize your passion but you need clarification.
Skool and Patreon have distinct solutions for creators, but which one aligns with your goals?
TLDR;
Skool helps creators build communities with courses and discussions, focusing on learning together.
Patreon is more about offering exclusive content to subscribers to make money. Skool is for community learning, while Patreon is for direct content monetization.
Overview of Skool
Skool is an all-in-one platform that combines the power of courses, communities, and calendars into a single experience.
It eliminates the need for multiple tools like learning management systems (LMS), Facebook or Slack groups, and separate scheduling apps.
With Skool, educators, coaches, and group leaders can simplify learning, promote engaging communities, and organize events efficiently.
Key Features of Skool
1. Integrated Learning & Community Platform
Skool’s structure ensures your learners have everything they need in one place.
You can create and organize course modules with titles, descriptions, and transcripts. Then your students can mark modules as complete, and you can track their progress.
Its community encourages interaction with posts, comments, and likes. Plus, Skool’s calendar makes it easy to schedule Q&A calls, live events, or group meetings.
2. Gamification for Engagement
Learning on Skool is not just informative, it’s also fun! Members can earn points through likes on their posts and comments, helping them level up and gain credibility.
The Leaderboards also display the top members based on activity. This motivates users to stay engaged.
Prizes like gems, books or personalized thank-you notes can be awarded to top performers.
3. User Profiles & Personal Progress Tracking
Every user on Skool has a detailed profile showing their activity, contributions, and course progress.
Members can follow others, monitor their own learning milestones, and view how active they’ve been over the past year.
This makes it easier for users to stay motivated and build meaningful connections within the community.
4. Communication & Notifications
Skool ensures everyone stays connected with in-app messaging, email notifications, and weekly digests.
Your members can chat privately, follow conversations, and receive real-time notifications about important updates or new posts.
As an admin, you can broadcast announcements to all group members with one click, eliminating the need for third-party email tools.
5. Search Functionality & Multiple Group Management
The Skool’s powerful search engine makes finding relevant content so easy.
You can search through posts, comments, courses, and even member profiles.
In addition, you can manage multiple groups with a single account by switching between different groups and access notifications for all of them.
6. Customization & Control for Admins
As an admin, you have full control over group settings, including artwork, privacy options, categories, and invitations.
You can invite members via email, bulk upload with CSV files, or automate the process using Zapier or a CRM.
Use Skool if,
1. You’re an Educator or Online Course Creator
2. You’re a Coach or Mentor
3. You’ve an organization or Team
4. You’re a Community Builder or Influencer
5. You’re an Event Organizers or Membership Programmer
Overview of Patreon
Patreon is a platform designed to empower creators by providing the tools to monetize their digital work, grow their community, and engage directly with fans.
It allows you to earn money by offering products, memberships, or exclusive content. Beyond just a payment platform, it creates a space where you can build meaningful relationships with your audience.
Patreon serves as an all-in-one solution for creators by combining product sales, community engagement, and secure payment solutions.
Key Features of Patreon
1. Revenue Management
Patreon provides everything needed to sell digital products and build a sustainable income.
With no upfront fees, you can list unlimited products, from tutorials and video specials to wallpapers and sample packs.
Sales are only subject to a flat fee when a purchase is made.
2. Creative Space
Patreon puts you in charge of your content and how you share it.
You have the freedom to personalize your page with design elements like background colors and post groupings until it reflects your unique brand and style.
3. Community Building
Building and nurturing a community is at the heart of Patreon.
It allows you to interact with your audience through real-time group chats, comments, and direct messages.
You can also gather valuable feedback using polls and gain insights from fan profiles, helping you design content to audience preferences.
4. Marketing Tools
Patreon offers multiple ways to attract new fans and grow existing communities.
The Auto-generated social media clips let you share previews of your work, increasing visibility across platforms.
Cross-promotion opportunities also enable you to recommend others and receive recommendations in return, encouraging organic growth.
5. Business Support and Payment Security
Patreon ensures you feel supported with a dedicated product support team available to answer questions and resolve issues promptly.
The platform prioritizes safety with 24/7 fraud monitoring, multiple payment methods like PayPal and Venmo, and global currency conversion to optimize international transactions.
Use Patreon if you’re
1. Artist, Musician, or Podcaster
2. Educator or Coach
3. Content Creator (YouTuber, Gamer, Writer)
4. Small Business or Entrepreneur
5. Communities and Membership Builder
Core Features of Skool Vs. Patreon
1. Purpose and Focus
Skool focuses primarily on integrating communities with educational tools. It provides a unified space where learning, interaction, and event management happens.
Patreon, on the other hand, centers around monetizing creative work.
It allows you to sell digital products and offer exclusive content to your supporters. Its primary goal is to empower you to generate sustainable income while building a community around your work.
2. Community Engagement Tools
Skool emphasizes interaction within group communities, offering features like real-time group chats, posts, comments, likes, mentions, polls, and gamification with points and levels.
It encourages deeper engagement by combining these tools with progress tracking in courses. Its search function also allows members to explore discussions, courses, and profiles easily.
Patreon offers community engagement through group chats, direct messaging, and personalized spaces where fans can connect with you.
3. Monetization and Revenue Generation
Skool adds a unique twist with its auto-affiliate program, paying users 40% of the subscription fees when they refer others to create their own groups.
Additionally, gamification encourages members to unlock higher-level courses, increasing engagement and retention.
Patreon offers direct monetization options by allowing you to sell digital products, offer memberships, and provide special pricing. It has no upfront fees, taking a flat fee from each sale.
4. Platform Features and Business Support
Skool integrates various tools like community management, event scheduling, course hosting, and email broadcasts within a single dashboard.
It also has a unified search experience that allows you to access everything with ease. The gamification and progress tracking further enhance the learning and community experience.
Patreon provides more robust payment management, including global currency conversion, fraud detection, and multiple payment methods (like PayPal and Venmo).
Pricing model
Skool has a simple and predictable pricing model with a single plan priced at $99 per month.
This plan provides access to all features, including unlimited courses, unlimited members, community tools, and progress tracking.
There are no hidden fees, just a straightforward 2.9% transaction fee, making it easier for you to estimate your expenses and keep more of your earnings.
Patreon, on the other hand, follows a revenue-sharing model. It is free to get started, but you pay a percentage of your income.
The Pro plan takes 8% of earnings, while the Premium plan charges 12%. Additionally, you must account for extra costs like payment processing, currency conversion, and payout fees, which can vary based on the payment method and location.
In terms of cost efficiency, Skool stands out with its low 2.9% transaction fee, significantly cheaper than Patreon’s 8-12%.
As a result, Skool is more favorable for creators with larger revenues or high-ticket products, helping you retain a greater share of your income.
Patreon’s model may be more appealing if you’re just starting, as it allows you to build your community and explore monetization without upfront fees, though the cumulative costs can increase as earnings grow.
Pros and Cons of Skool
Pros
1. Simple and Clean User Experience
Skool eliminates unnecessary complexity, keeping the focus on learning and engagement.
2. Community and Courses in One Place
Skool integrates course hosting with community features, reducing the need for multiple platforms.
3. Gamified Engagement
Skool’s gamification features, such as points, leaderboards, and badges, encourage you to engage actively.
4. Recurring Revenue Model
You can offer subscriptions with your members gaining access to courses and communities under one membership. This setup works well to build steady, recurring income streams.
5. Continuous Platform Improvements
Skool’s development team frequently rolls out updates based on user feedback.
Cons
1. Limited Flexibility with Course Access
All members in a group can access the same courses, which makes it challenging to segment users or offer courses with varying access levels.
2. Subscription Fees for Each Group
While you only need one Skool account, each group you create requires a separate $99/month subscription. This can become expensive if you need to manage multiple courses or communities.
3. Lack of White-Labeling
Skool does not have extensive customization options or white-labeling. This means you cannot fully brand the platform to align with your business identity.
4. Manual Member Management
If you need to offer tiered access or upsell specific courses, Skool’s lack of automated payment and access systems can make this process tedious. You must manually approve and manage members across different groups.
Pros and Cons of Patreon
Pros
1. Steady Revenue through Subscriptions
Patreon’s subscription model enables you to build recurring income. It’s committed to monthly or per-creation payments, offering financial stability.
2. Direct Connection with Fans
You can interact with your most loyal supporters through messages and posts. This direct line promotes a sense of community, strengthening relationships and encouraging ongoing support.
3. Creative Freedom and Ownership
With fewer restrictions than platforms like YouTube or Instagram, you can maintain more control over your work.
Additionally, Patreon’s monetization system allows you to avoid being at the mercy of algorithms or ad placement policies.
4. Customizable Membership Tiers
Patreon offers flexibility through tiered memberships, letting you have different rewards based on contribution levels.
5. Support Beyond Content Creators
While initially aimed at artists and musicians, Patreon has expanded to include non-profits, local businesses, and venues, broadening the scope of who can benefit from its platform.
Cons
1. Platform and Payment Fees
You must pay between 8% to 12% of your earnings to Patreon, along with payment processing fees. While the features are helpful, these costs can cut into your profits.
2. Limited Built-In Promotion Tools
Patreon doesn’t have strong tools to promote your content to new audiences. You need to rely on external platforms like social media to attract supporters, which can require significant marketing effort.
3. Customer Support Issues
Some users report slow or inadequate responses from Patreon’s customer service. This has caused frustration, especially around billing issues or account suspensions.
4. Controversial Content Restrictions
Though less strict than other platforms, Patreon’s guidelines have led to disputes over the handling of adult content and political campaigns. Some creators feel the content restrictions are inconsistent or vague.
5. High Dependence on Existing Fanbase
Success on Patreon often depends on how well-established your fanbase is. New creators without a significant following might struggle to generate meaningful revenue through the platform.
Which platform fits your needs?
Choosing the right platform between Skool and Patreon ultimately depends on your specific goals and how you want to engage with your community or monetize your work.
If you are an educator, coach, or course creator, Skool might be the ideal fit for you. For example, you can create structured learning programs, track students’ progress, and promote an interactive community with discussion forums and gamification features like leaderboards and points.
On the other hand, Patreon is better suited for content creators, artists, and small business owners who are focused on monetizing their creative work.
Patreon allows you to sell digital products, offer exclusive content, and set up tiered memberships, creating multiple streams of income.
If you already have a loyal fanbase, Patreon provides tools to deepen relationships with your supporters.
User Reviews and Feedback
Patreon receives mixed feedback from users, reflecting both positive experiences and notable frustrations.
Many creators appreciate the tier system that lets them customize membership levels, along with direct communication tools to engage with their patrons.
However, complaints also surface around billing issues and limitations for adult content creators, raising concerns about the platform’s evolving content guidelines.
In terms of aggregate reviews, opinions are divided across multiple review platforms. Patreon holds a favorable 4.1/5 rating on G2 and 4.5/5 on Software Advice, but scores a dismal 1.3/5 on Trustpilot, where complaints about poor customer service, billing difficulties, and restrictive policies dominate.
Skool is increasingly recognized for its simplicity and effectiveness in community and course management, though it comes with limitations that some users find challenging.
Drew Laughlin notes that Skool’s focus on community and course hosting makes it a straightforward choice. He highlights that, despite a limitation in managing course access, Skool’s team continuously enhances the platform.
While Skool offers simplicity, some users feel its limitations around course segmentation can be a barrier. Murtaza Badri points out that managing multiple courses and communities can be difficult, especially when trying to sell courses separately.
Conclusion
Both Skool and Patreon have unique values, but your choice depends on your priorities.
If you’re looking to manage structured learning programs, build engaging communities, or host events, Skool’s all-in-one platform may be the right fit.
On the other hand, if monetizing creative content, offering memberships, and building strong fan relationships are your focus, Patreon provides the ideal tools.
Now is the time to take action! Explore Skool’s 14-day free trial or start for free on Patreon to see which platform supports your vision and takes your community or business to the next level.
