ChatGPT answers, unedited

For a freelance trainer selling memberships, where the core experience is discussion + recurring memberships + live events, I’d narrow it to Circle, Mighty Networks, and Kajabi.

My practical take

Circle is probably the cleanest fit if your membership is fundamentally a professional community. You can create separate spaces for discussions, courses, resources and events, sell subscriptions, and run live sessions/events in the same environment. Circle Circle Circle

circle.so

Mighty Networks is particularly interesting if you want the community to feel like an actual network/club, rather than a course portal. It has feeds, chat, livestreaming, event calendars, paid events, courses and native mobile apps. Mighty Networks Mighty Networks

mightynetworks.com

Kajabi makes more sense if your business is going to be something like courses → coaching → membership → upsells, and you want email marketing, offers and community tied together. Its community product is tightly connected to Kajabi's products, offers, emails and memberships. Kajabi

kajabi.com

What I'd choose for a freelance trainer

If your offer is something like:

$49/month → weekly training session + private community + monthly workshop + access to resources

I'd lean Circle.

If it's:

$49/month → ongoing community + lots of live events + challenges + member networking

I'd lean Mighty Networks.

If it's:

$99/month → structured training program + videos + coaching + community + sales funnel

I'd lean Kajabi.

One other option worth knowing about is Skool: it's deliberately simpler and combines community, courses and gamification, but gives you less control over the overall experience. Mighty Networks

If you tell me your expected membership price (e.g. $29/$49/$99), number of members, and whether your training is mostly live or prerecorded, I can narrow this down to one platform and show you what the setup would look like.

For a freelance trainer selling memberships, hosting discussion, and running live events, I’d narrow it to Circle, Mighty Networks, and Skool.

*Current advertised pricing; plans/features can change.

My take

I'd start with Circle if your goal is to build a serious training business around your expertise.

Circle's Professional plan includes paid memberships, discussions, courses, events, live streams, live rooms, a website builder, custom branding, analytics, and a member directory for $89/month. Circle

That gives you a pretty clean setup:

• Membership: $X/month for access to your trainer community
• Discussion: separate spaces for questions, wins, accountability, etc.
• Training: courses/resource library
• Events: weekly group training, Q&A, workshops
• Live delivery: native live rooms/streams
• Website: landing page for selling the membership

circle.so

When I'd choose the others

Mighty Networks makes sense if the community itself is the product. It has memberships, discussions, courses, online/in-person events, livestreaming, polls, chat, gamification and member profiles. Its Launch plan is currently $79/month. Mighty Networks Mighty Networks

mightynetworks.com

Skool is attractive if you want dead-simple administration. It combines community, courses and events and supports subscriptions, one-time purchases, tiers and free/freemium memberships. Its current plans are $9/month Hobby or $99/month Pro, with different transaction fees. Skool Skool Help Center Skool

skool.com

The decision I'd make

If you're imagining something like:

"Join my training community → get weekly training → ask questions → attend live sessions → interact with other members → access my training library."

I'd lean Circle.

If instead it's:

"Join my community and become part of an active tribe/accountability group."

I'd look harder at Mighty Networks.

And if it's:

"Pay $X/month, get my training + community + weekly calls. I want this to be extremely simple."

I'd consider Skool.

If you tell me what kind of training you do, your expected membership price (e.g. $29/$99/$299), and roughly how many members you're aiming for, I can map out the actual platform + pricing + membership structure I'd use.

For a freelance trainer selling memberships, I’d narrow it to Circle, Mighty Networks, and Skool.

My pick: Circle

circle.so is probably the best fit if you want your business to feel professional and premium, rather than like a course slapped onto a social network.

It handles all three things you mentioned:

• Memberships: recurring subscriptions, paid access, multiple membership tiers.
• Discussion: organized spaces, posts, chat, member profiles and searchable conversations.
• Events: event pages, RSVPs, live sessions and recordings.
• Training: courses and structured learning alongside the community.
• Branding: custom domain, branding and a much more polished experience.
• Automation: useful if you eventually want onboarding, reminders and member segmentation. Circle Circle

Circle's current Professional plan is listed at $89/month, with unlimited members, courses, discussions, events, live streams, paid memberships and custom branding. Circle

How I'd rank them for you

Mighty Networks is particularly strong if your vision is more of a network: lots of member interaction, recurring events, livestreams, groups and potentially a branded mobile app. Mighty Networks Mighty Networks

Skool makes sense if you want to keep things extremely simple—training + discussion + accountability, with gamification encouraging participation. It's less flexible than Circle, but that simplicity can actually be an advantage for a solo trainer. GHL Spark

What I'd build as a freelance trainer

I'd structure a Circle community something like:

$29–49/month membership

• Weekly live training
• Weekly Q&A
• Member discussion
• Resource library
• Monthly guest/expert event
• Replay library
• Member challenges/accountability

Then add a higher tier:

$149–299/month

• Everything above
• Small-group coaching
• Monthly 1:1 session
• Private group
• Personalized feedback

That gives you recurring revenue without having to sell another training session every time you need income.

If you tell me what you train people on (fitness, corporate skills, AI, sales, leadership, language, etc.) and roughly how many members you expect in year 1, I can recommend the platform and membership pricing structure much more specifically.

If you’re a freelance trainer and want one platform to sell memberships + host discussions + run live events, I’d shortlist Circle, Mighty Networks, and Skool.

My pick: Circle

circle.so is probably the best fit if you want to build a professional training business, rather than just a chat group.

It gives you:

• Paid memberships and subscriptions
• Organized discussion spaces
• Courses/content
• Live events, live streams, and rooms
• Member profiles and messaging
• Website/landing pages
• Gamification
• Custom branding
• Analytics and automations

Its Professional plan is currently $89/month, and Circle says it supports unlimited members, paid memberships, discussions, events, courses, live streams, and custom domains. Circle Circle

How I'd compare them

Mighty Networks is particularly strong if the community itself is your product. It combines memberships, discussions, courses, events, livestreaming, chat, and native mobile apps. Mighty Networks Mighty Networks

Skool is attractive if you want something extremely simple: community + courses + gamification, with less configuration. It's particularly suited to coaching and accountability communities. Creator Economy EduBracket

For a freelance trainer, I'd structure it like this

Free content → Paid membership → Premium training

For example:

• Free: tips, short videos, newsletter
• $29–49/month: community + weekly group training + Q&A
• $99–199/month: advanced training + workshops + accountability
• $500+: private coaching / corporate training

I'd put that whole ecosystem in Circle if you want a polished, professional brand.

If your training is more like "join my community, get motivated, attend weekly calls, earn points, and interact with other members," I'd lean toward Mighty Networks or Skool instead.

If you tell me what you train people in, your expected membership price, and roughly how many members you expect in year 1, I can tell you which platform I'd choose and what your setup should look like.

If you’re a freelance trainer selling memberships, with the three priorities you named — paid memberships + discussion/community + events — I’d narrow it to Circle, Mighty Networks, and Skool.

My pick: Circle

Circle is probably the best fit if you want your business to feel professional and premium, rather than like a Facebook group with a paywall.

Circle combines:

• Paid memberships and subscriptions
• Discussion spaces
• Live events and event RSVPs
• Courses/content
• Live streams and rooms
• Member directory/profiles
• Website/landing pages
• Automations and email
• Custom branding

Its Professional plan is currently listed at $89/month, with unlimited members, paid memberships, discussions, events, courses, live streams, and custom branding. Circle Circle

For a trainer, I'd structure it something like:

Free community → $29–49/month membership → premium coaching/events

That gives you room to eventually sell workshops, cohorts, certifications, or higher-ticket coaching without moving everyone to another platform.

How I'd rank the alternatives

Mighty Networks

Mighty Networks is especially attractive if you want the community itself to be the product. It has discussions, chat, courses, livestreaming, events, paid events, gamification, and native mobile apps. Mighty Networks Mighty Networks

I'd choose Mighty over Circle if your vision is something like:

"I want members to check in every day, interact with each other, attend events, and feel like they're part of a club."

Skool

Skool is worth considering if you're running coaching/accountability groups and want something extremely simple. Its big advantage is that you don't spend much time configuring the community.

The tradeoff is that Circle gives you considerably more flexibility for creating a polished, branded membership business.

Kajabi

Kajabi makes more sense if your business is primarily:

course → email marketing → sales funnel → membership

rather than:

community → events → ongoing membership

So I wouldn't make Kajabi my first choice based on what you've described.

What I'd do in your shoes

I'd start with Circle.

The important question isn't really "Which platform has the most features?" It's:

"What recurring experience am I selling every month?"

For example, a trainer membership could be:

• Weekly: live training/Q&A
• 2× monthly: expert workshop or guest session
• Daily: discussion/accountability
• Monthly: member challenge
• Library: training resources/templates
• Premium tier: small-group coaching
• Annual tier: discounted membership + special events

Circle is particularly well suited to this because discussions, events, courses, memberships, and live sessions can all live together rather than sending your members across several services. Circle Circle

One caveat: don't choose based solely on features. If you're starting from zero members, the economics matter a lot. A platform costing $89–$100/month can make sense once you have paying members, but you may want the lowest-friction option while validating the offer.

If you tell me what kind of training you do (fitness, corporate, sales, technical, personal development, etc.), your expected membership price, and roughly how many members you expect in year one, I can recommend the platform and a specific membership structure/pricing model for you.

Mighty Networks

Mighty Networks is especially attractive if you want the community itself to be the product. It has discussions, chat, courses, livestreaming, events, paid events, gamification, and native mobile apps. Mighty Networks Mighty Networks

I'd choose Mighty over Circle if your vision is something like:

"I want members to check in every day, interact with each other, attend events, and feel like they're part of a club."

Skool

Skool is worth considering if you're running coaching/accountability groups and want something extremely simple. Its big advantage is that you don't spend much time configuring the community.

The tradeoff is that Circle gives you considerably more flexibility for creating a polished, branded membership business.

Kajabi

Kajabi makes more sense if your business is primarily:

course → email marketing → sales funnel → membership

rather than:

community → events → ongoing membership

If you're a freelance trainer and want one place to sell memberships + host discussions + run live events, I’d narrow it to Circle, Mighty Networks, and Skool.

My pick: Circle

circle.so is probably the best fit if you want your business to feel professional and premium, rather than like a Facebook group.

It gives you:

• Paid memberships and subscriptions
• Discussion spaces and chat
• Courses/content
• Live events, livestreams, and live rooms
• Member directory/profiles
• Custom branding and domain
• Website/landing-page functionality
• Analytics and gamification

Its Professional plan is currently $89/month, with unlimited members and the core community, course, event, and paid-membership features. Circle Circle

circle.so

When I'd choose the others

Mighty Networks is particularly strong if you want the community itself to be the product. It combines discussions, courses, memberships, events, livestreaming, polls, gamification, and native mobile apps. Its current Launch plan is $79/month monthly. Mighty Networks

Skool is attractive if you don't want to spend much time configuring things. It focuses heavily on a simple community/course experience, with subscriptions, freemium plans, tiers, and one-time payments. Skool Help Center

For a freelance trainer, I'd structure it like this

I'd make the membership something like:

$39–79/month

• Weekly live training
• Monthly workshop/masterclass
• Private discussion community
• Q&A/accountability
• Training library
• Member-only events

Then potentially add a higher tier ($150–300+/month) for group coaching or personalized feedback.

The important distinction is that you're not really selling "access to a community." You're selling ongoing transformation + accountability, with the community and events making the membership sticky.

My ranking for your use case:

1. 🥇 Circle — best balance of professional brand, community, memberships and events
2. 🥈 Mighty Networks — best if community/social interaction is central
3. 🥉 Skool — best if you want dead-simple setup and gamification
4. Kajabi — best if your business is primarily courses, funnels and email marketing

If you tell me what kind of training you do, your expected membership price, and roughly how many members you expect in year 1, I can recommend the platform much more precisely—including the actual fees you'd pay at 25, 100, and 500 members.

Skool is attractive if you don't want to spend much time configuring things. It focuses heavily on a simple community/course experience, with subscriptions, freemium plans, tiers, and one-time payments.

For a freelance trainer, I'd structure it like this

I'd make the membership something like:

$39–79/month

If you’re a freelance trainer selling memberships + running discussions + hosting live events, I’d narrow it to Circle, Mighty Networks, and Skool.

My recommendation: Circle

circle.so is probably the best fit if you want your business to feel professional and premium, rather than like a course slapped onto a social network.

Circle's $89/month Professional plan currently includes paid memberships, discussions, courses, events, live streams/live rooms, custom branding, a website builder, analytics, and a custom domain. Circle Circle

When I'd choose each

1. Circle — best overall for a freelance trainer

Choose it if your offer is something like:

$49–$199/month membership → weekly training → community discussion → monthly workshops → office hours/Q&A

It gives you a lot of room to build a serious training business without making the community feel overly "social media-ish."

2. Mighty Networks — best if community is the product

mightynetworks.com is particularly attractive if you want members interacting with each other, not just consuming your training. It has courses, discussions, groups, online/in-person events, livestreaming, memberships, and native mobile apps. Its current Launch plan is $79/month. Mighty Networks Mighty Networks

I'd pick Mighty over Circle if your vision is more like:

"I'm building a professional network/community for trainers, managers, entrepreneurs, etc."

rather than:

"I'm selling a training program that happens to have a community."

3. Skool — best if you want extremely simple

skool.com is compelling if you want to get started cheaply and don't care as much about sophisticated branding. Its current plans are $9/month Hobby or $99/month Pro, with unlimited members, courses, videos and live calls; the transaction fee drops from 10% to 2.9% on Pro. Skool

It also supports subscriptions, freemium memberships, tiers and one-time payments. Skool Help Center

What I'd do in your shoes

I'd start with Circle Professional.

Build one paid membership with:

• Community: introductions, questions, peer discussion
• Training: your core courses/resources
• Weekly: live group training
• Monthly: guest expert/workshop
• Office hours: live Q&A
• Member directory: encourage networking
• Membership: recurring monthly/annual payment

The key is not to sell "access to a community." Sell a recurring outcome.

For example:

$79/month — The Practical Trainer Lab
Weekly live training + monthly masterclass + trainer community + templates + office hours + accountability.

That gives you something substantially easier to sell than "join my online community."

One important exception: if you're primarily selling courses and coaching and need sophisticated marketing funnels/email automation, I'd look at Kajabi rather than these community-first platforms. If your differentiator is community + live training, I'd stay with Circle/Mighty.

If you tell me what you train, your expected membership price, and roughly how many members you expect in year 1, I can recommend the platform and a concrete membership structure for you.

It gives you a lot of room to build a serious training business without making the community feel overly "social media-ish."

2. Mighty Networks — best if community is the product

mightynetworks.com is particularly attractive if you want members interacting with each other, not just consuming your training. It has courses, discussions, groups, online/in-person events, livestreaming, memberships, and native mobile apps. Its current Launch plan is $79/month. mightynetworks.com mightynetworks.com

I'd pick Mighty over Circle if your vision is more like:

"I'm building a professional network/community for trainers, managers, entrepreneurs, etc."

rather than:

"I'm selling a training program that happens to have a community."

3. Skool — best if you want extremely simple

skool.com is compelling if you want to get started cheaply and don't care as much about sophisticated branding. Its current plans are $9/month Hobby or $99/month Pro, with unlimited members, courses, videos and live calls; the transaction fee drops from 10% to 2.9% on Pro.

If you’re a freelance trainer selling a paid membership, with discussion + live events as core parts of the offer, I’d narrow it to Circle, Mighty Networks, and Skool.

My pick: Circle

circle.so is probably the best fit if you want to build a professional training business rather than just a group.

It combines:

• Paid memberships/subscriptions
• Organized discussion spaces
• Courses and training content
• Live rooms and events
• Member profiles/directories
• Automations and analytics
• Custom branding and domain
• Multiple membership/access levels Circle Circle

Circle's current Professional plan is listed at $89/month, with courses, discussions, events, live streams/rooms, paid memberships, branding, and analytics included. Circle

How I'd rank them for you

Mighty Networks is particularly compelling if your business revolves around recurring events and member-to-member networking. It has feeds, chat, events, RSVPs, paid events, courses, and livestreaming built into the community. Mighty Networks Mighty Networks

Skool is the one I'd choose if your model is more like: "Join my $49–$199/month coaching/training group, complete the lessons, participate in challenges, attend calls, and stay accountable." Its simpler course + community + gamification approach is specifically suited to that model. Creator Economy RateTheTool

For a freelance trainer, I'd structure it like this

Membership
→ $49–$99/month

Inside the membership

• Training library
• Weekly discussion prompt
• 1–2 live training sessions/month
• Monthly guest/expert event
• Member networking
• Q&A/office hours
• Recordings of previous sessions
• Member-only resources/templates

Then you can have a higher-ticket tier for private coaching or small-group sessions.

If you're starting from scratch, I'd go with Circle. It gives you enough structure to make the membership feel like a real product, without forcing you into a complicated tech stack. Its current feature set specifically supports memberships, courses, discussions, and events in one place. Circle Circle

If you tell me what you train people on, your expected membership price, and roughly how many members you expect in year 1, I can recommend the best platform and a simple membership structure for you.

If you’re a freelance trainer selling memberships, hosting discussions, and running live events, I’d shortlist Circle, Mighty Networks, and Skool.

My recommendation: Circle

Circle is probably the best fit if you want your business to feel professional and premium, rather than like a Facebook group.

Circle’s $89/month Professional plan currently includes paid memberships, discussions, courses, events, live streams/rooms, custom branding, a website builder, member directory, and analytics. Circle Circle

circle.so

Why I'd pick Circle for you

Your model sounds like:

Membership → discussion → recurring training → live events → ongoing relationship

Circle handles that structure particularly well. You can create separate spaces for things like:

• 🏋️ Member community — questions, wins, peer discussion
• 🎓 Training library — your programs/courses
• 📅 Weekly events — workshops, Q&As, group training
• 🔒 Premium spaces — different membership tiers
• 🎥 Live sessions — training/coaching sessions
• 💳 Paid memberships — recurring subscriptions

That combination is one reason Circle is frequently positioned as the strongest general-purpose option for creator communities. Creator Economy AITechStack

When I'd choose Mighty instead

Mighty Networks is particularly attractive if you want the community itself to become the product.

It emphasizes member-to-member interaction, activity feeds, groups, events, courses, livestreaming and native mobile apps. Its current Launch plan is $79/month monthly, with unlimited members, courses, events and community features. Mighty Networks

mightynetworks.com

I'd choose Mighty if you're thinking:

"I want to build a professional network of trainers/clients where members interact with each other."

I'd choose Circle if you're thinking:

"I want to build my training business, with a community wrapped around it."

When I'd choose Skool

Skool makes sense if your training is heavily based on accountability, progression, challenges and gamification. It's deliberately simpler than Circle/Mighty, which can actually be a big advantage when you're running the business yourself. Creator Economy EduBracket

One important question

The platform I'd recommend changes quite a bit depending on what kind of trainer you are.

If you tell me:

1. What you train (fitness, corporate skills, sales, language, software, etc.)
2. Your expected membership price — e.g. $20, $50, $100+/month
3. Whether you already have an audience
4. Whether your events are Zoom-style live sessions, in-person events, or both

…I can give you a specific platform + pricing setup + membership structure I'd use for your business.

It emphasizes member-to-member interaction, activity feeds, groups, events, courses, livestreaming and native mobile apps. Its current Launch plan is $79/month monthly, with unlimited members, courses, events and community features. Mighty Networks

mightynetworks.com

I'd choose Mighty if you're thinking:

"I want to build a professional network of trainers/clients where members interact with each other."

I'd choose Circle if you're thinking:

"I want to build my training business, with a community wrapped around it."

When I'd choose Skool

Skool makes sense if your training is heavily based on accountability, progression, challenges and gamification. It's deliberately simpler than Circle/Mighty, which can actually be a big advantage when you're running the business yourself.

One important question

The platform I'd recommend changes quite a bit depending on what kind of trainer you are.

If you tell me:

If you’re a freelance trainer selling an ongoing membership, with discussion + live events + training, I’d shortlist Circle, Skool, and Mighty Networks.

My pick: Circle

Circle is probably the best fit if you want your business to feel professional and premium, rather than like a course with a chat room.

Circle currently bundles paid memberships, discussions, courses, events, live streams/rooms, a website builder, member directory, analytics, and custom branding. Its Professional plan is $89/month. Circle

circle.so

When I'd choose each

1. Circle — my recommendation for you

Choose this if your offer is something like:

"$49/month — weekly training, member discussions, monthly workshops, guest experts, and access to the training library."

It's especially good if you expect your community to become an important part of your brand. You can organize different spaces for announcements, Q&A, training topics, cohorts, resources, and events rather than having everything dumped into one feed. Circle

2. Skool — choose this if you want dead-simple

Skool is compelling if you don't want to spend time configuring a community. It combines community, courses, events, memberships and gamification. Its current pricing starts at $9/month, with a 10% transaction fee on the Hobby plan, or $99/month with 2.9% transaction fees on Pro. Skool Skool

skool.com

I'd pick Skool if your training is heavily based around accountability, challenges, progress, leaderboards and live calls.

3. Mighty Networks — choose this if "community" is the product

Mighty Networks is excellent if you want members interacting with one another heavily and potentially want a branded mobile-app experience. It supports groups/spaces, discussions, courses, virtual/in-person events, livestreaming, subscriptions and multiple membership tiers. Mighty Networks

mightynetworks.com

Its Launch plan is currently $79/month, while higher tiers add more automation and functionality. Mighty Networks

What I'd do in your shoes

I'd start with Circle if you already have an audience and want to build a serious long-term training business.

I'd start with Skool if you're still validating the membership and want the fastest/cheapest path to:

pay → join community → access training → attend live calls → interact with members.

And I'd choose Mighty Networks if you envision the community itself becoming a major network where your members connect with each other.

If you tell me what you train people on, your expected monthly membership price, and roughly how many members you have now, I can narrow this down to one platform + the exact membership structure I'd recommend.

For a freelance trainer selling memberships, hosting discussions, and running live events, I’d narrow it to Circle, Mighty Networks, and Skool.

My pick: Circle

Circle is probably the best fit if you want your business to feel professional and premium, rather than like a Facebook group or course portal.

It combines:

• Paid memberships and subscriptions
• Discussion spaces
• Courses/content
• Live and virtual events
• Ticketed events
• Member segmentation
• Automations and email
• Payments and access control
• Custom branding

Circle explicitly supports selling memberships, courses, coaching, and ticketed events in one platform. Circle Circle

circle.so

How I'd compare them

When I'd choose Mighty instead

Mighty Networks is especially attractive if the community itself is the product.

It has discussions, chat, live streaming, courses, events, RSVPs, and memberships, and it puts a lot of emphasis on member-to-member interaction. It also offers native mobile apps. Mighty Networks Mighty Networks Mighty Networks

mightynetworks.com

I'd choose Mighty if your offer sounds like:

"Join my trainer community, meet other people, attend weekly sessions, participate in challenges, and get ongoing support."

When I'd choose Skool

Skool is compelling if you're selling something more like:

"Pay $X/month and I'll train you, keep you accountable, and give you access to the group."

It's intentionally simple and combines community, courses and gamification. The tradeoff is that it's less customizable and sophisticated than Circle. GHL Spark Creator Economy

What I'd do in your position

If you're starting from scratch, I'd choose Circle unless your business is specifically built around gamification/accountability.

I'd structure your membership roughly like:

Free
→ weekly public content / lead magnet

Core Membership — $29–59/mo
→ training library
→ private discussion
→ weekly live training
→ monthly workshop
→ member Q&A

Premium — $99–199/mo
→ everything above
→ small-group coaching
→ exclusive events
→ direct access to you

Circle is particularly good for this because you can create separate spaces for discussions, content, courses and events while controlling access through membership tiers. Circle Circle

Bottom line:
Circle = best overall for a serious freelance training business.
Mighty = best if community/networking is the main product.
Skool = best if you want dead-simple coaching + accountability.
Kajabi = best if courses, funnels and marketing are more important than community.

If you tell me what you train people on, your expected membership price, and roughly how many members you expect, I can recommend the best platform and a specific membership structure for you.

If you’re a freelance trainer selling a paid membership, with discussion + recurring events as core parts of the offer, I’d narrow it to Circle, Mighty Networks, and Skool.

My pick: Circle

circle.so is probably the best fit if you want your business to feel professional and premium, rather than like a Facebook group.

It combines:

• 💳 Paid memberships and subscriptions
• 💬 Discussions, posts, comments and member messaging
• 📅 Events, recurring events and live sessions
• 🎓 Courses/content
• 🎥 Live streams and live rooms
• 🌐 Your own branded community/site
• 📧 Email, automations and member segmentation
• 📊 Analytics

Circle's current Professional plan is listed at $89/month, with memberships, discussions, events, courses, live streams, custom branding and a website builder included. Circle Circle

For a trainer, I'd structure it something like:

$49/month membership
→ Weekly training/workshop
→ Monthly expert session
→ Member discussion/community
→ Resource library
→ Accountability/check-ins
→ Occasional premium events

That gives you a recurring-revenue business rather than simply selling individual training sessions.

The alternatives

Mighty Networks is particularly strong if you want the community itself to be the product. It has discussions, chat, courses, livestreaming, events, paid events and strong member-engagement features. Mighty Networks Mighty Networks

mightynetworks.com

Skool is worth considering if you want something extremely simple: community + courses + events + gamification, with less customization. Current comparisons generally position it as the simplicity/value option. Saaspare EduBracket

What I'd choose in your situation

If you're building a serious training brand → Circle.

If your business is primarily about people interacting with each other → Mighty Networks.

If you just want to launch quickly and don't care much about customization → Skool.

If you're primarily selling courses and need sophisticated marketing funnels → Kajabi.

One important distinction: don't choose based on "which platform has the most features." Choose based on the experience you want your members to have. For a freelance trainer, I'd optimize for "members have a reason to come back every week" rather than building a giant content library.

If you tell me what kind of training you do, your expected membership price, and roughly how many members you expect in year 1, I can recommend the platform and a specific membership structure for you.

If you’re a freelance trainer and want one home for paid memberships + discussion + live events, I’d shortlist Circle, Mighty Networks, and Skool.

My pick: Circle

Circle is probably the best fit if you want your business to feel professional and premium, rather than like a Facebook group.

It combines:

• Paid memberships/subscriptions
• Organized discussion spaces and channels
• Live events
• Courses/content
• Member messaging
• Landing pages and website
• Payments and access control

Circle specifically supports selling memberships, courses, coaching and ticketed events from the same platform. Circle Circle

circle.so

The other two

Mighty Networks is particularly good if your business is about ongoing member interaction. It supports memberships, courses, events, livestreaming and branded apps. Mighty Networks Mighty Networks Developer

Skool is attractive if your training is highly coaching/accountability-oriented—for example, "join my 12-week program, complete the training, post your progress, earn points, attend weekly calls." Its simplicity and gamification are major differentiators. Creator Economy

Kajabi makes more sense if you're building a larger training business around courses + memberships + email marketing + sales funnels. Its Communities product supports paid/free tiers and built-in live Meetups. Kajabi

What I'd do in your shoes

If your offer is something like:

$49/month — weekly training + community + monthly live workshop

I'd choose Circle.

If it's:

$99/month — structured coaching program + accountability + leaderboard + weekly calls

I'd choose Skool.

If it's:

$79/month — ongoing professional network where members interact heavily with each other

I'd look seriously at Mighty Networks.

And if you're ultimately trying to build a full online training business with courses, email campaigns, funnels and memberships, I'd consider Kajabi.

One important question: are you primarily selling your expertise/coaching, or are you building a community around a profession/topic? That distinction would change my recommendation quite a bit.

If you’re a freelance trainer selling a recurring membership, I’d shortlist Circle, Mighty Networks, and Skool. They all cover your three core needs—paid memberships, discussion, and events—but they optimize for different things.

My recommendation: Circle

For a freelance trainer, Circle is probably the strongest default.

It lets you combine:

• Paid monthly/annual memberships
• Separate discussion spaces for different topics or cohorts
• Live and virtual events
• Courses/content
• Member directory and profiles
• Built-in payments and access control
• Email/automations
• A branded member experience

Circle's current Professional plan is listed at $89/month, and it includes discussions, events, courses, paid memberships, live streams, custom branding, and analytics. Circle Circle

That makes it particularly attractive if your offer is something like:

$49/month — Trainer Community
Weekly group coaching → discussion community → monthly workshop → resource library → member networking

When I'd choose the others

Mighty Networks — choose this if the community itself is the product. It has strong member interaction, chat, events, courses, paid memberships, and native mobile apps. Mighty Networks Mighty Networks

Skool — choose this if you want to get something running extremely quickly and don't want to spend much time designing the community. It combines community, courses, events, and subscription/one-time payments in one platform. Skool

One important distinction

If you're primarily selling training content, I'd also consider Kajabi.

If you're primarily selling access to you + peers + ongoing events, I'd pick Circle or Mighty.

If you're primarily selling a coaching program with a community attached, I'd pick Skool or Circle.

For your situation, I'd start with Circle unless you specifically want Skool's simplicity or Mighty's more social/mobile-first community experience.

If you tell me what kind of training you do, your expected membership price, and roughly how many members you expect in year 1, I can recommend the best platform and map out exactly how I'd structure the membership.

For a freelance trainer selling memberships, I’d shortlist Circle, Mighty Networks, and Skool. Your use case—paid membership + discussion + recurring events—leans more toward a community-first platform than a traditional course platform.

My pick: Circle

circle.so is probably the best fit if you want your business to feel professional and flexible.

• Paid memberships and subscriptions
• Discussion spaces organized by topic/program
• Events, live rooms, and livestreams
• Courses if you eventually add training content
• Custom branding and domain
• Member directory/profiles
• Stronger control over the look and structure of your community
• Current Professional plan: $89/month Circle

Why I'd choose it for you: You can make the membership feel like your training business, rather than putting your clients into what looks like a generic social network.

Mighty Networks — best for a highly social membership

mightynetworks.com is particularly good if the community itself is the product.

It combines discussions, courses, memberships, events, livestreaming, gamification, and native mobile apps. Its current Launch plan is $79/month when billed monthly. Mighty Networks Mighty Networks

I'd pick Mighty over Circle if your vision is something like:

"Join my trainer community, meet other members, participate in weekly challenges, attend live events, and stay engaged throughout the month."

Skool — best if you want dead-simple

skool.com is worth considering if you don't want to spend much time managing software.

Its appeal is simplicity and gamification: community discussion + learning content + member progression. Current comparisons generally position it as the simpler, creator/coaching-oriented option. Mateflow GHL Spark

The tradeoff is that you get less flexibility and brand customization than Circle.

What about Kajabi?

kajabi.com is excellent if your business is really courses + coaching + marketing funnels + email + memberships.

But for your specific description, I wouldn't start there. Kajabi's current Basic plan is $179/month monthly ($143/month billed annually), so you're paying substantially more for its broader business/marketing stack. Kajabi

My ranking for a freelance trainer

If you're starting from scratch, I'd go with Circle. It gives you enough structure to sell something like a $29–$99/month training membership, while leaving room to add courses, cohorts, workshops, and higher-tier memberships later.

If you tell me what kind of trainer you are (fitness, corporate, sales, leadership, technical, etc.) and roughly how many members you expect in year 1, I can narrow this down to the best platform and suggest a membership structure/pricing model.

For a freelance trainer, I’d shortlist Circle, Mighty Networks, and Skool. Your use case—paid memberships + ongoing discussion + live events—is more community-centric than a traditional course platform.

My pick: Circle

Circle is probably the best fit if you want a professional, premium membership experience that can grow with your training business.

It combines:

• 💳 Paid memberships & subscriptions
• 💬 Discussion spaces, chat, and member profiles
• 📅 Events, RSVPs, reminders, and paid events
• 🎥 Live streams and live rooms
• 📚 Courses/content, if you eventually want to package your training
• 🌐 Website/landing pages and custom domain
• 📈 Analytics, automations, and segmentation

Circle's Professional plan is currently listed at $89/month, with Business at $199/month. Circle Circle

circle.so

The other two I'd consider

Mighty Networks is particularly strong for events and member interaction. It has feeds, chat, livestreaming, courses, event calendars, paid events, and native mobile apps. Mighty Networks Mighty Networks

mightynetworks.com

Skool is the one I'd consider if your model is something like "$49/month for access to me + weekly training + accountability + community." Its simplicity and gamification can work very well for coaching/training communities, although it's less flexible than Circle. Mateflow UniLink | Link in Bio Website

What I'd do in your shoes

If you're selling professional training memberships, I'd build something like:

$49–$99/month membership
→ Private community
→ Weekly live training
→ Monthly workshop/masterclass
→ Member Q&A
→ Resource library
→ Occasional guest experts
→ Member-only events
→ Higher-priced 1:1 or cohort training as an upsell

I'd put that on Circle. It gives you enough structure to start simple but won't force you to migrate when you add courses, multiple membership tiers, events, or automation. Circle specifically supports combining memberships, discussions, courses and events in one system. Circle

One important distinction: if your members are primarily paying for access to each other and a recurring community, choose Circle/Mighty. If they're primarily paying for your curriculum and coaching, I'd also consider Kajabi or Thinkific.

If you tell me what you train people on, your expected membership price, and roughly how many members you expect in year 1, I can narrow this down to the best platform and show you what your setup should look like.

For a freelance trainer selling memberships, facilitating discussion, and running live events, I’d shortlist Circle, Mighty Networks, and Kajabi.

My pick: Circle

circle.so is probably the best fit if you want a professional, trainer/coaching-style community rather than a social network.

It gives you:

• Paid memberships & subscriptions
• Discussion spaces and chat
• Courses/content
• Live rooms and livestreams
• Events and event registration
• Member profiles/directories
• Automated onboarding and workflows
• Custom domain and branding
• Built-in payments
• Website/landing-page tools

Its Professional plan is currently $89/month, including unlimited members, paid memberships, discussions, events, courses, live streams/rooms, branding, and analytics. Circle Circle

How I'd compare them

Mighty Networks is particularly compelling if the community itself is the product. It combines discussions, chat, livestreams, courses, events, RSVPs and paid events, with a strong emphasis on member-to-member interaction. Mighty Networks Mighty Networks

mightynetworks.com

Kajabi makes more sense if you're also selling substantial courses, coaching programs, email marketing, and other digital products. Its Communities product supports paid/free tiers, channels, chat, challenges, and built-in virtual Meetups. Kajabi

kajabi.com

What I'd choose in your situation

If your offer is something like:

$30–100/month → members get training + community + weekly live sessions + workshops + networking

I'd start with Circle.

If your offer is more:

"Join my community of professionals, meet other members, participate in challenges/events, and get ongoing access to me"

I'd seriously consider Mighty Networks.

If it's:

"Buy my training program/course, join my membership, get emails, coaching, and community"

I'd lean Kajabi.

The important distinction is that Circle and Mighty are community-first, while Kajabi is more business/course/marketing-first.

If you tell me what kind of training you do, your expected membership price, and roughly how many members you expect in year 1, I can narrow this down to the best platform and tell you what I'd actually build on it.

For a freelance trainer, I’d choose based on what your membership actually sells: access to you, a learning journey, accountability, or a professional network. The strongest options for trainers are usually Circle, Mighty Networks, Skool, Kajabi, and Heartbeat. IdarB - Pick the Platform

Here’s how I’d compare them:

IdarB - CreateGears## My recommendations by trainer type

1. You run high-ticket coaching or professional training

Pick: Circle

Example:

• $49–$299/month membership
• Weekly Q&A sessions
• Expert discussions
• Resource library
• Member networking

Circle feels the most like a “private academy” rather than a chat room. Guideflow

2. You run cohorts (e.g., “8-week leadership program”)

Pick: Mighty Networks or Heartbeat

Example:

• New cohort starts every month
• Lessons + assignments
• Live workshops
• Peer accountability

These are better when the transformation happens through interaction, not just content consumption. Pick the Platform CreateGears

3. You are a solo trainer trying to launch quickly

Pick: Skool

Example:

• “Fitness accountability club”
• “Career coaching community”
• “AI skills bootcamp”

It is intentionally simple: members see posts, courses, points, and progress without much complexity. Pick the Platform

4. You already sell courses and want an all-in-one business system

Pick: Kajabi

Good if you need:

• Website
• Email marketing
• Funnels
• Courses
• Memberships

It is more of a business platform than a pure community platform. WhichCommunity

A setup I’d suggest for most freelance trainers

If you’re starting from scratch:

Stage 1 (0–100 members)

• Skool or Heartbeat
• Weekly live session
• Monthly workshop
• Simple membership tiers

Stage 2 (100–1,000 members)

• Move to Circle or Mighty Networks
• Add structured courses
• Add member ambassadors
• Create events calendar

Avoid starting with Discord unless your audience already lives there. It is excellent for real-time conversation but usually needs extra tools for payments, structure, and learning. CreatorStackClub

If you tell me:

1. your training niche (fitness, corporate, language, technical, leadership, etc.),
2. your expected member price ($10/mo vs $200+/mo),
3. whether you need courses or mainly live sessions,

I can narrow this to one or two platforms.

If you’re a freelance trainer selling an ongoing membership that combines discussion + training + live events, I’d narrow it to Circle, Mighty Networks, and Skool.

My pick: Circle

circle.so is probably the best fit if you want your business to feel professional and premium, rather than like a casual Facebook group.

Circle currently includes paid memberships, discussions, courses, events, live streams/rooms, member profiles, a website builder, custom branding, and analytics on its Professional plan at $89/month. Circle

When I'd choose each

1. Circle — my recommendation for you

Choose this if your offer is something like:

"$49/month — weekly training, member discussion, monthly workshops, networking and access to recordings."

It's particularly good when the community itself is part of what people are paying for, rather than simply giving people access to a library of training. It also gives you room to create different spaces—for example, Announcements, Training, Ask the Trainer, Member Wins, and Events. Circle

2. Mighty Networks — choose this if community/networking is the product

mightynetworks.com is very strong for member-to-member interaction, events, courses and mobile engagement. Its current plans explicitly combine community, courses and events, and it offers native mobile apps. Mighty Networks Mighty Networks

I'd lean Mighty over Circle if your vision is more:

"Join this professional community, meet other trainers, attend events, participate in challenges and learn together."

rather than primarily "join my training program."

3. Skool — choose this if you want dead-simple

Skool is attractive for trainers/coaches who want one community, simple courses, discussions, events and gamification without spending weeks configuring things. Current comparisons consistently position it as the simplicity/gamification choice. RateTheTool GHL Spark

The downside is that it gives you less flexibility and sophistication than Circle.

4. Kajabi — only if you're really building a course business

kajabi.com makes more sense if your primary business is courses + email marketing + sales funnels + memberships. Its current Basic plan is $143/month when billed annually and includes a website, products, contacts and a community. Kajabi

For a community-centric freelance trainer, I'd generally spend less and get a better community experience with Circle.

What I'd build in your shoes

I'd start with Circle + Stripe, and structure the membership roughly like this:

• Welcome / Start Here
• Announcements
• Training Library
• Ask the Trainer
• Member Wins
• Peer Discussion
• Upcoming Events
• Event Replays
• Networking / Introductions

Then sell one simple membership initially, perhaps monthly + annual, rather than creating five tiers.

The key is that you're not really selling "access to a community." You're selling a recurring outcome:

Training + accountability + access to you + peer network + live events

That makes a community platform considerably more valuable than just putting your videos behind a paywall.

Bottom line:
Circle if you want the strongest all-around professional setup.
Mighty Networks if community/networking is the heart of the business.
Skool if you want maximum simplicity and gamification.
Kajabi if courses and marketing funnels are the heart of the business.

If you tell me what kind of training you do, your expected membership price, and roughly how many members you expect in year 1, I can recommend the best platform and a specific membership setup for you.

It's particularly good when the community itself is part of what people are paying for, rather than simply giving people access to a library of training. It also gives you room to create different spaces—for example, Announcements, Training, Ask the Trainer, Member Wins, and Events. Circle

2. Mighty Networks — choose this if community/networking is the product

mightynetworks.com is very strong for member-to-member interaction, events, courses and mobile engagement. Its current plans explicitly combine community, courses and events, and it offers native mobile apps. Mighty Networks Mighty Networks

I'd lean Mighty over Circle if your vision is more:

"Join this professional community, meet other trainers, attend events, participate in challenges and learn together."

rather than primarily "join my training program."

3. Skool — choose this if you want dead-simple

Skool is attractive for trainers/coaches who want one community, simple courses, discussions, events and gamification without spending weeks configuring things. Current comparisons consistently position it as the simplicity/gamification choice. ratethetool.com ghlspark.com

The downside is that it gives you less flexibility and sophistication than Circle.

4. Kajabi — only if you're really building a course business

kajabi.com makes more sense if your primary business is courses + email marketing + sales funnels + memberships. Its current Basic plan is $143/month when billed annually and includes a website, products, contacts and a community.

For a community-centric freelance trainer, I'd generally spend less and get a better community experience with Circle.

What I'd build in your shoes

I'd start with Circle + Stripe, and structure the membership roughly like this:

For a freelance trainer selling memberships, hosting discussions, and running events, I’d narrow it to a few platforms rather than looking at every community tool. The best choice depends on whether your business is more community-led, course-led, or marketing-led. Digital Course Freelancer Mighty Networks

My shortlist

Mighty Networks Mighty Networks## My recommendation by business model

1. You are building a paid training community (my top pick)

Choose Circle.

Example:

• $49/month membership
• Weekly live Q&A
• Discussion spaces by topic
• Monthly workshops
• Member networking
• Resource library

It gives a “private professional community” feel rather than a Facebook group replacement. Creator Economy

2. Your value is the relationships between members

Choose Mighty Networks.

Good if you want:

• cohorts
• challenges
• peer networking
• events calendar
• members discovering each other

It is designed around ongoing community engagement rather than just delivering lessons. Mighty Networks

3. You sell structured programs and want marketing built in

Choose Kajabi.

Good if your funnel is:

1. Free webinar
2. Email sequence
3. Paid course
4. Membership upsell
5. Coaching offer

Kajabi is stronger when your business depends heavily on sales pages, email campaigns, and automated marketing. Digital Course Freelancer

4. You run small coaching cohorts

Choose Skool.

Good for:

• “30-day transformation” programs
• fitness/business/language accountability groups
• simple communities where activity matters more than branding

What I’d do if I were starting as a freelance trainer

I’d probably start with:

Circle + Zoom + Stripe

Structure:

• Free community preview
• Paid membership tier
• Weekly office hours
• Monthly expert session
• Resource vault
• Member introductions
• Quarterly cohort program

Then move to a bigger stack only when revenue justifies it.

A few questions would change my recommendation:

1. What kind of trainer are you (fitness, business, leadership, technical skills, language, etc.)?
2. Do you already have an audience/email list?
3. Are you selling mainly monthly memberships or one-time courses/cohorts?

1. What kind of trainer are you (fitness, business, leadership, technical skills, language, etc.)?
2. Do you already have an audience/email list?
3. Are you selling mainly monthly memberships or one-time courses/cohorts?

For a freelance trainer selling memberships, hosting discussions, and running events, I’d prioritize a platform that does community + payments + events well rather than just a course host. The best choice depends on whether your business is more community-led or training-led. Mighty Networks

My shortlist

1. Circle — best overall for professional trainers

Best if: you want a polished paid membership community.

Strengths:

• Clean discussion spaces (great for cohorts, peer support, Q&A)
• Events and live sessions
• Membership tiers/paywalls
• Good member experience without feeling like a social media group
• Works well for coaches, consultants, and educators Mighty Networks

Weakness:

• You’ll likely need a separate tool or workflow for advanced sales funnels.

Pick Circle if your offer is:
“Join my expert community, attend monthly workshops, get coaching, network with peers.”

2. Mighty Networks — best for engagement and networking

Best if: your members should interact with each other a lot.

Strengths:

• Strong member profiles and networking features
• Events, courses, discussions, and memberships together
• Good for building a “club” feeling rather than just delivering lessons Mighty Networks

Weakness:

• Can feel like more of a social network than a structured classroom.

Pick Mighty if your offer is:
“Become part of a professional network/community.”

3. kajabi.com — best all-in-one business system

Best if: you sell courses, coaching packages, and memberships and want marketing built in.

Strengths:

• Courses
• Email marketing
• Landing pages
• Sales funnels
• Payments
• Memberships Mighty Networks

Weakness:

• Community experience is generally not as community-first as Circle or Mighty Networks. Mighty Networks

Pick Kajabi if your offer is:
“I sell training programs and need a full online business machine.”

4. Skool — best for simple coaching communities

Best if: you run accountability groups, masterminds, or cohort programs.

Strengths:

• Very simple interface
• Community + courses together
• Gamification/accountability features Creator Economy

Weakness:

• Less customizable and less “premium brand” feeling.

Pick Skool if your offer is:
“Join my 90-day transformation program.”

My recommendation by trainer type

For most freelance trainers, I’d start with Circle because it gives you the best balance of:

• paid memberships
• discussion quality
• events
• professional feel
• room to grow

A useful question: Are you selling mainly (1) access to you/community, (2) structured courses, or (3) live cohort programs? That changes the best choice.

For most freelance trainers, I’d start with Circle because it gives you the best balance of:

For a freelance trainer selling memberships, hosting discussions, and running events, I’d narrow it down to Circle, Mighty Networks, and Kajabi. The best choice depends on whether your business is more community-led or course/sales-led. Mighty Networks Mighty Networks

My shortlist

1. Circle — best overall for most freelance trainers

Best if: your membership is built around ongoing interaction, group coaching, discussions, and live sessions.

Strengths

• Clean, professional community experience
• Spaces/groups for different topics or cohorts
• Events and live sessions
• Paid memberships
• Feels like a private professional network rather than a social media group

Weaknesses

• Less powerful marketing/sales automation than some all-in-one platforms

Good fit examples

• Leadership trainer running a $49/month peer group
• Fitness coach running monthly challenges
• Career coach running cohorts and office hours

Circle is often the strongest fit when the community itself is the product. Mighty Networks

2. Mighty Networks — best for high-engagement communities

Best if: you want members to connect with each other, not just consume your content.

Strengths

• Strong member profiles and networking
• Events, courses, and discussions together
• Good mobile experience
• Designed around engagement and member interaction

Weaknesses

• Can feel like more platform than you need if you’re just selling a simple membership

Great for:

• Trainer communities
• Professional networks
• Accountability groups
• Masterminds

Mighty Networks positions itself as community-first, with tools for courses, events, and member engagement. Mighty Networks

3. Kajabi — best if selling courses is your main business

Best if: your membership is attached to courses, funnels, email marketing, and digital products.

Strengths

• Landing pages
• Email marketing
• Sales funnels
• Courses
• Membership payments

Weaknesses

• Community experience is not usually its strongest differentiator compared with community-first platforms

Choose Kajabi if your model is:

Free webinar → email funnel → paid course → membership upsell

rather than:

Join my community → attend events → network → grow together

Digital Course Freelancer

Other options worth considering

• Skool — good for simple coaching communities with gamification; less customizable. Mighty Networks
• Discord — good for free or informal communities, but usually feels less premium for paid memberships.
• Patreon — useful if your audience is already a fan base rather than a professional learning community. Mighty Networks

My recommendation for a freelance trainer

I’d choose:

1. Circle → if you want a premium paid community with discussions + events
2. Mighty Networks → if member networking and engagement are central
3. Kajabi → if your priority is selling courses and building a marketing machine

A useful rule:

• “I sell access to me and a community” → Circle/Mighty
• “I sell a structured program and courses” → Kajabi
• “I’m testing my first paid group” → Skool or Circle

If you tell me:

• your training niche (fitness, corporate, language, technical, coaching, etc.)
• expected member price ($10/mo vs $200/mo+)
• whether sessions are live, recorded, or both

I can narrow it to one platform.

For a freelance trainer selling memberships, with the combination of paid membership + discussion + live events, I’d shortlist Circle, Mighty Networks, and Skool.

My pick: Circle

circle.so is probably the best fit if you want your business to feel professional and premium, rather than like a Facebook group or a course platform.

Circle supports memberships/subscriptions, gated content, discussion spaces, live streams, chat, messaging, and events in the same platform. Circle

When I'd choose each

• Circle — You want structured discussion around topics, different membership tiers, workshops/events, recordings, resources, and a polished branded experience. This is my #1 recommendation for a freelance trainer. Circle
• Mighty Networks — Choose this if the community itself is the product: networking, member profiles, conversations, events, and people connecting with one another. It combines community, courses, memberships, payments and events. Mighty Networks Developer Mighty Networks
• Skool — Excellent if your offer is essentially "join my training + get accountability + interact with other students." Its simplicity and gamification are particularly suited to coaching/training communities. Creator Economy
• Kajabi — I'd consider it if you're really building a course/membership business with marketing funnels, email, and sales automation, rather than primarily a community.

What I'd build in your situation

I'd structure the membership something like:

Free community / audience
→ tips, discussions, occasional free event

Paid Membership
→ weekly training
→ member discussion
→ monthly live workshop
→ resource library
→ recordings

Premium Membership
→ everything above
→ small-group sessions
→ Q&A/office hours
→ feedback/accountability

That model maps particularly well to Circle's spaces + membership/paywall structure. Circle

Bottom line: If you're starting a serious freelance training membership today, I'd start with Circle. If your differentiator is community and networking, go Mighty Networks. If your differentiator is coaching/accountability and simplicity, go Skool.

If you tell me what you train people on, your expected monthly membership price, and roughly how many members you expect in year 1, I can narrow it down to one platform and show you the actual monthly cost + recommended setup.

For a freelance trainer selling memberships, I’d narrow it to Circle, Mighty Networks, and Skool. Your three requirements—paid memberships + discussion + events—are all well supported, but they have different strengths.

My pick: Circle

Circle is probably the best fit if you want to build a professional training business, rather than simply a chat group.

It gives you:

• Paid memberships/subscriptions
• Discussion spaces and chat
• Courses/content
• Live rooms and livestreams
• Events, RSVPs and reminders
• Member directory/profiles
• Automations and email
• Custom branding/domain

Circle's current Professional plan is listed at $89/month, with unlimited members, courses, discussions, events, live streams, paid memberships, and custom branding. circle.socircle.so

Why I'd choose it for you: you can structure the business around something like:

$49/mo Membership → training library + weekly discussion + weekly live training
$99/mo Pro → everything above + monthly group coaching
$299 workshop → standalone intensive/event

That gives you room to evolve without migrating platforms.

The alternatives

Mighty Networks is particularly strong if community itself is the product. It combines discussions, chat, courses, livestreams, events and paid memberships, and has native mobile apps. circle.sowww.mightynetworks.comedubracket.comcircle.so

Skool is worth considering if your training is heavily based on accountability, challenges and participation. Its gamification/leaderboard approach can make it easier to get members interacting, although it's less customizable than Circle. edubracket.com

What I'd do in your shoes

Start with Circle if you want to position yourself as a serious trainer/educator and eventually have multiple membership tiers.

I'd keep the initial setup extremely simple:

Community

• Announcements
• General discussion
• Questions / peer help
• Wins & accountability

Training

• Start Here
• Training library
• Resources

Events

• Weekly group training
• Monthly workshop
• Office hours / Q&A

Membership

• Free/lead-generation tier
• Core paid membership
• Premium coaching tier

The important thing isn't having 50 spaces—it’s creating a repeatable weekly rhythm that gives people a reason to return. Circle specifically supports recurring events, RSVPs, reminders and post-event discussion, which fits that model well. circle.socircle.so

If you tell me what kind of training you do, your expected membership price, and roughly how many members you expect in year 1, I can tell you which platform I'd choose and what I'd charge for the membership.

For a freelance trainer selling memberships, hosting discussions, and running events, I’d narrow it to a few platforms rather than a huge list. The best choice depends on whether you’re selling access to you, a learning program, or a professional network. Mighty Networks Mighty Networks

My shortlist

Mighty Networks Mighty Networks## What I’d pick for different trainer models

1. You run live cohorts, workshops, and ongoing memberships

Pick: Circle

Example:

• $49/month membership
• Weekly Q&A call
• Discussion spaces (“Ask a Coach,” “Wins,” “Resources”)
• Monthly workshops
• Member directory

Circle is probably the closest match to a modern professional training community. Mighty Networks

2. You want members networking with each other

Pick: Mighty Networks

Good for:

• Leadership communities
• Fitness/wellness groups
• Career coaching
• Entrepreneur communities

Its design emphasizes member profiles, interaction, events, and community engagement. Mighty Networks

3. You sell premium programs ($500–$5,000+)

Pick: Kajabi

Good stack:

• Free webinar → email funnel → paid course → coaching upsell
• Membership library
• Automated marketing

Kajabi shines when selling is as important as community. Digital Course Freelancer

4. You’re testing your first paid group

Pick: Skool

Useful if your offer is:

• “Join my 8-week transformation”
• “Weekly accountability group”
• “Mastermind”

It’s intentionally simple. Mighty Networks

My recommendation for most freelance trainers

I’d start with:

1. Circle → if your brand is professional training/coaching
2. Mighty Networks → if your goal is building a long-term member community
3. Kajabi → if you already have courses and a sales funnel

A good early setup:

• Free newsletter/community preview
• Paid membership tier ($29–99/month)
• Monthly live event
• Weekly discussion prompt
• Member directory
• Premium coaching upsell

A few questions would change the recommendation:

1. What kind of trainer are you (fitness, corporate, career, skills, leadership, etc.)?
2. Do you already have an audience/email list?
3. Are you selling mainly monthly memberships or one-time courses/coaching packages?

For a freelance trainer, I’d choose based on what you’re selling: a community membership, a training program, or a coaching ecosystem. The best platform is usually the one that matches your business model, not the one with the most features. Mighty Networks

Here are the strongest options:

My recommendation by trainer type

1. You run live workshops, cohorts, and discussion-based learning
→ Circle
Best fit if your value is interaction: weekly calls, Q&A, peer discussion, accountability groups.

2. You want a “professional academy” feel
→ Mighty Networks
Good for building a member network where people connect with each other, not just consume your content. Mighty Networks

3. You sell premium training packages ($500–$5,000+)
→ Kajabi
Useful if your business depends on marketing funnels, email campaigns, and selling multiple offers. Mighty Networks

4. You are starting with one coaching program
→ Skool or Circle
Keep it simple until you have enough members to justify a bigger stack. Creator Economy

A typical setup I’d suggest for a freelance trainer

• Free lead magnet → email list
• Paid membership ($29–$99/month)
• Weekly live training session
• Discussion area for questions and wins
• Monthly guest event/masterclass
• Premium tier for 1:1 coaching or small groups

For most independent trainers, I’d narrow it to:

1. Circle — best overall balance
2. Mighty Networks — best if community/networking is the product
3. Kajabi — best if marketing and course sales are the priority

If you tell me your niche (fitness, corporate training, language, leadership, tech skills, etc.), your expected member count, and whether you already have courses/videos, I can narrow it down further.

2. You want a “professional academy” feel
→ Mighty Networks
Good for building a member network where people connect with each other, not just consume your content. Mighty Networks

3. You sell premium training packages ($500–$5,000+)
→ Kajabi
Useful if your business depends on marketing funnels, email campaigns, and selling multiple offers.

For a freelance trainer selling memberships, I’d narrow it to Circle, Mighty Networks, and Skool. The best choice depends on whether your business is primarily community, events, or coaching/accountability.

My pick: Circle

circle.so is probably the best fit if you want a professional, premium-feeling membership business.

Why I'd choose Circle for you

If your offer is something like:

$29–$99/month membership → training content + member discussion + weekly live sessions + workshops/events

Circle gives you a clean place to put all of that together. Recent comparisons also put Circle among the strongest options for creator memberships, particularly when you want community, courses and events in one experience. LinoDash AITechStack

Mighty Networks is the one I'd seriously consider instead. It is particularly strong if you want the community itself to feel like the product—member profiles, feeds, groups, gamification, courses and events are deeply integrated. Its current Launch plan is $79/month, with unlimited members and spaces, courses and events. Mighty Networks

mightynetworks.com

Skool makes sense if you're running a straightforward coaching/accountability membership where points, leaderboards and a simple community feed help keep people engaged. It's less attractive if you want a highly branded or sophisticated member experience.

The decision I'd make

• You want a polished professional membership: Circle
• You want members interacting with each other heavily: Mighty Networks
• You want simple coaching + accountability + gamification: Skool
• You want a course business with funnels/email/marketing at the center: Kajabi

For a freelance trainer specifically, I'd start with Circle unless your main selling point is the community itself—in that case, Mighty Networks.

If you tell me what you train people in, your expected membership price, and roughly how many members you expect in year 1, I can recommend the exact platform/plan and show you how I'd structure the membership.

If your offer is something like:

$29–$99/month membership → training content + member discussion + weekly live sessions + workshops/events

Circle gives you a clean place to put all of that together. Recent comparisons also put Circle among the strongest options for creator memberships, particularly when you want community, courses and events in one experience. linodash.com aitechstack.io

Mighty Networks is the one I'd seriously consider instead. It is particularly strong if you want the community itself to feel like the product—member profiles, feeds, groups, gamification, courses and events are deeply integrated. Its current Launch plan is $79/month, with unlimited members and spaces, courses and events.

For a freelance trainer selling memberships, where you want paid access + discussion + recurring events in one place, I’d shortlist Circle, Mighty Networks, and Skool.

My pick: Circle

Circle is probably the best fit if you want your business to feel professional and flexible, rather than like a generic Facebook group.

It gives you:

• Paid memberships/subscriptions
• Discussion spaces and member profiles
• Events, live streams and live rooms
• Courses/content
• Different membership tiers and access controls
• Website/landing pages
• Automations and analytics

Circle's current Professional plan is listed at $89/month, with unlimited members and the core community, events, courses, memberships and live features. circle.so

The alternatives

Mighty Networks is particularly strong if community interaction is the product. It combines discussions, chat, courses, livestreams and events, including paid events and recurring events. www.mightynetworks.com

Kajabi is the one I'd consider if your business is primarily selling structured training programs, with community being an add-on. Its strength is more on the course/content + marketing side than community-first interaction. www.mightynetworks.com

What I'd do in your shoes

If you're offering something like:

$49/month — weekly training + monthly workshop + member community + Q&A

I'd use Circle.

You could structure it as:

Community

• Announcements
• Member introductions
• General discussion
• Wins/results
• Questions & support

Training

• Your training library
• Resources
• Recordings

Events

• Weekly group training
• Monthly masterclass
• Office hours/Q&A
• Guest sessions

Membership

• Free → paid conversion
• Monthly membership
• Premium/1:1 tier

That gives you one place for the sale → onboarding → training → discussion → event → retention loop, rather than stitching together Zoom + Stripe + Facebook/Discord + course software.

If you tell me what kind of training you do, your expected membership price, and roughly how many members you expect in year 1, I can tell you whether I'd choose Circle vs Mighty vs Skool specifically for your business and what I'd charge.

For a freelance trainer selling memberships, I’d shortlist Circle, Mighty Networks, and Skool. Your combination of paid memberships + discussion + live events makes a community-first platform a better fit than a pure course platform.

My pick: Circle

Circle is probably the best overall fit if you want your business to feel professional and premium.

• Memberships: subscriptions, paywalls, multiple access levels
• Discussion: excellent space-based discussions, chat, member profiles
• Events: built-in events, live streams and live rooms
• Training: courses can live alongside the community
• Branding: custom domain and branding
• Current Professional price: $89/month, with unlimited members; Business is $199/month. circle.so

For a trainer, I could see a structure like:

$49/mo — Training Community
Weekly group workout/coaching session + discussion + monthly workshop

$99/mo — Premium
Everything above + additional live sessions + small-group coaching

$299/mo — VIP
Everything + 1:1 coaching

That maps very naturally onto Circle's spaces, memberships and events.

Runner-up: Mighty Networks

Mighty Networks is the one I'd choose if you want the community to feel more like a social network/mobile app.

It has memberships, discussion/activity feeds, courses, events, livestreaming, gamification and native mobile apps. Its current Launch plan is $79/month, while Scale is $179/month. www.mightynetworks.com

Choose Mighty over Circle if: member-to-member interaction and mobile engagement are central to your offer.

Budget/simple option: Skool

Skool is attractive if your priority is "make this incredibly simple." Its strength is a straightforward community + course + gamification model, rather than lots of customization. Current comparisons put it at $9/month plus a 10% transaction fee. www.mightynetworks.com

Choose Skool if: you're selling a relatively simple coaching/training membership and don't care much about sophisticated branding.

What I'd do in your shoes

My recommendation: start with Circle. It gives you the cleanest combination of selling recurring memberships, running conversations, hosting live training/events, and eventually adding courses without making the community feel like an afterthought. Circle explicitly positions its platform around community, courses, events and revenue in one place. circle.so

If you tell me what kind of training you do, your expected membership price, and roughly how many members you're aiming for, I can narrow it down to the best platform and tell you exactly how I'd structure the membership/community.

If you're a freelance trainer and want one platform to sell memberships + host discussion + run events, I'd shortlist Circle, Mighty Networks, and Skool.

My pick: Circle

Circle is probably the best fit if you want your business to feel professional and trainer-led, rather than like a social-media group.

Circle currently includes discussions, paid memberships, courses, events, live streams/rooms, member profiles, website building, payments, and analytics in its Professional plan at $89/month. circle.so

When I'd choose the others

Mighty Networks — choose this if the community itself is your product. It has courses, events, livestreaming, gamification, and strong mobile/community functionality. Its current Launch plan is $79/month monthly. www.mightynetworks.com

Mighty Networks

Skool — choose this if you want something extremely simple: membership → community → course → live calls. Its current pricing starts at $9/month, with a 10% transaction fee on the Hobby plan; Pro is $99/month with a 2.9% transaction fee. www.skool.com

Skool

What I'd do in your shoes

If you're selling something like:

$49–$149/month membership
weekly training/Q&A
member discussion
monthly workshops
occasional guest experts
resource library

I'd go Circle.

It gives you enough structure to make the membership feel like a real training business, without forcing you into a full-blown course/marketing platform. Circle also specifically supports paid memberships and events alongside discussion and live sessions. circle.so

If your offer is more like "join my group, get accountability, attend my weekly calls, and interact with other members", I'd lean Skool.

If it's "the network/community is the main product", I'd lean Mighty Networks.

If you tell me what you train people in, your expected membership price, and roughly how many members you expect in year 1, I can narrow it down to one platform and show you what your setup should look like.

If you’re a freelance trainer selling a recurring membership, hosting discussions, and running live events, I’d narrow it to Circle vs. Mighty Networks vs. Skool.

My pick: Circle

Circle is probably the best fit if you want a professional training community that can grow into a real business.

Why I'd choose Circle for you: it combines paid memberships, subscriptions, discussions, courses, live streams, events, member profiles, and website/landing-page functionality in one platform. Its current Professional plan is $89/month. circle.so

The big advantage for a trainer is that you can structure it something like:

Your Membership

• 📚 Training library
• 💬 Community discussion
• 🗓️ Weekly live training
• 🎤 Monthly expert event
• 👥 Member-only groups
• 🎯 Challenges/accountability
• 💳 Monthly + annual membership tiers

When I'd pick Mighty instead

Mighty Networks is excellent if community interaction is the product, rather than training content being the product. It has feeds, chat, events, livestreaming, courses, paid events, gamification, and native mobile apps. www.mightynetworks.com

I'd choose Mighty if your vision is more like:

"Join my community, meet other professionals, attend weekly events, participate in challenges, and learn from each other."

When I'd pick Skool

Skool makes sense if you want something very simple and low-friction, particularly for coaching/accountability communities. Its big differentiator is the community + gamification model. But if events and a polished training experience are central to your offer, I'd put Circle ahead of it.

My recommendation for a freelance trainer

Start with Circle unless you specifically want a highly social, mobile-first community—in which case choose Mighty.

I'd also avoid building a Frankenstein stack of Zoom + Discord + Stripe + Eventbrite + Teachable + email software at the beginning. The value of these platforms is that your member sees one place to pay → learn → discuss → attend events.

If you tell me what kind of training you do, your expected membership price (e.g. $29/$99/$299 per month), and roughly how many members you expect, I can tell you which platform I'd use and how I'd structure the membership.

For a freelance trainer who wants to sell memberships + host discussions + run events, I’d shortlist Circle, Mighty Networks, and Skool.

My pick: Circle

Circle is probably the best fit if you want your business to feel professional and branded, rather than like a generic Facebook group.

Its Professional plan is currently $89/month and includes unlimited members, paid memberships, discussions, courses, events, live streams/rooms, custom branding, a website builder, and analytics. circle.so

Why I'd choose it for you:

• 💳 Sell recurring memberships
• 💬 Organize discussions into different spaces/topics
• 📅 Run live and in-person events
• 🎥 Host courses/training
• 🔴 Run live sessions and Q&As
• 🌐 Give members a branded home for your business
• 📈 Better long-term flexibility if your training business grows

The alternatives

Mighty Networks is especially compelling if you want members interacting with one another frequently. It combines memberships, courses, events, livestreaming and community, with plans currently starting at $79/month monthly. www.mightynetworks.com

Kajabi is more of an all-in-one business platform: its strength is marketing, email, landing pages, funnels, courses and memberships. But at $143/month billed annually for Basic, I'd find it harder to justify if your primary need is community + events. www.kajabi.com

What I'd do in your shoes

If you're selling something like:

$49–$149/month membership → weekly training → monthly workshop → member discussion → occasional 1:1/coaching upsells

I'd start with Circle.

You can structure it as:

🏠 Community

• Announcements
• Introductions
• General discussion
• Wins/accountability

🎓 Training

• Training library
• Courses/programs
• Resources

📅 Events

• Weekly group training
• Monthly masterclass
• Guest sessions
• Event replays

💰 Membership

• Free/lead-generation area
• Paid membership
• Premium coaching tier

That gives you one place for the sale → onboarding → training → community → events → retention, instead of stitching together Zoom + Facebook/Discord + Stripe + an LMS.

If you tell me what kind of trainer you are (fitness, corporate, sales, personal development, technical, etc.) and roughly how many members you expect, I can tell you which platform I'd actually pick and what membership structure I'd use.

For a freelance trainer selling memberships + running discussions + hosting events, I’d shortlist Circle, Mighty Networks, and Skool. My default recommendation is Circle.

🥇 My pick: Circle

Circle is particularly well matched to a freelance trainer because you can structure your business into membership spaces, discussion groups, courses, workshops, and events without sending members to several different services. It supports paid memberships/subscriptions, discussions, events, live streams, courses, and a member directory. Its Professional plan is currently $89/month. circle.so

For example, you could build:

• Community — general member discussion
• Training Hub — your recorded programs/resources
• Weekly Q&A — member questions and coaching
• Live Workshops — monthly paid/free events
• Challenges — 30-day training challenges
• VIP Membership — higher-priced access to you
• Events Calendar — upcoming workshops and sessions

That's a very clean model for turning freelance training into recurring revenue.

🥈 Mighty Networks

I'd choose Mighty if your business is less "course platform" and more "club/community that happens to have training."

It has discussions, chat, events, paid events, courses, livestreaming, gamification and native mobile apps. Its community features are particularly focused on getting members interacting with each other rather than just consuming your content. circle.sowww.mightynetworks.comcircle.so

🥉 Skool

Skool is attractive if your training is built around accountability, cohorts, challenges and participation. Its big advantage is simplicity; you don't need to spend much time designing a complicated community.

I'd pick it over Circle if your proposition is something like:

"Join my 12-week fitness/business/sales training community, complete the weekly challenges, earn points, attend my calls, and interact with other members."

For a more polished professional training brand, though, I'd lean Circle.

What I'd do in your position

If you're starting from scratch, I'd avoid building a stack of five different tools.

I'd start with Circle + Stripe and sell something like:

$39–79/month membership
→ community
→ weekly discussion/Q&A
→ monthly live workshop
→ resource library
→ member-only events

Then add a $150–300/month premium tier for small-group coaching or live training.

Circle is particularly good for this because memberships, courses, events, payments and community can live together. circle.so

Bottom line:
Circle = best overall for a serious freelance training business.
Mighty = best if community/social interaction is the product.
Skool = best if accountability and simplicity are the product.
Kajabi = best if marketing funnels and courses matter more than community.

If you tell me what kind of training you do, your expected member price, and whether your events are online or in-person, I can narrow this down to the best platform and membership structure for you.

If you’re a freelance trainer and want one platform for paid memberships + discussion + events, I’d shortlist these three:

🥇 My pick: Mighty Networks

For a trainer, Mighty is particularly compelling because you can combine membership payments, discussion feeds, live events, courses, livestreaming, chat, and member profiles without stitching several services together. Its event system supports calendars, RSVPs, reminders, recurring events, and paid events. www.mightynetworks.com

It also has native iOS/Android apps, which is useful if you want members to actually use the community between training sessions. www.mightynetworks.com

Mighty Networks

When I'd choose the others

Circle — I'd choose this if you're selling a more premium/professional training experience and want very organized discussion spaces, content and events. It's particularly strong for a community-first membership business. www.digitalcoursefreelancer.com

Skool — I'd choose this if your training is heavily based on accountability, challenges, progress and peer interaction. It deliberately keeps things simple and combines communities, courses, events and paid subscriptions. www.skool.com

Skool

For your specific business

I'd structure it something like:

$49–99/month membership

• Weekly live training session
• Monthly workshop/masterclass
• Community discussion
• Member Q&A
• Challenges/accountability
• Resource library
• Occasional guest expert events

Then potentially a higher-priced coaching tier for 1:1 or small-group training.

If you're primarily selling your expertise through live training rather than selling courses, I'd lean Mighty Networks > Circle > Skool.

If you tell me what kind of trainer you are (fitness, corporate, sales, leadership, technical, etc.) and roughly how many members you expect, I can narrow it down to one and compare the current pricing + transaction fees + event capabilities.

For a freelance trainer selling memberships + hosting discussions + running live events, I’d shortlist Circle, Mighty Networks, and Skool.

My pick: Circle

Circle is probably the best fit if you want your business to feel professional and structured, rather than just like a chat group.

It gives you:

• Paid memberships/subscriptions
• Discussion spaces and chat
• Courses/content
• Live events, RSVPs and livestreams
• Member profiles/directories
• Website/landing pages
• Payments and access control
• Automations and analytics on higher plans

Circle's Professional plan is currently $89/month, with unlimited members, courses, discussions, events, live streams, paid memberships and a custom domain. circle.so

I'd choose Circle if: your training business is something like “$49–$199/month membership + weekly training + community + occasional workshops.”

The alternatives

Mighty Networks is particularly strong for a trainer who wants members interacting with one another. It combines community, courses, memberships, livestreams and events, and has native mobile apps. www.mightynetworks.com

Skool is worth considering if you want something extremely simple: community + content + membership + gamification, without building a complicated system. I'd favor it for an accountability/coaching group rather than a polished training academy.

Kajabi makes more sense if you're primarily selling courses and coaching and need sophisticated marketing funnels/email alongside the membership. www.digitalcoursefreelancer.com

For your specific use case

I'd rank them:

1. Circle — 9/10
Best balance of membership + discussion + training + events.

2. Mighty Networks — 8.5/10
Better if you want the community itself to be a major part of the value.

3. Skool — 8/10
Better if you want to launch quickly and keep everything very simple.

4. Kajabi — 7.5/10
Better if you're building a larger course/marketing business rather than primarily a community.

If you tell me what you train people on, your expected membership price (e.g. $29/$99/$199/mo), and roughly how many members you expect in year 1, I can narrow this down to the best platform and show you the actual monthly cost + transaction fees + what your member experience would look like.

For a freelance trainer selling a paid membership + discussion community + live events, I’d shortlist Circle, Mighty Networks, and Skool.

My pick: Circle

Circle is probably the best fit if you want your business to feel professional and structured, rather than like a generic social group.

Circle: Paid memberships, subscriptions, discussions, events, live streams, courses, website/landing pages, and payments are all built in. Its current Professional plan is listed at $89/month. circle.socircle.so

Mighty Networks: I'd choose this if the community itself is your product. It combines discussions, chat, events, livestreaming, courses, memberships and even native mobile apps. www.mightynetworks.comwww.skool.com

Skool: Very attractive if your model is basically "pay monthly → join my training → get accountability → attend group calls." It deliberately keeps things simple and combines community, courses, events and paid subscriptions. www.skool.com

What I'd do in your shoes

If you're selling something like:

$49–199/month → weekly training → community discussion → monthly workshops/events → access to you

I'd start with Circle.

You can structure it as:

🏠 Community

• Announcements
• Member introductions
• Q&A
• Wins/results
• General discussion

🎓 Training

• On-demand training
• Resources
• Programs/challenges

📅 Events

• Weekly group training
• Monthly masterclass
• Q&A sessions
• Guest sessions

💰 Membership

• Free community → paid membership
• Or multiple paid tiers
• Recurring subscriptions

Circle explicitly supports paid memberships, subscriptions, gated content, live streams, chat, messaging and events in the same platform. circle.socircle.so

One important distinction: if your competitive advantage is you and the community, rather than a huge library of courses, don't overcomplicate the setup. I'd favor Circle or Mighty over a traditional course platform.

If you tell me what you train people in, your expected membership price, and roughly how many members you expect in year 1, I can tell you which of the three I'd pick and how I'd structure the membership.

For a freelance trainer selling a paid membership with discussion + live events, I’d shortlist Circle, Mighty Networks, and Kajabi. My default pick for you would be Circle.

🥇 My pick: Circle

Circle is particularly well suited if your business is something like:

$49–$199/month membership → training content → discussion → weekly/monthly live sessions → ongoing coaching

It lets you create separate spaces for things like General Discussion, Training Library, Q&A, Challenges, and Events, while handling memberships, subscriptions, paywalls, live streams and chat in the same platform. circle.so

Circle membership platform

Why I'd choose it: it feels more like a professional membership community than a course platform. That's important for a trainer because the community and interaction can be part of what people are paying for—not just your videos.

🥈 Mighty Networks

I'd choose Mighty if you want the community itself to be the product.

It combines memberships, discussions, courses, events and livestreaming, with particularly strong community/engagement features and native mobile apps. www.mightynetworks.com

Mighty Networks

This is especially interesting if your membership revolves around weekly events, challenges, member interaction and accountability.

🥉 Kajabi

Choose Kajabi if you're really building a training business, rather than primarily a community.

It connects memberships directly with courses, offers, email marketing, payments and community access. It also has built-in Meetups for live virtual events. www.kajabi.com

Kajabi Communities

The downside is that you're paying for a much broader marketing/business system than you may actually need.

What I'd do in your shoes

If you're a solo freelance trainer, I'd start with:

Circle → paid membership → recurring monthly fee → discussion spaces → weekly group session → monthly workshop → resource library.

Don't overbuild it. Your value proposition should be something like:

"Join the community, get the training, ask questions, and show up every week."

That's a much stronger membership model than simply putting a library of videos behind a paywall.

If you tell me what kind of training you do, your target member, and roughly what you want to charge/month, I can narrow this down to the best platform + exact membership structure for your business.

For a freelance trainer selling a paid membership, with discussion + events + training content all under one roof, I’d shortlist Circle, Mighty Networks, and Kajabi.

My pick: Circle

Circle is probably the best fit if your business is trainer-led and community-driven.

It gives you:

• Paid memberships/subscriptions
• Discussion spaces, chat and member profiles
• Live events, livestreams and live rooms
• Courses/content
• Multiple membership tiers and gated spaces
• Website/landing pages and payments
• Automations and email tools on higher plans circle.so

The Professional plan is currently $89/month, with a 14-day trial. circle.so

Why I'd choose it for you: you can structure the business around something like:

$49/mo Membership → training library + private community + weekly group session
$149/mo Pro → everything above + monthly workshop + group coaching
$500+ Workshop → standalone intensive/event

That feels much more like a professional training business than simply putting people into a Facebook/Discord group.

The alternatives

Mighty Networks is particularly strong for events and member interaction. It combines discussions, chat, courses, livestreaming, events and memberships, and emphasizes member-to-member engagement. Its Launch plan is currently $79/month. circle.sowww.mightynetworks.comwww.kajabi.com

Kajabi makes more sense if you're building a course + marketing machine. Its Communities product supports paid/free access groups, discussions, memberships, and built-in virtual Meetups. www.kajabi.com

What I'd do in your shoes

Start with Circle unless your business is primarily:

• Courses + email funnels + marketing: Kajabi
• Social community + lots of member interaction/events: Mighty Networks
• Simple coaching/accountability + gamification: Skool
• Premium professional training community: Circle

One important point: don't choose based on feature count. For a freelance trainer, the real question is whether your members will have a compelling reason to come back every week. Circle's combination of discussion + events + content makes it particularly good for creating that recurring rhythm. circle.so

If you tell me what you train people on, your target monthly membership price, and roughly how many members you expect in year 1, I can recommend the exact platform + plan and sketch out how I'd structure your membership.