Skool vs Discord: Fees, Features and What You Keep
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Short answer
Creating a Discord server is free. Paid Server Subscriptions are US-only: Discord lists 6% processing on desktop/browser then a 10% platform fee on the remainder. Skool charges USD 9 a month plus 10% + USD 0.30 (Hobby) or USD 99 plus 2.9% + USD 0.30 (Pro), with processing included. Skool includes courses and live calls; Discord is a chat server with optional paid roles.
On this page 7 sections
At a glance
| Plan | Skool HobbyUSD 9/moVisit site (opens in new tab) | Lowest fees at USD 5kSkool ProUSD 99/moVisit site (opens in new tab) | Discord Server Subscriptions (US, desktop)USD 0/moVisit site (opens in new tab) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platform fee | 10.0% + USD 0.30 | 2.9% + USD 0.30; 3.9% + USD 0.30 (txn ≥ USD 900) | 6% then 10% of remainder (desktop) |
| Card processing | Included in platform fee | Included in platform fee | Included in platform fee |
| Cost to open a community | Hobby USD 9/mo or Pro USD 99/mo | Hobby USD 9/mo or Pro USD 99/mo | Yes (USD 0 to create a server) |
| Platform fee on paid memberships | Hobby 10% + USD 0.30; Pro 2.9% + USD 0.30 (3.9% + USD 0.30 above USD 900) | Hobby 10% + USD 0.30; Pro 2.9% + USD 0.30 (3.9% + USD 0.30 above USD 900) | Desktop/browser: 6% processing, then 10% of the remainder (US Server Subscriptions) |
| Who can monetize natively | Yes (Creators in Skool's supported payout countries) | Yes (Creators in Skool's supported payout countries) | Partial (Server Subscriptions: US-based owners with US banking/ID only) |
| Payment processing | Yes (Included in Skool's transaction fee) | Yes (Included in Skool's transaction fee) | Bundled into the 6% desktop rate; mobile app-store rates differ |
| Courses | Yes (Unlimited courses in the Classroom) | Yes (Unlimited courses in the Classroom) | No (No course builder on Discord's monetization pages) |
| Live calls / voice | Yes (Unlimited live calls listed on both plans) | Yes (Unlimited live calls listed on both plans) | Yes (Voice and video channels built into servers) |
| Member perk subscription (optional) | No | No | Nitro Basic USD 2.99/mo; Nitro USD 9.99/mo (member perks, not a server plan) |
| Fees at USD 5k/mo | −USD 539 | −USD 274 | −USD 770 |
| You keep at USD 5k/mo | USD 4,461 (89.2%) | USD 4,726 (94.5%) | USD 4,230 (84.6%) |
| USD 5k/mo = USD 5,000 gross from 100 one-time sales, US cards, monthly billing. Sources: www.skool.com (opens in new tab) · help.skool.com (opens in new tab) · help.skool.com (opens in new tab) · discord.com (opens in new tab) · support.discord.com (opens in new tab) · creator-support.discord.com (opens in new tab). | |||
Skool vs Discord at a glance. Prices checked 28 Oct 2026. At USD 5,000 from 100 one-time sales, US cards.
Skool Hobby
USD 9/mo
- Platform fee
- 10.0% + USD 0.30
- Card processing
- Included
- Cost to open a community
- Hobby USD 9/mo or Pro USD 99/mo
- Platform fee on paid memberships
- Hobby 10% + USD 0.30; Pro 2.9% + USD 0.30 (3.9% + USD 0.30 above USD 900)
- Who can monetize natively
- Yes (Creators in Skool's supported payout countries)
- Payment processing
- Yes (Included in Skool's transaction fee)
- Courses
- Yes (Unlimited courses in the Classroom)
- Live calls / voice
- Yes (Unlimited live calls listed on both plans)
- Member perk subscription (optional)
- No
- Fees
- −USD 539
Skool Pro
USD 99/mo
- Platform fee
- 2.9% + USD 0.30; 3.9% + USD 0.30 (txn ≥ USD 900)
- Card processing
- Included
- Cost to open a community
- Hobby USD 9/mo or Pro USD 99/mo
- Platform fee on paid memberships
- Hobby 10% + USD 0.30; Pro 2.9% + USD 0.30 (3.9% + USD 0.30 above USD 900)
- Who can monetize natively
- Yes (Creators in Skool's supported payout countries)
- Payment processing
- Yes (Included in Skool's transaction fee)
- Courses
- Yes (Unlimited courses in the Classroom)
- Live calls / voice
- Yes (Unlimited live calls listed on both plans)
- Member perk subscription (optional)
- No
- Fees
- −USD 274
Discord Server Subscriptions (US, desktop)
USD 0/mo
- Platform fee
- 6% then 10% of remainder (desktop)
- Card processing
- Included
- Cost to open a community
- Yes (USD 0 to create a server)
- Platform fee on paid memberships
- Desktop/browser: 6% processing, then 10% of the remainder (US Server Subscriptions)
- Who can monetize natively
- Partial (Server Subscriptions: US-based owners with US banking/ID only)
- Payment processing
- Bundled into the 6% desktop rate; mobile app-store rates differ
- Courses
- No (No course builder on Discord's monetization pages)
- Live calls / voice
- Yes (Voice and video channels built into servers)
- Member perk subscription (optional)
- Nitro Basic USD 2.99/mo; Nitro USD 9.99/mo (member perks, not a server plan)
- Fees
- −USD 770
Fees at real revenue levels
| Plan | You keep at USD 1,000/mo | You keep at USD 5,000/mo | You keep at USD 20,000/mo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skool Hobby | USD 885fees −USD 115 | USD 4,461fees −USD 539 | USD 17,871fees −USD 2,129 |
| Skool Pro | USD 866fees −USD 134 | USD 4,726fees −USD 274 | USD 19,201fees −USD 799 |
| Discord Server Subscriptions (US, desktop) | USD 846fees −USD 154 | USD 4,230fees −USD 770 | USD 16,920fees −USD 3,080 |
Assumes one-time sales at a USD 50 average price (so USD 1,000 = 20 sales), US cards, monthly billing, each platform's native payments. Excludes taxes, refunds and payout fees.
Change the numbers to match your business:
What you keep, by platform
Keeps the most
You keep $4,726.00 (94.5%)
Skool Pro keeps the most at $5,000.00/mo gross.
1. Skool Pro
$4,726.00 kept · 94.5%
- You keep $4,726.00
- Platform + processing $175.00
- Plan cost $99.00
Total fees $274.00 · effective fee 5.5%
Visit Skool (opens in new tab) ↗2. Skool Hobby
$4,461.00 kept · 89.2%
- You keep $4,461.00
- Platform + processing $530.00
- Plan cost $9.00
Total fees $539.00 · effective fee 10.8% · −$265.00/mo vs Skool Pro
Visit Skool (opens in new tab) ↗3. Discord Server Subscriptions (US, desktop)
$4,230.00 kept · 84.6%
- You keep $4,230.00
- Platform + processing $770.00
- Plan cost $0.00
Total fees $770.00 · effective fee 15.4% · −$496.00/mo vs Skool Pro
Visit Discord (opens in new tab)
- Skool Pro's fee tier (2.9% vs 3.9%) is chosen from your average transaction size ($900+ uses 3.9%).
Estimates only. Excludes taxes/VAT, refunds, chargebacks and payout fees unless stated. Not financial advice.
Last checked 28 Oct 2026 · Sources: skool.com/pricing, Skool payments FAQ, Discord Monetization Terms, Creator Revenue FAQ, discord.com/nitro.
What you keep at USD 990 (33 × USD 30, desktop / web)
Assumptions: no sales tax line items, no refunds, web checkout only. Thirty-three USD 30 memberships = USD 990 gross (not a round USD 1,000).
- Discord Server Subscriptions (US, desktop): 6% processing (USD 59.40) then 10% of the remaining USD 930.60 (USD 93.06) = USD 152.46 in fees. You keep USD 837.54. (Discord’s Monetization Terms Schedule 1 published example on a round USD 1,000 leaves USD 846.)
- Skool Hobby: plan USD 9 + 33 × (10% + USD 0.30) = 33 × USD 3.30 = USD 108.90 + USD 9 = USD 117.90 in fees. You keep USD 872.10.
- Skool Pro: USD 99 + 33 × (2.9% + USD 0.30) = 33 × USD 1.17 = USD 38.61 + USD 99 = USD 137.61 in fees. You keep USD 852.39.
Mobile Discord purchases use higher app-store processing rates in Schedule 1; those are not modelled here.
What each is built for
Discord is a free chat, voice and roles platform. Paid access is an optional Server Subscription sold to members (US owners only). Skool is a paid community product with a feed, classroom, calendar and live calls, sold as a free or paid group with Skool as merchant of record.
Who each fits, based on published features and pricing
This is a reading of each vendor’s published pages, not a tested recommendation.
- Discord’s published features fit communities that already live in chat/voice, especially US owners who want native paid roles, or anyone who only needs a free server.
- Skool’s published features fit creators selling a structured community plus courses and live calls, including payout countries outside the US that Skool supports.
Related
What this page doesn’t cover
It doesn’t rate moderation tools, mobile apps or discovery. Discord Server Boost pricing was not fully verified beyond Nitro’s included boosts on the Nitro page.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Discord free compared with Skool?
Creating and running a Discord server has no Discord subscription fee. Skool charges USD 9 or USD 99 a month to run a group. Charging members on Discord via Server Subscriptions is a separate, US-only product with processing and platform fees.
Can non-US creators sell Server Subscriptions on Discord?
Discord's Creator Revenue FAQ says Server Subscriptions will not be available outside the United States, and Stripe onboarding requires US banking information and identification.
What does Discord take on a USD 1,000 desktop month?
Per Monetization Terms Schedule 1: 6% processing (USD 60) then 10% of the remaining USD 940 (USD 94), leaving USD 846 if no taxes or other fees apply.
What does Skool take on USD 990 from 33 × USD 30 payments?
Hobby: USD 9 + 10% + USD 0.30 per payment → 33 × USD 3.30 = USD 108.90, plus USD 9 = USD 117.90 in fees; you keep about USD 872. Pro: USD 99 + 2.9% + USD 0.30 per payment → 33 × USD 1.17 = USD 38.61, plus USD 99 = USD 137.61; you keep about USD 852.
Does Discord include courses?
Discord's Server Subscriptions docs describe paid roles and perks inside a server. They do not list a course classroom. Skool's plans include unlimited courses, videos and live calls.
What is Discord Nitro?
Nitro Basic (USD 2.99/mo) and Nitro (USD 9.99/mo) are member perk subscriptions on discord.com/nitro. They are not required to run a free server, and they are not Skool-style creator plans.