Overview
Comparison of four community platforms designed for different audiences: Substack (content creators), Circle (membership communities), Skool (learning communities), and Zoho CommunitySpaces (enterprise organizations).
Platform-at-a-Glance Comparison
| Feature | Substack | Circle | Skool | Zoho |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Focus | Content publishing | Community engagement | Learning + community | Enterprise collaboration |
| Best For | Writers, creators | Membership + courses | Cohort-based learning | B2B, organizations |
| Pricing | Free to start | $49-200+/mo | $9-99/mo | Custom/enterprise |
| Community Hub | Notes + Chat | Spaces + Chat | Community feed | Discussion spaces |
| Courses | ❌ None | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ None |
| Live Streaming | ✅ Substack Live | ✅ Yes | ✅ Skool Call | ✅ Yes |
| Gamification | ❌ Limited | ✅ Points/leaderboards | ✅ Points/leaderboards | ✅ Badges/leaderboards |
| Mobile Apps | ✅ Native | ✅ Native Circle | ✅ Native | ✅ White-label |
| Payment Processing | ✅ Built-in | ✅ Built-in | ✅ Built-in | ✅ Built-in (0% fees) |
| White-Label | ❌ No | ❌ Limited | ❌ No | ✅ Complete |
| Integrations | ⚠️ Limited | ⚠️ Limited | ⚠️ Zapier only | ✅ API + MCP |
| Knowledge Base | ❌ No | ⚠️ Limited | ⚠️ Limited | ✅ Full KB |
| Enterprise Scale | ❌ No | ⚠️ Limited | ❌ No | ✅ 10K+ members |
| Transaction Fees | Yes (varies) | 4% (Basic) | Included | 0% ✅ |
Detailed Comparison
Growth & Discovery Mechanisms
Substack
- Algorithm-driven discovery (evolving constantly)
- Recommendations system (exponential reach)
- Notes as viral growth engine
- Livestreaming as guaranteed reach (notifications)
- Requires outside-platform network building
Circle
- Community-centric engagement
- Member network within space
- AI agents assist with moderation
- Less algorithm-driven, more direct engagement
- Inbound through member invitations
Skool
- Community-first feed
- Gamification drives participation
- Peer-to-peer learning motivation
- Member directory for discovery
- Cohort-based accountability
Zoho
- Organizational recommendation systems
- Partner portals for network expansion
- Branded discovery (within organization)
- Role-based visibility
- Integration with business systems
Content Creation & Distribution
Substack
- Essays: Long-form, credibility-building
- Notes: Short-form, visual-mandatory
- Video: Livestreaming and highlights
- Format: Written content + visual evolution
- Strategy: Multi-surface consistency required
Circle
- Posts: Threaded discussions
- Courses: Integrated with community
- Events: Webinars and live calls
- Resources: Library system
- Strategy: Course + community bundling
Skool
- Community posts: Feed-based
- Courses: Simple structure with lessons
- Classroom: Native video hosting
- Events: Calendar + Skool Call livestreaming
- Strategy: Learning + accountability
Zoho
- Discussions: Threaded Q&A
- Knowledge Base: Searchable articles
- Events: Webinars and meetings
- Multimedia: Document management
- Strategy: Organizational knowledge consolidation
Monetization & Revenue Models
Substack
- Model: Subscription only
- Revenue Split: Platform takes cut (variable)
- Strength: Direct subscriber relationship
- Strategy: Platform-native audience converts 4x better than external
- Best For: Direct subscriber monetization
Circle
- Model: Subscription + membership + courses
- Transaction Fee: 4% on Basic, varies higher
- Strength: Integrated checkout, branded experience
- Flexibility: Multiple revenue streams
- Best For: Hybrid membership + course model
Skool
- Model: Membership + courses + events
- Cost: Lowest entry ($9/mo), simple model
- Strength: Affordable, includes core features
- Flexibility: Multiple monetization options
- Best For: Budget-conscious creators
Zoho
- Model: Subscription + premium features
- Transaction Fee: 0% on paid subscriptions ✅
- Strength: Zero take-rate on revenue
- Best For: Organizations maximizing revenue retention
Community Engagement Quality
Substack
- Engagement Type: Network effects through recommendations
- Quality: Depth through comments and Chat
- Scale: Growing toward mainstream saturation
- Strength: Genuine network building
- Limitation: Algorithm-dependent visibility
Circle
- Engagement Type: Multi-dimensional (posts, chat, events, courses)
- Quality: AI workflows reduce friction
- Scale: 15,000+ communities, proven at scale
- Strength: Community-centric design
- Limitation: Requires active moderation
Skool
- Engagement Type: Community-first with gamification
- Quality: Peer-to-peer learning and accountability
- Scale: Growing, particularly in coaching niches
- Strength: Simplicity drives participation
- Limitation: Fewer advanced features
Zoho
- Engagement Type: Organizational collaboration
- Quality: Role-based, moderated discussions
- Scale: Enterprise-grade (1K-10K+ members)
- Strength: Structured, professional environment
- Limitation: Less organic/social feel
Ideal User Profiles
Substack Creator
- Independent writers and creators
- Newsletter monetization focus
- Content-first strategy
- Interested in audience building
- Network effects over course sales
Circle Member
- Membership creators with multiple income streams
- Course bundling desired
- Want feature-rich platform
- Need community tools + educational content
- Willing to manage more complexity
Skool Creator
- Coaches and course creators
- Cohort-based program leaders
- Budget-conscious builders
- Simplicity priority
- Community + learning hybrid
Zoho Administrator
- Enterprise organizations
- Multi-stakeholder engagement (customers, partners, employees)
- White-label requirement
- Integration into business systems
- Revenue retention priority
Feature Deep Dives
Knowledge Management
Substack: ❌ No built-in knowledge base
Circle: ⚠️ Resource libraries within courses
Skool: ⚠️ Searchable community content only
Zoho: ✅ Full knowledge base + document management
Winner for knowledge-heavy communities: Zoho
Courses & Learning
Substack: ❌ None
Circle: ✅ Full course builder, integrated with community
Skool: ✅ Simple course builder, native video hosting
Zoho: ❌ None (discussion/KB only)
Winner for course integration: Circle (more advanced) or Skool (simpler)
Live Streaming
Substack: ✅ Substack Live (auto-clips to Shorts)
Circle: ✅ Native streaming
Skool: ✅ Skool Call (up to 10K participants)
Zoho: ✅ Native video conferencing
Winner for streaming scale: Skool (10K capacity)
Automation & AI
Substack: ❌ Minimal
Circle: ✅ AI agents for moderation and member support
Skool: ❌ None
Zoho: ✅ Automated workflows, moderation
Winner for automation: Circle
White-Labeling
Substack: ❌ Platform branding always visible
Circle: ⚠️ Limited customization
Skool: ❌ Native Skool app only
Zoho: ✅ Complete white-label (domain, mobile apps, UI)
Winner for white-label: Zoho
Integration Ecosystem
Substack: ⚠️ Limited (YouTube Shorts integration)
Circle: ⚠️ Limited (needs external email marketing)
Skool: ⚠️ Zapier/webhooks only
Zoho: ✅ API + MCP, integrates with Zoho ecosystem
Winner for integration: Zoho
Selection Matrix
”I’m a Creator Monetizing Writing”
→ Substack
- Focus: Content publishing + subscriber monetization
- Strength: Built-in audience discovery, livestreaming
- Note: Platform-native audience converts 4x better
”I Have Courses I Want to Sell”
→ Circle or Skool
- Circle: More advanced features, AI automation
- Skool: Simpler, cheaper, faster to launch
- Both: Integrate courses with community
”I’m Running a Learning Community”
→ Skool (simpler) or Circle (more features)
- Skool: Cohort-based, gamification, $9 entry
- Circle: Multi-stream engagement, AI support
”I’m a Corporate/Enterprise Community”
→ Zoho CommunitySpaces
- Strength: White-label, 0% fees, enterprise scale
- Use: Customer communities, partner portals, internal knowledge
”I Need Simplicity & Low Cost”
→ Skool ($9/mo)
- Includes: Community, courses, events, gamification
- Trade-off: Fewer integrations, less white-label
”I Need Maximum Features”
→ Circle
- Includes: Community, courses, events, AI agents, streaming
- Trade-off: Higher cost ($49+/mo)
“I Need Multi-Model Approach”
→ Substack + Circle/Skool
- Use Substack for content distribution/audience building
- Use Circle/Skool for monetized community
Platform Evolution & Roadmap Signals
Substack: Moving visual/mainstream, evolving algorithm
Circle: Expanding AI automation, community-first features
Skool: Adding native streaming, video hosting, marketplace
Zoho: Deepening enterprise integrations, compliance features
Common Pitfalls & How to Avoid
Selecting Wrong Platform for Goal
- Risk: Investing in feature-heavy platform when simplicity needed
- Solution: Match complexity level to your needs (Skool simple, Circle mid, Zoho complex)
Underestimating Moderation Needs
- Risk: Community quality degradation without active moderation
- Solution: Use Circle’s AI agents or Zoho’s moderation workflows
Over-Reliance on Single Revenue Stream
- Risk: Platform algorithm changes (Substack) or member churn
- Solution: Diversify (membership + courses + events)
Ignoring Integration Needs Early
- Risk: Building on Skool then needing integrations
- Solution: Plan integration needs upfront; Zoho best for complex integrations
Not Planning for Scale
- Risk: Outgrowing platform limitations
- Solution: Choose based on projected scale (Zoho handles 10K+; others at 1-5K)
Migration Considerations
Moving between platforms is difficult. Key before committing:
- Data Ownership: Can you export member data? (Circle: limited, Zoho: better)
- Member Lock-in: Can members follow you? (Substack: portable, others: not)
- Content Portability: Can you take courses/content out? (Circle: difficult, Skool: easier)
Summary Decision Framework
| Your Priority | Best Choice | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| Content monetization | Substack | Circle |
| Course + community bundling | Circle | Skool |
| Learning cohorts | Skool | Circle |
| Enterprise engagement | Zoho | Circle |
| Budget | Skool | Substack |
| Feature completeness | Circle | Zoho |
| Revenue control | Zoho | Circle |
| Simplicity | Skool | Substack |
| Mobile experience | Circle/Skool | Substack |
| Community culture | Circle | Substack |
Final Recommendation
Start with audience: Build on Substack (free, discoverable)
Then add monetization: Layer Circle or Skool for courses/membership
Enterprise scale: Move to Zoho when organizational needs emerge
Or choose single platform based on your primary motion:
- Writing monetization → Substack
- Membership business → Circle
- Cohort learning → Skool
- Enterprise community → Zoho