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Skool vs Substack fees
How Skool and Substack fees compare, using each vendor's public pricing. Best plan = highest net at that size.
50 members at $19.00/month
| Platform (best plan) | Gross | Platform plan + fees | Processing | Net / month | Data |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skool (Hobby) | $950.00 | $119.00 | $0.00 | $831.00 | ✓ verified |
| Substack (Paid subscriptions) | $950.00 | $95.00 | $49.20 | $805.80 | ✓ verified |
200 members at $29.00/month
| Platform (best plan) | Gross | Platform plan + fees | Processing | Net / month | Data |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skool (Pro) | $5,800.00 | $327.20 | $0.00 | $5,472.80 | ✓ verified |
| Substack (Paid subscriptions) | $5,800.00 | $580.00 | $268.80 | $4,951.20 | ✓ verified |
1,000 members at $29.00/month
| Platform (best plan) | Gross | Platform plan + fees | Processing | Net / month | Data |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skool (Pro) | $29,000.00 | $1,240.00 | $0.00 | $27,760.00 | ✓ verified |
| Substack (Paid subscriptions) | $29,000.00 | $2,900.00 | $1,344.00 | $24,756.00 | ✓ verified |
Try your own numbers in the calculator → · Full details: Skool pricing, Substack pricing.
Skool plans
| Plan | Billed annually | Billed monthly | Platform fee | Payment processing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobby | not listed | $9.00/mo ✓ verified | 10% ✓ verified + $0.30 | included in platform fee |
| Pro | not listed | $99.00/mo ✓ verified | 2.9% ✓ verified + $0.30 3.9% above $900.00 | included in platform fee |
Sources and notes
Notes
- Skool's pricing page advertises '2 months free' on yearly billing but does not state the annual price, so no annual price is shown here and the calculator uses the verified monthly price.
- Skool's fee covers card processing, so no separate Stripe fee is added.
- Skool's Help Center lists 3.9% + $0.30 for Pro payments above $900.00, while the pricing page shows only 2.9%. It is unclear which rate applies to payments between $899.00 and $900.00, so the calculator flags that case.
- Skool's Growth Boost and Discovery referrals carry a separate 30% commission, reported by a third-party review. This is not included in the calculator.
- Hobby: Listed on Skool's pricing page ('Hobby $9.00/month'); re-checked 2026-10-18.
- Payment processing: Card processing is included in Skool's fee (per Skool's Payments FAQ).
- Pro: Listed on Skool's pricing page ('Pro $99.00/month'); re-checked 2026-10-18.
Sources
- https://help.skool.com/article/86-subscriptions-faq · verified 2026-10-18 · ✓ verified
- https://www.skool.com/pricing · verified 2026-10-18 · ✓ verified
Substack plans
| Plan | Billed annually | Billed monthly | Platform fee | Payment processing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paid subscriptions | $0.00/mo ✓ verified | $0.00/mo ✓ verified | 10% ✓ verified | 3.6% + $0.30 ✓ verified |
Sources and notes
Notes
- Processing is Stripe's card fee (2.9% + $0.30) plus Stripe Billing (0.7%), or 3.6% + $0.30 per payment on US cards.
- Subscriptions bought in the iOS app may cost readers more to cover Apple's fees. This is not included.
- Payment processing: Stripe card fee of 2.9% + $0.30 plus 0.7% for Stripe Billing.
Sources
- https://support.substack.com/hc/en-us/articles/360037607131-How-much-does-Substack-cost · verified 2026-10-18 · ✓ verified
Frequently asked questions
Which keeps more at 50 members paying $19.00/month, Skool or Substack?
Skool (Hobby) keeps about $831.00 per month, versus about $805.80 for Substack (Paid subscriptions), using the best plan of each. This follows the assumptions on the method page.
Which keeps more at 200 members paying $29.00/month, Skool or Substack?
Skool (Pro) keeps about $5,472.80 per month, versus about $4,951.20 for Substack (Paid subscriptions), using the best plan of each. This follows the assumptions on the method page.
Which keeps more at 1,000 members paying $29.00/month, Skool or Substack?
Skool (Pro) keeps about $27,760.00 per month, versus about $24,756.00 for Substack (Paid subscriptions), using the best plan of each. This follows the assumptions on the method page.