Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links (for GoHighLevel). Skool pays us nothing. We give Skool the community win where it's deserved.
TL;DR — Skool wins pure community: real-time discussion, gamification (points/badges/leaderboards), clean course delivery — the engagement experience people pay for. GoHighLevel wins as a business platform: full marketing, CRM, funnels, and automation, with unlimited communities and members at ~$97/mo vs Skool's $99/mo per group. Community-first creator → Skool. Community as part of a business → GoHighLevel.
Which is better?
Skool is better if a highly engaged community is your product; GoHighLevel is better if community is one piece of a broader marketing-and-sales business. Skool was built (by Sam Ovens, 2019) around the idea that learning sticks better inside a community, and its engagement design shows. GoHighLevel is a full marketing/CRM platform that includes a community feature — so the question is whether community is the whole thing or part of the machine.
Where Skool wins
- Engagement design — real-time discussion boards, gamification (points, badges, leaderboards) that keep members active.
- Clean, simple UX — purpose-built for community + courses, minimal learning curve.
- Community "feel" — it looks and behaves like a place people want to hang out.
Where GoHighLevel wins
- All-in-one — funnels, CRM, email/SMS, booking, and automation around the community; Skool is community-only.
- Unlimited communities & members at a flat price; Skool charges per group.
- Lead capture → community pipeline — market, convert, and onboard members in one system.
- White-label / resell — agencies can offer branded communities via SaaS mode; Skool can't be resold.
The pricing quirk (decides it for multi-community creators)
Skool charges ~$99/month per group; GoHighLevel includes unlimited communities and members from ~$97/month. Run one community and they're comparable. Run three and Skool is ~$297/month for communities alone, while GoHighLevel is still ~$97/month for unlimited — plus its entire marketing platform. For anyone running multiple communities or bundling community with marketing, the math strongly favors GoHighLevel.
| Communities | Skool (~$99/group) | GoHighLevel (unlimited) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ~$99/mo | ~$97/mo (+ full platform) |
| 3 | ~$297/mo | ~$97/mo |
| 5 | ~$495/mo | ~$97/mo |
Pricing at time of writing — verify current numbers on both sites.
The honest caveat
If engagement is what your members pay for, Skool's experience is genuinely better — don't switch to GoHighLevel just to save money and end up with a less lively community. GoHighLevel's Communities feature is capable and unlimited, but Skool's discussion and gamification feel more alive. Choose GoHighLevel when the community is part of a business you also need to market and run; choose Skool when the community is the business.
Try GoHighLevel Free for 30 Days →Extended partner trial · unlimited communities + full marketing platform
Frequently asked questions
Is Skool cheaper than GoHighLevel?
Only for a single community. Skool is ~$99/group; GoHighLevel is unlimited communities from ~$97 plus the whole marketing platform.
Does GoHighLevel have communities?
Yes — groups, courses, memberships, unlimited. Capable, though Skool's engagement UX is more polished.
Which should a creator use?
Skool if the paid community/cohort is the product; GoHighLevel if you also need funnels, CRM, and automation around it.
Can I resell either?
Only GoHighLevel — branded communities via white label. Skool has no resale model.
Is there a middle path?
Some run Skool for the community and GoHighLevel for marketing/CRM. See alternatives.