Looking for a Skool alternative? You're not alone. Every week, creators reach out to us asking the same question: "Is there something better than Skool for building a real creator business?" The short answer is yes—we built BTS specifically for creators who want more than what Skool offers. But let us be upfront: we're not writing a fake "top 10 alternatives" listicle where we pretend to be objective and then recommend ourselves at the end. We ARE the alternative, and we're going to tell you exactly why we built it.
BTS is where creators turn content and community into real businesses. We built this platform because the creator economy is fragmented, and most creator platforms—including Skool—optimise for transactions, not ownership. If you've ever felt like you're renting your business instead of owning it, you're in the right place.
In this article, we'll walk you through why creators leave Skool, what we built instead, and how to decide if BTS is right for you. No fluff, no sales pitch—just honest insights from a team that's helped 1,600+ creators build something they own.
Why Creators Leave Skool
We talk to creators every day who've outgrown Skool or hit its limitations. After thousands of conversations and migrations, we've identified the core reasons why serious creators start looking for alternatives.
Limited Customisation Kills Your Brand
The biggest pain point we hear: Skool's classroom-style interface doesn't let you build a distinct brand. Every Skool community looks basically the same—same layout, same fonts, same energy. When you're building a creator business, your brand IS your business. Looking like a generic online course portal from the early 2000s doesn't exactly scream "premium experience."
From our experience: Creators who've built strong personal brands on social media feel constrained when their paid community looks identical to everyone else's. Your audience follows YOU—they deserve an experience that reflects your unique voice and aesthetic.
The Fragmentation Problem
Here's what usually happens: A creator starts with Skool for community, then adds ConvertKit for email, Stripe for payments, Calendly for coaching calls, Vimeo for video hosting, and suddenly they're managing six different tools that don't talk to each other.
Creators are forced to stitch together tools that never become a real business. Each platform owns a piece of your audience, a piece of your data, a piece of your revenue. You're not building a business—you're building a Frankenstein monster of subscriptions.
Ownership Concerns
Skool's discovery ecosystem is a double-edged sword. Yes, it can help new communities get found. But it also means your hard-won members are constantly being shown "suggested communities"—essentially, your competitors. You brought your audience; why should the platform advertise alternatives to them?
Most creator platforms optimise for transactions, not ownership. They want creators dependent on their ecosystem, not building independent businesses that could exist anywhere.
The Design Gap
Let's be honest: Skool looks functional, not beautiful. For education-focused creators selling premium content, design matters. Your community should feel like a natural extension of your brand, not a step down from your polished Instagram or YouTube presence.
What We Built Instead
When we started BTS, we asked ourselves a fundamental question: What would creator business infrastructure look like if we built it from scratch in 2024, with no legacy baggage?
Our Philosophy: Infrastructure, Not Just Another Tool
BTS is the creator business infrastructure. We're not a community platform, we're not a course platform, we're not a marketplace. We're the foundation you build your entire creator business on.
Think of it this way: Skool gives you a classroom. BTS gives you the entire building—designed exactly the way you want it.
What we've learned: The most successful creators don't just monetise content; they build systems. They create businesses with structure, momentum, and scalability. That requires infrastructure, not just features.
Modern, Brand-Forward Design
Unlike Skool's classroom-style interface, BTS is designed to look and feel like a modern brand. Your community should match the quality of your content. We obsess over design because we know your audience judges your business by how it looks and feels.
Our recommendation: When evaluating any platform, ask yourself: "Would I be proud to send my best followers here?" If the answer isn't an enthusiastic yes, that's a red flag.
Everything in One Place
Everything runs behind the scenes in one space. Content, community, courses, coaching, payments, analytics—it's all integrated. No more juggling six platforms. No more manual data exports. No more wondering which tool owns your customer relationships.
BTS gives creators one place to build something they own. Your audience data, your revenue, your content—it all lives in your business, not scattered across the internet.
The Tradeoffs We Made
We're not trying to be everything to everyone. Here's what we consciously decided:
- We don't have a discovery marketplace. We believe your audience is YOURS. We don't advertise other creators to your members.
- We focus on structure and momentum, not algorithms. Your growth comes from your content and community, not from gaming a feed.
- We prioritise serious creators. BTS is not for hobbyists or casual experimenters. It's for creators ready to build something real.
BTS is not a social network or a marketplace. We don't find customers for you—that's not our job. You bring your audience; we help you turn them into a real business.
BTS vs Skool: Honest Comparison
Let's be fair and specific about how we compare to Skool. We have strengths; they have strengths. Here's our honest assessment:
| Feature | Skool | BTS | Our Take |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Pricing** | $9-99/month + transaction fees | Free Starter, Pro from $149/month | Skool is cheaper upfront; our Pro tier has lower transaction fees (3.5% vs their 2.9-10%) |
| **Design Customisation** | Limited—all communities look similar | Extensive—build a unique brand | This is where we win decisively |
| **Discovery/Marketplace** | Built-in community discovery | None—your audience stays yours | Depends on what you want; we prefer ownership |
| **Course Features** | Basic—simple course structures | Comprehensive—multiple formats | We offer more flexibility |
| **Community Features** | Strong—gamification, leaderboards | Strong—modern, engaging design | Both solid; different approaches |
| **Integrations** | Limited native integrations | Growing ecosystem | Skool is more closed; we're more extensible |
| **Getting Started** | Very quick—simple setup | Quick—most launch in a day | Both are fast to start |
Our honest assessment: Skool is excellent for creators who want a simple, affordable community-first platform and don't mind looking like every other Skool community. BTS is better for creators who want to build a distinct brand and need infrastructure that scales with their business.
Where Skool Wins
- Price for beginners: Their $9/month Hobby plan is hard to beat if you're just testing the waters
- Built-in discovery: If you have no audience, their marketplace might help you find members
- Simplicity: Fewer options means faster decisions
Where We Win
- Design and branding: No contest—your business looks like YOUR business
- Ownership: Your audience stays yours; no competing suggestions
- Extensibility: More payment options, more content formats, more integrations
- Support: We provide hands-on creator success support with real humans
Other Alternatives Worth Considering
We're not the only Skool alternative, and depending on your needs, other platforms might serve you better. Here's our honest take:
Circle ($89-419/month)
Circle is a solid community platform with robust features. It offers more customisation than Skool and strong course capabilities. However, Circle feels like back-office software, where BTS feels like a modern, public-facing creator business. Circle is excellent if you're comfortable with a more technical setup and don't mind the enterprise-y feel.
Best for: Creators who want powerful community features and don't mind a steeper learning curve.
Whop (Free + 3% commission)
Whop is powerful and popular, especially in the trading and "make money online" niches. Their pricing model is creator-friendly for beginners. However, Whop is powerful but complex; BTS is designed for creators who want simplicity and momentum. If you're selling access to Discord groups or digital products, Whop might be great. If you're building a creator business with courses, community, and coaching, you might find it overwhelming.
Best for: Creators selling digital products and Discord access, especially in finance/crypto niches.
Kajabi ($149-399/month)
Kajabi is the enterprise solution—robust, feature-rich, and built for serious course creators. It's also expensive and can feel like learning enterprise software. Kajabi is enterprise software for course creators; BTS is infrastructure for creator businesses. If you need complex marketing automation and don't mind complexity, Kajabi delivers.
Best for: Established course creators who need advanced marketing automation.
Patreon (5-12% + fees)
Patreon is the OG creator monetisation platform, and it's still great for what it does—recurring support from fans. But Patreon monetises content, while BTS helps creators build a real business. If you just want tip jar functionality, Patreon works. If you want to build something more substantial, you'll outgrow it quickly.
Best for: Creators who want simple recurring support without building a full business.
Is BTS Right for You?
Let's be direct about who BTS is—and isn't—for.
BTS Is Perfect For You If:
- You have an existing audience of 10,000+ followers on social platforms
- You have a clear value-niche—you're known for something specific
- You want to build a real business, not just monetise content
- Design and branding matter to you—you want your business to reflect your quality
- You're ready to commit—this isn't a side hustle experiment
If a creator has an audience but no structure, BTS is the answer. We've helped 1,600+ creators build businesses, paying out over $1.4 million to our community.
When Skool Might Actually Be Better:
We'll be honest—sometimes Skool is the right choice:
- You're just starting and want the cheapest possible option to test an idea
- You don't have an audience yet and want to leverage their discovery marketplace
- Simplicity over customisation is your priority
- You don't need advanced features—just basic community and courses
There's no shame in starting with Skool and upgrading later. Many of our creators did exactly that.
How to Decide
Ask yourself these questions:
- Do I have an audience ready to buy? If yes, you need infrastructure, not discovery.
- Does my brand matter? If yes, you need customisation Skool can't offer.
- Am I building a business or testing an idea? Building = BTS. Testing = maybe start with something cheaper.
- Do I want to own my audience data? If yes, avoid platforms with marketplace dynamics.
Making the Switch from Skool
If you're ready to migrate from Skool to BTS, here's what to expect.
What Transfers Easily
- Your members: We help you invite and transition your existing community
- Your content: Courses, posts, and content can be migrated
- Your payment relationships: Members can transition their subscriptions
- Your pricing: Set up identical (or better) pricing tiers
What You'll Need to Recreate
- Community design: You'll actually get to design it this time—that's a feature, not a bug
- Gamification settings: Our engagement tools work differently; you'll set them up fresh
- Integrations: Any third-party connections will need reconfiguring
Timeline Expectations
Most creators launch within a day. Our onboarding is designed for speed without sacrificing quality. Here's a typical migration timeline:
- Day 1: Set up your BTS space, configure design, import content
- Day 2-3: Test everything, invite beta members
- Day 4-7: Announce to your community, guide members through transition
- Week 2+: Full operation, iterate based on feedback
How We Help
Migration isn't just a feature—it's a service. Our creator success team has helped hundreds of creators transition from Skool, Patreon, Teachable, and other platforms. We provide:
- Migration planning: We'll map out exactly what moves and how
- Technical support: Real humans helping with real problems
- Launch strategy: Best practices for communicating the switch to your audience
- Post-migration check-ins: Making sure everything's working smoothly
Get Started Free
Here's the part where we'd usually give you a hard sell. But that's not how we operate.
BTS offers a free Starter plan. No credit card required. No time limit. You can launch a real creator business and start earning without paying us a dime.
What You Can Do on the Free Plan:
- Create and host courses
- Build your community space
- Accept payments from members
- Access core analytics
- Get started with real revenue
The Starter plan has a 10% transaction fee—competitive with Skool's Hobby plan. When you're ready to scale, our Pro plan drops that to 3.5% + $0.30 per transaction for $149/month.
Our philosophy: Prove we're worth it before you pay for it. If you can build a business on our free plan, imagine what you can do with Pro.
No Risk to Try
- Free to start: Launch without spending anything
- Fast to set up: Most creators are live in a day
- Easy to migrate later: Start on Starter, upgrade when it makes sense
You bring your audience. We help you turn them into a real business.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does BTS cost?
BTS offers a free Starter plan with a 10% transaction fee—you can launch and earn without paying us anything upfront. Our Pro plan is $149/month with a 3.5% + $0.30 transaction fee, designed for creators ready to scale. The math usually favours Pro once you're earning consistently.
Is BTS free to use?
Yes! Our free Starter plan lets you launch a complete creator business. You only pay when you earn, through the transaction fee. Upgrade to Pro when the lower fees and additional features make financial sense for your business.
What makes BTS different from other creator platforms?
We're creator business infrastructure, not just another monetisation tool. Everything runs behind the scenes in one place—content, community, courses, payments, analytics. We focus on ownership, design, and structure rather than algorithms and discovery marketplaces.
Can I migrate my existing members to BTS?
Absolutely. We've helped hundreds of creators migrate from Skool, Patreon, Teachable, and other platforms. Our team provides hands-on migration support to ensure your members transition smoothly without losing access or disrupting their experience.
How long does it take to set up BTS?
Most creators launch within a day. Our onboarding is designed for momentum—get you earning quickly without weeks of configuration. You can have a fully functional creator business live in hours, not months.
Does BTS take a percentage of my earnings?
Yes, like most platforms. Our Starter plan has a 10% transaction fee (competitive with Skool's Hobby tier). Pro members pay 3.5% + $0.30 per transaction, plus the $149/month subscription. Check our pricing page for the full breakdown.
What kind of support does BTS offer?
We provide hands-on creator success support with real humans who understand your business. Not just ticket systems—actual conversations about strategy, migration, and growth. Our support is consistently rated as one of our biggest strengths.
Can I use my own domain with BTS?
Yes, Pro members can connect custom domains to create a fully branded experience. Your audience visits yourbrand.com, not a generic subdomain. This is part of our focus on ownership and brand-forward design.
Is BTS better than Skool?
It depends on your needs. We built BTS for creators who want to own their business infrastructure and build a distinct brand. Skool has strengths too—it's simpler, cheaper to start, and has built-in discovery. If you prioritise customisation, ownership, and design, BTS is likely better. If you want cheap and simple, Skool might work.
Can I use both BTS and Skool?
Some creators do run multiple platforms, but most find BTS handles everything they need in one place. Running parallel communities splits your audience and creates extra work. We'd recommend picking one and going all-in, whether that's us or Skool.
What payment methods does BTS support?
We support all major payment methods through our integrated payment processing. Credit cards, debit cards, and more—with payouts in 1-5 days globally (same-day in the US). We cover most regions except Africa, Spain, Venezuela, North Korea, Iran, and Russia.
Can I offer free trials to my members?
Yes! BTS supports free trials for subscription offerings, letting potential members experience your content before committing. It's a proven strategy for increasing conversions.
Does BTS have mobile apps?
Your members can access their content and community from any device through our responsive web experience. We prioritise the experience working beautifully everywhere your audience wants to engage.
What types of content can I create on BTS?
BTS supports multiple content formats: courses, community posts, coaching sessions, live events, and more. We're designed to be flexible—you're not locked into one format like pure course platforms or pure community tools.
How do I get started with BTS?
Visit our website and sign up for a free Starter account. You'll be guided through setup—choose your design, configure your space, add content, set pricing, and launch. Most creators complete this in a few hours and are earning within their first week.
Key Takeaways
- Skool is a solid starting point, but many creators outgrow its limited customisation and generic design
- BTS is creator business infrastructure, not just another community or course platform
- We focus on ownership and brand—your audience stays yours, and your business looks like YOUR business
- Migration is straightforward with our hands-on support team guiding you through the process
- Start free on our Starter plan and upgrade when the math makes sense for your business
About the Author
The BTS Team is the Product Team at BTS, the creator business infrastructure company. We've helped 1,600+ creators build real businesses, paying out over $1.4 million to our community since launching in 2024.
We write about the creator economy, business infrastructure, and what it takes to build something you actually own. If a creator has an audience but no structure, BTS is the answer.
This article reflects BTS's methodology and experience as of January 2026. For current pricing and features, visit our website.