Circle
Paid communities with cash up front and a recurring tail
- Digital Products & Funnels
- by Circle
- $49–$419/mo · 14-day free trial
- Direct program · recurring commissions
Affiliate link — we may earn a commission if you buy, at no extra cost to you. Terms verified Oct 11, 2026 against the vendor's own program page.
Quick verdict
- Best for
- Creators building a paid community who want polish without a WordPress Frankenstein
- Skip if
- Recurring starts at 10% (5% on Circle Plus) and only climbs with volume
- Skip if
- Recurring starts at 10% (5% on Circle Plus) and only climbs with volume
- Price
- $49–$419/mo (14-day free trial)
- Affiliate payout
- $100 one-time per paying customer + 10–20% recurring for life (tiered by referrals/12mo), 90-day cookie plus infinite trial-to-paid window
- The catch
- Same core risk as Skool: communities die without consistent presence
- Our rating
- 4/5 — honest take
- Last verified
- Oct 11, 2026
Our honest take
The richest hybrid we've verified: bounty plus lifetime recurring plus an attribution window that never closes. The base 10% is thin, so the real math is the $100 conversions stacking while the tail quietly accrues. If you're choosing between community platforms, run Skool for rate and Circle for durability of attribution — and tell readers the honest difference.
Who it's for
Creators building a paid community who want polish without a WordPress Frankenstein
What you get
- Community, courses, live streams, and paywalls in one product
- Spaces, events, and automations that replace a members-area plugin
- Affiliate program with actual training and office hours
Circle — questions
Is Circle legit?
Circle is a real product from Circle with its own checkout — check their current refund terms before buying. Legit ≠ worth it for you, though: weigh the cons above against where you actually are. Our score: 4/5.
Why does Make Money HQ link with affiliate links?
Because it keeps the directory free and independent. The commission comes out of the vendor's side, not your price. We'd rather be transparent and keep your trust — it's the only asset a directory has.