How much does Circle cost and is there a free trial?

Updated

Circle offers a free trial, and you can start it from the "Start free trial" link on circle.so. For actual plan prices, the site points to its pricing page at circle.so/pricing. The homepage itself does not list specific dollar amounts, so the exact cost depends on the plan you choose there. Circle is positioned as an all-in-one platform for community, events, and courses under your own brand, which means the plan you pick should match the features and scale you need.

What the site confirms about cost and trial

  • Free trial: Yes. The homepage includes a "Start free trial" call to action, so you can evaluate the platform before committing.
  • Pricing page: The site links to circle.so/pricing for plan details. That is the place to check current numbers, since the homepage does not publish them.
  • No price figures on the homepage: The homepage describes capabilities rather than listing tiers or rates, so any specific cost has to come from the pricing page.

What affects what you pay

Because Circle bundles several products into one platform, the plan you need depends on what you are running:

What you're doing Features the site highlights
Community engagement Discussions, messaging, member directory, personalized feed, gamification, analytics
Courses and events Courses, events, live streams
Branding and mobile Customization, branded iOS & Android apps with push notifications
Automation and scale Circle AI, AI agents, AI summaries, workflows, integrations, APIs & headless

The site notes that branded apps let you "earn more by launching your own branded app for iOS and Android," which suggests mobile branding is a value-add tied to higher-tier use rather than a baseline expectation. Treat branded apps and advanced AI/automation features as things to confirm against the pricing page, since the homepage does not state which plan includes them.

How to decide

  1. Start the free trial from the homepage to test the core community, course, and event features.
  2. Check circle.so/pricing for current plan prices and what each tier includes.
  3. Match the plan to your needs — if you want a branded mobile app, AI agents, or API access, verify those are covered at the tier you're considering before you commit.
  4. Confirm billing details on the pricing page, since the homepage does not state payment methods or contract terms.

Common sticking points

  • Assuming the homepage price is the full story. It isn't — the homepage markets the platform, and pricing lives on a separate page.
  • Overlooking feature tiers. Branded apps, AI, and integrations may sit in higher plans, so a cheaper tier might not include what you want.
  • Skipping the trial. Since a free trial is offered, using it before paying is the simplest way to check whether the platform fits your community, courses, and events.

For the exact current cost, go to circle.so/pricing and start the free trial from circle.so to test it against your own use case.