Circle vs Discourse: Which Should You Choose in 2026?
Both prices below were read from each vendor's own pricing page on the date shown.
Pricing side by side
| Plan | Circle | Discourse |
|---|---|---|
| tier 1 | $49/mo — Up to 100 members, organized discussion spaces, direct messaging, standard branding | $100/mo — Unlimited members and chat, custom domain, API and webhooks, 5 staff seats, 15+ plugins |
| tier 2 | $99/mo — Up to 10,000 members, online course modules, live video streaming, custom domain, zero transaction fees | $500/mo — Adds analytics, automation, events, gamification, SSO, 15 staff seats |
| tier 3 | $219/mo — Up to 100,000 members, automated workflow triggers, advanced analytics, custom profile fields | On request — 99.9% uptime guarantee, unlimited staff seats, 50+ plugins |
| tier 4 | $399/mo — Dedicated customer success manager, custom SLA, SSO, priority technical support | — |
read from both vendors' pricing pages · 23 Aug 2026 · how we verify
Choose Circle if
- Creators and brands running a paid community
Choose Discourse if
- Large communities with few moderators — members are unlimited, staff seats are the cost
- Teams that want the option to self-host later; the software is open source
Where each one disappoints
Circle
- Open support forums — pricing assumes membership revenue
Discourse
- Small teams needing SSO — it sits on the $500 tier
Compiled by Stepan Noianov from both vendors' own sites. Something wrong? Report an inaccuracy.