The digital education sector is booming, especially since the pandemic has shifted learning online. Platforms like Kajabi are now key tools for course creators and influencers to share their knowledge on the web. However, there's a relatively new player in town — Skool, which is grabbing the attention of independent creators and small business owners.
As a follower of digital creator Evelyn Weiss and a consumer of her content, I've been intrigued by her excitement for Skool. Despite her frequent mentions, I didn't fully understand the buzz. Motivated by curiosity and my respect for Weiss, I've explored what makes Skool stand out. In this article, I hope to clear up any confusion about Skool, compare it to big names like Kajabi, and highlight who could benefit most from this fresh platform. Let's dive in!
Founded by Sam Ovens and invested in by Alex Hormozi, Skool is making waves within the e-learning community with its promise to be "the fastest, most profitable way to launch and scale your digital business." The platform boasts a suite of tools designed to empower creators to launch, grow, and monetize their educational products with ease.
Skool's interface and branding are laser-focused on a younger demographic, perhaps appealing to a more modern and tech-savvy creator base. If you're someone who appreciates aesthetics and modern design philosophy, Skool might pull you in with its slick user interface and marketing materials.
One notable aspect of Skool is its "Gamified" approach. This involves rewarding students for their engagement, with badges, points, levels, and even the chance to win physical prizes. This is a stark departure from more traditional eLearning environments that focus solely on content delivery and assessment.
As one user notes, "I've been using it for two years now, and it's seriously fantastic, especially if you're a coach, consultant, or into online courses. Sam Ovens really nailed it with this one. Skool's layout is clean and super user-friendly, and they've got this cool gamified engagement thing going on. If you're selling courses or subscriptions, it's like a dream platform."
In a head-to-head comparison with Kajabi, the industry leader with over 35,582 live stores running on the Kajabi platform, Skool shows promise but also has some growth areas. Skool's platform is built around the concept of Membership Sites, which are treated more like communities than just a repository for videos and documents. This integration with gamification and community-building tools is a strong incentive for course creators looking to drive engagement.
Unlike Kajabi, Skool tends to not focus as heavily on the sales funnel side of online business, which is a critical aspect for any serious digital entrepreneur. Kajabi's robust features for email marketing, lead generation tools, and customizable pipelines cater to a more business-oriented creator.
Both Skool and Kajabi offer templates to get you started, but Kajabi's seem to have a more extensive range to suit various styles and needs. This can be a significant competitive advantage for Kajabi users who want to quickly customize and launch their sites without requiring additional design work.
Skool centralizes its offerings into four main features: Community for group interactions similar to social media, Classroom for course delivery and progress tracking, Calendar for scheduling events, and Leaderboards to encourage engagement through gamification.
Kajabi offers a more intricate setup with five categories: Website for online presence, Products for creating digital courses, Sales to package and price courses, Marketing for tools like email automation, and People for customer management, acting as an integrated CRM.
Skool caters to beginners seeking an easy-to-use teaching platform, while Kajabi targets experienced creators and small businesses needing comprehensive content creation, marketing, and sales tools.
Skool offers a straightforward pricing of $99/month with unlimited access to features, courses, and members, including a 14-day free trial for risk-free exploration. Kajabi's pricing varies with three plans: Basic at $149/month, Growth at $199/month, and Pro at $399/month, catering to different business needs with varying features like automation and 24/7 support. Both platforms provide a 14-day trial, making it essential to consider budget and business requirements when choosing between them.
Skool is ideal for creators who are looking to establish an immersive learning community. The platform excels in its ability to incentivize student engagement, encourage interaction, and create a sense of belonging. This is particularly beneficial for educators who want to foster a strong, interactive learning environment and those creating courses with a strong coaching or mentoring angle.
The gamification aspect may also appeal to those who are looking to motivate their students and foster competition in a friendly and constructive manner. If you want to make learning fun and engaging, Skool's features might resonate with your teaching philosophy.
Another strong suit of Skool is its simplicity; the platform is designed to be intuitive and straightforward, with a lower learning curve than some of the other more complex competitors. This is a boon for educators who want to focus on content creation and student interaction rather than grappling with a steep technology learning curve.
The decision to move to a new platform like Skool depends on your individual needs and goals. If you're an educator or influencer who values community building and engagement above all else, Skool's unique offerings might be worth exploring.
However, if you're a business-focused course creator, you might find Kajabi's strengths more aligned with what you're looking for. Kajabi's robust sales and marketing tools can help you reach a wider audience and drive sales effectively, which are areas Skool is still developing.
For those just starting or not fully committed to their course creation but looking to jump into the growing industry, Skool could be a low-risk entry point. Its straightforward setup and community-focused tools might help you test the waters and understand better the needs of an online educational community.
Overall, the decision to join the Skool ecosystem is a personal one that should reflect your teaching style, business goals, and the preferences of your audience. It's an exciting time for the Ed-Tech industry, and new platforms like Skool will continue to innovate, ultimately providing more options and better experiences for both creators and learners alike.
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Amanda Olson is an award-winning designer and web developer with over 20,000 hours of experience in websites, design, and online marketing.
