Who's In vs Circle
Circle is built for content creators selling online courses. Who's In Clubs is built for real-world communities — running clubs, book clubs, sports teams, hiking groups. Get membership tiers, recurring events, group messaging, and Stripe payments for $10/mo. Your members join free, no accounts required.
All features included · No credit card required
Last updated: March 20, 2026
Who's In
$10/mo • Members Free
- Club management with membership tiers — $10/mo
- Members join and RSVP — no accounts needed
- Recurring events with automatic scheduling
- Group messaging & member announcements
- Apple & Google Wallet membership cards
- QR check-in for club meetups & events
- Only 2.7% fee on paid events via Stripe
Circle
Online-First • Course-Focused • Creator Platform
- Rich online community features (forums, spaces)
- Course hosting and content gating
- Strong integrations with creator tools
- $39-$199/mo (as of March 2026, subject to change)
- Designed for online communities, not in-person clubs
- Members must create accounts to participate
- No native event scheduling for real-world meetups
- Overkill for clubs that meet in person
Circle Sells Courses.
You Run a Club.
Circle was designed for content creators who monetize online communities — think course libraries, discussion forums, and paywalled content. It's a powerful platform for that world, but it's not built for clubs that meet in real life.
Who's In Clubs is purpose-built for real-world community groups. You get membership tiers, recurring event scheduling, group messaging, club analytics, and Stripe payments — all for $10/mo. Your members never need to create an account. They just tap a link and show up.
💰 Circle starts at $39/mo for their Basic plan. Who's In Clubs is $10/mo — and your members join completely free.
What Circle Charges $39-$199/mo For
- • Community spaces & discussion forums
- • Course hosting & content gating
- • Member directory & profiles
- • Live streams & video rooms
- • Gamification & leaderboards
- • Custom branding & white-label
- • Workflow automations
- • Analytics & engagement tracking
- • Integrations (Zapier, webhooks)
- • And dozens more online community features...
Who's In Clubs: Built for Real-World Communities
- Membership tiers (free, paid, trial) — $10/mo
- Recurring events with automatic scheduling
- Group messaging & member announcements
- Club analytics — attendance, growth, retention
- Stripe payments with only 2.7% fee
- Members join via link — no accounts required
- Apple & Google Wallet passes for membership cards
- QR check-in for club meetups and events
- LinkedIn verified organizer badges
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | Who's In | Circle |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly Price | $10/mo | $39-$199/mo (as of March 2026, subject to change) |
| Transaction Fee | 2.7% on paid events only | Varies by plan + Stripe fees |
| Member Accounts Required | No — join via link | Yes — email + password |
| Built For | Real-world clubs & groups | Online creator communities |
| Recurring Event Scheduling | Native — automatic | Basic event features |
| Membership Tiers | Included — free/paid/trial | Included (paid plans) |
| Group Messaging | Included | Included (via spaces) |
| Club Analytics | Attendance, growth, retention | Engagement analytics |
| Stripe Payments | Native — 2.7% fee | Via integrations |
| Course Hosting | No | Yes — full LMS |
| Discussion Forums | No | Yes — spaces & threads |
| Content Gating | No | Yes — paywalled content |
| Live Streaming | No | Yes — native video rooms |
| WhatsApp Sharing & Alerts | Native | No |
| Apple & Google Wallet Passes | Included — digital membership cards | No |
| QR Check-In | Included — real-time multi-admin | No |
| LinkedIn Verified Badges | Included — organizer trust signals | No |
| In-Person Event Focus | Core feature | Secondary |
| Setup Time | Minutes | 1-2 hours |
| White-Label Branding | No | Yes (higher plans) |
| Workflow Automations | Basic | Advanced |
| Mobile Experience | PWA — no download | Web app + iOS app |
| Contract Required | No | Annual billing for best rate |
Who's In is Perfect For
Running Clubs
Weekly runs with recurring events and attendance tracking
Book Clubs
Monthly meetups with membership management
Sports Teams
Match scheduling, RSVPs, and team messaging
Hiking Groups
Trail events with capacity limits and waitlists
Board Game Clubs
Regular game nights with easy member invites
Music & Social Clubs
Jam sessions, open mics, and social gatherings
Selling online courses or building a content-gated community? Circle is excellent for that. Running a real-world club where people meet in person? That's exactly what Who's In Clubs was built for.
Why Club Organizers Chose Who's In Over Circle
"We tried Circle for our running club but it felt like we were forcing a course platform to do event management. Who's In Clubs does exactly what we need — recurring runs, easy RSVPs, no one needs to create an account."
Tom H.
Running Club Organizer
"Circle wanted $89/mo for features my book club will never use — courses, live streams, content libraries. Who's In is $10/mo and my members just tap a link to RSVP. It's perfect."
Rachel S.
Book Club Coordinator
"The biggest win was no member accounts. With Circle, half our hiking group wouldn't sign up because they didn't want another login. With Who's In, everyone's in instantly."
Marcus L.
Hiking Group Leader
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Who's In Clubs a good Circle alternative?▼
For real-world clubs and groups — absolutely. Who's In Clubs offers membership tiers, recurring event scheduling, group messaging, club analytics, and Stripe payments for $10/mo. Members join free with no accounts needed. If you run an in-person community (running club, book club, sports team, hiking group), Who's In Clubs is purpose-built for you. Circle is better suited for online-first communities selling courses and content.
How much does Circle cost vs Who's In Clubs?▼
Circle's Basic plan starts at $39/mo (billed annually) and goes up to $199/mo for their Business plan. Advanced plans and add-ons increase the cost further. Who's In Clubs is $10/mo flat, with a 2.7% fee only on paid events. Your members always join free. (Circle pricing as of March 2026, subject to change.)
Can my members join without creating accounts?▼
Yes — that's a core advantage. With Who's In Clubs, members tap a link to RSVP or join your club. No email/password signup, no app download, no friction. Circle requires every member to create an account with email and password before they can access anything.
Does Who's In Clubs work for online communities?▼
Who's In Clubs is designed for groups that meet in the real world. It includes group messaging and announcements, but it doesn't offer discussion forums, course hosting, or content gating. If your community is primarily online, Circle is a stronger choice. If your community meets in person, Who's In Clubs is the better fit.
Can I charge membership fees with Who's In Clubs?▼
Yes. You can create paid membership tiers with Stripe integration. Members pay through a simple checkout flow — no account creation needed. Who's In charges only 2.7% on paid transactions. You can also offer free tiers and trial periods.
What if I need both online content and in-person events?▼
Some organizers use both: Circle for online course content and community forums, and Who's In Clubs for in-person event scheduling and RSVPs. But if your primary activity is meeting in person, Who's In Clubs alone covers everything you need at $10/mo instead of $39-$199/mo.
Your Club Doesn't Need a Course Platform
Join club organizers who chose Who's In Clubs — $10/mo, members join free, built for real-world communities.
$10/mo • Members always free • Only 2.7% on paid events · All features included
