Discourse vs Circle
Community Platforms pricing comparison · 2026
Discourse pricing ranges from $0–$500/month, while Circle ranges from $89–$199/month. Circle is typically 20% more affordable, though your actual cost depends on tier and team size.
Discourse
Discourse is a powerful, open-source discussion platform built for modern communities that
verified 6d ago
$400
$699
Circle
Circle is an all-in-one community platform designed for creators, coaches, and businesses
verified 13d ago
$400
$699
Verdict · Vendr median · year 1
Discourse
saves
$299
vs
Circle
· 25 seats
Cheapest
$400
Spread
43%
Estimated license cost
at 25 seats
List price × seats. Click a tier below to lock it.
Business
$150K/yr
year 1 license · $500/seat
Business
$60K/yr
year 1 license · $199/seat
What buyers actually pay
median, annual
Vendr deal-flow data. The real benchmark, not list price.
↓ Lowest median
Median annual
$400/yr
Vendr · n=86
Median annual
$699/yr
Vendr · n=339
REF · 01
Sources & confidence
Every dollar amount and contract clause below traces back to a sourced fact. We don't manufacture composite scores.
Where this data comes from
Vendr · TrustRadius · Reddit · BBB · official docs
Sources
6 sourced facts
2 hidden-cost · 1 contract · Vendr median · 2 review platforms
Last verified
6d ago
Confidence
Medium confidence
Sources
1 sourced fact
Vendr median
Last verified
1w ago
Confidence
Medium confidence
REF · 02
Plans at a glance
Every tier per product. Lock one to drive the cost row above and reveal a tier-specific outbound CTA.
Tier ladder
Click a tier to lock the cost row to it. Locking surfaces a tier-specific Visit CTA.
REF · 05
What users say
Aggregated, with sample sizes. We use whichever review platform has data.
User reviews
TrustRadius · Trustpilot · G2
Decide
Get a quote from each vendor
Each link opens the vendor's pricing page in a new tab.
License cost is computed from publicly listed plans (real math, list price × seats).
Median annual cost is from Vendr's deal flow when available — see source badges.
Hidden costs and contract terms each cite their own sources. We do not invent composite scores.
VS
Discourse and Circle both operate in the community platforms category. This page compares their list pricing.
Plan-by-Plan Pricing
| Plan | Discourse | Circle |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free /user/month | $89 /user/month |
| Pro | $100 /user/month | $199 /user/month |
| Business | $500 /user/month | Custom |
| Enterprise | Custom | — |
Market Intelligence
Discourse
- Median annual cost
- $400
- Based on
- 86 deals
Circle
- Median annual cost
- $699
- Based on
- 339 deals