Mighty Networks vs. Circle (in 2023) – Good Passive Earnings

On this weblog publish, we’re going to match two membership platforms: Mighty Networks and Circle. One has been round for years. The opposite launched extra lately.

Each are superb platforms, however as you’ll see, there are some key variations, and so they have completely different strengths and advantages. Which one could possibly be best for you?

Disclosure: This publish comprises our unbiased evaluation and suggestions that can assist you determine between Mighty Networks and Circle.so to your membership group platform. Nevertheless, Circle.so is the platform SPI makes use of for its membership group, SPI Professional, and this publish comprises affiliate hyperlinks for Circle.so. Learn our full affiliate disclaimer right here.

I’ve interviewed the founders of each platforms on my podcast, however let’s begin with Mighty Networks first.

The platform has been round for a couple of years. This is some background on how this platform happened.

How Did Mighty Networks Begin?

Mighty Networks was based by Gina Bianchini, who was cofounder of Ning.com, an internet social media community platform for individuals and organizations to create customized social networks. Gina left Ning in 2010 and began Mighty Networks. 

She and her staff wished to construct one thing that was mobile-fast and creator-led. 

Pat interviewed Gina in session 405 of the SPI Podcast, the place she talks about her imaginative and prescient with Mighty Networks: “… to create one thing that allowed you to carry your individuals collectively in a single place, do extra with them, run on-line programs, have digital workshops and even set up in-person occasions due to a few of the options we now have associated to individuals close to me.”

“What’s highly effective a few Mighty Community,” says Gina, is that “you are not simply bringing your group and programs collectively in the identical place. You might be the truth is creating and making the most of the identical underlying dynamics which have constructed a few of the most profitable corporations within the historical past of corporations [Facebook, Twitter, etc.] The distinction is that you simply as a creator can make the most of the identical underlying dynamics that constructed these platforms by having your individual community impact that’s creator-sized, that’s for your people who constructed your enterprise.”

Gina Bianchini, founder, Mighty Networks

Gina wished to create a spot for “manufacturers and companies to come back collectively by way of on-line programs, paid memberships, occasions, content material, and group—all beneath your model, immediately out there natively on each platform.” Mighty Networks serves the rising world of “creators with a objective” in a class they time period the “ardour financial system.”

Mighty Networks is among the oldest and most established platforms to host membership communities, and it’s stuffed with tons of options.

Just lately, it has began advertising itself as a “web site builder” reasonably than only a group platform. That is an fascinating transfer, as a result of it presents on-line companies a solution to construct their whole infrastructure on one platform. 

What are the Options of Mighty Networks?

The platform has a ton of performance you’d need as a creator, together with:

• Web site builder
• On-line programs
• Memberships
• Subscriptions
• Group

Mighty Networks has the flexibility to provide articles, on-line programs, and arranged occasions. The corporate needs every creator to be in command of their very own Mighty Community and to have the ability to carry their content material, programs, and group collectively in a single place.

Mighty Networks found via buyer suggestions that their clients didn’t wish to must go to different platforms to create on-line programs, in order that they constructed a approach for creators to create and promote on-line programs proper on the Mighty Networks platform. As we speak, over 65 % of their paying clients (premium plan), make the most of the flexibility to host their on-line programs on Mighty Networks. 

How A lot Does Mighty Networks Price?

The platform presents two fundamental plans to select from, primarily based in your wants.

Mighty Networks Group Plan ($33/month paid yearly):

• Native Livestreaming & Video
• Chat & Messaging
• Occasions & Zoom Integration
• Paid Memberships

Mighty Networks Enterprise Plan ($99/month paid yearly):

• On-line Course and Cohort Course Creation
• 2,000 + Zapier integrations
• Premium analytics
• Featured Pages & Occasions

You may see the complete record of plans and options right here. There’s additionally a Mighty Professional plan (worth not supplied on the web site), which incorporates white label capabilities and your individual iOS & Android apps. 

Why You Would possibly Take into account Utilizing Mighty Networks

We have recognized three key the reason why Mighty Networks is likely to be your platform of alternative to your membership group.

It lets you construct your whole on-line enterprise infrastructure on one platform

As talked about above, Mighty Networks was initially created as a group platform, however has since transitioned into positioning itself as a “web site builder”—which permits individuals to begin with their web site and construct the whole lot out from there. This permits individuals to have their group, course gross sales, and content material creation multi function place, reasonably than having to determine completely different platforms for every.

It has been round for some time and has developed a ton of options 

Since Mighty Networks is a number of years previous, it has extra capabilities than different membership platforms. For now, the built-in occasions performance appears lots higher than Circle and different platforms, and their member profiles are extra strong. As well as, it has a software for funds so that you don’t must combine an out of doors platform when promoting programs or your membership group. 

Having the whole lot in a single place helps to encourage viewers engagement

In case your followers must log in to a number of completely different platforms to have interaction with you and your different followers, then engagement would possibly endure. In the event that they’ve simply completed a course after which must go to Fb to attach with others who took the course, it could be an excessive amount of work. 

Gina believes that entrepreneurs need the whole lot in a single place: “They’re saying, ‘You recognize what? I am sick of getting a static web site. The truth that I can have my web site and my group and my programs and my funds and my advertising pages multi function place is what I would like as a result of I wish to transfer from having one thing that is static to dynamic.’”

It’s additionally outdoors of the noise and distraction of Fb—it’s a devoted house so you’ve got individuals coming to the group deliberately, not simply once they’re scrolling via Fb. So that you received’t must work as onerous to maintain your group members’ consideration. 

You won’t want so many options

Some established creators don’t want this many options. If you have already got your programs housed some place else, you don’t want the “programs” characteristic. If you happen to’re a extra established entrepreneur and creator, you could not wish to transfer your funds, programs, and web site throughout to Mighty Networks. 

It’s not very intuitive

Whereas it’s very characteristic wealthy, Mighty Networks is not as intuitive as different platforms, like Circle. Some customers have discovered it onerous to navigate. Generally it’s important to click on via one or two ranges earlier than you discover the dialog. Additionally, the platform isn’t “white label” except you pay for the Professional membership, which isn’t priced on its web site. 

Backside Line: This platform could possibly be excellent for you should you want an all-in-one platform to construct your corporation infrastructure, however it appears much less intuitive and more durable to navigate than Circle.

Circle is a a lot newer platform than Mighty Networks, however it’s powerfully intuitive, and that is why right here at SPI we selected it for our membership platform. We host each SPI Professional, and our SPI All Entry Cross on Circle.

How Did Circle Begin?

Circle was began by three colleagues who left Teachable across the identical time. Sid Yadav was Teachable’s first designer and labored there for 5 years. He teamed up with Andrew Guttormsen, the previous VP of progress at Teachable, and Rudy Santino, the previous head of design. 

In keeping with the Circle.so web site, Circle promotes itself because the “trendy group platform for creators” that “brings collectively your discussions, memberships, and content material” and allows you to “combine a thriving group wherever your viewers is, all beneath your individual model.”

The largest distinction between Circle and Mighty Networks is that Circle isn’t making an attempt to do the whole lot. Its fundamental focus is on membership communities, after which offering seamless integration with different platforms you could be utilizing.

As Circle cofounder Sid Yadav says, “We’re not making an attempt to do all of it. Our strategy is a bit more modular: we’re making an attempt to nail the group piece, and particularly the engagement piece. Our strategy is to combine with everybody else, so we now have a partnership with Teachable, with Memberstack, with Memberspace, Memberfull.” 

Circle additionally doesn’t presently have its personal fee choice, however it does combine effectively with fee platforms like Stripe.
The opposite large distinction between Circle and Mighty Networks is that Circle presents a white-label group expertise, the place you possibly can select your individual model colours, add a customized area, and many others.

As we wrote in this weblog publish concerning the launch of SPI Professional, we have been all-in on Circle because it launched final winter. 

Matt, our co-CEO, had a imaginative and prescient for SPI Professional, after which went on the lookout for a platform that might do the whole lot we wished. Circle appeared like the proper match. Matt and Pat have since grow to be advisors for the corporate.

What Options Does Circle Have?

Circle features a 14-day free trial right here, however here’s a record of the options included on the platform.

• On-line programs
• Stay video streaming
• Customized area
• Non-public areas (much like Slack channels)
• Bulk import/export
• Zapier Integration
• Embed Widgets
• In-app notifications
• Member profiles and listing
• Primary moderation
• Direct messaging 
• Group messaging
• Weekly digest e-mail
• iOS app
• Up to date worth construction

Full white labeling (for the Skilled and Enterprise plans)

To see a full record of Circle’s options, go right here.

How A lot Does Circle Price?

Circle presents three fundamental plans.

Circle.so Primary Plan ($39/month paid yearly):

• Partaking discussions
• Wealthy member profiles
• Limitless occasions
• Group chats
• Non-public messaging
• Moderation
• iOS & Android
• Simply settle for funds
• Customized area

Circle.so Skilled Plan ($89/month paid yearly):

Every part in Primary, plus:

• Programs
• Stay stream video experiences
• Totally White Labeled
• Superior analytics
• Customized CSS

Circle.so Enterprise Plan ($360/month paid yearly):

Every part in Skilled, plus:

• Devoted CSM (Annual Plan Solely)
• API Entry
• Customizable profile fields
• Precedence E mail Help
• Customized Single Signal-on
• Concierge onboarding (Annual Plan Solely)

Why You Would possibly Wish to Take into account Circle.so

There are three key causes to think about Circle to your membership group.

Seamless integration along with your present tech stack

If you have already got an internet site or on-line programs, and should you’re already utilizing a number of tech platforms, Circle integrates very properly along with your present tech stack. 

It’s very customizable, so you possibly can construct your group house from the bottom up

While you create areas, you possibly can customise who has entry to every of these, change whether or not they’re displayed in “publish,” “record,” or “card” view, management whether or not members can create new matters, change the best way the matters are ordered, and pin matters to the highest or sidebar. 

You too can have a mix of a free group on Circle that has personal areas that somebody would want to pay to have entry to, or a very free platform on Circle. Each a part of the platform is modular in an effort to do with it no matter you need.

Circle additionally helps you to select your colours, add your emblem, and use your individual customized subdomain in order that the expertise on the platform feels native to your model and your merchandise.

It’s intuitive, and combines one of the best of platforms like Slack and Fb

Circle feels a bit like Slack with “areas” you possibly can customise much like Slack Channels. As an admin, you possibly can select who’s in what house, and it’s simple to make areas public or personal. 

It’s not only one lengthy newsfeed, so conversations are simpler to affix and reply to, with out having to be on the platform always or having to click on via a number of layers to search out the dialog.

Circle has a clear, easy interface that will probably be very acquainted for individuals who have been part of a Fb or Slack group. It’s additionally extra user-friendly than Mighty Networks.

Why Circle.so Would possibly Not Be Proper for You

Whereas Circle is a good choice, there are a few the reason why it will not be one of the best match for you.

It doesn’t have as many options as Mighty Networks

One essential factor to think about is that Circle doesn’t embrace a software to gather funds to your membership group, so you will want to combine one other platform like Stripe as a way to course of consumer funds by yourself. 

It additionally doesn’t have group messaging (though the Circle staff engaged on together with that sooner or later), or a cellular app (additionally coming quickly). 

Circle is new on the scene, and it’ll take time to develop these options. And a few options might finally not be part of Circle’s imaginative and prescient. As a substitute of including options like a fee software, the platform might focus extra on group and integration as a substitute.

You’ll want different platforms to construct out your corporation infrastructure

If you happen to’re a brand new entrepreneur and don’t have already got an internet site, programs, or a fee platform, you’ll have to set these up individually from Circle. Relying on the place you wish to go together with your corporation, that will not be a foul factor. However simply remember the fact that Circle is laser targeted on constructing a membership group platform that will probably be extra consumer pleasant, and maintain your followers engaged. 

Backside Line: Circle is likely to be excellent for you should you want a group platform that’s versatile and customizable, and also you don’t want an all-in-one software. It’s nonetheless new and growing its instruments, however the staff at Circle is incorporating suggestions from its customers.

Why We Selected Circle.so for SPI Professional

To this point, Circle has been a tremendous dwelling for SPI Professional. We didn’t want an all-in-one software like Mighty Networks, and we preferred the truth that we may construct our group house precisely how we wished it, and didn’t must attempt to shoe-horn it into an present template. 

Now we have discovered that our group members are extremely engaged—a current month-to-month problem occasion generated over 500 feedback! That mentioned, we’re noticing that a few of the areas aren’t getting used very a lot, and so it’s simple to delete them when vital, or add new areas primarily based on the wants and pursuits of our group. 

Seeing the areas (much like Slack channels) on the left aspect of the web page retains matters and conversations simple to entry which ends up in extra engagement. 

The Circle staff has been superb in responding to our suggestions and requests, and we’re excited to see how this new software can evolve inside the subsequent yr.

If you happen to’re beginning your individual membership group, remember to do your analysis and discover one of the best match for your corporation. If you happen to suppose Circle is likely to be the correct answer for your corporation, you may get a free 14-day trial to place it via its paces [affiliate link].