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Parenting · head to head

Circle vs Realm

Circle logo

Circle

Parenting

The all-in-one community platform

From
$49/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Realm logo

Realm

Religion

Church management and engagement platform by Community

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Circle location tracking is basic and less granular than some competitors; Realm realm is deprecated. MongoDB Realm documentation redirects to MongoDB Atlas pricing. No Realm-specific pricing published. Realm was MongoDB's mobile and edge database platform.
  • They diverge on capability: Circle covers Spaces, Realm covers Group Management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Circle and Realm actually diverge.

Attributes where Circle and Realm differ
AttributeCircleRealm
Starting price$49/monthOn request
PlatformsIos, Android, WebWeb, IOS, Android
CategoryParentingReligion
Founded20202012

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Circle

  • Spaces
  • Events
  • Courses
  • Live Streams
  • Workflows
  • Zapier
  • Stripe
  • Slack

Only in Realm

  • Group Management
  • Online Giving
  • Communications
  • Payment Processing
  • Email Integration
  • Event Management
  • Mobile App
  • IOS support

Both cover

  • Member Directory
  • Android support
  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Circle

  • Running a branded online community with discussion spacesnot Realm
  • Selling and delivering courses to an audiencenot Realm
  • Hosting events and live streams for membersnot Realm
  • Operating paid memberships with checkout and paymentsnot Realm
  • Shipping a branded iOS and Android community appnot Realm

Realm

  • Member managementnot Circle
  • Donation trackingnot Circle
  • Event planningnot Circle
  • Volunteer schedulingnot Circle
  • Communicationnot Circle

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Circle

  • Location tracking is basic and less granular than some competitors
  • Does not monitor social media interactions or private messages
  • Requires Circle Home Plus hardware purchase for full home network control
  • Activity reports are limited and less comprehensive than competing platforms

Realm

  • Realm is deprecated. MongoDB Realm documentation redirects to MongoDB Atlas pricing. No Realm-specific pricing published. Realm was MongoDB's mobile and edge database platform.

Pricing, plan by plan

Circle

$49/month
  • Basic$49/month
    • Community
    • Members
    • Spaces
  • Professional$89/month
    • Courses
    • Workflows
    • Analytics
  • Business$199/month
    • White Label
    • API Access
    • Custom Domain

Realm

On request
  • Essential$99/month
    • Basic features
    • Up to 500 members
  • Complete$299/month
    • All features
    • Unlimited members
    • Advanced analytics

Which should you pick?

Choose Circle if

  • You need spaces.
  • You work on Ios, Android, Web.
  • You also want events.
Circle review

Choose Realm if

  • You need group management.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want online giving.
Realm review

Questions people ask

Is Circle or Realm better?
Neither clearly leads. Circle starts at $49/month and Realm at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Circle or Realm?
Circle starts at $49/month and Realm at On request.
Does Circle or Realm run on more platforms?
Circle runs on Ios, Android, Web. Realm runs on Web, IOS, Android.
What is Circle best used for?
Circle is most often used for running a branded online community with discussion spaces, selling and delivering courses to an audience, hosting events and live streams for members, operating paid memberships with checkout and payments. Of those, running a branded online community with discussion spaces and selling and delivering courses to an audience are not what Realm is typically brought in for.
What can Circle do that Realm cannot?
Circle covers Spaces, Events, Courses, Live Streams. Realm covers Group Management, Online Giving, Communications, Payment Processing. Both handle Member Directory, Android support, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Circle: How much does Circle cost?

Circle offers a 14-day free trial of the app with all premium features included. After the trial, subscriptions are 9.99 USD per month or 89.99 USD per year. The Circle Home Plus device costs 129 USD upfront and includes one year of free app access, after which the app subscription costs approximately 10 USD per month.

Source
Realm: Is Realm still available?

Realm appears to be deprecated or consolidated into MongoDB's other offerings. Documentation pages redirect to MongoDB Atlas without specific Realm information.

Source
Circle: What devices does Circle support?

Circle works on Android, Apple iOS, Mac, Windows, Chromebook, Xbox, PlayStation, Kindle, smart speakers, IoT devices, gaming consoles, smart TVs, and iPhones. An unlimited number of devices can be managed from a single Circle account.

Source
Realm: What happened to Realm pricing?

Realm no longer has published pricing. The product was MongoDB's mobile and edge database platform but has been discontinued or merged into other MongoDB services.

Source
Circle: How does Circle Home Plus work?

Circle Home Plus is a router-adjacent device that connects to your home network via Ethernet (with Wi-Fi backup) and manages all connected devices on that network. The Circle app then connects to this device to enforce parental controls across web browsing, app usage, and screen time across all family members' devices.

Source
Circle: Does Circle monitor social media?

Circle does not directly monitor social media content, conversations, or private messages. However, it can restrict access to social media apps and websites, and manage time spent on those platforms through screen time controls.

Source
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