Softwr

Parenting · head to head

Circle vs Disciple

Circle logo

Circle

Parenting

The all-in-one community platform

From
$49/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Disciple logo

Disciple

Communication

White-label community apps published under your own brand on iOS, Android and web

From
£599/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Circle location tracking is basic and less granular than some competitors; Disciple the entry plan starts at £599 a month, so a community with a few hundred members pays more per head than almost any percentage-fee alternative, and the flat fee only wins above a revenue threshold you should calculate before signing.
  • They diverge on capability: Circle covers Spaces, Disciple covers Native branded apps.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Circle and Disciple actually diverge.

Attributes where Circle and Disciple differ
AttributeCircleDisciple
Starting price$49/month£599/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionPer month, flat fee with no transaction charge
PlatformsIos, Android, WebWeb, iOS, Android
CategoryParentingCommunication
Founded2020Unknown

Identical on both: 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
  • Member Directory
  • Live Streams
  • Workflows
  • Zapier
  • Stripe
  • Slack

Only in Disciple

  • Native branded apps
  • Web community
  • Groups and feeds
  • Live streaming and video
  • Subscriptions and payments
  • Multi-tier membership
  • Push notifications and analytics

Both cover

  • Courses

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

Disciple

  • A membership body moving several thousand paying members off Facebook Groups into an app that carries its own name in the App Storenot Circle
  • A fitness or coaching business selling subscriptions where a percentage-based platform fee would cost more each month than a flat licencenot Circle
  • A sports club or faith organisation that wants push notifications to reach members directly rather than competing with a social feed algorithmnot Circle
  • A brand running a customer community that must live on its own domain and its own app listing for reasons of ownership or sponsorshipnot 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

Disciple

  • The entry plan starts at £599 a month, so a community with a few hundred members pays more per head than almost any percentage-fee alternative, and the flat fee only wins above a revenue threshold you should calculate before signing.
  • Video is metered at 10,000 minutes on the entry plan and 20,000 on Pro, so a community that leans on live streaming will hit overage or a plan upgrade rather than the unlimited storage the marketing implies.
  • Owning your own App Store listing means owning App Store review, rejections and the annual developer account, and a policy change at Apple becomes your problem rather than the platform vendor's.
  • Apple and Google still take their cut of in-app purchases regardless of Disciple charging no transaction fee, so the zero percent claim applies to Disciple's share only and not to the total cost of collecting money in-app.
  • Pricing is in sterling, which introduces exchange rate exposure and, for some buyers, VAT handling that a US-billed competitor would not create.

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

Disciple

£599/month
  • Branded App$599/month
    • Branded iOS, Android and web apps
    • 5 admin seats
    • 10 groups
  • Branded App Pro$999/month
    • Unlimited admin seats and groups under fair use
    • Unlimited monetised courses
    • 20,000 video minutes
  • Organisation$3400/month
    • From £3,400 per month
    • Custom feature development
    • API access and custom integrations

Which should you pick?

Choose Circle if

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

Choose Disciple if

  • You need native branded apps.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want web community.
Disciple review

Questions people ask

Is Circle or Disciple better?
Neither clearly leads. Circle starts at $49/month and Disciple at £599/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Circle or Disciple?
Circle starts at $49/month and Disciple at £599/month.
Does Circle or Disciple run on more platforms?
Circle runs on Ios, Android, Web. Disciple 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 Disciple is typically brought in for.
What can Circle do that Disciple cannot?
Circle covers Spaces, Events, Member Directory, Live Streams. Disciple covers Native branded apps, Web community, Groups and feeds, Live streaming and video. Both handle Courses.

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
Disciple: How much does Disciple cost?

Branded App is £599 a month, Branded App Pro is £999 a month, and the Organisation tier starts at £3,400 a month. Annual billing gives two months free.

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
Disciple: Does Disciple take a cut of member payments?

No. All plans are 0% transaction fees on Disciple's side. Apple and Google still take their standard in-app purchase commission, which is separate.

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
Disciple: Is the app published under my brand?

Yes. iOS and Android apps go into the stores under your own name and branding, not as a section within a shared platform app.

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
Disciple: Is there a member limit?

Plans advertise unlimited members subject to fair use. The real limits are admin seats, groups, courses and video minutes, which differ by plan.

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