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Vela
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The community platform that doesn't take a cut.

Discussions, courses, events, levels and live calls in one place. Members pay you directly, and Vela's fee on those payments is 0%.

Start your 14-day trialExplore communities

14 days free, then $99 a month per community. Joining communities is free.

What a community on Vela looks like

These are examples. Open one to see the page your members land on, with courses, events, posts and a leaderboard.

Browse all communities

Everything Skool does, and the parts it doesn't.

One place for the conversation, the classroom, the calendar and the money. Here is all of it.

Community

Where members talk, help each other and come back daily.

Discussion feed with categories
Pin posts, react with emoji, bookmark and lock comments.
Polls and scheduled posts
Ask the room, or queue a week of posts in one sitting.
@mentions and direct messages
Members get notified the moment someone needs them.
Levels and leaderboards
Nine levels you can rename, 7-day, 30-day and all-time boards, and a page that shows exactly how points are earned.
Live video huddles
Jump on a call inside the community, no Zoom link needed.

Classroom

Courses that sit right next to the conversation.

Modules, lessons, video and files
Build a course in minutes and track every learner's progress.
Drip and level unlocks
Open a module a week after someone enrols, or reward level 5 members with a bonus course.
Quizzes with a pass markNot on Skool
Learners finish the lesson by passing. Answers never reach the browser.
Completion certificatesNot on Skool
Issued automatically when a learner finishes the course.
Sell a course on its own
One-time price for lifetime access, no membership required. Or include it in a tier.

Money

Get paid the way your members actually pay.

0% platform fee
Vela takes nothing from member payments. You pay only the payment processor.
Cards, wallets and local payment methods
Cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay through Stripe. Paystack adds bank transfers and mobile money in markets Stripe doesn't reach.
Price tiers and free trials
Monthly or yearly plans, upgrades and downgrades, and courses locked per tier.
Money goes straight to you
Payments land in your own Stripe or Paystack account, not a balance you wait on.
Revenue analytics
Growth, churn and earnings per course in your own currency.

Growth

Tools to fill the room and keep it full.

Approval questions and auto-welcome
Screen new members with up to three questions, then greet them with a personal DM.
Invite links that reward members
Members earn points for every friend who joins through them.
Email broadcasts and a weekly digest
Bring quiet members back with what they missed.
Calendar with reminders
Recurring events, RSVPs, reminder emails and add-to-calendar for Google, Apple and Outlook.
Zapier, Make and webhooks
Send joins, payments and course completions to any tool.
Custom domain and discovery
Run the community on your own domain and get found on Vela Explore.

Want the line-by-line version? Compare Vela and Skool

See what fees cost you each month.

Vela charges a flat plan and no cut. Move the sliders to match your community.

150
$29

Members pay you $4,350 a month.

  • Vela$270/mo

    $99 plan + 2.9% + 30¢ per payment

  • Skool Pro$270/mo

    $99 plan + 2.9% + 30¢ per payment

  • Skool Hobby$489/mo

    $9 plan + 10% + 30¢ per payment

Compared with Skool Hobby, Vela saves you $219 a month at this size. Against Skool Pro the fees are the same, and Vela adds quizzes, certificates, a custom domain and payouts to your own account.

Vela figures use Stripe's standard card rate, which goes to Stripe; Vela adds nothing. Rates vary by country. Skool rates from its public pricing, checked October 2026. Sources: Skool pricing (via Learning Revolution), Stripe pricing.

Bring your Skool community over in an afternoon.

  1. 1

    Export your members from Skool

    In Skool, open Settings, then Members, and export the list to CSV.

  2. 2

    Import them and keep their access

    Upload the file in Vela under Settings, Migrate & Invite. Leave Keep their access on so nobody pays twice.

  3. 3

    Post your invite link

    Share the link in your old community and watch who has joined. Re-send to anyone who hasn't with one click.

One plan. Everything in it.

Members never pay Vela. Joining a community is free, and paid communities charge whatever their creator sets.

Vela Pro

$99a month per community

Free for 14 days. Cancel any time.

  • Unlimited members, courses and events
  • 0% platform fee on member payments
  • Cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay via Stripe or Paystack
  • Price tiers, free trials and one-off course sales
  • Live huddles, email broadcasts and a weekly digest
  • Custom domain, webhooks and Zapier
  • Member import with kept access
Start your 14-day trial

Questions creators ask

Do I need a plan to join communities?

No. Anyone can create a free account, browse Explore and join communities. Free communities cost nothing to join; paid ones charge whatever their creator sets. You only need a plan to start your own community.

What does Vela cost creators?

14 days free, then $99 a month per community. Vela takes a 0% platform fee on what your members pay you. The payment processor (Stripe or Paystack) charges its normal fee on each payment.

How can my members pay?

By card, Apple Pay or Google Pay through Stripe, which you connect in a few minutes. If you're in a country Stripe doesn't serve, connect Paystack instead for local cards, bank transfers and mobile money. Members pay in your community's currency.

How do I move my community from Skool?

Export your members to CSV from Skool, upload the file in Settings, Migrate & Invite, and keep their access switched on. Each member gets an email invite and walks straight in without paying again. You can track who has joined and re-send to anyone who hasn't.

Where does the money go?

Straight to your own Stripe or Paystack account. Vela never holds your members' payments.

Is there a mobile app?

Vela installs as an app on iPhone and Android from the browser, with a full-screen view and an offline screen. Native apps are in development.

What happens if I cancel?

Cancel any time from Settings, Plan & billing. Your community stays open until the end of the period you've paid for.

Open your community this week.

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