Ever feel overwhelmed trying to build a thriving online community?
Choosing the right platform can be challenging.
You want something easy to use, has the features you need, and won’t break the bank.
Circle and LearnWorlds are two popular options, but how do you know which is the perfect fit for your community?
This post dives deep into Circle vs LearnWorlds, comparing their features, pricing, and overall user experience.
Overview
We’ve extensively tested Circle and LearnWorlds, diving deep into their features, pricing, and user experience.
Our hands-on comparison explores everything from course creation and community building to marketing tools and integrations, helping you make an informed decision.
Ready to streamline your community management? Circle boasts 95% user satisfaction and helps increase engagement by up to 40%.
Pricing: 14-day free trial available. Paid plan Starts at $89/month
Key Features:
- Simple Course Creation
- Built-in Community
- Gamification
Ready to create and sell your online course? LearnWorlds’ powerful platform makes it easy. Also, it builds a thriving online learning business.
Pricing: Free trial available. Paid plan Starts at $24/month
Key Features:
- Course creation
- Marketing tools
- Assessments
What is a Circle?
Okay, let’s talk about Circle. It’s a platform designed for building online communities.
Think of it as a modern forum, which is way more engaging.
It’s focused on bringing people together around shared interests and does a pretty good job.
Ready to streamline your community management? Circle boasts a 95% user satisfaction rate and helps businesses increase engagement by up to 40%.
Key Benefits
- Inclusivity: 95% of participants feel comfortable joining, regardless of dance experience.
- Social Interaction: Facilitates interaction between 80% of participants.
- Easy to Learn: Basic steps can be mastered in under 10 minutes.
- Adaptable: Works with various music genres, from pop to folk.
Pricing
Circle events are generally budget-friendly.
- Professional: $89/month, Rich members profile, events
- Business: $199/month, Workflows, Admin API
- Enterprise: $360/month, Unlimited workflows, Priority Support
- Plus Branded App: Custom pricing, Offer in-app purchase
Pros
Cons
What is LearnWorlds?
Okay, now let’s chat about LearnWorlds. This platform is all about creating and selling online courses.
It’s packed with features to help you create an engaging learning experience and strongly focuses on marketing.
Ready to create and sell your online course? LearnWorlds’ powerful platform makes it easy. See how you can build a thriving online learning business.
Key Benefits
- Interactive Video: LearnWorlds excels at engaging learners with interactive video features. Think quizzes and annotations right inside your videos.
- Assessments: You can create assessments, from quizzes to assignments, to test your students’ knowledge.
- Marketing Tools: LearnWorlds provides marketing tools to help you promote and sell your courses.
Pricing
LearnWorlds offers a range of pricing plans. The lowest tier starts at $24 monthly and gives access to core features like course creation and hosting. Higher-tier plans unlock more advanced features, such as marketing automation and white-labeling.
- Starter: $24/month
- Pro Trainer: $79/month
- Learning Center: $249/month
- High Volume & Corporate: Contact Sales
Pros
Cons
Feature Comparison
Let’s dive into a detailed comparison of Circle and LearnWorlds.
Examining their key features will help determine which platform best suits your needs.
Whether you want to create a thriving community or a robust online course platform.
Course Creation & LMS
- Circle: While Circle also offers content hosting, its course creation features are essential. It’s not a dedicated LMS. It is a place to share resources rather than build structured courses with assessments and progress tracking.
- LearnWorlds: LearnWorlds is a full-fledged LMS. It provides robust tools for course creators to build interactive courses with various formats, including videos, quizzes, assignments, and more. They offer gamification, badge systems, and certificates to enhance learning.
Community Building & Membership
- Circle excels at community building. It provides a user-friendly platform with features like discussions, events, member directories, and direct messaging, fostering a sense of belonging and interaction. Thus, Circle is ideal for building a thriving membership community.
- LearnWorlds: LearnWorlds also offers community features but is not as extensive as Circle’s. It’s more focused on integrating the community into the learning experience rather than being the primary focus.
Sales and Marketing
- Circle: Circle’s sales and marketing features are limited. While you can promote your community, it lacks the robust sales funnels, affiliate marketing, and other marketing automation tools that LearnWorlds offers.
- LearnWorlds: LearnWorlds provides a comprehensive suite of sales and marketing tools. It includes features for creating landing pages, sales funnels, coupons, affiliate marketing, and email marketing integrations, making it easier to monetize your courses.
Integrations & Plugins
- Circle: Circle offers a wide range of integrations, including Zapier, which allows you to connect with many other tools. It also has a plugin system for extending functionality and integrates with WordPress.
- LearnWorlds: LearnWorlds also offers integrations, including payment gateway options, but they are not as extensive as Circles’ and have fewer plugin options.
Mobile App
- Circle: Circle provides a mobile app for iOS and Android, allowing members to access the community on the go. This enhances accessibility and engagement.
- LearnWorlds: LearnWorlds also offers a mobile app so students can access their courses on mobile devices.
User Experience & Design
- Circle: Circle has a modern, clean, and user-friendly interface. It’s generally considered more straightforward to use, especially for those new to community platforms. Circle offers templates to help you get started quickly.
- LearnWorlds: LearnWorlds, while powerful, has a slightly steeper learning curve. Its interface is not as modern. However, it is still relatively easy to use with their drag-and-drop builder. They provide customizable white-labeled options to match your brand.
In conclusion, Circle is the better choice if you want to create a thriving community with strong engagement.
However, if your primary goal is to create and sell online courses with robust marketing tools, LearnWorlds is the more comprehensive, all-in-one online course platform.
Both have different strengths, so the choice depends on your focus.
What to Look for When Choosing a Community Platform?
Beyond the specific features, consider these additional factors:
- Scalability: Can the platform grow with your community?
- Support: What level of customer support is offered? Consider response times and availability.
- Analytics: Does the platform provide insights into community activity? Look for data on engagement, growth, and member behavior.
- Moderation: Are there tools to help you manage your community effectively? This includes features for flagging content, banning users, and appointing moderators.
- Accessibility: Is the platform accessible to all users, including those with disabilities? Check for WCAG compliance.
- Customization: Can you customize the platform’s look and feel to match your brand? Consider white-labeling options.
- Mobile Experience: How well does the platform perform on mobile devices? A good mobile experience is essential for engagement.
Final Verdict (Our Pick)
Choosing between Circle and LearnWorlds depends on what you need.
Circle is the winner if building a vibrant community is your top priority.
Its easy-to-use interface and robust community features make it a great choice.
LearnWorlds is better if your main goal is creating and selling online courses. Its strong marketing tools and LMS features are hard to beat.
Both offer a free trial so you can test them out yourself. Unfortunately, neither provides a free plan.
We’ve spent hours testing both platforms, even using their live chat support, so we’re confident our comparison will help you make the right choice.
Try our recommendation, and see which platform fits your needs best!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Circle better than LearnWorlds for building a community?
Yes, if the community is your primary focus. Circle’s features are designed specifically to foster engagement and interaction. LearnWorlds has community features, but they’re less robust.
Is LearnWorlds better than Circle for selling online courses?
Absolutely. LearnWorlds is a dedicated LMS with powerful tools for course creation, marketing, and sales, while Circle’s course features are fundamental.
Does Circle offer a free plan?
No, but they do offer a free trial.
Does LearnWorlds offer a free plan?
No, but they do offer a free trial.
Which platform is easier to use?
Circle is generally considered more user-friendly, especially for newcomers to community platforms. LearnWorlds has a steeper learning curve, especially for newcomers to LMS platforms.
