2026 HEAD-TO-HEAD FEE & BREAK-EVEN AUDIT • BREAK-EVEN THRESHOLD: $2,789/MO

Skool (Pro $99/mo) vs Whop: True Fee & Net Payout Calculator

At a benchmark of $5,000/month ($49 average order value, 50% international cards), Skool (Pro $99/mo) saves you $942/year ($78.50/month, or $2,826 over 3 years) compared to Whop. The exact monthly break-even threshold between their fixed and variable fee structures is $2,789/month.

Creator & Community • Merchant of Record

Skool (Pro $99/mo)

WINNER (+$942/yr)
Monthly Fixed
$99/mo
Base Rate
2.9% + $0.30
Effective Take
5.89%

Flat $99/month community & course powerhouse with 0% platform cut (just 2.9% + $0.30 payment processing).

Key Strengths:
+ Zero platform cut — only 2.9% + $0.30 all-in card processing (for tickets up to $899)
+ Mathematically beats Skool Hobby at $1,268/mo and beats Patreon/Gumroad at ~$1,400/mo
+ Includes unlimited courses, members, video hosting, and automated VAT handling
Watch Out For:
− $99/month fixed fee regardless of revenue
− Single one-off charges above $900 process at 3.9% + $0.30
At $5k/mo: $4705.39 net
Start 14-Day Free Skool Trial →
Creator & Community • Merchant of Record

Whop

Monthly Fixed
$0/mo
Base Rate
5.7% + $0.30
Effective Take
7.46%

$0/month marketplace and checkout hub for digital communities, SaaS access, Discord groups, and courses.

Key Strengths:
+ $0/month fixed cost — you only pay when you make a sale
+ Much cheaper than Gumroad (12.9%+) and Patreon (12.9%+) for starting out
+ Automated Discord, Telegram, software key, and course module fulfillment
Watch Out For:
− 5.7% + $0.30 combined take rate becomes pricier than Skool Pro or Stan Store above ~$3,500/mo
At $5k/mo: $4626.89 net
Launch Free on Whop ($0/mo) →
Effective fee rate as revenue grows: Skool Pro vs Whop Skool Pro Whop
0%12%24%$500$1k$2.5k$5k$10k$25k$50kbreak-even $2,789/mo
At $50,000/mo the cheaper option is Skool Pro, saving $20,112/yr. Try Skool Pro → Try Whop →

7-Tier Revenue Scaling & Break-Even Table (Skool Pro vs Whop)

How total monthly fees, effective take-rate %, and annual savings shift as your business scales from $500/mo to $50,000/mo.

Monthly Gross RevenueSkool Pro Fees/MoSkool Pro Net/MoWhop Fees/MoWhop Net/MoAnnual SavingsCheaper Option
$500/mo-$118.56 (23.7%)$381.44-$37.31 (7.5%)$462.69+$975/yrWhop
$1,000/mo-$138.12 (13.8%)$861.88-$74.62 (7.5%)$925.38+$762/yrWhop
$2,500/mo-$196.81 (7.9%)$2,303.19-$186.56 (7.5%)$2,313.44+$123/yrWhop
$5,000/mo-$294.61 (5.9%)$4,705.39-$373.11 (7.5%)$4,626.89+$942/yrSkool Pro
$10,000/mo-$490.22 (4.9%)$9,509.78-$746.22 (7.5%)$9,253.78+$3,072/yrSkool Pro
$25,000/mo-$1077.06 (4.3%)$23,922.94-$1865.56 (7.5%)$23,134.44+$9,462/yrSkool Pro
$50,000/mo-$2055.12 (4.1%)$47,944.88-$3731.12 (7.5%)$46,268.88+$20,112/yrSkool Pro

Interactive Fee, FX & Payout Simulator

Adjust sliders or toggle billing cadence, refund rates, and VAT mode to recalculate all 16 platforms in real time.

Quick Presets:
$5,000
$200/mo $10k $50k/mo
$49
$5 ~102 tx/mo $1,000
50%
0% (Domestic) +1.5% Card Fee 100% Global
40%
0% Same Currency 1%–3.5% FX 100% FX
Subscriber Billing Cadence Saves +$337/yr in ¢ fees
Refund Rate Fee Bleed 0% Refunds
Local Tax / VAT Mode 0% (USD)
⚠ MONEY LEFT ON THE TABLE ALERT • Whop VS Stan Store

Processing $5,000/mo on Whop (7.46% take rate) costs you $1,332/year ($3,996 over 3 years) more than Stan Store ($29/mo) (5.24%).

★ #1 CHECKOUT WINNER (CREATOR & COMMUNITY) 5.24% Effective Fee

Switch to Stan Store ($29/mo) & Recover +$1,332/yr vs Whop

Creators, coaches, and solo educators selling digital downloads, templates, and calendar bookings from social traffic.

3-Year Margin Recovery vs Whop: +$3,996 saved over 36 mos
Net Take-Home: $4,737.89/mo ($4,738 USD)
Start 14-Day Stan Store Trial →
CROSS-BORDER FX & PAYOUT TREASURY LAYER 0.35% Mid-Market FX

Stop Losing $156/yr to Hidden USD FX Spreads

Direct free ACH payouts in USD; US Economic Nexus rules require sales tax registration or a Merchant of Record once state thresholds are crossed.

Payout Settlement Strategy: Route Gateway USD/EUR → Wise Business (0% Receive Fee)
Hold local USD, EUR, GBP, SEK & ZAR accounts with $0/mo fee.
Open Wise Business (Save on FX) →

Visual Take-Home vs. Fee Bleed Comparison ($5,000/mo Gross)

Green bar = Net Take-Home Pay kept by you • Red bar = Total Gateway, Fixed Cent, FX & Tax Bleed

Net Payout Kept Total Fees Lost
Stan Store ($29/mo) (Creator & Community)
-$262/mo (5.2%) $4,737.89/mo net Try →
Shopify (Basic $25/mo) (E-Commerce)
-$273/mo (5.5%) $4,726.89/mo net Try →
Stripe (Payment Gateway)
-$293/mo (5.9%) $4,706.89/mo net Try →
Skool (Pro $99/mo) (Creator & Community) Selected
-$295/mo (5.9%) $4,705.39/mo net Try →
Lemon Squeezy (Merchant of Record)
-$364/mo (7.3%) $4,636.48/mo net Try →
Whop (Creator & Community) Selected
-$373/mo (7.5%) $4,626.89/mo net Try →

Complete Ranked Net Payout Matrix (United States • USD)

Ranked from #1 Highest Monthly Net Take-Home to Lowest for $5,000/mo at $49 average ticket (monthly billing).

Spread between Top Checkout & #16: $6,269/year
RankPlatformMoR Tax?SaaS BaseProc + FixedIntl + FXTotal Fees/MoEffective RateNet Payout/MoAction
Payout
Cross-Border & FX
Self / Addon$0$0.00$8.00-$8.000.16%
$4,992.00
Try Wise Business →
#1
Payment Gateway
Self / Addon$0$151.12$35.00-$186.123.72%
$4,813.88
Not available in United States
#2 ★
Creator & Community
Self / Addon$29$175.61$57.50-$262.115.24%
$4,737.89
Try Stan Store →
#3
E-Commerce
Self / Addon$25$175.61$72.50-$273.115.46%
$4,726.89
Try Shopify →
#4
Payment Gateway
Self / Addon$0$235.61$57.50-$293.115.86%
$4,706.89
Try Stripe →
#5
Creator & Community
Yes (MoR)$99$175.61$20.00-$294.615.89%
$4,705.39
Try Skool Pro →
#6
Merchant of Record
Yes (MoR)$0$265.82$37.50-$303.326.07%
$4,696.68
Try Dodo Payments →
#7
Payment Gateway
Self / Addon$0$224.50$107.50-$332.006.64%
$4,668.00
Try PayPal →
#8
Merchant of Record
Yes (MoR)$0$301.02$40.00-$341.026.82%
$4,658.98
Try Paddle →
#9
Merchant of Record
Yes (MoR)$0$326.02$37.50-$363.527.27%
$4,636.48
Try Lemon Squeezy →
#10
Merchant of Record
Yes (MoR)$0$301.02$71.35-$372.377.45%
$4,627.63
Try Polar.sh →
#11
Whop Comparing
Creator & Community
Yes (MoR)$0$315.61$57.50-$373.117.46%
$4,626.89
Try Whop →
#12
Creator & Community
Self / Addon$179$175.61$57.50-$412.118.24%
$4,587.89
Try Kajabi →
#13
Creator & Community
Yes (MoR)$9$530.61$20.00-$559.6111.19%
$4,440.39
Try Skool Hobby →
#14
Merchant of Record
Yes (MoR)$0$726.63$57.50-$784.1315.68%
$4,215.87
Try Gumroad →
#15
Creator & Community
Yes (MoR)$0$675.61$108.93-$784.5515.69%
$4,215.45
Try Patreon →
INSTANT CFO DELIVERABLE PACK • 2-PAGE EXECUTIVE PDF + 4-TAB CSV MODEL

Complete 12-Month Margin, Tax/VAT & Pricing Sensitivity Audit Pack

Presenting to a co-founder, client, or accountant—or modeling how your net margin scales from $1k to $50k/mo? Generate a custom-branded 2-Page Executive PDF Audit Report plus a 4-Section Excel / Google Sheets Sensitivity Model pre-populated with your exact slider settings (united-states, $5,000/mo).

  • ✓ Branded Executive PDF Audit Report tailored to your exact revenue, ticket size & country
  • ✓ 12-Month Excel / Google Sheets Sensitivity Model across 6 revenue milestones ($1k to $50k/mo)
  • ✓ All 16 Payment Gateways, MoRs & Creator Platforms ranked with exact break-even thresholds
  • ✓ Cross-Border FX & International Card Surcharge stress-test matrix
  • ✓ Instant client-side download — zero waiting, lifetime browser unlock
$19 $49
LIFETIME UNLOCK

Frequently Asked Questions: Skool Pro vs Whop

Is Skool (Pro $99/mo) or Whop cheaper at $5,000/month in gross revenue?

At $5,000/month with a $49 average order value (50% international cards), Skool (Pro $99/mo) is cheaper, leaving you with $4705.39/month net (5.89% effective fee) compared to $4626.89/month on Whop—an annual savings of $942/year ($2,826 over 3 years).

What is the monthly revenue break-even point between Skool Pro and Whop?

The exact mathematical break-even point between Skool (Pro $99/mo) and Whop is $2,789/month in gross sales.

How do international cards, FX conversion, and VAT compliance differ between Skool Pro and Whop?

Skool (Pro $99/mo) is a Merchant of Record (automating global VAT & sales tax) with +0% international card fees and +1% FX spread. Whop is a Merchant of Record (automating global VAT & sales tax) with +1.5% international card fees and +1% FX spread.