Circle vs. Lockers
If you're looking for a Circle alternative, Lockers gives you the feed, messages, events, and unlimited courses in one place, on a free plan you keep. Pro adds quizzes, certificates, your own domain, and the API for $49 a month.
Free plan, no credit card.
The community page: left navigation, category tabs, a feed with a pinned welcome post, and a right rail with a getting-started checklist, the community card and the newest members.
$0
Free forever
Start on a free plan you keep, with unlimited members and no credit card.
Unlimited
Unlimited courses
Publish every course you teach on Free and on Pro, each with modules, video, and saved progress.
$49
Pro for $49
Pro adds quizzes, certificates, your own domain, and the API, with a 1% platform fee when you sell.
Your courses and your community share one login
Members sign in once for the feed, the classroom, events, and messages. Pro adds most of what is shown below.
Quizzes, assignments, and certificates for every course
Add a scored quiz to any lesson and decide whether passing is required to complete it. Written assignments send your feedback to the learner who wrote the answer, and a learner who finishes the course gets a certificate with its own verification page.
- Drip release on the dates you set
- Required lesson order when a course builds step by step
Learners get answers from the lesson they are on
The AI tutor sits beside each lesson and answers from that lesson's text and any transcript you add. You set its tone and instructions for each course, and each learner gets up to 40 requests per Locker each day.
Member and course activity reaches your other tools
Pro includes a REST API with an OpenAPI contract and a Postman collection. Each tool gets its own key with only the permissions it needs, an optional course restriction, a request rate, and an expiry date. Signed webhooks tell your CRM or email tool the moment a member joins or finishes a course.
- Workflow presets for CRM, calendar, invitation, and draft tools
- Post drafts sent in from another tool for your team to publish
- A ZIP export of your community, member list included, on every plan
Sell courses and memberships through your own Stripe
Members buy on the course or membership page they are already reading, and payment goes to your own Stripe account. The Lockers platform fee is 1% on Pro and 5% on Free, and Stripe charges its processing separately.
- Single courses on Free and Pro
- Monthly or annual paid memberships on Pro
Every feature on this list comes with Lockers
Each row is part of Lockers today. Course tools, your domain, paid memberships, and the API come with Pro, and everything else is on Free as well.
| Feature |   LockersStart free | Circle |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan you keep | Included | Not included |
| Unlimited courses on every plan | Included | Not included |
| Unlimited members | Included | Included |
| Completion certificates | Included | Not included |
| Written assignments | Included | Not included |
| Quizzes | Included | Included |
| Drip release | Included | Included |
| Discussion feed | Included | Included |
| Private group chats | Included | Included |
| Events calendar | Included | Included |
| Your own domain | Included | Included |
| Sell single courses | Included | Included |
| Paid memberships | Included | Included |
| API on the entry paid plan | Included | Not included |
| Member export | Included | Included |
Based on Circle's public pricing and help pages, checked September 23, 2026.
Lockers Pro costs less than half of Circle Professional
Your first Locker starts with a 14-day Pro trial and needs no card. Paid yearly, Lockers Pro is $470 and Circle Professional is $1,068. The platform fee on sales is 1% on Lockers Pro and 2% on Circle Professional, and Stripe processing is charged separately on both.
Save $598 a year
One year of each plan, both billed annually.
Unlimited members and unlimited courses, with the feed, messages, and events included.
$470 a year when paid yearly. Quizzes, assignments, certificates, the AI tutor, your own domain, and the API.
Move from Circle in three steps
Set up your Locker before you tell members, so your courses are in place when they arrive.
Start a Locker
Create a Locker on the free plan with no credit card. Your first Locker starts with a 14-day Pro trial, so the Pro course tools are ready to try.
Add your courses and contacts
Build your courses in the classroom, then import your contact list from a CSV of up to 500 rows per file. Imported contacts become records in Audience, and no email goes out.
Invite your members
Send invitations from Admin or share your join link. Members sign in with one account for the feed, the classroom, and messages.
Free plan, no credit card.
We help you plan the move
Email us your course list and member count, and we'll help you plan the order of the move and answer your questions as you set up.
The questions asked most often
How much does Lockers cost?
Lockers starts free on a plan you keep, with no credit card. Pro is $49 a month or $470 a year per Locker, and the platform fee on sales is 1% on Pro and 5% on Free, plus Stripe processing.
Can I try Pro before I pay?
Yes, your first Locker starts with a 14-day Pro trial if you haven't used a trial before, and no card is required. When the trial ends, that Locker moves to Free unless you subscribe, and your members and courses stay in place.
How do I move my community from Circle?
Start a Locker, add your courses, and import your contacts from a CSV of up to 500 rows per file. Then invite your members with invitations or your join link, and email support@lockers.social if you want help planning the move.
Can I use my own domain and connect my other tools?
Yes, Pro connects one custom domain to each Locker and includes the API. Each connected tool gets a scoped key, and signed webhooks report member joins and course completions as they happen.
Run your community and courses from one Locker
Start free with unlimited members and unlimited courses. Move to Pro for $49 a month when your courses need quizzes and certificates.
Start free