diumDium vs Circle: Courses, or answers?
Circle is built for creators who sell courses and memberships. Dium is built for groups that answer questions together. Here is how they compare.
The short answer
If you sell a course on Circle, you can still run a Dium Flow for a program, cohort or event where Q&A is the main job.
Circle fits
Pick Circle if you sell courses or paid memberships, want native and branded mobile apps, or have a large community that fits its unlimited-member plans.
Dium fits
Pick Dium if your community runs on questions, AMAs and live sessions, you want a searchable record of best answers, and you want to start free.
Side by side, as of September 2026
Competitor prices come from each vendor's own page unless marked. Check Circle pricing for today's numbers.
| Criterion | Dium | Circle |
|---|---|---|
| How you pay | One flat monthly price per community, set by member count | Flat monthly plans with unlimited members, plus a transaction fee on salesAs of September 2026. Source: Circle pricing |
| Free plan | Free under 50 members | No free plan. 14-day trial on paid plansAs of September 2026. Source: Circle pricing |
| Entry paid price | $29/mo for Pro 50 | Professional: $89/mo with a 2% transaction feeAs of September 2026. Source: Circle pricing |
| Middle plans | $49 (100 members), $99 (250), $179 (500) | Business: $199/mo with a 1% feeAs of September 2026. Source: Circle pricing |
| Top published plan | $299/mo, Pro Max, unlimited members | Scale: $419/mo. Circle Plus is custom priced with a 0.5% feeAs of September 2026. Source: Circle pricing |
| Built around | Questions with marked best answers that form a searchable knowledge base | Courses, paid memberships, events and community spacesAs of September 2026. Source: Circle pricing |
| Courses and payments | Not offered | As of September 2026. Source: Circle pricing |
| Live sessions | Scheduled sessions with RSVP seats, a Meet or Zoom link, raised hands, polls and breakouts | Live events included from ProfessionalAs of September 2026. Source: Circle pricing |
| SSO | Available for partner setups. Talk to us | Custom SSO on Scale, $419/moAs of September 2026. Source: Circle pricing |
| Mobile | Browser, installable as a web app | Mobile apps; branded apps on Circle PlusAs of September 2026. Source: Circle pricing |
| Automation and AI | Not offered | Workflows on Business; AI agents on ScaleAs of September 2026. Source: Circle pricing |
How they compare on what matters
What it costs to start
Circle has no free plan; paid plans start at $89/mo after a 14-day trial (as of September 2026, Circle pricing). Dium is free while your Flow (your community space) has fewer than 50 members, with no time limit. Pro 50 is $29/mo.
Circle reviewers on Capterra name price as the main barrier, including that it is "not a cheap entry plan if you want to test".
What it costs at scale
Be careful here. Circle's $89 Professional plan includes unlimited members (as of September 2026, Circle pricing). Dium's price rises with member count: $99 for 250 members, $179 for 500, $299 for unlimited. So for a large group that only needs Circle's Professional features, Circle can cost less than Dium, before transaction fees.
Questions or courses?
Circle is strongest when you sell structured content. Dium is strongest when members ask and answer. In Dium every Wave (a thread) has a type such as question, AMA, workshop or session. The asker marks the best answer, and solved Waves become a knowledge base new members can search.
Events with sponsors and speakers
Dium gives each sponsor, speaker, exhibitor or partner a Page with its own wall, sessions, team and contact button, plus visit analytics for the Page owner. Profile types (custom roles) let you give speakers or sponsors their own permissions.
Where Circle is better
No tool is best for everyone. If these matter most to you, Circle is probably the better choice.
- Courses, paywalls and payments. Dium does not sell courses or memberships for you.
- Native mobile apps, and branded apps on Circle Plus.
- Workflows, automations and AI agents on higher plans.
- Price for large groups: Professional includes unlimited members at $89/mo, as of September 2026.
- A larger ecosystem and more polish from years in the creator market.
Moving from Circle
Start small. Most groups move their questions first and keep everything else where it is.
Decide what moves
If you sell courses on Circle, keep them there. Move the parts where Q&A matters most, such as a cohort, a program or an event.
Open a Flow
Free under 50 members. Add profile types such as mentor, speaker or sponsor, each with its own permissions.
Invite your members
Share a join link, or send email invitations on a Pro plan. Dium has no Circle importer today.
Run a first session
Schedule an AMA or office hours as a session Wave, so members see the new home working on day one.
Dium vs Circle: questions
Can I sell paid memberships or courses in Dium?
No. Dium does not process member payments or host courses. If selling access is your main need, Circle or a similar tool fits better.
Is there a free trial?
Dium is free while your Flow has fewer than 50 members, with no time limit and no card. You pick a paid plan when your 50th member joins.
Does Dium include SSO?
SSO and embedding on your own domain are set up for partners. Talk to sales about your setup; it is not a switch on every plan.
Can I move my Circle content into Dium?
There is no importer today. Most groups seed their top questions by hand. Write to [email protected] if you need help.
Sources
- Circle pricing, checked September 28, 2026
- Capterra reviews of Circle, checked September 28, 2026
- Dium pricing
Corrections and affiliation
Found something out of date or wrong? Email [email protected] with a link to the source. We check it, fix confirmed errors and change the "last checked" date only when the facts change.
Dium is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by any company named on this page. Product names and trademarks belong to their owners and are used only to identify their products.
Try Dium next to Circle. Free under 50.
Open a Flow, move your top questions, and see if answers stick. No card needed.