How to Migrate From Skool Without Losing Members (2026)

To migrate from Skool, export your member list from the Members tab, rebuild your classroom and community on the new platform, then ask each paying member to start a fresh subscription through your own payment account before you end their Skool billing. Card details cannot be carried across, because Skool processes every payment on its own merchant account. Plan for four to six weeks so every member passes one full billing cycle during the switch.

This guide covers what Skool lets you take with you, a data map from each Skool object to its Coachful equivalent, a week-by-week timeline, paste-ready emails for your members, the payments question in detail, and a cutover checklist. We make Coachful, so we will be clear about where it fits and where it does not.

Why do coaches migrate from Skool?

Most coaches who leave Skool are not leaving because the community stopped working. They leave because their business grew past what a community-plus-classroom tool was built to hold. Here are the factual reasons that come up, all drawn from Skool's own pricing page and help center as listed in October 2026.

• Fees on every sale, on both plans. Skool's Hobby plan ($9 a month) charges 10% + 30¢ on all transactions. The Pro plan ($99 a month) charges 2.9% + 30¢ on transactions up to $899 and 3.9% + 30¢ above $900. Skool's help center states these fees are non-refundable.
• You cannot use your own Stripe account. Skool's Payments FAQ says all processing happens on Skool's merchant account, that "you cannot use your existing Stripe account," and that the Stripe Express connection it creates is only for sending you payouts every Wednesday.
• Growth Boost takes a share of members Skool finds. According to the same FAQ, Growth Boost is on by default and takes a 30% commission on recurring charges from customers Skool brings you, for as long as their subscription stays active. You can switch it off under Settings, Discovery.
• Members pay in USD only. All subscription prices on Skool are in US dollars; payouts arrive in your local currency.
• No 1:1 coaching layer. Skool has no per-client records, intake forms, habits or check-ins. If you coach individuals inside a group, that work happens in other tools.
• No marketing stack around the community. Our September 2026 profile found no website on your own domain, no funnels, no email automation and no public API. The Hobby plan lists a custom URL and affiliates, but your sales pages and email list still live elsewhere.
• Each community is its own subscription. Running a free community and a paid mastermind means paying for two.
• Public reviews are mixed to poor. Skool held a Trustpilot score of 1.6 from 54 reviews when we checked on October 25, 2026.

None of this makes Skool a bad product. It is a simple, gamified community with a classroom and calendar, and many creators run large groups on it happily. The fit breaks when you sell coaching programs, need 1:1 delivery, or want your payments, website and email in one place you control. Our Skool review and Skool pricing breakdown go deeper on both sides, and 10 Skool alternatives for coaches compares the main options.

What can you export from Skool?

You can export your member list and their answers to membership questions as a CSV file. Skool's help center article "Where can I find members' answers to Membership Questions?" says to click the Export button on the Members tab to export all the answers. Our September 2026 profile recorded the file as holding each member's name, email, join date and membership answers.

The same profile found that posts, direct messages and course progress are not exportable. That shapes the whole migration, so here is what each piece means in practice.

• Member list: exportable as CSV. This is your most valuable file. Export it at the start, and again on cutover day to catch late joiners.
• Membership answers: included in the same export. Keep them; they become intake data on each client record.
• Classroom content: no bulk export was documented. Lesson text has to be copied out, and videos re-uploaded from your original files or from wherever you host them.
• Community posts and comments: not exportable. Screenshot or copy the handful of evergreen posts worth keeping (rules, welcome post, best answers).
• Direct messages: not exportable. If a DM thread holds an agreement or a promise to a member, copy it into your notes now.
• Course progress, points and levels: not exportable. Members restart progress on the new platform, so tell them early.
• Payment and card data: stays with Skool as the merchant of record. More on this below.

Export before you announce anything. If a member reads your announcement and leaves the group early, you still have their email address.

How does each Skool feature map to Coachful?

Almost every Skool object has a direct home in Coachful, and several things Skool does not have (1:1 records, contracts, habits, a website) are added on top. The table lists what moves, how it moves, and what has no equivalent.

Two rows deserve a closer look. Leaderboards have no Coachful equivalent, so if your group runs on points and level rewards, replace that motivation with something you control: program weeks, habit streaks, and goals with visible progress. And courses opened by level become time-based drip, which many coaches find easier to explain to new members anyway.

What does Coachful add that Skool never had?

Coachful adds the 1:1 coaching layer and the business tools around the community: client records, programs with habits and check-ins, booking, contracts, payments through your own account, a website, funnels and email. That matters for a migration, because you are not only moving a group; you are deciding where the rest of the business lives.

Coachful is a coaching platform where one subscription covers booking, payments, contracts, program delivery with habits and check-ins, courses, a community, a website with funnels and email, and an AI assistant. The coach has one login; the client gets one branded app. It is built for coaches who deliver programs rather than single sessions, solo coaches growing into a small team, and coaches replacing four to six separate tools.

• Community that follows your programs. A community feed, group chat, direct messages and video events, plus cohort groups created automatically when someone enrolls in a program. See group coaching software.
• Programs, not just a classroom. Multi-week programs with weekly goals, daily tasks, habits, morning and evening check-ins, goals with progress bars and streaks.
• Courses. Modules, lessons, drip and completion tracking, delivered into the client's branded home and app. See online course platform for coaches.
• A record for every client. Goals, check-ins, habits, notes, intake answers, tags, payments and sessions, with a status of thriving, active, quiet or at risk and an AI briefing per client.
• Payments you own. Your own Stripe Connect or Razorpay account, with a 0% Coachful platform fee since August 2026; you pay only Stripe or Razorpay processing. See coaching payment software.
• Agreements. Coaching agreements with e-signature, sent before the first call and stored on the client record. See coaching contracts.
• A website and email. A section-based website builder with blog and custom domain, booking, application, lead-magnet and checkout funnels, email broadcasts and multi-step sequences. See coach website builder.

What Coachful does not do matters just as much when you compare it with Skool. It has no public leaderboards or points system. It is not a course marketplace, so it will not send you strangers the way Skool's discovery feature can. It does not support PayPal, has no permanent free plan, and its client app ships under the Coachful listing with your branding rather than under your own App Store account. It is not HIPAA-certified. If discovery traffic from Skool's directory is a large share of your new members, weigh that before you move. Our Coachful vs Skool comparison lays the two side by side.

What will you pay on Skool versus Coachful?

On Skool you pay a plan fee plus a per-transaction fee on every member payment; on Coachful you pay a flat monthly plan and only your payment processor's fees. The table shows the structure as listed in October 2026.

Here is an illustrative example, not a real customer. Say you run a paid group with 40 members at $49 a month, which is $1,960 a month in revenue. On Skool Pro, each payment costs 2.9% + 30¢, about $1.72, so roughly $69 a month in fees plus the $99 plan. On Hobby, each payment costs 10% + 30¢, about $5.20, so roughly $208 a month plus the $9 plan.

On Coachful you pay the plan and your own processor's fee, which depends on your country and card mix. Be fair to Skool here: its help center points out that Stripe charges extra for international cards and subscriptions, and argues most people switching from Stripe save 1 to 2%. Skool also acts as merchant of record and handles EU VAT for you, which has real value. Once you take payments through your own Stripe account, collecting and filing sales tax or VAT becomes your job. Stripe Tax can calculate it at checkout, but the obligations depend on where you and your members are, so check with an accountant before you switch.

What is the step-by-step plan to migrate from Skool?

Run the migration in six steps over four to six weeks: export, build, test, announce, switch billing, then close Skool. The timing is driven by billing. Skool bills each member monthly on their own cycle, so you need a switch window long enough for every member to reach a renewal date.

Step 1: Export and audit (week 1)

• Export the member CSV from the Members tab.
• Split the list into paying members, free members, and anyone on a grandfathered price. Skool's help center confirms existing members keep the price they joined at when you change it, so you may have several price points.
• Note each paying member's tier and approximate renewal day if you can see it in Skool's admin.
• List every classroom course, its modules and lessons, and where the original video files live.
• Copy your rules post, welcome post and any evergreen threads.
• Switch off Growth Boost if you no longer want Skool's directory sending new members into a community you are leaving.

Step 2: Set up Coachful (week 1 to 2)

• Start a free trial and connect your own Stripe Connect or Razorpay account.
• Request the white-glove build: send your member CSV, course outline, logo and brand guide, and the team imports clients, programs and content into your account.
• Create offers that match your Skool prices, including grandfathered prices. Use coupons for members you want to keep on an older rate.
• Set up the community feed, group chat and recurring video events for your live calls.

Step 3: Rebuild courses and programs (week 2)

Rebuild each Skool course as a Coachful course, or turn it into a program if members work through it week by week. A program lets you attach daily tasks, habits and check-ins, which is the piece Skool groups often lack. If you want to see how a program is put together, this walkthrough shows the builder:

If you have more than one tier, consider making the top tier a program with its own cohort group, which Coachful creates automatically on enrollment. Our guide to scaling from 1-on-1 to group coaching covers how to structure tiers.

Step 4: Test everything as a member (end of week 2)

• Buy your own offer with a real card, then refund yourself.
• Join as a test client and check the welcome email, the community, the first lesson and the next live call.
• Check reminders for events and sessions arrive in the right time zone.
• Check that your agreement (if you use one) sends before the first call.

Step 5: Announce and open the new checkout (week 3)

Send the announcement email, pin a post in Skool, and mention it on your next live call. Give members a clear switch date and a direct checkout link. Members join Coachful when their new subscription starts; their Skool membership should end when their next Skool renewal would have charged them. The templates below cover each message.

Step 6: Cutover and close Skool (weeks 4 to 6)

• Run both platforms in parallel for one full billing cycle (about 30 days).
• Each time a member starts their Coachful subscription, end their paid membership on Skool so they are not billed twice. Follow Skool's current help center steps for removing members or cancelling memberships, as admin menus change.
• Send a reminder a week before the switch date and again three days before.
• On the switch date, export the member CSV once more, pin a final redirect post in the Skool group, and stop running live calls there.
• Keep your Skool subscription active until the last member has either moved or chosen to leave, then cancel it.

What timeline should you plan for?

A small community of under 50 members can move in about four weeks; a larger one with several tiers usually needs six. The table gives a realistic schedule.

What should you tell members? (Paste-ready emails)

Tell members three things: why you are moving, what changes for them, and exactly what to do by when. Keep each email short and send them from your new email tool once your list is imported, plus a pinned post in Skool for anyone who does not read email.

These are relationship messages about a membership people already pay for. Under the FTC's CAN-SPAM guidance, purely transactional or relationship emails are exempt from most provisions, but if you mix in promotion (a new offer, an upsell), include a clear opt-out and a valid postal address. The FTC's CAN-SPAM compliance guide sets out the rules; if your members are in the EU or UK, check consent rules with an attorney before adding free members to marketing lists.

Email 1: The announcement (send at the start of week 3)

Subject: Our community is moving (and what it means for you)

Hi [First name],

I am moving [Community name] to a new home on [Switch date]. The short version: you will get the same calls, the same courses and the same people, plus [one concrete benefit, such as weekly check-ins, a habit tracker, or a private program space].

Why now: I want our courses, calls, check-ins and your progress in one app, and I want to run payments through my own account so I can offer [payment plans / local options / a better rate].

What you need to do: nothing yet. Next week I will send you a personal link to join. Your price stays at [your current price].

What will not come across: old posts, DMs and course progress. If there is something in our Skool group you want to keep, save it before [Switch date].

Questions? Just reply to this email.

[Your name]

Email 2: Your link to switch (send 3 to 5 days later)

Subject: Your link to join the new [Community name]

Hi [First name],

Here is your link to join: [checkout link]. It is set to your current price of [price], [and your first month is covered if you switch before your next Skool renewal / with this code: CODE].

Once you have joined, reply "done" and I will cancel your Skool membership so you are never charged twice. Your next Skool renewal is around [date], so switching before then is easiest.

After joining, download the app, open the community, and say hello in the welcome thread. Our next live call is [date and time] and will run there.

[Your name]

Email 3: Final reminder (send 3 days before the switch date)

Subject: 3 days left in the old group

Hi [First name],

Quick reminder: on [Switch date] the Skool group goes quiet and our calls run only in the new space. If you have not switched yet, here is your link again: [checkout link].

If you have decided this is a good moment to step away, that is completely fine. Reply and I will cancel your Skool membership for you.

[Your name]

Pinned post for the Skool group

We are moving on [Switch date]. Check your email for your personal link (subject: "Your link to join the new [Community name]"). Calls from [date] run in the new space. Old posts and DMs will not come across, so save anything you want to keep. Questions below.

Note to free members

Subject: The free community has a new home

Hi [First name], the free [Community name] group is moving to [link]. Same weekly [post / Q&A], new home. If you would rather not follow, no action needed; you will not hear from me again about it.

How do paying subscriptions move off Skool?

They do not move automatically. Each paying member has to start a new subscription on your own payment account, and you then end their Skool membership. Skool's Payments FAQ explains why: payment processing happens on Skool's merchant account, you cannot connect your existing Stripe account, and the Stripe Express account Skool creates for you is only a payout connection. Card details therefore sit with Skool, not with you, and no platform can import them.

Stripe subscriptions in general do not move between platforms on their own. Even between two tools that both use Stripe, a subscription belongs to a specific Stripe account and is tied to that account's customer and card records. With Skool the situation is simpler and stricter: there is no Stripe account of yours holding those subscriptions at all, so a re-subscribe is the only route.

A few practical rules make the switch painless:

• Match prices exactly. Create a Coachful offer for each price point, including grandfathered rates. Members who see a higher price at checkout are the ones who drop off.
• Time the switch to renewal dates. Ask each member to join before their next Skool renewal, then end their Skool membership. Nobody pays twice, and nobody gets a free gap.
• Consider a switching coupon. If a member renewed on Skool a few days before your announcement, a coupon on their first Coachful month avoids a double charge. Coachful supports coupons, payment plans and Apple Pay and Google Pay at checkout.
• Do not change the Skool price to push people out. Skool grandfathers existing members at their current price, so a price change will not move anyone.
• Annual members need a decision. For anyone who paid for a year on Skool, either let them keep their Skool access until the term ends, with a free invite to the new space, or start their Coachful subscription when the Skool year ends. Skool's policy lets creators issue refunds at their discretion, so a partial refund is also possible; any Skool transaction fee already charged is non-refundable.
• Payouts lag. Skool pays out every Wednesday, so your final Skool payout arrives after the last member renewal. Keep the Skool account open until it lands.
• Tax responsibilities change. Skool collects and remits VAT and sales tax as merchant of record. On your own Stripe account, that becomes yours, with Stripe Tax available to calculate it. Ask an accountant how this applies where you live.

Coachful charges no platform fee on what members pay you (0% since August 2026), and every transaction generates an invoice, which helps when you reconcile the switch month.

What should be on your cutover checklist?

Use this checklist for the final two weeks. Each line has a clear owner and a moment it must be done by.

If you also run 1:1 clients alongside the group, move their sessions at the same time. Coachful's booking pages sync both ways with Google, Apple/iCloud and Outlook calendars and create Zoom, Meet or Teams links automatically, so clients rebook once on your new page. See scheduling software for the full list.

How does Coachful's white-glove import and build work?

You describe what you want built, attach your files, and the Coachful team builds it inside your own account, usually within about 24 hours. During onboarding, clients, programs and content are imported for you, so your Skool member CSV and course material can go straight to the team instead of being typed in by hand.

Why Coachful stands out: a free white-glove service. Most platforms hand you an empty account and a help center. Coachful's build service is free on every plan. From Create, then "We'll build it for you · FREE" (also the "Want us to build it for you?" card on Website, Funnels, Programs and the template galleries), you can request a website, funnel, offer or sales page, program, course (outline and written material), coaching flow, form, email sequence, link in bio, lead quiz, event or webinar, automation, or something else. You can attach up to 8 reference links and up to 10 files such as logos, photos, brand guides, copy and documents (no video files).

For a Skool migration, a sensible request looks like this:

• Files: the member CSV, a document with your course outlines and lesson text, your logo and brand colors, your current rules and welcome posts.
• Links: your Skool group's About page, your current price points, and any website you want to replace.
• Ask: "Import my members tagged by tier, rebuild my three courses, set up a program for my top tier, and build a one-page site with a join button."

The team does not invent anything: no fake credentials, testimonials or prices, and gaps are left for you to fill. The service does not include recording videos, logo design, ad management or ongoing marketing. Recent anonymized examples include a somatic coach leaving Kajabi who had the homepage and About page rebuilt and the contact form connected, and a real-estate and money coach who got a year-long cohort program with an application form, an eight-page site and a free nine-day bootcamp funnel. More detail is in our white-glove service guide.

To start: open a free trial, connect Stripe or Razorpay, and send the build request with your Skool export attached. Current plans: Lite: $29/month for up to 5 clients; Solo: $49/month for up to 20 clients; Pro: $99/month with unlimited clients; Studio: $199/month with unlimited clients.

How do you keep members engaged during the move?

Give members a reason to show up in the new space in the first week, not just a new login. Migrations lose people at the moment of friction, so remove friction and add a small win.

• Hold the first live call in the new space within three days of the switch. People log in for a call they already value.
• Start a short kickoff. A seven-day habit or check-in sprint gives everyone something to do on day one, and streaks start counting immediately.
• Post a welcome thread and reply to every introduction. The first week sets the tone of the new community.
• Watch client status. Coachful marks each client as thriving, active, quiet or at risk. Message anyone who goes quiet in the first two weeks.
• Keep the old group honest. A final pinned post in Skool with the new link catches anyone who missed the emails.

If you run a high-touch group, our guide to hosting client masterminds without Skool covers structure and cadence in more detail. Moving from another platform too? See how to migrate from Kajabi and Kajabi vs Skool.

Frequently asked questions

Can I export my members from Skool?

Yes. Skool's help center says you can click the Export button on the Members tab to export members' answers to membership questions, and our September 2026 profile recorded the file as including name, email and join date. Export at the start of the migration and again on the switch date.

Can I export Skool posts, DMs or course progress?

Our September 2026 profile found that posts, direct messages and course progress are not exportable. Copy any evergreen posts by hand, save important DM threads to your notes, and tell members their progress will restart on the new platform.

Will my members' subscriptions transfer automatically?

No. Skool processes payments on its own merchant account and does not let you use your own Stripe account, so card details stay with Skool. Each member re-subscribes through your new checkout, and you end their Skool membership once they have joined.

How do I avoid charging members twice?

Ask each member to join the new space before their next Skool renewal, then end their Skool membership the same day. For anyone who renewed just before your announcement, give a coupon on their first month on the new platform.

How long does it take to migrate from Skool?

Plan for four weeks for a small group and six weeks for a larger one with several tiers. The limiting factor is billing: every member needs to reach one renewal date during the switch window.

What happens to Skool's leaderboards and levels?

They do not migrate and Coachful has no leaderboard. Coaches usually replace them with program weeks, habit streaks and goals with progress bars, and with drip schedules in place of courses opened by level.

Do I lose Skool's discovery traffic if I leave?

Yes. Coachful is not a marketplace, so new members come from your own website, funnels, email and social channels. If Skool's directory or Growth Boost brings in a large share of your members, factor that into the decision.

Who handles VAT and sales tax after I leave Skool?

On Skool, Skool acts as merchant of record and handles VAT and sales tax. On Coachful, you take payments through your own Stripe or Razorpay account, so those obligations become yours; Stripe Tax can calculate tax at checkout. Rules vary by country and state, so check with an accountant.

Is the Coachful white-glove build really free?

Yes, the white-glove build service is free on every plan. You describe what you need, attach up to 10 files and 8 links, and the team builds it in your account, usually within about 24 hours. It does not include recording videos, logo design, ads or ongoing marketing.

Can I keep my Skool group running while I move?

Yes, and you should. Run both for one billing cycle, make the Skool group quiet on the switch date with a pinned redirect post, and cancel your Skool subscription only after the final payout arrives.