Brandwave

Patreon vs Skool:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, Patreon had more branded searches than Skool among membership platforms worldwide. Patreon had about 3.4 million branded searches, while Skool had 22,200. Patreon made up 57.3% of all membership platform searches we track, and Skool accounted for 0.38%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about membership platforms, Patreon and Skool each appeared in three of the five answers. Skool was mentioned before Patreon in two out of three answers that named either.

Among membership platforms worldwide in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

Patreon, about 151 searches for every 1 for Skool

Patreon 3.4M searchesSkool 22.2K searches

Who does AI mention more?

Both were mentioned in 3 of 5 answers.

Patreon in 3 of 5Skool in 3 of 5

Who does AI recommend more?

Skool, named ahead of Patreon in 2 of 3 answers

Skool first in 2Patreon first in 1

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Top membership platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Patreon and Skool were each mentioned in three out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Skool was listed before Patreon in two out of three answers that named either.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Circle1st
  2. Mighty Networks2nd
  3. Skool3rd
  4. Patreon4th
  5. MemberPress5th
  6. Kajabi6th
  7. Podia7th
  8. Wild Apricot8th
  9. Substack–
  10. Memberful–

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • Patreon3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Kajabi3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Skool3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Mighty Networks3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Circle3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • MemberPress3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Podia2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Wild Apricot1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Substack0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Memberful0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about membership platforms

5 answers

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 19, 2026.

Is Patreon or Skool more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for Patreon and Skool by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all ten membership platforms we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.

Patreon and Skool among membership platforms worldwide, by month

Share of searches by month for Patreon, Skool. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthPatreonSubstackKajabiPodiaSkoolMighty NetworksWild ApricotCircleMemberPressMemberful
Oct 202568.6%25.8%2.8%1.2%0.37%0.68%0.25%0.14%0.2%0.05%
Nov 202568.6%25.8%2.8%1.2%0.45%0.55%0.25%0.11%0.2%0.04%
Dec 202565.1%29.9%2.6%0.96%0.35%0.53%0.19%0.09%0.16%0.05%
Jan 202665%30%2.6%0.96%0.35%0.53%0.24%0.09%0.16%0.04%
Feb 202664.5%29.8%3.2%0.95%0.43%0.52%0.23%0.1%0.16%0.05%
Mar 202665.6%30.2%2.2%0.79%0.36%0.43%0.19%0.09%0.13%0.04%
Apr 202661.1%34.2%2.5%0.9%0.41%0.49%0.18%0.1%0.12%0.03%
May 202665.8%30.1%2.2%0.8%0.36%0.36%0.16%0.07%0.09%0.03%
Jun 202665.7%30.6%1.8%0.8%0.36%0.36%0.16%0.07%0.09%0.03%
Jul 202661.3%34.6%2%0.91%0.41%0.41%0.18%0.07%0.08%0.03%
Aug 202661.7%35%1.7%0.75%0.34%0.27%0.15%0.07%0.07%0.02%
Sep 202657.3%39.3%1.5%0.85%0.38%0.31%0.17%0.06%0.06%0.03%

How has the Patreon and Skool comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • Patreon was ahead of Skool in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Patreon’s share of searches among membership platforms worldwide moved from 68.6% to 57.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 3.4M.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Skool’s share of searches among membership platforms worldwide moved from 0.37% to 0.38%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 18.1K to 22.2K.

How did search popularity change for membership platforms worldwide in September 2026?

2 changes

  1. In September 2026, Patreon lost share of searches among membership platforms worldwide, from 61.7% to 57.3%.

  2. Estimated monthly branded searches for Skool worldwide rose 22.7% over 12 measured months, from 18.1K to 22.2K in September 2026.

How are branded searches counted?

2 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Patreon’s and Skool’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.

Patreon

1 branded search term

  • patreon

Skool

1 branded search term

  • skool community

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among membership platforms

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