See Faces Any Time, Not Only in Live Rooms
Heartbeat gives you a place to run your community. Swarm gives you a place to build a community that lasts: engaged members who show up, learn, and support each other.
The short Version
Swarm vs Heartbeat: at a glance
There isn't a one-size-fits-all when it comes to picking a platform. Here's an honest side-by-side comparison.
Heartbeat
Swarm
Starting price
From $40/month
From $19/month
Transaction fees
5% / 2.5% / 1.25%
5% / 0% / 0%
Community & engagement
Text channels and threads, plus live rooms. Workflows nudge members
Video, voice and text in every thread. Unlimited video and voice messages on every plan
Courses
Evergreen, drip and cohort courses with quizzes and assignments
Community-led learning: your members learn together. Drip and cohort courses, quizzes, homework and discussions integrated into each lesson
Members
350 / 5,000 / unlimited
1,000 / 5,000 / unlimited
Branded App
From $766/month
From $149/month
Best for
Creators and coaches who want an all-in-one business engine to run their community with automations
Coaches and creators who want more engaged communities, with real connection and higher course completion through peer learning
Swarm is the platform of choice for world-class communities
Why community builders look for a Heartbeat alternative
Low Engagement
Heartbeat is built around text channels and chat, with face-to-face time limited to live rooms. Text carries less tone and personality, so conversations can feel flat and members drift away. Creators tired of quiet communities look for a place where members see and hear each other any time, not just when everyone is online.
Features locked behind tiers
Many of the tools you need to run a community sit in higher plans, from automation to branding and integrations. What looks affordable at the start gets costlier as your community grows. Builders search for an alternative when they're paying more each time they need a basic tool.
Branded app at a high price
A branded app is only available on Heartbeat's top plan, at a much higher monthly price. Having your own brand on members' phones builds trust and keeps them coming back. Smaller communities want that without the jump, so they look for a more affordable way to get it.
What Makes Swarm Different
More than a community platform. A connection engine.
Video-first. Every feature, every plan. A branded app you can afford.
The problem we were built to solve
90%
of members never post
47%
churn within 6 months
3–15%
course completion rate
How we solve it
Heartbeat is built around text channels, threads and chat. Members only see and hear each other in live voice and video rooms, which need everyone online at the same time. Its engagement tools (Match-Ups, workflows, in-app popups) nudge members to talk, but they don't build connection between them.
With Swarm, video, voice, and text work together in one thread. Video first doesn't mean video only: members can still type or leave a voice note. When members see faces and hear voices, they don't just consume content. They connect, contribute, and stay.
Swarm starts at $19/month. Heartbeat starts at $40/month.
We know that for community-builders like you cost is important. Swarm costs less at every tier, with 0% transaction fees on the Growth & Scale plans.
Heartbeat
Swarm
Base plan
$40/month
$19/month
Middle plan
$124/month
$79/month
Top plan
$766/month
$149/month
When to pick each platform?
When you should pick Heartbeat
- You run your community has a lot of automation: Heartbeat is a better fit if sales, onboarding and follow-up need to run on their own. It includes workflows, landing pages, checkout pages and an affiliate program, though Build is limited to 5 workflows.
- You sell with more complex pricing: If you need cancellation flows, grandfathered pricing, tiered event tickets or independent cohorts, Heartbeat covers more of this out of the box.
- You host large live sessions: If live sessions are where you live and you need an unlimited number of hours (more than 90 minutes), Heartbeat may be better suited to your business.
When you should pick Swarm
- You want a community built on real, human connection: Swarm is a better fit if you teach something visual or personal and want members to see and hear each other. Video, voice and text live in every thread, so members can reply on their own time instead of waiting for a live room.
- You want a branded app for a more affordable price: White label and the branded app come with the $149/month Scale plan, so your brand reaches members' phones without Heartbeat's $766/month Scale plan.
- You want to keep more of your revenue: Swarm charges 0% transaction fees from Growth ($79/month), against Heartbeat's 2.5% on Grow and 1.25% on Scale, so more of each sale stays with you.
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Common Questions
Got questions? We've got answers.
Can you help me move over from Heartbeat?
Is Swarm cheaper than Heartbeat?
Can I use my own domain?
Do members need to use video?
Is Swarm for coaches?
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Which platform is better for engagement?
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