Build the Community Stan Store Leaves Out
Stan Store sells your offers from your bio. Swarm builds the community around them: built for members to connect, learn, and support each other.
The short Version
Swarm vs Stan Store: 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.
Stan Store
Swarm
Starting price
From $29/month
From $19/month
Transaction fees
As low as 0%
As low as 0%
Community
A basic text-led forum. No points, levels or leaderboards, and live calls run through Zoom or Google Meet
Video, voice and text in every thread. Different spaces and topic hubs. Points, leaderboards, badges, and live streams built in.
Courses
Basic course features. Unlimited courses. No quizzes or completion certificates
Community-led learning, with unlimited courses, quizzes, shareable certificates and discussion hubs
Live events
External link
Natively or external link
Branded app
Not available
From $149/month
White Label
Not available
From $149/month
Best for
Content creators and coaches who want a fast, mobile-friendly link-in-bio storefront to sell digital products
Coaches and creators who want a solid community and course experience that feels connected and alive.
Swarm is the platform of choice for world-class communities
Why creators look for a Stan Store alternative
Limited community features
Stan Store is built to sell offers, and community is one part of it. Each account gets a single text-led forum where members post, comment and like, with no points, levels or leaderboards, and live calls run through Zoom or Google Meet, so members don't connect face to face inside the community. Stan itself has said that its community lacks the depth of community-specific tools.
Basic course tools
Stan hosts unlimited courses, but it has no quizzes or completion certificates, and Stan itself says creators who need grading and certification may be better served elsewhere. Courses are one more offer in the storefront rather than the core of the experience. Creators who want members to finish their courses look for stronger learning tools.
No branded mobile app
Members reach a Stan community through Stan's own Community app, and neither a branded app nor white label is listed on their pricing plans. Creators who want their own brand on members' phones look for a platform that offers both.
What Makes Swarm Different
More than a community platform. A connection engine.
Community features that connect members. Courses that bring them together. A branded app and white label that keep them coming back.
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
Stan Store's community runs on posts, comments and likes, and live calls go through Zoom or Google Meet. Connection stays mostly in text.
With Swarm, video, voice, and text work together. When members see faces and hear voices, they don't just consume content. They connect, contribute, and stay.
Swarm starts at $19/month. Stan Store starts at $29/month.
We know that for community-builders like you cost is important. We built out our pricing so that is makes sense for you as you grow.
Stan Store
Swarm
Base plan
$29/month
$19/month
Middle plan
$99/month
$79/month
Top plan
n/a
$149/month
When to pick each platform?
When you should pick Stan Store
- You want a mobile-friendly link-in-bio store: Stan puts courses, coaching, digital products, memberships and community on one mobile-first storefront, so followers can buy straight from your profile.
- If community is secondary to you: If your focus is on selling digital products and community is just a side offer to support that, Stan's text forum may be enough.
- If you don't like being on camera and don't plan to start: Swarm's superpower lies in being video-first. That doesn't mean you have to be on camera all the time, but it works best if being on camera is something you see value in.
When you should pick Swarm
- If your teaching is visual, demonstration-based or personal: Swarm puts video at the centre of teaching and connection, so you show up with real presence at scale. It’s ideal for skills-based coaches in dance, fitness or music, and for personal work like life coaching or mindset.
- If community is a central part of your offer: Swarm is first-and-foremost a community platform. If community is the central part of what you want to offer, you'll feel the difference in how the platform is built.
- If you want the experience to feel like yours: with Swarm you have the option of a custom domain, your colours and your logo, as well as a branded mobile app. Podia doesn't have an equivalent of this on any of their pricing tiers.
DON'T TAKE OUR WORD FOR IT
Trusted by the best
Common Questions
Got questions? We've got answers.
Can you help me move over from Stan Store?
Does Stan Store have a community?
Does Swarm have a branded app and white label?
Does Swarm have quizzes and certificates?
How much does Swarm cost?
Which platform is better for building a community, Swarm or Stan Store?
Can I use my own domain?
Do members need to use video?
Is Swarm for coaches?
Can I sell digital products on Swarm?
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