Short answer: Mighty Networks Launch ($79/mo + 2% fee) and Scale ($179/mo + 1% fee) break even at exactly $10,000/month in revenue. Below $10K, Launch is cheaper on plan cost. Above $10K, Scale saves money — but modestly ($10/month at $11K, $50/month at $15K, $150/month at $25K). For most creators, the branded mobile app on Scale is the real reason to upgrade, not the fee math. If mobile-first members are part of your value proposition, Scale becomes the right plan regardless of where your revenue sits.
For broader Mighty Networks context, see when Mighty Networks is worth it across 4 scenarios or the Mighty Networks review covering all plan tiers.
What's the Math at Each Revenue Level?
Here's the side-by-side cost comparison at the revenue levels that matter most for the Launch-vs-Scale decision. All figures assume annual billing and treat the transaction fee as the only platform-fee difference (standard Stripe processing applies equally to both plans):
| Monthly revenue | Launch total ($79 + 2%) | Scale total ($179 + 1%) | Cheaper plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| $2,000 | $119 | $199 | Launch (saves $80) |
| $5,000 | $179 | $229 | Launch (saves $50) |
| $10,000 | $279 | $279 | Tie (breakeven) |
| $11,000 | $299 | $289 | Scale (saves $10) |
| $15,000 | $379 | $329 | Scale (saves $50) |
| $20,000 | $479 | $379 | Scale (saves $100) |
| $25,000 | $579 | $429 | Scale (saves $150) |
Scale only saves money above $10,000/month — and the savings are small in the $10K-$14K range. The fee math becomes meaningful above $15K/month and compounds from there.
How Did We Get to $10,000 as the Breakeven?
Simple algebra. Launch costs $79 base + 2% of revenue. Scale costs $179 base + 1% of revenue. Setting them equal:
- Launch total = Scale total
- $79 + 0.02R = $179 + 0.01R
- 0.01R = $100
- R = $100 / 0.01 = $10,000/month in revenue
That's the inflection point. Below it, the $100 base savings on Launch outweighs the higher fee percentage. Above it, the higher fee percentage on Launch outweighs the base savings. The slope of savings as revenue grows past $10K is exactly 1% — for every additional $1,000/month in revenue past breakeven, Scale saves $10/month more than Launch.
The Math Nudges Below $15K — The App Decides
Worth saying out loud: the Launch-vs-Scale math at the breakeven zone is modest. At $11,000/month, Scale saves $10/month — that's $120/year, a real number but not decisive. At $13,000/month, the savings are $30/month. The math doesn't force the decision until you're consistently past $15K/month, where savings cross $50/month and start growing meaningfully.
For most creators in the $10K-$14K range, the real Scale upgrade trigger isn't the fee math — it's the branded mobile app. Mighty's Scale tier is one of the cheapest ways to get a branded app on your community at all. By comparison, Kajabi gates branded apps to its top tier, and Circle offers branded apps only on its enterprise Plus plan. If your members are mobile-first and a branded app would meaningfully change their experience, Scale earns its price regardless of where the fee math sits.
Conversely: if mobile-first isn't your audience's pattern, the math at $11K-$14K doesn't justify upgrading. Stay on Launch until your revenue crosses $15K or your feature needs change.
What Do You Get on Scale Beyond the Lower Fee?
The Scale tier includes capabilities Launch doesn't:
| Capability | Launch ($79/mo) | Scale ($179/mo) |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction fee | 2% | 1% |
| Branded mobile app | No (generic Mighty app) | Yes (your branding) |
| Multi-feature spaces | No (basic spaces) | Yes |
| Advanced automations | Limited | More extensive |
| Programs (structured cohorts) | Not available | Available |
| Community spaces | Included | Included |
The branded mobile app is the standout feature. If you've been on Launch and members ask about a "Tasha's program app" or want a home-screen icon, Scale is the plan that delivers it.
When Does Launch Make Sense Long-Term?
Three scenarios where Launch is the defensible long-term plan:
- Pre-launch or early-stage validation. You're testing whether the community concept will work at all. Spending $179/month before you have engaged paying members is overinvestment. Launch lets you validate at the lowest entry price.
- Hobby-scale community under $5,000/month. You run a small paid community, members are happy, you're not trying to scale. At that revenue Launch + the 2% fee is manageable and the missing Scale features (branded app, programs, multi-feature spaces) don't matter for your shape.
- Desktop-first audience pattern. Your members consume content through email, browser, or desktop. They've never asked for an app and there's no engagement evidence they'd use one. Launch's capability matches what they actually do.
Outside those three cases, Launch is usually a stepping-stone plan. Most working communities cross at least one Scale-justifying threshold within 12-18 months.
When the Decision Is Already Made
Three signals that you should already be on Scale and the question isn't whether to upgrade but when:
- Your revenue is consistently above $15,000/month. The fee math alone now saves more than $50/month and grows from there. Every month on Launch past this threshold leaves money on the table.
- Members have asked about a branded mobile app. Once members explicitly request the app, you've validated the value. Scale at $179/mo is cheaper than building a custom app or migrating platforms to get one.
- You're running structured programs and Launch's space architecture is getting cramped. Multi-feature spaces and programs are Scale-tier capabilities. If you're already working around their absence, you're paying for the workaround in admin time.
How Should You Decide?
The decision tree:
- Is your revenue under $5,000/month? Launch. Don't upgrade yet — fee math doesn't justify it and Scale features sit unused.
- $5,000 to $10,000/month? Launch unless you specifically need the branded app, programs, or multi-feature spaces. The fee math still favors Launch in this range.
- $10,000 to $14,000/month? Judgment call. Math is roughly neutral. Upgrade if mobile app or programs matter, stay on Launch if not.
- Above $15,000/month? Scale. Math now meaningfully favors it, and the operational margin from the lower fee compounds.
- Above $35,000/month? Consider Growth ($354/mo + 0.5% fee). The Scale-to-Growth math breakeven is at $35K/mo — see when Mighty Networks is worth it for the full tier analysis.
Bottom Line
Here's how I'd put it to a friend: the Launch-vs-Scale decision isn't a fee-math decision in the $10K-$14K range — Scale only saves $10-$40/month at those levels. The branded mobile app is the real reason to upgrade in that range. The fee math becomes the dominant argument above $15K/month, where Scale saves $50+/month and the savings grow. Below $10K/month, Launch is meaningfully cheaper and the math doesn't justify upgrading.
If you're already on Launch and crossing $10K/month, the audit is straightforward: run the math on your last three months of revenue, decide whether mobile app matters for your audience, and pick the tier that fits both. For broader scenarios where Mighty Networks earns its price across any tier, see when Mighty Networks is worth it in 2026.