Kajabi Alternatives (2026): 3 Cheaper Picks Compared on Fees and Real Costs
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Kajabi is an all-in-one platform for selling courses, coaching and memberships, with a website, email marketing, funnels and checkout in one subscription. Its cheapest plan is $143/mo billed yearly ($1,716 a year). A good Kajabi alternative costs less because it does less: you keep the course and checkout, and decide which extras you really use.
The short answer
To cut costs, start with Teachable: courses, memberships and email from $29/mo billed yearly, or $69/mo with no platform fee. LearnWorlds is cheapest at low sales ($24/mo plus $5 per paid enrollment). Thinkific Start ($82/mo yearly) suits many courses and certificates. Kajabi Basic is $143/mo.
Kajabi pricing in brief
Kajabi has no free plan. Billed yearly, Basic is $143/mo, Growth $199/mo and Pro $399/mo; billed monthly they are $179, $249 and $499. Kajabi’s plan page prints the yearly totals: $1,716, $2,388 and $4,788. The main pricing page, though, shows the monthly figure next to “Billed annually”, so confirm the charge at checkout.
Basic allows 5 products and 2,500 contacts, Growth 50 and 25,000, and Pro unlimited products and 100,000 contacts. Extra contacts cost $125 a month per 25,000. Kajabi takes no revenue share, but card processing applies. The plan page says 14 days free; every plan also has a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Why people look for a Kajabi alternative
- The price. $1,716 a year is the entry cost, or $2,148 if you pay monthly. That is about five times Teachable Starter’s yearly price.
- Caps on Basic. 5 products and 2,500 contacts. Going past either means Growth ($199/mo billed yearly) or paid contact blocks.
- Features on higher tiers. Your own affiliate program, advanced automations and removing Kajabi branding need Growth. A branded App Store app needs Pro.
- Paying for tools you don’t use. If you already have an email tool or a website, much of the Kajabi bundle sits idle.
None of this makes Kajabi a bad choice. It replaces several tools with one bill. The question is whether you use enough of them to justify the price.
Kajabi vs the alternatives at a glance
| Platform | Best for | Starts at | Fee per sale (own payments) | Trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Kajabi | Website, email, funnels and courses in one | $143/mo Basic, billed yearly | 0% revenue share | 14 days on the plan page |
 Teachable | Course-first and cheaper | $29/mo Starter, billed yearly | 7.5% on Starter; 0% from Builder | 7-day trial on the plan cards (a pop-up offered 30 days) |
 LearnWorlds | Lowest cost at low sales | $24/mo Starter, billed yearly | $5 per paid enrollment on Starter; none from Pro Trainer | 30-day trial |
 Thinkific | Many courses and certificates | $82/mo Start, billed yearly | 0% on Thinkific Payments | 30-day trial |
List prices in US dollars before tax, from each vendor’s pricing page on October 26, 2026. Card processing (2.9% + 30¢ for a US card) applies on top on every platform. LearnWorlds prices exclude VAT.
What a year really costs
Plan prices hide the real bill, because some platforms charge per sale. This table shows two sales levels: 3 courses at $100 a month ($3,600 a year) and 10 a month ($12,000 a year). Sales are paid by US cards through each platform’s own payments, on yearly billing.
| Platform and plan | Plan cost a year | Platform fee | Year total, 3 sales a month | Year total, 10 sales a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kajabi Basic | $1,716 | 0% (no revenue share) | $1,831 | $2,100 |
| Teachable Starter | $348 | 7.5% ($7.50 a sale) | $733 | $1,632 |
| Teachable Builder | $828 | 0% on Teachable Payments | $943 | $1,212 |
| LearnWorlds Starter | $288 | $5 per paid enrollment | $583 | $1,272 |
| LearnWorlds Pro Trainer | $948 | None | $1,063 | $1,332 |
| Thinkific Start | $984 | 0% on Thinkific Payments | $1,099 | $1,368 |
Our own arithmetic from the published prices. Year total = plan cost + platform fees + card processing at $3.20 a sale ($115.20 for 36 sales, $384 for 120). Before tax, add-ons and payouts in other currencies; international cards cost more. Kajabi’s 2.9% + 30¢ is its US rate on Basic; LearnWorlds lists Stripe and PayPal at 2.9% + $0.30.
Every option here costs less than Kajabi Basic at both levels. At 3 sales a month, LearnWorlds Starter is cheapest at $583, about a third of Kajabi Basic. At 10 sales a month, Teachable Builder is cheapest at $1,212, or $888 less than Kajabi Basic. LearnWorlds Starter and Teachable Builder cost the same at 9 sales a month; below that, LearnWorlds wins.
What you give up when you leave Kajabi
Kajabi includes a website, landing pages, funnels, unlimited email sends, a community and the Kajabi customer app on every plan. Here is what the cheaper plans include instead, per each pricing page on October 26, 2026.
| Kajabi feature | Teachable Starter / Builder | LearnWorlds Starter / Pro Trainer | Thinkific Start |
|---|---|---|---|
| Email to customers | Built-in email marketing on every plan | None on Starter; 2,000 mass email credits a month on Pro Trainer | Email automation; bulk email not included |
| Landing pages and funnels | Site builder listed; plan limits not stated | None on Starter; landing pages and 15 page funnels on Pro Trainer | Site builder and landing pages |
| Community | From Builder | Not verified | 1 community |
| Memberships | Every plan | Pro Trainer only | Yes |
| Mobile app | Student apps on every plan | Branded app add-on from Pro Trainer | Branded app add-on, $199/mo |
| Admin users | 1 | 1 on Starter | 2 |
Kajabi Basic includes 2 admin users. “Not verified” means the pricing page didn’t state it clearly on October 26, 2026; check with the vendor.
How we chose
We picked course platforms that cost less than Kajabi and cover its core job: hosting courses and taking payment. We read each pricing page on October 26, 2026 and compared published prices, fees, trials and plan limits only. We haven’t tested these platforms hands-on yet, so we don’t rank them on ease of use, video quality or support.
Other names that often come up, such as Podia, Skool, Circle, Mighty Networks, Payhip and Kartra, aren’t covered because we haven’t verified their US plans yet. Most “Kajabi alternatives” lists we found were written by one of the platforms they recommend, so check prices on the vendor’s own page.
Teachable: best for selling courses and coaching for less
Platform for selling online courses, coaching, memberships and digital downloads, with built-in checkout and sales-tax handling, student mobile apps and AI tools for outlines, quizzes and subtitles.
- Starts at
- $29/mo Starter, billed yearly ($39 billed monthly)
- Fee per sale
- 7.5% on Starter; 0% from Builder
- Trial
- 7-day trial on the plan cards (a pop-up offered 30 days), no free plan
Compared with Kajabi: Teachable is a course platform first. Starter costs $348 a year against $1,716 for Kajabi Basic, and both cap you at 5 products. The catch is a 7.5% transaction fee on Starter. Builder ($69/mo billed yearly, $89 monthly) drops that to 0% on Teachable Payments, raises the cap to 10 products and adds a community and your own affiliate program. Built-in email marketing, memberships and student mobile apps are listed on every plan. Starter and Builder include 1 admin user, against 2 on Kajabi Basic.
Who it’s for: You mainly sell courses, coaching or downloads, and want the lowest bill once you sell every week.
Skip it if: You need more than 10 products without paying for Growth ($139/mo billed yearly), or several team members managing the school.
Weighing Teachable against Thinkific instead? Read our Teachable vs Thinkific comparison.
Visit TeachableRead the Teachable profile
Source: teachable.com, checked October 26, 2026
LearnWorlds: best for low sales volume and interactive training
Learning platform (LMS) for selling and running online training, with interactive video, an assessment builder, AI course tools, a website builder, SCORM support and white-label options.
- Starts at
- $24/mo Starter, billed yearly ($29 billed monthly) + $5 per paid enrollment
- Fee per sale
- $5 per paid enrollment on Starter; none from Pro Trainer
- Trial
- 30-day trial, no free plan
Compared with Kajabi: LearnWorlds is a learning management system (LMS): software built for running training, with interactive video and an assessment builder for exams. Starter is the cheapest plan here, but it adds $5 to every paid enrollment and leaves out a lot that Kajabi includes: free courses, memberships and payment plans, certificates, landing pages, mass email and funnels. Pro Trainer ($79/mo billed yearly, $99 monthly) adds those, with 2,000 mass email credits and 15 page funnels a month. A branded mobile app is a paid add-on from Pro Trainer. Prices exclude VAT.
Who it’s for: You sell fewer than about 9 courses a month, or you teach skills that need quizzes, exams or SCORM files.
Skip it if: Memberships are your main product. They need Pro Trainer, and Kajabi’s unlimited email sends have no match on Starter.
Visit LearnWorldsRead the LearnWorlds profile
Source: learnworlds.com, checked October 26, 2026
Thinkific: best for many courses, communities and certificates
Online course platform for building and selling courses, communities, digital downloads and coaching, with AI course outlines, hosted checkout, memberships and optional branded mobile apps.
- Starts at
- $82/mo Start, billed yearly ($109 billed monthly)
- Fee per sale
- 0% on Thinkific Payments
- Trial
- 30-day trial, no free plan
Compared with Kajabi: Thinkific changed its lineup: on October 26, 2026 its pricing page listed Start, Grow and Expand, with no cheaper Basic plan. Start costs $61 a month less than Kajabi Basic on yearly billing. It includes unlimited courses and digital downloads, 1 community, 2 admins, completion certificates, coaching, memberships and a site builder with landing pages on your own domain. Email automation is included, but bulk email to students is not on Start. Thinkific Payments charges 2.9% processing with no platform fee. Connecting Stripe or PayPal instead adds a gateway fee of 2% on Start. A branded mobile app is a $199/mo add-on.
Who it’s for: You run more than 5 courses or products, want certificates, or want a 30-day trial before you move.
Skip it if: You send regular email broadcasts to students and don’t want a separate email tool, or you need a branded app without paying $199 a month extra.
Thinkific’s plan names and prices changed recently, so older reviews may still mention a $40 Basic plan. Check the Thinkific pricing page before you buy.
Visit ThinkificRead the Thinkific profile
Source: thinkific.com, checked October 26, 2026
Before you move off Kajabi
Kajabi’s help center explains what happens when you cancel. Do these steps first.
- Download your content and data. Kajabi recommends saving important content before the cancellation date, such as customer lists and course videos.
- Cancel customer subscriptions. Canceling your account doesn’t stop customer payments. Each subscription must be canceled individually, or the customer keeps being charged. You can still log in after canceling to do this.
- Overlap the switch. At the end of your billing or trial period, your site goes inactive, customers can’t log in and a custom domain is disconnected. Rebuild on the new platform during its trial before that date.
- Mind the 90 days. Kajabi may delete customer data 90 days after the account ends and sends reminders 14 and 7 days before. Deleted data can’t be recovered.
- Consider pausing. If you’re unsure, Kajabi suggests pausing your account instead of canceling, which keeps your work.
When Kajabi is still the right pick
- You would otherwise pay separately for a website, an email tool, a funnel builder and a community.
- You email a large list often: every Kajabi plan includes unlimited email sends, and Basic covers 2,500 contacts.
- Two or more people run the business: Basic includes 2 admin users, Growth 11.
- Your business is already built there. Switching takes time, and customers lose access if you cancel before rebuilding.
Still deciding? See our best online course platforms roundup, the Teachable alternatives guide, or browse all online course platforms.
FAQ
What is the cheapest alternative to Kajabi?
On plan price, LearnWorlds Starter at $24/mo billed yearly, plus $5 per paid enrollment. At 3 sales of $100 a month it costs about $583 a year, against $1,831 on Kajabi Basic. Above 9 sales a month, Teachable Builder ($69/mo billed yearly, no platform fee) costs less. Prices checked October 26, 2026.
Is Teachable cheaper than Kajabi?
Yes. Billed yearly, Teachable Starter is $348 a year and Builder $828, against $1,716 for Kajabi Basic. Selling 10 courses at $100 a month, our estimate is $1,632 a year on Starter (it takes 7.5% a sale), $1,212 on Builder and $2,100 on Kajabi Basic. Kajabi’s price also covers funnels, unlimited email sends and a community.
Is Thinkific better than Kajabi?
For course libraries, often yes: Thinkific Start has unlimited courses, completion certificates and a 30-day trial for $82/mo billed yearly. Kajabi is the better fit if you want email broadcasts, funnels and a customer app in one plan; bulk email to students is not included on Thinkific Start.
Is there a free alternative to Kajabi?
Not among the platforms we compared. Kajabi, Teachable, Thinkific and LearnWorlds have no free plan. You can try each one first: Thinkific and LearnWorlds offer 30-day trials, Teachable’s plan cards list 7 days, and Kajabi’s plan page says 14 days.
Can I move my courses from Kajabi to another platform?
Yes, but it’s manual work. Kajabi’s help center recommends downloading your content and data, such as customer lists and course videos, before your cancellation date. You then re-upload lessons and rebuild sales pages elsewhere. Customer subscriptions don’t stop when you cancel, so cancel each one yourself.
Does Kajabi charge transaction fees?
Kajabi takes no revenue share. You pay card processing: on Kajabi Payments for US businesses that is 2.9% + 30¢ on Basic, 2.8% + 30¢ on Growth and 2.7% + 30¢ on Pro. Using another processor (PayPal excluded) adds 2%, 1% or 0.5% by plan, on top of that processor’s own fees.
Sources
All pages checked October 26, 2026.