Best Kajabi alternatives in 2026: real prices and fees, compared
Best Kajabi alternatives in 2026: real prices and fees, compared
How we make money: if you sign up for Systeme.io through our links, Systeme.io pays us a commission. You pay the same price. None of the other six platforms pay us, and those links go straight to their official pricing pages.
Kajabi is an excellent all-in-one platform, but its cheapest plan is $143 a month billed yearly, or $179 month to month. That’s a lot when you’re starting out. We compared six alternatives on the two numbers that decide what you really pay: the plan price and the platform’s cut of each sale. Then we added them up for a creator selling $10,000 of courses a year. Prices come from each platform’s live pricing page.
Our picks at a glance
Prices from live pricing pages, Oct 5, 2026Systeme.io
Courses, communities, email marketing, sales funnels, and checkout in one account, with 0% transaction fees on every plan. The free plan includes a course with up to 500 students. Paid plans start at $17/mo, about a tenth of Kajabi Basic.
Comparison: price, fees, and limits
Kajabi is included as the baseline. “Entry price” is the cheapest paid plan billed yearly unless noted. Card processing fees (about 2.9% + 30¢ in the US) apply on every platform and aren’t included here.
| Platform | Best for | Free option | Entry price | Platform fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Systeme.io | All-in-one on a budget | Free plan | $14.17/mo | 0% |
| Teachable | Course-first creators | 7-day trial | $29/mo | 7.5% (0% on Builder) |
| Thinkific | Unlimited courses | Free trial | $40/mo | Not listed |
| Podia | Courses + downloads | 14-day trial | $42/mo | 5% (0% on Shaker) |
| Skool | Paid communities | Free trial | $7.50/mo | 10% (2.9% on Pro) |
| Kartra | Funnels, automation | 30-day refund | $59/mo, monthly | 5% (0% on Starter) |
| Kajabi (baseline) | Premium all-in-one | Free trial | $143/mo | 0% |
What selling $10,000 of courses a year really costs
Plan cost for a year (billed yearly where offered) plus the platform’s own transaction fee on $10,000 of sales. Card processing is extra everywhere, so it’s left out to keep the comparison fair.
| Plan | Plan per year | Platform fee | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Systeme.io Startup | $170 | $0 | $170 |
| Teachable Builder | $828 | $0 | $828 |
| Podia Mover | $504 | $500 (5%) | $1,004 |
| Skool Hobby | $90 | $1,000 (10%) | $1,090 |
| Teachable Starter | $348 | $750 (7.5%) | $1,098 |
| Kartra Essentials | $708 (monthly) | $500 (5%) | $1,208 |
| Kajabi Basic | $1,716 | $0 | $1,716 |
Thinkific isn’t in this table because its pricing page doesn’t list a platform transaction fee; Basic is $480 a year billed yearly. Skool’s fee may include card processing, which would make it look relatively better, so check its terms. Kartra’s yearly price wasn’t shown in the view we captured, so we used 12 monthly payments. At higher sales the percentage fees matter more: at $50,000 a year, Skool Hobby’s 10% would be $5,000.
The 6 Kajabi alternatives, reviewed
Each review covers what the tool is best at, the limits that matter, and who should skip it.
Systeme.io: best low-cost all-in-one Kajabi alternative
- Free1 course, 500 students, 2,000 contacts, 3 funnels
- PaidStartup $17/mo · Webinar $47 · Unlimited $97 (2 months free yearly)
- Fees0% transaction fees on every plan
Systeme.io covers most of what people buy Kajabi for: online courses, communities, email marketing and automations, sales funnels, checkout with upsells, and an affiliate program, all in one account. The free plan is real, not a trial: one course with up to 500 students, one community, 2,000 contacts, and 3 funnels, with no card required. Startup ($17 a month, or $170 a year) raises that to 5 courses with unlimited students, 5,000 contacts, and 10 funnels.
Systeme charges no transaction fees on any plan; you pay only Stripe’s or PayPal’s processing fees. For a creator selling $10,000 a year, that makes it the cheapest option here by a wide margin. The trade-offs: course pages and themes look plainer than Kajabi’s or Teachable’s, there’s no branded mobile app, and the builder favors speed over design freedom.
Pros
- Free plan with a real course and 500 students
- 0% transaction fees on every plan
- Email, funnels, community, and courses in one bill
- Unlimited students from $17/mo
Cons
- Plainer course design than Kajabi or Teachable
- No branded student app
- Higher limits require Webinar ($47) or Unlimited ($97)
Skip it if a premium-looking student experience or your own app matters more than cost.
Teachable: best for a polished, course-first business
- Starter$39/mo, or $29 billed yearly; 7.5% transaction fee
- Builder$89/mo, or $69 yearly; 0% fee
- Trial7 days, plus 30-day guarantee
Teachable is focused on courses and does them well: a clean student experience, iOS and Android student apps, global payments and tax handling, upsells, and cart recovery. Starter is cheap but takes 7.5% of each sale, so most serious sellers should compare it with Builder, which has 0% transaction fees, 10 products, and an affiliate program.
At $10,000 a year in sales, Builder ($828 a year) is cheaper than Starter ($348 plus $750 in fees).
Pros
- Polished student experience and apps
- 0% transaction fee from Builder
- Global payments and taxes handled
Cons
- 7.5% fee on Starter
- Product limits on each plan
- Email and funnels less complete than Systeme or Kajabi
Skip it if you need full email automation and funnels in one tool.
Thinkific: best for unlimited courses
- Basic$40/mo billed yearly
- Start$82/mo billed yearly
- Grow$164/mo billed yearly
Thinkific includes unlimited courses on every plan, with video lessons, quizzes, discussions, a community, and up to 5 digital downloads on Basic. Start adds live cohorts and coaching, memberships and subscriptions, and an HTML/CSS editor. Removing Thinkific branding requires Grow.
Its built-in Thinkific Payments charges about 2.9% in the US, similar to Stripe. The pricing page we loaded didn’t show monthly prices or list a separate platform transaction fee, so check checkout terms before you commit.
Pros
- Unlimited courses on every plan
- Strong learning features and cohorts
- Mature, stable platform
Cons
- Branding removal requires Grow ($164/mo yearly)
- Monthly prices not shown on its page
- Email marketing is limited
Skip it if you want email and funnels built in.
Podia: simplest storefront for courses and downloads
- Mover$42/mo billed yearly ($504); 5% fee
- Shaker$84/mo billed yearly ($1,008); no fees
- Trial14 days, no card; refunds within 72 hours
Podia keeps things simple: courses, digital downloads, a community, and email in one easy storefront. Mover includes 50 products and email for up to 100 subscribers but takes a 5% transaction fee. Shaker removes the fee and raises email to 500 subscribers.
The email limits are tight. If your list grows past 1,000 subscribers you’ll outgrow the included email on every plan.
Pros
- Very easy to set up
- Courses, downloads, and community together
- No fees from Shaker up
Cons
- 5% fee on Mover
- Email capped at 100 to 1,000 subscribers
- Monthly prices not shown on its page
Skip it if you already have a large email list.
Skool: best for community-first memberships
- Hobby$9/mo, or $7.50 billed yearly; 10% transaction fee
- Pro$99/mo, or $82 yearly; 2.9% fee
- IncludesUnlimited members, courses, videos, and live calls
Skool is built around a community feed, with courses, events, and live calls attached, plus gamification that keeps members active. Every plan includes unlimited members, courses, videos, and live calls, with a custom URL and affiliates.
Hobby is cheap but takes 10% of sales. Once you’re selling more than about $1,300 a month, Pro’s lower 2.9% fee more than covers its higher price. It’s less suited to selling one-off courses with complex funnels.
Pros
- Excellent community engagement
- Unlimited members and courses
- Very low entry price
Cons
- 10% fee on Hobby
- Few design or funnel options
- Community-first, not storefront-first
Skip it if you sell standalone courses with sales funnels.
Kartra: funnels and automation, with courses included
- Essentials$59/mo billed monthly; 5% fee; 500 contacts
- Starter$119/mo; 0% fee; 2,500 contacts
- Guarantee30-day money-back
Kartra is a marketing platform first: funnels, pages, email and SMS, checkout, and automation, with membership sites and courses included. It’s closest to Kajabi in scope and aimed at marketers who want detailed automation.
Essentials takes a 5% transaction fee and caps contacts at 500. Starter removes the fee. Kartra says yearly billing saves up to 22%, but we only captured monthly prices.
Pros
- Deep funnel and automation tools
- Email and SMS included
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- 5% fee on Essentials
- Low contact limit on Essentials
- Steeper learning curve
Skip it if you just want to publish a course quickly.
How we picked
To be clear about our method: this guide is based on research, not a months-long hands-on test of every tool. Here’s what went into it:
- Live pricing pagesWe loaded each pricing page on October 5, 2026 and recorded monthly and yearly prices and every platform fee.
- Plan limits and FAQsCourse, student, contact, and product limits; trials; refunds; and payment processing terms.
- Published reviewsIndependent reviews and creator feedback on course experience, support, and reliability.
- Real cost at $10kPlan price plus platform fees for a creator selling $10,000 a year.
Commissions don’t decide the ranking, and we’ve said plainly where our top pick is weaker. Systeme.io is first because it covers the most of Kajabi’s job (courses, community, email, funnels, checkout) for the lowest real cost, with a usable free plan and no transaction fees. If a premium student experience matters most, Teachable Builder is the better fit. For a community-led membership, choose Skool. We say so above.
Frequently asked questions
What's the cheapest Kajabi alternative?
Systeme.io. Its free plan includes a course with up to 500 students, and paid plans start at $17 a month ($170 a year) with 0% transaction fees. Skool Hobby is $9 a month but takes 10% of each sale.
Is there a free Kajabi alternative?
Yes. Systeme.io has a free-forever plan with 1 course, 500 students, 1 community, 2,000 contacts, and 3 funnels. The others offer free trials rather than free plans.
Which platforms charge transaction fees?
Teachable Starter (7.5%), Podia Mover (5%), Kartra Essentials (5%), and Skool (10% on Hobby, 2.9% on Pro). Systeme.io and Kajabi charge no platform fee. Card processing (about 2.9% + 30¢ in the US) applies everywhere.
How much does Kajabi cost?
Basic is $143 a month billed yearly, or $179 month to month. Growth is $199 yearly or $249 monthly, and Pro is $399 yearly or $499 monthly. Kajabi charges no revenue share, and every plan has a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Can I move my courses from Kajabi?
Yes, but plan for it. Download your videos and files, export your customer and email lists as CSV, and rebuild course structure on the new platform. Existing subscriptions usually have to be recreated, so tell members before you switch.
Systeme.io vs Kajabi: what do I give up?
Mainly polish. Kajabi has more refined themes, a branded mobile app on Pro, and more built-in analytics. Systeme.io covers the same core jobs (courses, email, funnels, checkout, community) for far less.