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Online course platforms · 12 alternatives

Kajabi alternatives: 12 compared

Sebastiaan Smits By Sebastiaan Smits · Published October 8, 2026 · Updated October 8, 2026

Creators look past Kajabi when the plan limits on products, contacts and sites push them up a tier, or when they want a cheaper course site. Most move to Podia, Thinkific or Teachable for a hosted replacement, to systeme.io for funnels at lower cost, or to WordPress plugins for control.

Short answer: The closest replacements for Kajabi in our online course platforms ranking are Podia, Thinkific and Teachable. Choose Podia if you sell courses, downloads and coaching and want a simpler all-in-one. All 12 alternatives below are ranked products from Best Online Course Platforms in 2026, and each says where it differs from Kajabi and when Kajabi is still the better choice.

Visibility in our rankings can be paid for. Payment moves a vendor's position within the shortlist; it never adds a vendor, and it never changes a word of the review or of this page. How it works: placement disclosure · editorial process.

Kajabi at a glance

  • Headquarters: United States
  • Pricing model: Flat monthly
  • Pricing: Basic is $143 per month billed yearly or $179 monthly; Growth is $199 or $249; Pro is $399 or $499; third-party payment processors add a platform fee of 2%, 1% and 0.5% respectively.
  • Free option: Free trial
  • Built for: Established sellers consolidating many tools
  • Wrong for: A first-time course seller with no audience should not start at this price. Systeme.io and Payhip both have free plans that cover the first course.
  • Place in our ranking: #9 of 14
  • Website: kajabi.com

Facts from our online course platforms ranking, last checked October 8, 2026.

Why buyers look past Kajabi

  1. Plan limits drive the tier you buy

    Kajabi's pricing page lists 5 products, 2,500 contacts and 2 admin users on Basic, against 50 products and 25,000 contacts on Growth. A creator with a growing list or several offers is pushed up a tier by the caps, not by features they asked for.

  2. The payment fee depends on how you charge

    Kajabi advertises no revenue sharing, yet its table shows a platform fee of 2%, 1% and 0.5% by plan when you use a third-party payment provider, excluding PayPal. Kajabi Payments instead carries card rates of 2.9% + $0.30, falling to 2.7% on Pro, for US entities.

  3. Extras sit outside the base plan

    The pricing page shows AI credits as zero on Basic, with 500 purchasable for $15 a month. Websites and communities are one each on Basic and Growth, three on Pro. Teams that want several brands or spaces pay for the top plan.

12 alternatives at a glance

Closest replacement first. The last column is our place in the full 14-product ranking.

#AlternativeHeadquartersPricingKey differenceSwitch ifOur rank
1PodiaUnited StatesFlat monthly; free trialWebsite, email and course sales in one subscriptionyou sell courses, downloads and coaching and want a simpler all-in-one#2
2ThinkificCanadaFlat monthly; free trialHosted course builder with communities and branded appyou run structured training for customers, members or staff, not mainly funnels#4
3TeachableUnited StatesFlat monthly; free trialHosted courses, coaching and downloads with tax handlingyou mainly sell courses and want a payments-integrated checkout#5
4LearnWorldsCyprusFlat monthly; free trialHosted course school with interactive video and SCORMyou need assessments, SCORM or branded learner apps more than funnels#1
5systeme.ioIrelandFree + paid tiers; free planFunnel, email and course builder with a free planyou want funnels, email and courses and care most about cost#7
6Heights PlatformUnited StatesFlat monthly; free trialCourses and community with gamificationyou want courses plus community on a lighter platform with your own branding#13
7Mighty NetworksUnited StatesFlat monthly; free trialCommunity platform with courses and native appsyour business is a paid community and courses are a secondary offer#14
8FreshLearnUnited StatesFree + paid tiers; free planHosted courses, cohorts and membershipsyou want zero transaction fees and help with the migration itself#12
9TeacheryUnited StatesFlat monthly; free trialSingle-plan hosted course platformyou want a one-time price and a simple, well-designed course site#11
10LearnDashUnited StatesFlat yearly; free trialWordPress LMS plugin from Liquid Webyou already run WordPress and want to own the site and database#8
11Tutor LMSBangladeshFree + paid tiers; free planWordPress course plugin with a free coreyou want a free WordPress core and are happy to manage hosting yourself#3
12LifterLMSUnited StatesFree + paid tiers; free planWordPress course and membership pluginyou run WordPress and sell memberships or compliance-style courses#6

What each alternative does differently

1. Podia

Website, email and course sales in one subscription · United States

The closest all-in-one rival at the creator end. It bundles courses, digital downloads, coaching, community, events, a website builder and email marketing, with a 14-day trial. Check whether its automations cover your funnels, since Kajabi lists a wider set.

Switch from Kajabi if you sell courses, downloads and coaching and want a simpler all-in-one.

Pricing: Mover is shown at $42 per month as $504 billed annually with a 5% fee on sales; Shaker is $84 per month as $1,008 billed annually with no fee; Earthquaker is $150 per month as $1,800 billed annually. (free trial)

Full review: #2 of 14 in our ranking · Visit Podia →

2. Thinkific

Hosted course builder with communities and branded app · Canada

Course-and-community platform with separate solutions pages for academies, companies, experts and associations. It lists a drag-and-drop builder, payments and LMS tools. It leans toward structured training businesses rather than the funnel-and-marketing emphasis Kajabi uses.

Switch from Kajabi if you run structured training for customers, members or staff, not mainly funnels.

Pricing: The pricing page we fetched showed euro prices: Basic €39 per month on annual billing or €53 monthly, Start €79 or €107, Grow €159 or €213, and Plus on a custom quote. (free trial)

Full review: #4 of 14 in our ranking · Visit Thinkific →

3. Teachable

Hosted courses, coaching and downloads with tax handling · United States

Course platform with its own Teachable Payments checkout, positioned around courses, coaching, memberships and downloads. Its homepage promotes a migration offer for sellers moving over from other platforms. Compare its email and funnel tooling with Kajabi's before committing.

Switch from Kajabi if you mainly sell courses and want a payments-integrated checkout.

Pricing: Starter is $29 per month billed annually or $39 monthly with a 7.5% transaction fee and 5 products; Builder is $69 or $89 with 10 products; Growth is $139 or $189 with 50 products; Custom is by quote. (free trial)

Full review: #5 of 14 in our ranking · Visit Teachable →

4. LearnWorlds

Hosted course school with interactive video and SCORM · Cyprus

LMS-grade tooling for learning businesses: interactive video, an assessment builder, SCORM, a white-label website, a mobile app builder and custom user roles. It treats teaching as the product, where Kajabi treats marketing as the product.

Switch from Kajabi if you need assessments, SCORM or branded learner apps more than funnels.

Pricing: Starter is $24 per month billed annually or $29 monthly plus a $5 fee per paid enrollment; Pro Trainer is $79 billed annually or $99 monthly with no transaction fee; Learning Center is $249 or $299; Corporate is custom. (free trial)

Full review: #1 of 14 in our ranking · Visit LearnWorlds →

5. systeme.io

Funnel, email and course builder with a free plan · Ireland

Sales funnels, email marketing and online courses in one tool, aimed at entrepreneurs starting out, with a free account. It covers much of the funnel and email layer that Kajabi bundles, so it suits sellers who want one tool at the lowest cost.

Switch from Kajabi if you want funnels, email and courses and care most about cost.

Pricing: Free plan with 1 course and 2,000 contacts; Startup is $17 per month with 5 courses; Webinar is $47 per month with unlimited courses; Unlimited is $97 per month; annual billing gives two months free. (free plan)

Full review: #7 of 14 in our ranking · Visit systeme.io →

6. Heights Platform

Courses and community with gamification · United States

Courses, community and coaching with AI-assisted course creation and fully customizable branding. It lets you start without a credit card. It lists no equivalent to Kajabi's ad network or branded mobile app on its homepage, so check the feature list.

Switch from Kajabi if you want courses plus community on a lighter platform with your own branding.

Pricing: Challenge is $29 per month for 1 course and up to 100 active students; Basic is $49 per month; Pro is $119 per month; annual billing saves 20%; a higher Academy tier also exists. (free trial)

Full review: #13 of 14 in our ranking · Visit Heights Platform →

7. Mighty Networks

Community platform with courses and native apps · United States

Community-first: the product is the network, with courses and memberships layered on, plus branded apps and an AI cohost. The homepage reports host earnings and sells on community design. It is a weaker fit for funnel-led selling.

Switch from Kajabi if your business is a paid community and courses are a secondary offer.

Pricing: Launch is $79 per month or $950 per year with a 2% transaction fee; Scale is $179 per month with 1%; Growth is $354 per month with 0.5%; Mighty Pro is custom priced. (free trial)

Full review: #14 of 14 in our ranking · Visit Mighty Networks →

8. FreshLearn

Hosted courses, cohorts and memberships · United States

Courses, coaching, cohorts, memberships and digital products, with AI learning features. It advertises zero transaction fees, free migration and human support at all hours. Compare its marketing toolset with Kajabi's if you rely on funnels and automations.

Switch from Kajabi if you want zero transaction fees and help with the migration itself.

Pricing: A free plan covers 1 product; paid plans are listed at $35 per month for Pro, $49 for No Brainer and $99 for No Brainer+ on the pricing page default billing option, with Enterprise on a custom quote. (free plan)

Full review: #12 of 14 in our ranking · Visit FreshLearn →

9. Teachery

Single-plan hosted course platform · United States

Digital products with one-time pricing: its homepage calls itself the only platform with a pay-once option, and the category file lists that lifetime payment. It positions on simplicity and design, so expect a plain course site rather than a funnel stack.

Switch from Kajabi if you want a one-time price and a simple, well-designed course site.

Pricing: $49 per month, or $470 per year, or a one-time lifetime payment of $950; every plan includes all features. (free trial)

Full review: #11 of 14 in our ranking · Visit Teachery →

10. LearnDash

WordPress LMS plugin from Liquid Web · United States

A WordPress plugin: you host the site yourself and buy an annual licence. LearnDash states there are no per-student fees, with unlimited courses and learners, and lists quizzes, memberships, subscriptions and bundles. You assemble email, hosting and checkout around it.

Switch from Kajabi if you already run WordPress and want to own the site and database.

Pricing: Essentials is $259 per year, Pro $399 per year and Elite $599 per year. (free trial)

Full review: #8 of 14 in our ranking · Visit LearnDash →

11. Tutor LMS

WordPress course plugin with a free core · Bangladesh

A WordPress plugin with a free core download and a visual course builder, content bank, certificate builder and quizzes. Like Kajabi it sells courses, but you run hosting, backups and email yourself, which is a trade of convenience for control.

Switch from Kajabi if you want a free WordPress core and are happy to manage hosting yourself.

Pricing: The core plugin is free; Pro is $199 per year for 1 site, $399 per year for up to 10 sites or $799 per year for unlimited sites, with one-time lifetime licenses at $499, $999 and $1,999. (free plan)

Full review: #3 of 14 in our ranking · Visit Tutor LMS →

12. LifterLMS

WordPress course and membership plugin · United States

A WordPress plugin sold on a coupon-led introductory price, with courses and memberships as the core. It targets creators, coaches and healthcare or compliance training. Kajabi's hosted app, email and checkout have to be rebuilt from separate WordPress pieces.

Switch from Kajabi if you run WordPress and sell memberships or compliance-style courses.

Pricing: The core plugin is free; the Earth Bundle is $199 for the first year (normally $398) for 1 site, Universe $299 (normally $598) for 5 sites and Infinity $799 (normally $1598) for unlimited sites, and the vendor states renewals are at full price. (free plan)

Full review: #6 of 14 in our ranking · Visit LifterLMS →

When Kajabi is still the right choice

Stay on Kajabi if you sell with funnels, email and a branded app from one login and your list fits within the plan caps. Its pricing page lists unlimited funnels, landing pages and marketing emails on every plan. Replacing that bundle with separate tools costs more time than the fee saves.

What to expect when you switch from Kajabi

  1. Export contacts and subscriptions first

    Kajabi emails you a CSV when you export from the Contacts tab, limited to your plan's contact limit, and the link expires after three days. Subscription records export separately from Sales. Segment first if you want to move customers in groups.

  2. Take your content before you cancel

    Kajabi's cancellation page advises downloading course videos and customer lists before the cancellation date. Members lose access, a connected custom domain is disconnected, and customer data may be deleted 90 days after termination. Keep your original video files as source.

  3. Cancel customer subscriptions deliberately

    Cancelling the Kajabi account does not stop customers' active subscriptions. Kajabi states each has to be cancelled individually, or customers keep being charged. Decide whether subscriptions move to a new processor, and handle that before shutting the account.

Questions and answers

How do I export my contacts from Kajabi?

Open Contacts, filter or select the contacts, choose Bulk Actions and Export, and Kajabi emails you a CSV. The link expires after 3 days, and the export is capped by your plan's contact limit.

What happens to my customers when I cancel Kajabi?

They lose access to the products built on Kajabi, but their active subscriptions are not cancelled. Kajabi says you must cancel each subscription yourself, or the customers will keep being charged.

How long does Kajabi keep my data after cancellation?

Kajabi's cancellation page says customer data may be deleted 90 days after account termination and cannot be recovered afterward. It sends reminders 14 and 7 days before the final deletion date.

Can I pause Kajabi instead of cancelling it?

Yes. Kajabi's cancellation article states you can pause your account instead and links to a pause guide. Pausing is the safer option while you test a new platform.

What does Kajabi charge on top of the plan price?

Kajabi Payments carries card rates from 2.9% + $0.30 on Basic to 2.7% + $0.30 on Pro for US entities. Using a third-party provider adds a platform fee of 2%, 1% or 0.5%, excluding PayPal.

Are the Kajabi contact limits per plan?

Yes. The pricing page lists 2,500 contacts on Basic, 25,000 on Growth and 100,000 on Pro, and says contact exports are limited to your plan's limit.

Sources

Prices, plan limits and product facts about Kajabi on this page were checked against the vendors' own pages on October 8, 2026. Vendors change both without notice, so treat the figures as of that date.

Who wrote this

Sebastiaan Smits Sebastiaan Smits, Founder, wrote, edited and fact-checked this page. Founder of The Interregnum and of 2 Steps Ahead, an AI search visibility agency. Writes, edits and fact-checks every page here. Last reviewed October 8, 2026. How we review.