Rashida BealPicking the best course platform feels like a big chunk of the battle.
After trying out several of them, Kajabi and Thinkific are two of the best in the business, but they each offer quite different benefits.
Kajabi is the all-in-one powerhouse: email marketing, sales funnels, community, and course delivery under one roof. Thinkific is the focused course platform: cleaner interface, lower price, and 0% transaction fees on every paid plan.
Which one is right for you depends entirely on how much of the marketing stack you want built in.
Thinkific
- Tweak every possible aspect of your course and sales page
- Lowest cost option to get started fast
- Great for new course creators with quizzes and certificates
Kajabi
- All tools included so nothing to connect or manage
- Easy to launch with room to scale
- Strong choice for serious long term creators
Table of Contents
- Thinkific
- Kajabi
- Key Takeaways
- What is Thinkific?
- See for yourself with a 30-day free trial
- What is Kajabi?
- What will Kajabi actually cost you?
- The Main Differences Between Thinkific and Kajabi
- Thinkific vs Kajabi: Which Should I Choose?
- See Which Online Course Platform Fits You Best
- Final Verdict
- Thinkific
- Kajabi
- Frequently Asked Questions
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Key Takeaways
- Thinkific removed its free plan in 2025 and now offers a 14-day free trial. Paid plans start at $49/month ($36/month annually) with 0% transaction fees on all tiers.
- Kajabi offers a complete all-in-one platform for course creation, email marketing, sales funnels, and community, but raised prices in January 2026. Plans now start at $179/month ($143/month annually).
- Thinkific is ideal for creators who want a focused, affordable course platform and are happy using separate tools for email and marketing.
- Kajabi is best for course creators who want to consolidate email marketing, funnels, and course hosting into one platform and can justify the higher monthly cost.
| Thinkific | Kajabi | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $49/mo ($36/mo annual) | $179/mo ($143/mo annual) |
| Free plan | No (14-day free trial) | No (14-day free trial) |
| Transaction fees | 0% on all plans (own Stripe adds 1-5% surcharge) | 0% with Kajabi Payments |
| Email marketing | Basic tools only. Requires third-party for advanced campaigns. | Full built-in on all plans |
| Sales funnels | Not included | Built-in Pipeline Builder |
| Community | Yes, on Start plan and above | Yes, on all plans with live rooms and challenges |
| Completion certificates | Start plan and above | All plans |
| Phone support | Yes, on Grow plan | No |
| Best for | Focused course delivery at a lower cost | All-in-one course and marketing platform |
What is Thinkific?
Best for creators who want focused, affordable course delivery with 0% transaction fees.
After trying out dozens of course platforms, Thinkific stands out as one of the best overall options for creators who want clean, reliable course delivery without paying for features they won't use. It removed its free plan in 2025 and now starts at $49/month, but all paid plans include unlimited courses and 0% platform transaction fees, which puts it ahead of Teachable and Podia at the entry level.
Note: If you use your own Stripe account instead of Thinkific's built-in payment processor (TCommerce), Thinkific adds a surcharge: 5% on Basic, 2% on Start, 1% on Grow. Using TCommerce avoids this.
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Pros
- 0% transaction fees on all paid plans
- Unlimited courses on every paid plan
- Phone support on Grow plan (unique among course platforms)
- Customizable course creation with drag-and-drop builder
- Custom domain on all paid plans
- Student payment options including installment plans and subscriptions
- 14-day free trial, no credit card required
Cons
- No free plan (removed in 2025)
- Stripe surcharge of 1-5% if not using TCommerce
- No built-in email marketing or sales funnels
- Completion certificates only on Start plan and above
- 10,000 student cap on all standard plans (unlimited requires Plus)
- No course marketplace
What is Kajabi?
Best for all-in-one course hosting, email marketing, and sales automation.
Kajabi is the most feature-complete course platform on the market. It bundles email marketing, sales funnels, a website builder, community tools, podcast hosting, and payment processing into one monthly price. The January 2026 pricing restructure removed the entry-level Kickstarter plan, making Basic at $179/month the new starting point, a significant jump that makes the value calculation more important than ever.
The all-in-one approach genuinely justifies the price for creators who would otherwise pay separately for ConvertKit, ClickFunnels, and a website. For those who only need course delivery, it doesn't.
Read my full Kajabi review to learn more.
Get your real monthly and annual price, see how it stacks up against paying for separate tools, then find your plan. Affiliate link. We may earn a commission if you sign up, at no extra cost to you. Check the tools you currently pay for. Edit any price to match what you actually pay. Kajabi rolls all of these into one plan. Stack prices are typical starting prices, not exact quotes. Affiliate link, no extra cost to you. 1. How big is your audience / contact list? 2. Will you run a community or membership? 3. Need advanced automation, multiple sites, API, or a branded app?What will Kajabi actually cost you?
Pros
- Full email marketing tools included on all plans
- Built-in sales funnel builder (Pipeline Builder)
- Marketing automation based on course completion, purchases, and inactivity
- Highly customizable with seven course templates and full website builder
- Custom domain on all plans
- Built-in community with live rooms, challenges, and leaderboards
- Student payment options including subscriptions and installment plans
- Native completion certificates on all plans
- AI tools for course outlines, emails, and landing page copy
- 0% transaction fees with Kajabi Payments
Cons
- No free plan. Entry price is now $179/month after January 2026 restructure.
- Significantly more expensive than Thinkific at every tier
- Affiliate tools and advanced automations locked to Growth plan ($249/month)
- Steeper learning curve due to breadth of features
- Small marketplace with limited search for students
The Main Differences Between Thinkific and Kajabi
Thinkific is the better option for creators who want focused course delivery at a lower cost and don't need built-in marketing tools. Kajabi is the better option for creators who want to consolidate their entire business: courses, email, funnels, community, into one platform.
Ease of Use
Winner: Thinkific
Both platforms are user-friendly, but Thinkific has the edge for beginners. Its interface is straightforward, with a clear step-by-step course builder and minimal setup. Kajabi's breadth of features (email automations, pipeline builder, community tools) means a steeper initial learning curve, though it becomes easier once you're settled in. If you want to launch a course quickly with minimal configuration, Thinkific gets you there faster.
Course Creation and Delivery
Winner: Both
Both platforms deliver solid course creation tools. Thinkific's drag-and-drop builder is clean and intuitive, supporting video, audio, PDFs, quizzes, and live lessons on the Start plan and above. Kajabi supports drip scheduling, cohort-based delivery, and video chapters, though it limits you to one content type per lesson. You can't mix video and a quiz in the same lesson the way Thinkific allows. For pure course structure flexibility, Thinkific has a slight edge. For how the course fits into a broader business system, Kajabi wins.
Marketing and Sales Tools
Winner: Kajabi
This is where Kajabi wins decisively. It includes advanced email marketing, automated funnels, customizable landing pages, and behavior-based triggers out of the box. Thinkific has basic promotional tools and integrates with third-party email providers via Zapier, but it has no native funnel builder. If marketing automation is a priority, Kajabi is the clear choice. If you already have email and funnel tools you're happy with, this advantage doesn't matter as much.
Pricing and Value
Winner: Depends on your use case
Thinkific is the more cost-effective choice for course-only delivery. Plans run $49, $99, or $199/month (or $36, $74, $149 annually) with 0% transaction fees on all tiers.
Kajabi is more expensive: $179, $249, or $499/month (or $143, $199, $399 annually). But it replaces several tools most creators pay for separately. If you're currently paying for ConvertKit, a funnel tool, and website hosting alongside a course platform, Kajabi Basic at $143/month often ends up being comparable or cheaper in total.
The right answer depends entirely on how much of Kajabi's stack you'll actually use.
Check out our detailed pricing plan guide for Thinkific vs Kajabi vs Teachable vs Podia vs Udemy.
Customer Support
Winner: Thinkific
Thinkific offers email support, live chat, a comprehensive knowledge base, and phone support on the Grow plan, the only major course platform to offer phone support at this price tier. Kajabi provides strong 24/7 live chat and email support, but only on the Growth plan ($249/month) and above. On Kajabi Basic, support is more limited.
Analytics and Reporting
Winner: Kajabi
Kajabi's analytics dashboard is more comprehensive, covering sales, page views, email performance, and student engagement, all integrated with its marketing tools. Thinkific provides solid course-level reporting but lacks the marketing analytics Kajabi offers. If data-driven decisions are important to your growth strategy, Kajabi has the edge.
Check out these 56 interesting online learning statistics before building your first course!
Thinkific vs Kajabi: Which Should I Choose?
There's no objective winner between Thinkific and Kajabi. The right choice depends on your needs and how much of the marketing stack you want built into your platform.
When to Choose Thinkific
Choose Thinkific if you want a focused, affordable course platform and are comfortable using separate tools for email and marketing. It's ideal for:
- Solo educators and first-time course creators
- Anyone who already has email marketing tools they like
- Small businesses that want a clean, simple delivery tool
- Corporate trainers and non-profits watching their budget
- Creators who value phone support
Check out our guide on how to migrate from Kajabi to Thinkific >>
When to Choose Kajabi
Choose Kajabi if you want one platform to handle course creation, marketing, and sales. It's ideal for:
- Entrepreneurs who want email automation and sales funnels built in
- Businesses planning to scale and needing robust analytics
- Creators who want to build a community or membership model alongside their courses
- Anyone currently paying for multiple tools who wants to consolidate
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Final Verdict
Thinkific wins for focused course delivery. It's more affordable, easier to get started with, and offers 0% transaction fees on every paid plan. If you only need to create and sell courses and handle marketing yourself, Thinkific is the smarter buy.
Kajabi wins for all-in-one business management. If you want email marketing, sales funnels, community, and course delivery in one place and can justify the higher monthly cost, Kajabi eliminates the complexity of managing multiple tools.
Thinkific
- Tweak every possible aspect of your course and sales page
- Lowest cost option to get started fast
- Great for new course creators with quizzes and certificates
Kajabi
- All tools included so nothing to connect or manage
- Easy to launch with room to scale
- Strong choice for serious long term creators
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better, Kajabi or Thinkific?
It depends on your needs. Kajabi excels with its all-in-one marketing and course tools, ideal for scaling and detailed analytics. Thinkific is better for focused course delivery at a lower price, especially for creators who already have or prefer separate email and marketing tools.
Who is Kajabi best for?
Kajabi is best for entrepreneurs and businesses who want email marketing, sales funnels, community, and course hosting all in one platform. The value is strongest for those who would otherwise pay for several separate tools alongside their course platform.
Who should use Thinkific?
Thinkific is ideal for first-time course creators, educators on a budget, and small businesses that want clean, reliable course delivery without built-in marketing tools. All paid plans include unlimited courses and 0% platform transaction fees.
Does Thinkific still have a free plan?
No. Thinkific removed its free plan in 2025 and replaced it with a 14-day free trial. The lowest paid plan is Basic at $49/month ($36/month annually).
What are the key differences in marketing tools between Kajabi and Thinkific?
Kajabi includes a full email marketing platform, a built-in sales funnel builder, and behavior-based marketing automations on all plans. Thinkific has basic email tools and integrates with third-party providers, but has no native funnel builder. For creators who need comprehensive marketing built in, Kajabi is the clear winner.
Is Kajabi or Thinkific better for a tight budget?
Thinkific is more budget-friendly at every tier. Basic starts at $36/month annually versus Kajabi's $143/month. Both offer 14-day free trials with no credit card required.
Which platform is easier to use for beginners?
Both are reasonably beginner-friendly, but Thinkific has the simpler interface and faster setup for new course creators. Kajabi's broader feature set means a steeper initial learning curve, though it becomes more intuitive once you're familiar with it.
