Kajabi bundles courses, email, funnels and payments into one bill — which is either the reason to buy it or the reason to leave. These are the alternatives we recommend depending on which part of that bundle you actually use.
By Carlos Gil · Hand-tested, no pay-for-play. See our methodology.
What it is: DRAFT — a focused course platform: hosting, checkout, students and basic marketing without the all-in-one bill.
Why it's on this list: DRAFT — the direct substitute for creators using only Kajabi's course half.
How it beats Kajabi: DRAFT — price and simplicity.
Pricing: Free tier with fees; paid from $39/mo.
What it is: DRAFT — creator email marketing with digital products and paid newsletters attached, so the list stays the centre of the business.
Why it's on this list: DRAFT — replaces Kajabi's email engine, which is the part most people rely on.
How it beats Kajabi: DRAFT — deliverability, automations and free tier.
Pricing: Free to 10k subscribers; paid from ~$29/mo.
What it is: DRAFT — funnel-first platform where the checkout path, upsells and offers are the product, with course hosting attached.
Why it's on this list: DRAFT — stronger conversion tooling than Kajabi's page builder.
How it beats Kajabi: DRAFT — funnel design and offer testing.
Pricing: From $97/mo.
What it is: DRAFT — agency operating system: CRM, funnels, messaging and memberships across unlimited client sub-accounts.
Why it's on this list: DRAFT — replaces Kajabi plus several other line items for agencies.
How it beats Kajabi: DRAFT — multi-client scale and CRM depth.
Pricing: From $97/mo; agency tier $297/mo.
What it is: DRAFT — SOP and onboarding platform for training staff rather than selling courses to the public.
Why it's on this list: DRAFT — the right tool when the 'course' is internal documentation.
How it beats Kajabi: DRAFT — process documentation and accountability tracking.
Pricing: From $249/mo for small teams.
| If you need… | Pick |
|---|---|
| Cheapest solid course platform | Teachable |
| Email list first, courses second | Kit |
| Funnels and offers above all | ClickFunnels |
| Agency running client businesses | HighLevel |
| Internal training, not public courses | Trainual |
Teachable — the entry plan costs a fraction of Kajabi's and covers hosting, payments and student management.
Usually not. Kajabi's value is the bundle; if your email platform already sells digital products, a lighter course host is the cheaper stack.
ClickFunnels if the offer and checkout flow is the business, or HighLevel if you also need CRM and client sub-accounts.
Yes — video, PDFs and student lists all export. The work is rebuilding the sales pages and re-pointing payment processing.