The Course Creator Stack
Four tools. About $252/mo at monthly billing, or $179/mo on free plans around Kajabi. Built to cover part of the work you might otherwise hire out.
By Carlos Gil · Updated · Prices checked on each vendor's official pricing page. Editorially reviewed from vendor documentation; BestStacked does not run hands-on tests of these tools.
The Lineup
Four Tools · One Workflow- 01.KajabiCourses, community and checkout in one platform.Basic $179/mo ($143 billed annually)
- 02.KitEmail built for selling digital products.Free up to 10,000 subscribers / Creator $39/mo
- 03.GammaAI slides and worksheets for every module.Free / Plus $12/mo ($9 billed yearly)
- 04.ElevenLabsNarration without re-recording every lesson.Free / Starter $6/mo
Why these four.
Selling a course is less about the playback page than about the system around it: capturing attention, nurturing it and converting it into a sale on a schedule that does not depend on the creator's mood. The Course Creator Stack is built around that system. It pairs a course platform with the tools that fill it, so the course feels like a real product rather than a folder of videos with a payment link.
These four were chosen to cover three jobs. Hosting and selling: Kajabi bundles courses, a website, community and checkout in one subscription, and it is the highest-scoring course platform in our reviews (8.9, against 8.4 for Thinkific, the lower-cost option). Owning the audience: Kit holds your email list independent of the platform, so you can move later without losing students. Producing the content: Gamma turns outlines into lesson slides and worksheets, and ElevenLabs adds narration where recording every lesson is impractical. Earlier versions of this stack listed two course platforms; one is enough, and two splits one audience across two checkouts.
Run this stack through one launch cycle (waitlist, beta, full launch, then evergreen) and you will know what converts. Every email grows the list, every launch shows which lessons people finish, and every cohort produces feedback for the next version. The platform matters less than that loop.
— Carlos Gil, Founder & Editor, The Best Network
Who this stack is for
You have expertise people pay to learn. Maybe you've already sold a course, maybe you're launching your first one. Either way, you need tools that let you produce, market, and distribute professional course content without a video team or a marketing agency.
This stack is for someone who has expertise people pay for and is ready to package it: a coach turning a workshop into a self-paced course, a consultant adding a cohort program, or a creator whose audience keeps asking for structured lessons. The platform is the most expensive decision, so make it deliberately. This stack uses Kajabi, which bundles the course, website, email and checkout in one subscription and scores higher than Thinkific in our reviews. Thinkific costs less and is course-first; it is the swap to make if $179/mo is too much before your first sale. Kit holds the relationship with your audience independent of either platform, Gamma speeds up lesson slides and worksheets, and ElevenLabs is optional for narration if you would rather not record every lesson yourself.
What each tool does in the stack
Kajabi All-in-One Course Platform
Build courses, memberships, communities, and coaching programs in one platform. Includes a website builder, email marketing, and payment processing.
Key feature: All-in-one platform means no duct-taping 5 different tools together.
Plan to start on: Basic ($179/mo, or $143/mo billed annually); Growth is $249/mo
Kit Email Marketing
Creator-focused email marketing for building your list, launching courses, and selling digital products through automated sequences.
Key feature: Commerce features let you sell digital products directly from emails.
Plan to start on: Creator ($39/mo at 1,000 subscribers, or $33/mo billed yearly)
Gamma Course Content & Slides
Create polished lesson slides, course previews, and lead magnets with AI. Turn your outline into professional presentations in minutes.
Key feature: Export to PDF for downloadable worksheets and course materials.
Plan to start on: Plus ($12/mo)
ElevenLabs Audio Lessons & Voiceover
Add professional narration to your course modules without recording every lesson yourself. Create audio versions of written content for accessibility.
Key feature: Consistent voice across all modules so your course sounds professional.
Plan to start on: Creator ($22/mo; first month 50% off)
What you can build with this stack.
Three example workflows this tool combination can support.
Pre-launch waitlist
Kit captures waitlist signups with a five-email welcome that previews the curriculum. Gamma turns the syllabus into a shareable preview deck, and ElevenLabs narrates a short audio teaser. Pre-sell before you build the full course.
- Stack
- Kit + Gamma + ElevenLabs
- Est. time
- 1 weekend
- Est. cost
- $73/mo
Cohort launch in 14 days
Kajabi hosts the course and checkout. Kit runs the launch sequence. Gamma generates the slides for every module. A full cohort sale on infrastructure you control.
- Stack
- Kajabi + Kit + Gamma
- Est. time
- 2 weeks
- Est. cost
- $230/mo
Evergreen course after launch
After the cohort, the same course stays on sale in Kajabi. Kit runs an evergreen sequence triggered by a lead-magnet signup and points to the Kajabi checkout, and ElevenLabs narrates the text-heavy modules. A second sales channel without a second launch.
- Stack
- Kajabi + Kit + ElevenLabs
- Est. time
- 1 week setup
- Est. cost
- $240/mo
Implementation difficulty
Medium. The course content is the work; the tools are easy.
What it replaces, and what it costs.
- Custom course site build (agency)
- Email + automation
- Designer (slides + brand)
- Newsletter platform
- Course producer (pt)
- Kajabi Basic$179/mo
- Kit Creator (1,000 subs)$39/mo
- ElevenLabs Creator$22/mo
- Gamma Plus$12/mo
- Total$252/mo
We don't print a team-cost total or a savings figure. Labour rates vary too much by market and seniority to state one honestly, and these tools support the roles on the left rather than replace every responsibility in them. To compare, price those roles at your own local rates and set them against the software total.
What each tool costs
Prices checked on each vendor's official pricing page. US dollars, before tax. The total uses monthly billing and ignores first-month or first-year promotions.
- KajabiNo free planBasic $179/mo ($143 billed annually)Plan we would start on: Basic ($179/mo, or $143/mo billed annually); Growth is $249/mo
- KitFree plan availableFree up to 10,000 subscribers / Creator $39/moPlan we would start on: Creator ($39/mo at 1,000 subscribers, or $33/mo billed yearly)
- GammaFree plan availableFree / Plus $12/mo ($9 billed yearly)Plan we would start on: Plus ($12/mo)
- ElevenLabsFree plan availableFree / Starter $6/moPlan we would start on: Creator ($22/mo; first month 50% off)
- Estimated total: $179/mo (Kajabi Basic with Kit, Gamma and ElevenLabs on free plans) to $252/mo (all paid plans, monthly billing)
Set it up in this order
Each step leaves you with something that works on its own, so you can stop after any step and still have a usable setup.
- 1
Kajabi
Build your course structure and first module. Set up your custom domain and payment processing.
- 2
Kit
Set up your email list and welcome sequence. Connect Kit to your Kajabi opt-in forms.
- 3
Gamma
Create your lesson slides and a free lead magnet to grow your email list.
- 4
ElevenLabs
Record narration for your first module — pick one voice and reuse it across all lessons for consistency.
Who should skip this stack?
If one of these sounds like you, a different Stack Pack will fit better.
People who just want to send newsletters and grow an audience.
See The Creator StackFounders building a SaaS product or service business.
See The Startup Founder Stack
Get notified when Course Creator Stack ships.
Course Creator Stack is shipping soon. Drop your email to get the implementation guide the day it launches — and a 20% early-bird discount.
No spam. One email when it launches. Unsubscribe anytime.
Read the deep reviews.
Read the individual reviews for evidence, pricing and tradeoffs.
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does the Course Creator Stack cost?
About $252/mo with every paid plan at monthly billing: Kajabi Basic $179, Kit Creator $39 at 1,000 subscribers, ElevenLabs Creator $22 and Gamma Plus $12. Kajabi Basic is $143/mo billed annually. With Kit, Gamma and ElevenLabs on free plans, Kajabi is the only cost. Prices were checked on October 19, 2026.
Why Kajabi and not Thinkific?
Earlier versions of this stack listed both, but one platform is enough, and Kajabi is the one that scores higher in our reviews (8.9 vs 8.4 overall, and higher on all five sub-scores). It bundles courses, a website, community, email and checkout in one subscription. If $179/mo is too much at launch, swap in Thinkific Basic ($54/mo, $40 billed annually): the stack is then about $127/mo with every tool on a paid plan, or $54/mo with the others on free plans.
Does Kajabi still have a cheaper starter plan?
Not on its pricing page today. The lowest plan shown is Basic at $179/mo ($143/mo billed annually), and Growth is $249/mo ($199/mo billed annually). Earlier versions of this page listed lower prices; we updated them on October 19, 2026.
Why use Kit if Kajabi includes email?
Kit keeps your list portable if you ever change course platforms, and its free plan covers up to 10,000 subscribers. If you are fully committed to Kajabi, you can use its built-in email instead and drop Kit.
Is AI narration acceptable for a paid course?
It depends on your audience. Many students expect to hear the instructor, so use ElevenLabs for supporting audio, translations or text-heavy modules, and record the core lessons yourself. Tell students when a voice is synthetic.
Sources
Official sources and verification dates
Every product, price and audit fact on this page comes from the vendor's own website or the audit announcement it links to. Competitor facts never come from another vendor's comparison page. Prices are in US dollars unless marked, exclude tax, and can vary by country and promotion.
Core stack pricing pages
- Kajabi pricing (checked )
- Kit pricing (checked )
- Gamma pricing (checked )
- ElevenLabs pricing (checked )
Lower-cost swap mentioned
- Thinkific pricing (checked )