Kajabi vs Thinkific
Both are top course platforms with different philosophies. Kajabi is an all-in-one business platform - courses, email, funnels, and payments in one - best if you want to run your whole business from one tool and will use the marketing features. Thinkific is a focused, polished course builder at a lower price (from about $49/mo), best if you want a great course experience and are happy to plug in your own email and marketing tools.
Head to head
| Kajabi | Thinkific | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | From $69/mo | From €39/mo |
| Best for | All-in-one course business | Focused, affordable courses |
| Entry price | From ~$69/mo | From ~$49/mo |
| Email marketing | Built-in and robust | Basic (use an external tool) |
| Funnels & checkout | Included | Checkout yes, funnels limited |
| Transaction fees | None | None on paid plans |
| Ease of use | More to configure | Clean and beginner-friendly |
Limits first, prices second
Kajabi meters your business by products and contacts: Basic allows 5 products and 2,500 contacts, Growth 50 products and 25,000 contacts, Pro unlimited products and 100,000 contacts. At the time of checking, annual billing showed $179 a month on Growth and $249 on Pro; there is a 30-day free trial.
Thinkific, in euro on annual billing: Basic at €39 a month with unlimited courses already included, Start at €79, Grow at €159 with three communities and a branded mobile app path.
Read those two ladders again, because they meter different things. On Kajabi you outgrow a plan by adding products or leads; on Thinkific the bottom plan already takes unlimited courses and you upgrade for capabilities. A creator with 8 small courses and a modest list is mid-ladder on Kajabi and on the cheapest plan on Thinkific.
What Kajabi's premium actually buys
Kajabi's higher price is not vanity: it bundles the marketing machine - email sequences, funnels, landing pages, payments - so a one-person business can genuinely run everything in one login. The contact limits exist precisely because Kajabi is also your email platform.
Thinkific assumes you will bring your own email tool and connect it, which is cheaper on the subscription and more work in the setup. If you already pay for an email platform you like, you are paying Kajabi twice for the privilege of not using it.
So the choice reduces to one question: do you want the machine in one place at $179-plus a month, or the course engine at roughly €39-79 plus the stack you already own?
Which should you choose?
Choose Kajabi if…
- You want courses, email, funnels, and payments in one place
- You will actually use the built-in marketing and automations
- You are building a course-led business, not just selling one course
- You would rather replace several subscriptions with one
Choose Thinkific if…
- You want a great course-building experience at a lower price
- You want a course platform without a big all-in-one bill
- You already have email and marketing tools you like
- You prefer a simpler platform focused on teaching
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Frequently asked
Is Kajabi or Thinkific better?
Kajabi is better if you want an all-in-one platform and will use its email and funnels. Thinkific is better if you want a strong, affordable course builder and prefer to bring your own marketing tools.
Is Thinkific cheaper than Kajabi?
Yes. Thinkific starts around $49/mo versus Kajabi's ~$69/mo, and it does not bundle email and funnels, so it is cheaper if you already have those tools.
Does Thinkific have a free plan?
No. Thinkific retired its free plan and now starts at about $49/mo with a 30-day trial. Kajabi also has no free plan, only a trial.
Which is better for marketing?
Kajabi, because email, funnels, and automations are built in. With Thinkific you connect your own marketing stack.