Kajabi has established itself as a leading all-in-one course platform, but it may not be the perfect fit for every creator due to unique needs, budget constraints, or feature requirements. This comprehensive guide examines the top 10 alternatives to Kajabi in 2025, providing detailed comparisons to help course creators, coaches, and educators find the platform that best suits their specific requirements.
The alternatives range from budget-friendly options to specialized platforms focusing on community building, interactive learning, or marketing automation. Each platform offers distinct advantages depending on whether you prioritize affordability, student engagement, marketing features, or technical flexibility.
To begin, here’s a comparison table for the best alternatives to Kajabi:
1. SchoolMaker: The Best Overall Kajabi Alternative
Starting Price: $29/month
Best For: Coaches & course creators focused on student results
SchoolMaker emerges as the top Kajabi alternative, specifically designed for creators who prioritize student outcomes and community-driven learning over pure marketing automation. Unlike Kajabi's heavy focus on marketing features, SchoolMaker flips the approach by building high-impact learning experiences that naturally boost completion rates, engagement, and sales.
Key Advantages Over Kajabi:
Superior Student Engagement: SchoolMaker excels where Kajabi falls short by combining content delivery, coaching tools, community features, and student accountability in one platform. Unique features include progress tracking with checkboxes, gamification elements, interactive assessments, and async video feedback that maintain student motivation throughout their learning journey.
More Affordable Pricing: Starting at $29 per month compared to Kajabi's $71/month entry point, SchoolMaker offers professional-grade tools without the hefty price tag, making it ideal for course creators.
Superior Customer Support: The platform provides personalized customer support with dedicated onboarding assistance, regular check-ins, and responsive technical support, a significant improvement over Kajabi's often impersonal support experience.
Advanced Analytics: SchoolMaker offers detailed insights into student behavior, course completion rates, and revenue analytics that are more comprehensive than Kajabi's basic plans.
SchoolMaker Pricing:
- Lite: $29/month
- Starter: $99/month
- Pro: $165/month
- Business: $249/month
No transaction fee on all pricing plans.
2. Teachable
Starting Price: $29/month
Best For: Educators prioritizing simplicity and student experience
Teachable has positioned itself as a leading alternative by focusing on course creation and delivery rather than complex marketing automation. The platform excels at helping educators create professional online learning experiences while maintaining affordability and ease of use.
Key Advantages:
Significantly More Affordable: Starting at $29/month compared to Kajabi's $71/month.
Superior Course Creation Flexibility: Offers more content formats per lecture than Kajabi, supporting video, audio, text, images, and downloadable files with greater flexibility.
Best-in-Class Student Experience: Designed specifically for learning with minimal distractions and easy navigation that improves course completion rates.
Easier Learning Curve: Provides a streamlined interface allowing creators to focus on teaching without overwhelming marketing features.
Teachable Pricing:
- Starter: $29/month (7.5% transaction fee)
- Builder: $69/month
- Growth: $139/month
- Advanced: $309/month
3. Thinkific
Starting Price: $36/month
Best For: New course creators wanting to start without upfront investment
Thinkific stands out by offering affordable pricing plans with zero transaction fees that allows creators to build and test their first course without breaking the bank, making it perfect for validating course ideas quickly.
Key Advantages:
Exceptional Student Experience: Focuses on course delivery and learning outcomes with easy navigation and distraction-free learning environments.
More Affordable Pricing: Annual paid plans range from $36-$149 monthly , significantly more affordable than Kajabi.
Course-First Approach: Specializes in creating outstanding educational experiences rather than trying to be everything to everyone.
No Transaction Fees: Allows creators to keep 100% of course revenue minus payment processing fees.
Thinkific Pricing:
- Basic: $36/month
- Start: $74/month
- Grow: $149/month
- Plus: Custom pricing
4. Circle.so
Starting Price: $89/month
Best For: Creators prioritizing community building and member engagement
Circle.so focuses on building genuine communities around content, creating learning experiences where community interaction drives engagement and leads to higher completion rates and stronger relationships.
Key Advantages:
Superior Community Features: Purpose-built for community engagement with discussion spaces, member profiles, direct messaging, and real-time interactions that Kajabi cannot match.
Community-Driven Learning: Courses exist as separate spaces within community forums, creating more interactive and engaging learning experiences.
Advanced Community Automation: Includes automation engine for managing community interactions efficiently.
Circle.so Pricing:
- Professional: $89/month
- Business: $199/month
- Enterprise: $419/month
5. Podia
Starting Price: $33/month
Best For: Creators wanting comprehensive business tools without breaking the bank
Podia combines course creation, email marketing, website building, and digital product sales into one affordable package, offering Kajabi-like functionality at a fraction of the cost.
Key Advantages:
Significantly Lower Cost: Starting at $33/month versus Kajabi's $71/month, making professional tools accessible to budget-conscious creators.
Unlimited Everything from Day One: Includes website, blog, email, and unlimited courses and products on all plans, while Kajabi has product and customer limits.
No Transaction Fees on Higher Plans: The Shaker plan has no transaction fees, allowing creators to keep more revenue.
Better File Handling: Supports unlimited files with 5GB maximum size, compared to Kajabi's 100 products with 4GB limit.
Podia Pricing:
- Mover: $33/month (5% transaction fee)
- Shaker: $75/month (No transaction fees)
6. LearnDash
Starting Price: $199/year
Best For: WordPress users wanting maximum control and flexibility
LearnDash leverages WordPress's power and flexibility, transforming any WordPress website into a robust course creation and delivery platform while offering unprecedented control over online education businesses.
Key Advantages:
Superior Course Creation Control: Offers advanced tools for course creation with granular control over lesson structure, prerequisites, timers, and learning paths that Kajabi's simplified builder cannot match.
Better E-commerce Integration: As a WordPress plugin, offers more third-party e-commerce integration options than Kajabi.
Significantly Lower Long-term Costs: Annual cost of $199 is way less than Kajabi's annual plan cost.
Unlimited Scalability: No artificial limits on students, courses, or bandwidth, scale as large as hosting allows.
Complete Data Ownership: Own website, data, and student information completely, never locked into a platform.
LearnDash Pricing:
- 1 Site: $199/year
- Up to 10 Sites: $399/year
- Unlimited: $799/year
7. Mighty Networks
Starting Price: $41/month
Best For: Community builders focused on member engagement
Mighty Networks distinguishes itself by prioritizing community building and member engagement over marketing automation, creating thriving online spaces where learning happens through peer interaction and collective growth.
Key Advantages:
Superior Community Features: Offers more capabilities for community building, live events, apps, and native community spaces with discussion forums and real-time chat.
More Affordable Entry Point: Starting at $41/month compared to Kajabi's higher pricing tiers.
Native Mobile App Experience: Provides dedicated iOS and Android apps for seamless mobile experiences that feel like social media platforms.
Event and Live Streaming Integration: Built-in live streaming capabilities and event management tools eliminate the need for third-party integrations.
Mighty Networks Pricing:
- Community Plan: $41/month (3% transaction fee)
- Courses Plan: $99/month (2% transaction fee)
- Business Plan: $179/month (2% transaction fee)
- Path to Pro: $360/month (1% transaction fee)
8. Systeme.io
Starting Price: $17/month
Best For: Bootstrapping entrepreneurs and budget-conscious creators
Systeme.io democratizes access to professional online business tools, helping creators launch and scale without hefty investments while making advanced marketing automation accessible at every budget level.
Key Advantages:
Unbeatable Pricing with Free Plan: Plans range from $17-$97 monthly with genuinely functional free plan, compared to Kajabi's $71/month entry point.
Superior Marketing Automation: Offers more complex automation options with advanced email marketing, behavioral triggers, and sophisticated funnel automation.
Physical and Digital Product Sales: Supports both product types, giving more business model flexibility than Kajabi's digital focus.
No Transaction Fees: No additional fees on sales transactions across all plans.
Systeme.io Pricing:
- Startup: $17/month
- Webinar: $47/month
- Unlimited: $97/month
9. LearnWorlds
Starting Price: $24/month
Best For: Serious educators focused on interactive learning experiences
LearnWorlds prioritizes interactive learning and sophisticated course creation over marketing features, designed for educators wanting to build comprehensive learning experiences with advanced e-learning capability.
Key Advantages:
Superior Interactive Learning Features: Offers advanced features like interactive videos, SCORM support, HTML5 content, and sophisticated assessments that Kajabi does not have.
Unlimited Courses and Students: No limits on landing pages or courses, while Kajabi restricts products and funnels based on plans.
Better Value for Money: Starting at $24/month compared to Kajabi's $71/month, offering professional-grade learning tools at a fraction of the cost.
Custom-Branded Mobile App: Provides white-label mobile applications for premium learning experiences on mobile devices.
LearnWorlds Pricing:
- Starter: $24/month ($5 transaction fee per course enrollment)
- Pro Trainer: $79/month
- Learning Center: $249/month
- High Volume & Corporate: Custom pricing
10. Skool
Starting Price: $99/month
Best For: Creators focused on gamified community engagement
Skool prioritizes community engagement and gamified learning and is designed to help creators build active, thriving communities where learning happens through interaction, competition, and peer support.
Key Advantages:
Revolutionary Gamification System: Native tools for community engagement through leaderboards, level hierarchies, points, daily activity tracking, and rewards.
Transparent, Simple Pricing: Straightforward $99/month with unlimited access to features, courses, and members with no imposed limits.
Superior Community Engagement: Four primary features (community space, classroom, calendar, gamification) work together to create active, participating communities.
Skool Pricing:
- Skool Pro: $99/month, 2.9% transaction fee
How to Choose the Right Alternative to Kajabi
Budget Considerations
Determine realistic spending on course platforms. Remember that cheaper isn't always better, but avoid overpaying for unused features.
Technical Expertise
Some platforms require more technical knowledge. Choose platforms matching your technology comfort level.
Business Goals
Consider whether you're focused on course sales, community building, coaching, or comprehensive business management. Different platforms excel in different areas.
Growth Plans
Think about long-term goals and whether you'll need advanced features as you grow. Choose platforms that can scale with your business.
Integration Needs
Consider other tools you use and ensure your chosen platform integrates well with your existing tech stack.
Migration from Kajabi
Pre-Migration Preparation
Start by auditing your current Kajabi setup, documenting all courses, products, landing pages, email sequences, and customer segments. Export customer lists including purchase history and engagement data. Download all course materials, videos, PDFs, and images. Take screenshots of site structure and automation workflows as reference guides.
Choosing Your New Platform
Choose 2-3 alternatives based on course delivery, email marketing capabilities, payment processing, and design flexibility and use their free trials before making a final decision.
Launch Strategy
Run both platforms at the same time during the transition. Gradually migrate customers by offering incentives for accessing content on the new platform. Communicate changes clearly to your audience and explaining the benefits of the new system. Monitor regularly for issues and have support resources ready.
The migration process typically takes 2-4 weeks depending on content volume and complexity. Patience and thorough testing are required to ensure business continuity throughout the transition.
Common Migration Mistakes to Avoid
- Not Planning the Migration: Take time to plan course migration carefully, exporting all content, student data, and sales information before switching.
- Choosing Based on Price Alone: Don't sacrifice essential features for lower prices. The cheapest option might cost more in lost functionality and student engagement.
- Ignoring Student Experience: Remember that students' learning experience should be your top priority. Choose platforms that enhance rather than hinder their educational journey.
- Overlooking Support Quality: Good customer support can make or break your platform experience. Research support quality before deciding.
- Not Testing the Platform: Take advantage of free trials and demos. Test platforms thoroughly before committing to ensure they meet your needs.
At SchoolMaker, we provide a done-for-you migration service if you subscribe to any of our yearly pricing plans, get in touch with us if this interests you.
Conclusion
After examining all alternatives, the choice depends on your specific needs, budget, and goals. For creators who value student engagement, coaching capabilities, and affordable pricing, SchoolMaker emerges as the top choice. For those focused on pure course delivery, Teachable and Thinkific offer excellent options. Community builders should consider Circle.so, Mighty Networks, or Skool, while marketing-focused creators might prefer Systeme.io.
The key is matching platform strengths with your primary objectives. Whether you're just starting your course creation journey or looking to scale an existing business, there's a Kajabi alternative that can better serve your specific needs while potentially saving money and improving student results.
Consider starting with free trials to test platforms thoroughly before making final decisions. The right platform should feel easy to use, support your business goals, and provide room for growth as your educational business grows.
Here's a video that talks more about the best course hosting platforms in 2025 highlighting Kajabi and other platforms mentioned in this article.
(can change CTA here to "start free trial")
