If you like what Kajabi offers but cannot afford it or don’t want to pay for it right now, you’re not alone. Many creators want the Kajabi experience (courses, memberships, funnels, email, a branded site) without adding another recurring expense. Here is a list of truly free options, no time-limited free trials, no bait-and-switch. We also tell you the platform fees you’ll actually pay when you make sales.
1. Systeme.io (Best all-in-one free option)
Why it’s great: It provides funnels, email marketing, automations, a site, and course hosting, all in a genuinely free plan. This makes it the closest free alternative to Kajabi.
Fees: Free-forever, no platform transaction fees, apart from standard payment processing fees.
Features
- Visual funnel builder + email campaigns
- Course hosting and basic community tools
- Automations, tags, workflows
- Feature caps on the free tier (e.g., limited funnels/courses/contacts).
Pick it if: You want one platform for funnels, email, and courses with zero transaction fees.
2. Teachable (Best free plan for courses)
Why it’s great: Simple, well known course selling platform
Fees: $1 + 10% per transaction
Teachable’s free plan is straightforward, you can sell 1 course, coaching, or download. It charges $1 + 10% per transaction, which adds up quickly, but it’s still a good way to test course ideas before committing.
Features
- Courses + coaching
- Integrates with Stripe and PayPal
Pick it if: You want to test out online course selling without paying anything upfront
3. Payhip (Best free plan for courses + memberships)
Why it’s great: Payhip gives you a full storefront plus courses and memberships on the free plan, ideal if you want a clean checkout and simple course player.
Fees: 5% fee on the Free plan
Features
- Sell courses, memberships, downloads, coaching
- Built-in VAT/sales tax handling
- Coupons, bundles, upsells
Pick it if: You want a no-cost start for course + membership selling.
4. Gumroad (Best for a simple creator shop)
Why it’s great: A “set-it-and-forget-it” way to sell files, videos, and memberships with virtually no setup overhead.
Fees: $0 monthly; 10% per sale.
Features
- Instant delivery for digital goods, streaming video
- Built-in affiliate program & VAT handling
Pick it if: You mainly need a checkout + content delivery that just works.
5. Lemon Squeezy (Best “merchant of record” free start)
Why it’s great: You get a store, subscriptions, and MoR benefits (they handle tax/VAT) without a subscription fee.
Fees: 5% + $0.50 per sale
Features
- Subscriptions/memberships, licenses, customer portal
- EU/UK VAT compliance handled as MoR
Pick it if: Payments, tax compliance, and membership billing are your main headache.
6. FreshLearn
Why it’s great: A modern course platform with a good user experience
Fees: $0 plan; sell up to 25 orders free
Features
- Course builder, website, coupons/bundles
- Drip content, quizzes, certificates
Pick it if: You want a modern course builder for free
7. Selar (Best for African creators)
Why it’s great: Built for creators across Africa, with checkout optimized for local currencies
Fees: $0 to start; standard payment processing fees
Features
- Sell courses, ebooks, memberships, tickets
- Handles multiple payout options and currencies
Pick it if: You need local-friendly payments and audience reach in Africa.
8. Udemy
Why it’s great: You can publish courses at no platform cost and get exposure to millions of learners.
Fees: Publishing is free; instructors earn 97% with their own coupon/referral link and 37% on standard marketplace sales.
Features
- Built-in traffic, reliable hosting, mobile apps
- Pricing control is limited; you don’t own the student relationship like on your own site.
Pick it if: You want to start selling courses and don’t want to market your courses yourself
9. Tutor LMS
Why it’s great: You fully own your site and student data.
Features
- Course builder (lessons, quizzes, certificates), memberships via plugins
- Easy to customize
Pick it if: You want full control and have Wordpress knowledge
10. Moodle
Why it’s great: Renowned open-source LMS used by universities and enterprises.
Fees: Software is free; you just pay hosting. No platform cut.
Features
- Deep grading, assignments, SCORM, forums, analytics
Pick it if: You need advanced LMS features
Conclusion
You don’t have to pay for Kajabi to launch a course or membership. Check out these free alternatives and stick with the one that works best for your needs.
(can change CTA here to "start free trial")
