Kajabi vs Teachable vs Thinkific (2026)
Honest, verified comparison — find the right tool for your use case and budget.
- Kajabi — Best all-in-one creator business platform. $143/mo annually. 0% transaction fees. Replace email tool + funnel builder + course platform.
- Teachable — Fastest course launch. $29/mo Starter but 7.5% transaction fees. $69/mo Builder = 0% fees. At $139 Growth, compare vs Kajabi.
- Thinkific — Best for learning-focused creators and corporate training. Free plan. $36/mo Basic. 0% fees. No built-in email marketing.
🔍 At a Glance
The all-in-one creator platform - courses + marketing + community
- All-in-one: courses, email marketing, funnels, community, coaching
- 0% transaction fees on all plans
- Redesigned checkout with up to 68% reported conversion lift
- Best email marketing built-in - no Mailchimp needed
- Unified mobile app for students
- Most expensive platform in category
- Contact limits - Basic capped at 2,500 contacts
- Not ideal if you only need course delivery (Thinkific better)
Best for launching fast - easiest course setup with affiliate tools
- Fastest course launch - setup in hours
- Affiliate marketing on all paid plans
- Good upsells and order bumps at checkout
- Builder plan ($69/mo) has 0% transaction fees
- Mobile learning app for students
- 7.5% transaction fee on Starter plan
- No built-in email marketing or funnels
- At $139/mo Growth, Kajabi ($143/mo) is only $4 more with much more
Best pure learning platform - SCORM, unlimited courses, deepest LMS
- Only platform with a permanent free plan
- Best learning infrastructure - SCORM, gradebooks, assessments
- Unlimited courses and students on all paid plans
- 0% transaction fees on all plans (with Thinkific Payments)
- Best for corporate training and compliance content
- No built-in email marketing (use external tool)
- Discontinued free plan's unlimited functionality - now capped
- At Grow ($149/mo), costs same as Kajabi with less marketing
📊 Feature Comparison
| Feature | Kajabi | Teachable | Thinkific |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free Plan | ✗ 30-day trial | 7-day trial (card required) | ✓ 1 course, unlimited students |
| Entry Price | $143/mo (annual) | $29/mo (Starter) | $36/mo (Basic annual) |
| Transaction Fees | ✓ 0% on all plans | 7.5% Starter, 0% Builder+ | 0% with Thinkific Payments |
| Email Marketing | ✓ Full built-in | Not included | ✗ External tool needed |
| Sales Funnels | ✓ Built-in visual builder | Basic pages | ✗ Not included |
| Community | Built-in | Not native | Thinkific Communities |
| SCORM/Compliance | ✗ No | Not supported | ✓ Best |
| Affiliate Marketing | ✓ Growth+ plan | All paid plans | ⚡ Grow+ plan |
💰 Verified Pricing (April 2026)
Kajabi is most expensive but replaces email marketing tool + funnel builder + course platform. At the Growth tier (~$149/mo), all three are similarly priced - but Kajabi includes marketing tools the others don't.
| Plan | Kajabi | Teachable | Thinkific |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | 30-day trial | 7-day trial (credit card) | ✓ Permanent free - 1 course |
| Entry | $143/mo annual (Basic) | $29/mo (Starter, 7.5% fees) | $36/mo (Basic annual) |
| 0% Fees | All plans | Builder+ ($69/mo) | All (with Thinkific Payments) |
| Mid Tier | $249/mo (Growth) | $139/mo (Growth) | $149/mo (Grow) |
| All-in-One | Yes - email + funnels + courses | No - external tools needed | No - external email needed |
📖 The Full Picture
Kajabi — All-in-One Creator Business Platform
Kajabi's 2026 pricing overhaul introduced a simplified three-plan structure. The Basic plan at $143/month (annually) replaces Mailchimp, ClickFunnels, and a course platform simultaneously - covering email marketing with full automation, visual funnel builder, course delivery, community, and coaching tools in one subscription.
The economics are compelling when you calculate tool consolidation. A creator paying $29/month for ConvertKit + $49/month for a funnel tool + $69/month for Teachable Builder is spending $147/month for separate tools that Kajabi replaces for $143/month. The redesigned checkout with reported 68% conversion lift improvements adds direct revenue impact.
Kajabi's limitation is contact caps. The Basic plan caps at 2,500 contacts - a number serious email marketers can outgrow. At 2,501 contacts, you move to the Growth plan at $249/month. Rapid list growth means monitoring contacts carefully and planning for upgrades.
Teachable — Fastest Launch for Course Creators
Teachable is the fastest path from 'I have course content' to 'I'm selling it online.' The platform's focus on simplicity means fewer decisions during setup. Checkout pages, upsell flows, and affiliate tracking are configured in minutes, not hours.
The transaction fee structure is the key pricing consideration. The Starter plan at $29/month charges 7.5% on every sale - on a $500 course, that's $37.50 per student going to Teachable before payment processing fees. Moving to the Builder plan at $69/month eliminates transaction fees entirely and pays for itself with the first 10 course sales.
At the Growth tier ($139/month), Teachable and Kajabi are within $4 of each other annually. At that price point, Kajabi's included email marketing and funnel tools represent significantly more value unless email marketing is handled by an external tool you're already paying for.
Thinkific — Best Learning Platform - Free Plan Available
Thinkific is the most LMS-focused platform in this comparison. SCORM support, gradebooks, certificates of completion, live lessons, and cohort courses with enforced deadlines make it the strongest choice for creators building serious educational experiences rather than marketing-led course businesses.
The free plan (1 course, unlimited students) is genuinely unique - no competitor offers a permanent free plan for course selling. For creators validating whether their course will sell before paying for a platform, this is a meaningful starting point.
Thinkific's gap vs Kajabi is marketing capability. There is no built-in email marketing - you'll need ConvertKit or Mailchimp alongside Thinkific. At the Grow plan ($149/month), you're paying similarly to Kajabi but without the marketing tools included. Thinkific wins when learning quality is the primary product - Kajabi wins when marketing conversion is.
🎯 Who Should Use Each Tool?
🟡 Choose Kajabi if...
- You want one platform replacing email marketing + funnels + courses
- You are an established creator with an email list to monetize
- Marketing sophistication and automation matter as much as course delivery
- You run coaching, memberships, and podcasts alongside courses
- You want the built-in community and affiliate program
🔴 Choose Teachable if...
- You want to launch your first course as quickly as possible
- Affiliate marketing is important for your growth strategy
- You already have email marketing tools and just need course delivery
- The Builder plan ($69/mo, 0% fees) fits your budget
- You want strong mobile learning experience for students
🟣 Choose Thinkific if...
- You are building serious educational content (SCORM, gradebooks, assessments)
- A permanent free plan matters for starting out
- Corporate training or compliance certification is your market
- Unlimited courses and students at entry level matters
- Learning quality and depth outweigh marketing capability
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Does Kajabi have transaction fees?
Is Thinkific really free?
At what revenue level does Kajabi make sense?
Can I migrate from Teachable to Kajabi?
Ready to Launch Your Online Course?
Thinkific is free to start - Kajabi and Teachable offer full-featured trials.