Thinkific vs Kajabi
Quick verdict
As of 2026-09-05, Thinkific is the cheaper online course platforms tool, starting at $54/mo versus Kajabi at $179/mo. That's $125/mo less on the entry option. Neither offers a free plan. Thinkific has 3 priced options; Kajabi has 3 priced options.
Thinkific starts at $54/mo and has no free plan. Kajabi starts at $179/mo and has no free plan.
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0 of 6 online course platforms tools include a free plan.
| Thinkific | Kajabi | |
|---|---|---|
| Starts at | $54/mo | $179/mo |
| Free plan | ✗ | ✗ |
| Priced options | 3 | 3 |
| Pricing model | flat monthly per plan (0% course transaction fees) | flat monthly per plan (product & contact caps per tier) |
| Transaction fee (entry plan) | No fee | No fee |
| Own Stripe/PayPal surcharge (entry plan) | +5% per sale | +2% per sale |
| Automation | Higher tiers (Start+) | ✓ |
| Ecommerce | Native course/bundle/membership sales, coupons, order bumps; 0% transaction fees | Native courses, coaching, communities, funnels, memberships; strong marketing suite |
| Memberships & community | Native Community spaces (posts, groups) with mobile-app support | Native Kajabi Community (channels, live-room Meetups, challenges) on qualifying plans |
| Course cap | Unlimited courses, 1 admin | 3 products, 3 funnels, 10,000 contacts |
| Landing pages | ✓ | ✓ |
| Integrations | 100+ | Native suite + Zapier |
| Visit site | Visit site → | Visit site → |
Sources: thinkific.com/pricing, verified · kajabi.com/pricing, verified
Thinkific — pros & cons
Pros
- 0% transaction fees at every tier
- 30-day free trial to launch a first course
- Strong course-builder and student experience
- Best affiliate economics (30% lifetime)
Cons
- No permanent free plan (retired 2026)
- Marketing/email tools are lighter than Kajabi
- Automation gated to higher tiers
- No native CRM
Kajabi — pros & cons
Pros
- Most complete all-in-one (courses + email + funnels)
- Strongest built-in marketing suite
- No transaction fees
- Branded mobile app
Cons
- Most expensive entry point ($179/mo)
- No free plan
- Product/contact caps per tier
- No usable self-serve recurring affiliate link (editorial anchor)
ToolFit Score: Thinkific
Thinkific scores 47/100 on the ToolFit Score, computed from our maintained pricing, feature, and fit dataset.
| What we scored | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Price competitiveness | 15/24 | entry $54/mo is right at the $54/mo category median. |
| Feature breadth | 13.89/20 | supports 3 of the 9 feature flags the ToolFit Score tracks natively (4 more on a higher tier). |
| Best-for coverage | 15/16 | tagged as a best fit for 3 use cases. |
| Integrations | 3/12 | lists 100+ integrations. |
| Free-tier availability | 0/8 | has no free plan. |
| Review sentiment | — | no published review-sentiment data yet. |
Computed deterministically from our gold dataset — pricing, features, fit, integrations, and a count-weighted third-party review-sentiment aggregate. Weights v2.0.0 — how we score.
ToolFit Score: Kajabi
Kajabi scores 33/100 on the ToolFit Score, computed from our maintained pricing, feature, and fit dataset.
| What we scored | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Price competitiveness | 0/24 | entry $179/mo is 231% above the $54/mo category median. |
| Feature breadth | 21.24/20 | supports 5 of the 9 feature flags the ToolFit Score tracks natively (3 more on a higher tier). |
| Best-for coverage | 11.76/16 | tagged as a best fit for 2 use cases. |
| Integrations | — | no published integration count. |
| Free-tier availability | 0/8 | has no free plan. |
| Review sentiment | — | no published review-sentiment data yet. |
Computed deterministically from our gold dataset — pricing, features, fit, integrations, and a count-weighted third-party review-sentiment aggregate. Weights v2.0.0 — how we score.
Frequently asked questions
Is Thinkific or Kajabi cheaper?
Thinkific is cheaper to start. Thinkific begins at $54/mo and Kajabi at $179/mo, a gap of $125/mo. Both usually bill less on an annual plan, so weigh yearly pricing before deciding. Every figure comes straight from our maintained, dated dataset, verified on 2026-09-05.
Does Thinkific or Kajabi have a free plan?
Thinkific has no free plan and Kajabi has no free plan. Neither is free, though both typically offer a limited free trial before you subscribe. Every figure comes straight from our maintained, dated dataset, verified on 2026-09-05. We source it from each vendor's own pricing page, not a paid placement.
Which has more features, Thinkific or Kajabi?
Thinkific supports 1 of the 3 features we compare on this page and Kajabi supports 2, so Kajabi covers more out of the box. Choose on the specific capabilities — automation, ecommerce, or landing pages — that matter most for how you plan to build and sell your courses.
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