Updated for 2026
Thinkific vs Kajabi (2026): Which Course Platform Is Worth It?
A clear breakdown of pricing, features, and the trade-offs that matter before you commit.
Independent research
Best for course creators
Best control
Thinkific keeps pricing lower and course building focused.
Best all-in-one stack
Kajabi bundles marketing, funnels, automation, and course selling.
Bottom line
The right choice depends on whether you want a lean course platform or an all-in-one business dashboard.
Quick Verdict
Choose Thinkific if…
You want the lowest entry price with unlimited courses, you already have an email tool, and you care most about the course-building experience.
Choose Kajabi if…
You want email marketing, sales funnels, and automation built in, and you’re happy to pay more to keep everything in one dashboard.
Pricing comparison
This is the biggest price gap in the course platform market. Kajabi is nearly four times the sticker price. But Kajabi bundles email marketing, funnels, and automation, tools you’d otherwise pay $50–100/month for separately. So the fair comparison is Kajabi at $143 all-in versus Thinkific at $36 plus your own marketing tools.
Category
Thinkific
Kajabi
Entry plan (annual)
~$36/mo
~$143/mo
Courses on entry plan
Unlimited
Limited products
Built-in email & funnels
No / limited
Yes, advanced
Transaction fees
0% with Thinkific Payments
0% with Kajabi Payments
Thinkific strengths
Where Thinkific Wins
Thinkific wins on price and simplicity. It gives creators unlimited courses on the cheapest plan, a cleaner course builder, and the freedom to build a flexible stack with the tools they already use.
• Price and simplicity, with unlimited courses on the cheapest plan
• Cleaner course builder for focused learning products
• Flexible stack if you already use email and marketing tools
Kajabi strengths
Where Kajabi Wins
Kajabi wins as an all-in-one marketing platform. Email, funnels, automation, a polished page builder, one bill, and one login are all part of the appeal.
• All-in-one marketing with email, funnels, and automation built in
• Polished page builder for campaigns and offers
• One bill, one login, and fewer integrations to manage
FAQ
Short answers to the questions most creators ask before choosing between Thinkific and Kajabi.
Is Kajabi worth the higher price?
Depends if you’ll use the built-in marketing. If you’d pay separately for email and funnels, Kajabi’s bundle can be worth it.
Does either have a free plan?
No, neither anymore. Both offer free trials.
Why is Kajabi so expensive?
It’s an all-in-one platform, not just a course tool.
Ready to compare hands-on?
Use the free trials to test the course builder, checkout flow, and marketing features with your real course outline.