If you’re trying to choose between Kajabi and Teachable in 2026, you’ve probably noticed something immediately:

They’re not really competing at the same price point.

Teachable can get you started for considerably less money, while Kajabi costs substantially more but attempts to replace several other business tools at the same time.

I wanted to look at both from the perspective that actually matters to a course creator:

What would I use if I were trying to build and sell an online course business in the U.S. today?

Not just upload videos.

Not just create a pretty course.

I mean the whole thing:

course → sales page → email → checkout → marketing → students → community → additional products.

After comparing the current 2026 plans and features, my conclusion is pretty simple:

Teachable is the better value if your main goal is selling courses. Kajabi is the better choice if you’re building a larger business around your expertise.

Here’s why.

Kajabi vs Teachable at a Glance

Feature	Kajabi	Teachable
Course creation	✅	✅
Digital products	✅	✅
Coaching	✅	✅
Community	✅	✅
Email marketing	✅ Advanced	✅ More limited
Sales funnels	✅	❌ Requires other tools
Website builder	✅	More limited
Landing pages	✅	✅
Marketing automation	✅	Limited compared with Kajabi
Affiliate program	✅	✅
Payment processing	Kajabi Payments	Teachable Payments/Stripe/PayPal depending on setup
AI tools	✅	✅
Branded mobile app	✅ Higher plans	❌
Multiple websites	✅ Higher plans	More limited
Starting annual price	$71/mo	$29/mo
Best for	Full creator business	Course-focused business

Current plan information shows Teachable’s Starter plan at $29/month when billed annually, while Kajabi’s Starter plan is $71/month annually. Kajabi’s Basic plan is $143/month annually.

My First Impression

The biggest difference became obvious pretty quickly.

Teachable feels like:

“I want to create and sell an online course.”

Kajabi feels like:

“I want to build a business around my knowledge.”

That’s an important distinction.

If you’re a teacher who wants to upload a course and sell it, you may not need all the additional machinery Kajabi offers.

But if you’re a coach, consultant, creator, educator, or expert who expects to sell eventually:

• Courses
• Coaching
• Memberships
• Digital products
• Workshops
• Communities
• Newsletters

Then Kajabi starts making more sense.

Kajabi describes its platform as an operating system for selling expertise, while Teachable focuses on knowledge monetization and course creation.

Pricing: This Is Where Teachable Wins

Let’s get the uncomfortable part out of the way.

Teachable is cheaper.

And it’s not a small difference.

Teachable’s current plans are:

Plan	Annual Billing
Starter	$29/month
Builder	$69/month
Growth	$139/month
Advanced	$309/month

Teachable introduced these four plans in 2025, replacing its previous Basic, Pro, and Pro+ structure.

Kajabi’s current plans are:

Plan	Annual Billing
Starter	$71/month
Basic	$143/month
Growth	$199/month
Pro	$399/month

Kajabi’s pricing page currently lists a 20% annual-billing discount.

So if you’re comparing the cheapest plans:

Teachable: $29/month

versus

Kajabi: $71/month

That’s a substantial difference for a beginner.

But There’s a Catch With Teachable’s Cheapest Plan

The headline price doesn’t tell the entire story.

Teachable’s Starter plan currently has a 7.5% transaction fee on sales. Its Builder, Growth, and Advanced plans don’t charge that platform transaction fee.

So if you sell a $100 course on Starter, 7.5% is:

$7.50

before standard payment-processing costs.

That’s something I’d absolutely factor into the decision.

Teachable’s Builder plan is $69/month annually and has 0% platform transaction fees, according to Teachable.

What Does Kajabi Cost?

Kajabi’s current annual pricing is:

Starter

$71/month

Basic

$143/month

Growth

$199/month

Pro

$399/month

The Basic plan includes 5 products, 2,500 contacts, 1 website, 1 community, and 2 admin users. Growth increases that to 50 products and 25,000 contacts, while Pro includes unlimited products, 100,000 contacts, three websites, three communities, and 26 admin users.

Kajabi also says there are no platform revenue-sharing fees, although payment-processing fees still apply.

So Why Is Kajabi So Much More Expensive?

This is the question I think you need to ask.

If I use Teachable, I might need:

Teachable

Email marketing software

Landing-page software

Website

Funnel software

Community software

Automation tools

Scheduling software

That’s not necessarily a problem.

Some people actually prefer having separate specialized tools.

But Kajabi is essentially saying:

“What if you didn’t have to assemble all of those pieces yourself?”

Its current plans include websites, landing pages, funnels, unlimited marketing emails, community features, checkout pages, payment integrations, automation, and other business features depending on the plan.

That’s the real reason to consider Kajabi.

Course Creation: It’s Basically a Tie

If your only question is:

“Can I create a good online course?”

Both platforms pass.

Teachable supports course creation, quizzes, drip content, student management, and certificates.

Kajabi supports course creation, drip scheduling, cohorts, video chapters, assessments, and related features.

So I wouldn’t choose based solely on the course builder.

The more important question is:

What happens around the course?

That’s where the platforms start separating.

Kajabi’s Biggest Advantage: Everything Connects

This is probably my favorite thing about Kajabi.

Imagine someone downloads your free guide.

They automatically enter an email sequence.

They receive educational emails.

They click your course offer.

They purchase.

They’re added to the appropriate product.

Then you send them an onboarding sequence.

Later, they receive an offer for your coaching program.

All of that can happen within one ecosystem.

That’s incredibly convenient.

Teachable can accomplish many of the same business outcomes, but you’re more likely to rely on additional tools or integrations.

Teachable’s Biggest Advantage: Simplicity

This is where I think Teachable deserves more credit.

If I told a beginner:

“You have one course. You want to sell it online. You don’t have a complicated marketing system yet.”

I’d be perfectly comfortable recommending Teachable.

You don’t necessarily need:

• A complex funnel
• Advanced automation
• Multiple websites
• Sophisticated segmentation
• A community
• Ten products

You might need:

Course → Checkout → Customer

And Teachable does that well.

Email Marketing: Kajabi Wins

This isn’t particularly close if you’re comparing the platforms as complete marketing systems.

Kajabi includes marketing email functionality, funnels, automations, and other marketing tools as part of its platform.

Teachable has email and marketing capabilities, but it isn’t designed to be a complete marketing automation platform.

This matters if your business depends heavily on:

• Lead magnets
• Email sequences
• Product launches
• Upsells
• Automated campaigns
• Segmentation
• Nurturing leads

If email marketing is central to your business, I’d give this category to Kajabi.

Winner:

🏆Kajabi

Sales Funnels: Kajabi Wins

Kajabi includes funnel-building capabilities.

That means you can create a flow such as:

Free guide

↓

Landing page

↓

Email sequence

↓

Sales page

↓

Checkout

↓

Course

without necessarily needing another funnel platform.

Teachable isn’t trying to be a dedicated funnel-building platform.

Winner:

🏆Kajabi

Website: Kajabi Wins

If I want my entire business website to live alongside my course business, Kajabi is much more appealing.

Kajabi provides a website builder, custom domains, landing pages, blogs, and related tools depending on the plan.

Teachable is more focused on your school and products.

That’s not necessarily bad.

In fact, if you already have a WordPress website, Squarespace site, or another website you love, Teachable’s approach might be perfectly fine.

Winner:

🏆Kajabi

Community: Kajabi Wins for a More Integrated Business

Both platforms have community capabilities.

But Kajabi’s community is more deeply connected to its overall business ecosystem.

That matters if you’re creating something like:

Course + community + coaching

rather than simply:

Course

Kajabi currently includes community access in its plans, with additional community capacity on higher tiers.

Winner:

🏆Kajabi

Coaching: Kajabi Wins

This one could matter enormously depending on what you sell.

Teachable now has a native coaching product for 1:1 programs, including milestones, intake forms, client management, and payments. However, its current setup relies on connected tools such as Calendly and Zoom for scheduling and calls, and Teachable’s current comparison says it doesn’t offer group coaching/cohort functionality in the same way.

Kajabi supports coaching within its platform and can integrate it with courses, community, marketing, and payments.

If I were building:

Course + 1:1 coaching + group program

I’d much rather have the integrated Kajabi setup.

Winner:

🏆Kajabi

Payments: It Depends

This category is more complicated.

Kajabi offers Kajabi Payments and supports other payment options. Its current U.S. card-processing rates shown on the pricing page are:

• Basic: 2.9% + $0.30
• Growth: 2.8% + $0.30
• Pro: 2.7% + $0.30

Teachable supports payment processing through its payment infrastructure and integrations, depending on your setup and location.

But there’s another important consideration:

Teachable Starter has a 7.5% transaction fee.

Builder and higher plans eliminate that platform transaction fee.

Winner:

Depends on your sales volume and plan.

AI Features

Both companies have been adding AI.

Teachable has AI-assisted tools for things such as course creation.

Kajabi has expanded its AI functionality, including its Cofounder feature designed to help with areas such as business strategy, copy, pricing, and other business tasks.

I wouldn’t choose a platform based entirely on AI features, though.

They’re changing too quickly.

I’d choose based on the underlying business tools first.

Winner:

🏆Kajabi for broader business-oriented AI

Mobile Experience

This is another area where Kajabi has an advantage at higher plans.

Kajabi currently includes its branded mobile app on applicable plans, while Teachable offers a shared Teachable app rather than the same level of branded mobile-app experience.

If having your own branded app is important to your business, that’s worth considering.

Winner:

🏆Kajabi

What I Would Choose for a First Course

Here’s where I don’t think you should overcomplicate things.

If I had:

One course

No audience

No email list

Very little revenue

I’d choose:

Teachable

I’d rather validate my idea without immediately committing to a $143/month Kajabi Basic subscription.

Why spend $1,716 per year on an all-in-one system before I know whether anyone wants the course?

What I Would Choose for a Serious Creator Business

If I already had:

• An audience
• Multiple products
• An email list
• Coaching
• A community
• Funnels
• Regular launches

I’d choose:

Kajabi

At that point, I’d care less about the monthly subscription and more about how much time I save by keeping everything connected.

The Break-Even Question

Here’s the calculation I’d actually make.

Suppose Kajabi costs:

$143/month annually

and Teachable Builder costs:

$69/month annually.

That’s a difference of:

$74/month.

Or:

$888/year.

So I’d ask:

Would Kajabi save me at least $888 a year in other software, transaction costs, or my own time?

If so, Kajabi starts to look attractive.

If no, I’d probably stick with Teachable.

That’s a much better way to compare them than simply saying:

“Kajabi is expensive.”

My Favorite Setup for Each Platform

If I Chose Teachable

I’d keep the business simple:

Teachable

Email marketing tool

Existing website

Payment system

Then I’d add other tools only when necessary.

This keeps the initial cost lower.

If I Chose Kajabi

I’d try to consolidate as much as possible:

Kajabi

↓

Website

↓

Landing page

↓

Email

↓

Funnel

↓

Checkout

↓

Course

↓

Community

↓

Upsell

That’s where I think Kajabi really shines.

Who Should Choose Teachable?

I’d choose Teachable if:

• You’re primarily selling courses.
• You’re just getting started.
• You want lower upfront costs.
• You already have a website.
• You already have email marketing software.
• You don’t need sophisticated funnels.
• You don’t need an extensive community.
• You’re comfortable using multiple tools.
• You want to validate an idea before spending heavily.

Teachable itself describes its platform as purpose-built for knowledge monetization rather than an all-in-one business suite.

And honestly, that’s not a weakness for everyone.

Sometimes simple is exactly what you need.

Who Should Choose Kajabi?

I’d choose Kajabi if:

• You’re serious about building a creator business.
• You sell multiple digital products.
• Email marketing is important.
• You want built-in funnels.
• You want your website and course platform together.
• You offer coaching.
• You want community features.
• You want more automation.
• You don’t want to manage lots of integrations.
• You’re expecting the business to grow.

Kajabi’s current plans are explicitly designed to expand from a single product into a broader expert business.

What About Taxes and U.S. Compliance?

Since this comparison is focused on U.S.-based creators, there’s another practical issue I wouldn’t ignore.

Your platform doesn’t eliminate your responsibility for understanding your own U.S. tax obligations.

Depending on your business and location, you may need to consider:

• Federal income taxes
• Self-employment taxes
• State income taxes
• Sales-tax obligations
• Business registration
• 1099-related reporting
• Business deductions

Teachable highlights tax compliance tools for creators, while Kajabi provides payment and business infrastructure, but neither platform replaces your own tax adviser or accountant.

If you’re making meaningful revenue, I’d keep clean financial records and get professional tax advice appropriate to your situation.

My Scorecard

After comparing the two, this is how I’d score them for different priorities:

Category	Kajabi	Teachable
Course creation	9/10	9/10
Beginner affordability	6/10	9/10
Email marketing	10/10	7/10
Funnels	10/10	6/10
Website	9/10	7/10
Community	9/10	7/10
Coaching	9/10	7/10
Ease of starting	8/10	9/10
Scalability	10/10	9/10
All-in-one experience	10/10	7/10
Value for course-only creators	7/10	9/10
Value for full creator businesses	9/10	8/10

My Overall Winner

🏆Kajabi — If You’re Building a Business

If you asked me:

“Which platform would you choose if you wanted to build a serious online education business?”

I’d choose Kajabi.

The reason isn’t that its course builder is dramatically better.

It’s because the course is only one part of the business.

I want:

course + email + funnel + website + checkout + automation + community + coaching

working together.

That’s where Kajabi earns its higher price.

But Teachable Wins One Very Important Battle

If you asked:

“I have one course, and I just want to start selling it as cheaply as possible. Which one should I use?”

I’d choose:

🏆 Teachable

At $29/month annually for Starter, it’s dramatically easier to test a course business without making a large software commitment. Just remember that Starter currently carries a 7.5% transaction fee, so I’d compare the total cost once you’re actually making sales.

My Final Verdict

After comparing both, I don’t think this is really a question of:

“Which platform is better?”

It’s:

“What kind of business am I building?”

If you’re building a course, I’d lean toward Teachable.

If you’re building a business around your expertise, I’d lean toward Kajabi.

And that’s the distinction I’d keep in mind.

Choose Teachable if you want:

Simple → Affordable → Course-focused

Choose Kajabi if you want:

Integrated → Automated → Business-focused

For a beginner who hasn’t made a sale yet, I’d rather start lean with Teachable.

For an established creator who is already juggling email software, funnels, landing pages, a website, community tools, and coaching software, I’d seriously consider consolidating everything into Kajabi.

Teachable helps you sell a course.

Kajabi helps you build the business around the course.

And for me, that’s ultimately why Kajabi wins this comparison—but only if you’re actually going to use everything you’re paying for.