Kajabi vs. Teachable vs. Thinkific: The Ultimate 2026 Showdown

Choosing the right platform is the most critical decision you'll make for your online course business. We've analyzed the features, pricing, and creator feedback for Kajabi, Teachable, and Thinkific to help you decide.

Quick Verdict

Kajabi

Best Overall

All-in-one business platform for creators who want everything in one place: courses, marketing, email, funnels, and automation.

Thinkific

Best for Course Focus

Strong course delivery platform with a free plan. Great for creators focused on content who use external tools for marketing.

Teachable

Best Entry Point

Lowest barrier to entry at $29/month. Perfect for testing the market, but transaction fees and limited automation reduce long-term value.

Feature & Value Comparison

Category	Kajabi	Thinkific	Teachable
Platform Positioning	All-in-one business platform	Course platform	Course platform
Core Focus	Selling, marketing, scaling	Course delivery	Course delivery
Built-in Email Marketing	Full system	Limited	Limited
Marketing Automation	Advanced workflows	Minimal	Minimal
Sales Funnels	Native & unlimited	Requires tools	Limited
CRM & Tagging	Built-in	Basic	Basic
Landing Pages	Unlimited	Basic	Basic
Affiliate Management	Built-in	Basic	Basic
Community Features	Native & integrated	Available	Available
Transaction Fees	None	None	Yes (entry plans)
Course Templates	7 templates	Multiple templates	3 basic templates
Content Flexibility	1 video/audio per lesson	Multiple content types	Multiple content types per lecture
Need for External Tools	Low	Moderate to high	Moderate to high
Scalability	High	Medium	Low

Pricing: The Real Cost of Ownership

While Kajabi has a higher sticker price, it often replaces multiple tools, making it less expensive overall than running Teachable or Thinkific plus external services.

Kajabi

Kickstarter: $89/month

1 product, 1,000 contacts

Basic: $179/month

3 products, 10,000 contacts

Growth: $249/month

15 products, 25,000 contacts

Pro: $499/month

Unlimited products & contacts

✓ No transaction fees

✓ 24/7 live chat support

✓ Replaces $200-500/mo in other tools

Thinkific

Free: $0/month

1 course, basic features

Basic: ~$49/month

Unlimited courses

Pro: ~$99/month

Advanced features

Premier: ~$499/month

Enterprise features

✓ No transaction fees

✓ Free plan available

⚠ Requires external marketing tools

Teachable

Starter: $39/month

1 admin, basic features

Builder: $69/month

2 admins, more features

Growth: $189/month

5 admins, advanced features

Advanced: $399/month

Unlimited admins

✗ 7.5% transaction fee (Starter)

✓ 0% transaction fee (Growth+)

⚠ Limited marketing features

Why Kajabi Wins in 2026

1. Not Just a Course Platform

Thinkific and Teachable are strong course delivery systems. Kajabi is a business operating system. In 2026, creators aren't just uploading courses—they're running launches, building email lists, segmenting audiences, automating sales, managing communities, and testing offers. Kajabi supports all of that without requiring a separate tech stack.

2. Lower "True Cost" Despite Higher Price

While Kajabi's monthly price is higher, it replaces an email marketing platform ($50-100/mo), a funnel builder ($97-297/mo), a CRM ($50-100/mo), automation tools ($50-100/mo), and affiliate software ($50-100/mo). When combined, Kajabi frequently becomes less expensive overall—often $200-500/month in savings.

3. Built for Scaling, Not Just Hosting

The biggest limitation creators hit isn't course limits—it's systems. Kajabi's advantage is that marketing tools scale with the business, automation grows with complexity, teams can collaborate inside one platform, and data stays centralized. That makes Kajabi the stronger long-term choice for building a business, not just selling a single course.

4. Superior Design & Customization

Kajabi offers 7 course templates and 11 website templates with extensive customization options. You can customize at the course level (not just account-wide like Teachable), giving you flexibility to brand different products differently. The result is a more professional, polished look that builds trust with students.

Which Platform is Right for You?

Choose Kajabi if:

You want one platform for everything
You're building a business, not just selling a course
You need advanced marketing automation
You want to minimize tool sprawl
You value 24/7 support
You're serious about scaling

Choose Thinkific if:

You're focused primarily on course content
You want to start with a free plan
You're comfortable using external marketing tools
You need flexibility with lesson content types
You have a smaller budget
You already have a marketing stack

Choose Teachable if:

You're just starting out
You want the lowest entry price
You're testing the market
You need multiple content types per lecture
You plan to host your site elsewhere
But be aware of transaction fees on lower plans

Related Resources

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Sell Online Courses Blueprint

Learn how to successfully sell courses regardless of which platform you choose.

The Missing Piece: How to Fill Your Course Platform with High-Quality Content, Fast

No matter which platform you choose—Kajabi, Teachable, or Thinkific—you still face the biggest challenge: creating engaging course content. This is where VideoToPage becomes your secret weapon.

Instead of spending weeks scripting, recording, and editing course materials, VideoToPage automatically converts your existing videos, webinars, and presentations into structured course lessons, complete with transcripts, summaries, key takeaways, and even quizzes.

Works with Any Platform

VideoToPage generates content that works seamlessly with Kajabi, Teachable, Thinkific, or any other course platform.

10x Faster Content Creation

Turn a 1-hour video into a complete course module in minutes, not days. Scale your course creation without burning out.

SEO-Optimized Output

Every piece of content is optimized for search engines, helping your courses get discovered organically.

Learn How VideoToPage Fills Your Course Platform