Kajabi vs Teachable (Nov 2026): Basic $179, Growth $249, Pro $499 vs Starter $39, Builder $89, Growth $189 — all-in-one vs course-first, and the 7.5% Starter fee

What this comparison covers

This page is for coaches, course creators, and small training businesses choosing between Kajabi and Teachable to sell courses, memberships, or coaching. A named person owns the checkout, the product catalog, and every email that goes to buyers.

Facts come from the Kajabi pricing page and the Teachable pricing page, both read on 8 November 2026. We did not build your course in either tool, so run one real lesson and one real checkout in the trial of whichever you shortlist.

The core difference is scope. Kajabi prices one bundle (courses, coaching, community, website, funnels, and unlimited email) by contact count and says it takes no revenue share. Teachable starts much lower, prices by how many products you sell, and charges a 7.5% transaction fee on Starter that drops to 0% on Builder and Growth. Which is cheaper depends on your revenue and on which other tools you already pay for.

Ground rules: every live product and checkout has an owner; prices and refund terms get a human check before launch. This page is not a ranking. For more options see Kajabi alternatives, Systeme.io vs Kajabi, and the Thinkific review.

Major features (with how someone uses them)

Examples at a glance: each feature has a concrete example from a real job plus a short Try this you can run this week.

1. List price and what it is built around

What it is: Kajabi shows Basic at $179 a month ($143 billed annually at $1,716), Growth at $249 ($199 annually at $2,388), and Pro at $499 ($399 annually at $4,788), with 2,500, 25,000, and 100,000 contacts included and unlimited email sends (Kajabi pricing). Teachable shows Starter at $39 a month ($29 billed annually), Builder at $89 ($69 annually), and Growth at $189 ($139 annually), with 5, 10, and 50 products (Teachable pricing).

Kajabi’s plans scale with contacts; Teachable’s scale with products. A creator with one course and a big list prices very differently from one with ten small products and a short list.

Concrete example (coach selling one flagship course to a 4,000-person list) She notes that Kajabi Basic includes 2,500 contacts, so her list puts her on Growth, then compares that with Teachable Builder plus the email tool she would keep.

Try this

Price your real numbers:

Write last year’s course revenue (or your honest target), how many products you sell, how many contacts are on your list, and whether you already pay for a separate email tool or website. Price Kajabi and Teachable at those numbers, monthly and yearly, and add Teachable’s 7.5% Starter fee if you would sell on Starter.

2. Transaction fees change the math

What it is: Kajabi says it takes no revenue share as a platform; card processing on Kajabi Payments carries a standard fee that differs by country, and using a third-party processor where Kajabi Payments is offered adds a fee (Kajabi pricing). Teachable lists a 7.5% sales transaction fee on Starter and 0% on Builder, Growth, and Custom, marked with an asterisk (Teachable pricing).

At $2,000 a month in sales, a 7.5% fee is $150 a month on top of Starter’s $39, which already passes Builder’s $89. Payment processing fees apply on both platforms in addition to any platform fee.

Concrete example (first-time course seller expecting $1,500 a month) He multiplies expected sales by 7.5%, adds the Starter price, compares that with Builder, and picks the lower total rather than the lower sticker.

Try this

Run the fee math:

Multiply your expected monthly course sales by 7.5% and add $39 (Teachable Starter monthly). If the total is above $89, price Builder instead. Then compare with Kajabi Basic at $179, which lists no revenue share.

3. All-in-one bundle vs course-first tool

What it is: Every Kajabi plan lists courses, coaching, memberships, a website with your own domain, a private community, unlimited emails, landing pages and funnels, and built-in checkout (Kajabi pricing). Teachable lists student apps on iOS and Android, global payments and taxes, upsells and cart recovery, and a feature table with built-in email marketing, coupons, bundles, and an affiliate program by plan (Teachable pricing).

Kajabi’s higher sticker only pays off if it replaces bills you would otherwise keep, such as an email tool, a website builder, or a community app. If you keep those anyway, you are paying twice.

Concrete example (trainer paying for a website, an email tool, and a community app) She lists those three bills, adds them up, and compares the total with Kajabi Basic or Growth before deciding whether Teachable plus her current tools is cheaper.

Try this

List what you would cancel:

Write every tool you pay for today that Kajabi would replace (email, website, funnels, community) and its monthly price. If the total is less than the Kajabi minus Teachable gap, the bundle is not saving you money.

4. Use the trial on one real product

What it is: Kajabi lists a 14-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee on every plan (Kajabi pricing). Teachable lists a 7-day free trial and a 30-day guarantee, and its FAQ says there is no free plan (Teachable pricing).

Seven days is short. Have one lesson, one sales page, and one test purchase ready before you start Teachable’s trial so you judge the real checkout, not the empty dashboard.

Concrete example (course creator with a finished module) He uploads one finished module to each trial, runs a test purchase and refund, and writes down which checkout and student view he would actually send buyers to.

Try this

Prepare before the trial:

Before starting either trial, have one finished lesson, one sales page draft, and a test coupon ready. In the trial, run a real purchase and a refund and note anything a buyer would find confusing.

5. When Kajabi fits and when Teachable fits

What it is: Kajabi’s FAQ says Basic suits creators who have not sold yet, Growth makes sense once revenue is coming in and the list is past a few thousand people, and Pro is for more than one brand or your own app (Kajabi pricing). Teachable positions Starter for getting started, Builder for a multi-product offering, and Growth for growing revenue and audience (Teachable pricing).

Kajabi tends to fit when one platform should run the website, email, community, and courses together. Teachable tends to fit when you want a lower monthly floor for a course business and already have email and a website you like. Neither is the right pick for everyone.

Concrete example (consultant adding a paid course to an existing site) She keeps her current website and email tool, sees she needs only a course and checkout, and prices Teachable Builder before looking at an all-in-one bundle.

Try this

Write the fit in one line:

Complete this sentence with real numbers: “We would pick Kajabi because ___ / Teachable because ___.” If you cannot name a reason tied to revenue, products, or tools you would cancel, wait until you can.

6. One owner per product and checkout

What it is: Both platforms keep selling and emailing after the person who set up a product has moved on (Kajabi pricing; Teachable pricing).

An old price on a sales page or an outdated refund term in an automated email reaches every buyer. A named owner matters more than the logo.

Concrete example (ops lead supporting a coach with five products) She lists each product, its price, its checkout link, and its owner, and checks them every month against the website and the latest offer.

Try this

List product owners:

Write every live product, its price, its checkout link, and its owner. Check them monthly against your website and current offer.

Pricing context (November 2026)

Kajabi (pricing page, read 8 Nov 2026): Basic $179 a month, or $143 a month billed annually at $1,716 (2,500 contacts); Growth $249, or $199 billed annually at $2,388 (25,000 contacts); Pro $499, or $399 billed annually at $4,788 (100,000 contacts). Unlimited email sends on every plan, 14-day free trial, 30-day money-back guarantee, no revenue share.

Teachable (pricing page, read 8 Nov 2026): Starter $39 a month, or $29 billed annually (5 products, 7.5% transaction fee); Builder $89, or $69 billed annually (10 products, 0% fee); Growth $189, or $139 billed annually (50 products, 0% fee); Custom through sales. 7-day free trial and a 30-day guarantee; no free plan.

For more options see Kajabi alternatives, Systeme.io vs Kajabi, and the Thinkific review.

Uncertainty: Both pages show monthly and yearly prices; we list both. Kajabi’s card processing fee varies by country and there is an extra fee for third-party processors in some regions, so check the fee page for where you sell. Teachable marks its 0% transaction fee with an asterisk, and payment processing fees apply on top; confirm the footnote on the live page. Plan names and limits change, so recheck both pages on the day you buy.

When it’s useful (honest take)

Kajabi tends to fit when one platform should replace your website, email tool, and community, and your list or revenue justifies Basic at $179 or Growth at $249 a month. Teachable tends to fit when you want a course-first tool with a lower floor and already own email and a website.

Neither helps if nobody owns the products, prices, and buyer emails. Cancel every tool the winner replaces, and keep a written owner for each live product.

Related options (educational)

FAQ

Is Kajabi more expensive than Teachable?

On the sticker, yes. On 8 November 2026 Kajabi listed Basic at $179 a month and Teachable listed Starter at $39 a month. Kajabi bundles email, website, and community and lists no revenue share; Teachable Starter adds a 7.5% transaction fee. Price both on your real sales and the tools you would cancel. This page is not a ranking.

Does Teachable charge transaction fees?

Teachable listed a 7.5% sales transaction fee on Starter and 0% on Builder and Growth (marked with an asterisk). Payment processing fees apply in addition.

Does Kajabi take a cut of my sales?

Kajabi says it takes no revenue share as a platform. Card processing on Kajabi Payments has a standard fee that differs by country, and some regions add a fee for third-party processors.

Do Kajabi or Teachable have a free plan?

Neither lists a free plan. Kajabi lists a 14-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee; Teachable lists a 7-day free trial and a 30-day guarantee.

Who should own products and checkouts?

One named person per live product, with a monthly check that prices, checkout links, and refund terms match your website and current offer.

Optional next step (if seats overlap)

If you already pay for a course platform plus separate email and website tools, list which bills overlap before you add another subscription. Map the overlap with the $19 AI toolkit audit or the $9 AI toolkit spreadsheet. Email Audit $19 or Toolkit spreadsheet $9.

Checkout is live via Stripe. After you pay, we email delivery (spreadsheet) or intake next steps (audit).

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