Kajabi calls itself an “all-in-one online membership and course platform” and is one of the most complex software platforms for marketing and running paid online courses.
But it's missing a lot of native features, and a lot of creators outgrow it once they start looking for live teaching, community, or their own apps.
In this article, we'll cover:
- What Kajabi is
- What Kajabi does well
- Disadvantages of Kajabi
- The best Kajabi alternatives for every type of creator
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What is Kajabi?
Kajabi is an online course and marketing platform, created by Kenny Rueter in 2010. Rueter wanted to sell a lawn sprinkler he'd created for his son, and couldn't find digital sales infrastructure he liked. Over a decade later, Kajabi is a leading online course platform and an alternative to the marketplaces of online learning platforms--recently announcing $5 billion in creator earnings.
It lets creators own and monetize their own courses, which is an important option in the creator economy.
But Kajabi is expensive, and there's a market full of course platforms innovating and changing how we think about online courses. That means that--for most course creators--there are better options.
Advantages of Kajabi
There are people running their courses on Kajabi and making millions of dollars each year. It’s a stable, savvy platform for running paid memberships and online courses.
Here are some of its best features:
- An LMS for asynchronous courses with a lot of different content options. Drip course material, add photos and videos, and include polls and questions.
- A marketing platform that includes pre-made funnels to choose from, sales and promotions, integrated email with tags to target specific customers, and up- and down-sells.
- A course website builder with customization options and templates to choose from and an AI course builder.
- Sell memberships and subscriptions, charge a one-time fee, or bundle your digital products for sale in multiple currencies.
Disadvantages of Kajabi
- Limited engagement features. Kajabi's course platform has no live streaming, no dynamic content, and not even native video hosting. Kajabi's strength is asynchronous courses and programs.
- Weak live course options. Some course platforms have native livestreaming, but Kajabi doesn't. And embedding a YouTube stream link into a course is not a live course. There's livestreaming in Kajabi Community 2.0, but that comes with its own set of problems.
- Weak community options Kajabi recently added what they call "Community 2.0" (an improvement on its previous forum). It has some of the features of a community platform, but users need a separate log-on to access it. The platform that boasts marketing and course integration is missing course and community integration.
- App confusion. Kajabi has 2 different apps for its courses and community; that's 2 log-ons and 2 downloads if you want both. But it doesn't do native course and community apps; there's no option to get white-label courses under your app in the App Store and Google Play Store.
The best Kajabi alternatives
Depending on whether you’re simply looking for a different course platform than Kajabi, you want an online marketplace, or you’re ready to bring your online courses and community together in the same place under your brand, you have options.
1. Mighty Networks
Best Kajabi alternative
Mighty Networks is an intuitive course and community platform that gives creators flexible options to teach async and/or live courses. It's super easy to use with the power to build any kind of course business you imagine.
Unlike Kajabi, everything happens on a platform with engagement built through it: add private Spaces, live events, discussion forums, member profiles, video and written content, and more! In fact, Mighty is G2's top-rated community management platform.
You get all this under your own brand and domain name, instantly available both on the web and on elegant iOS and Android apps.
How Mighty stands out:
- Features Kajabi doesn't have in its course platform: native live streaming, integrated course events with RSVP, vibrant community functions, and branded subgroups that you can even charge for.
- Mixes AI course builder with AI community tools for people magic. Mighty Co-Host™ can auto-generate course outlines, discussion prompts, instantly create landing pages and member profiles, introduce members to each other, and give writing ideas and tips.
- Grow into branded apps. Unlike Kajabi, Mighty only ever needs one app. But you can get your app under your brand in the App Store and Google Play Store with Mighty Pro.
- Integrated ConvertKit. Instead of trying to include a basic native email tool, Mighty and ConvertKit have joined forces to create built-in integrations that make it easy to bring the best email platform and the best course & community platform together.
With a Mighty Network, you can even start simple and scale to bundles of online courses, paid memberships, groups, events, and more.
While a Mighty Network doesn’t have the same level of complex marketing flows of Kajabi, it has way more community and engagement features.
Mighty Networks overview
Pros
- Integrated community and course platform with AI tools
- Intuitive online course creation that includes video lessons, audio and downloads, chat & messaging, Q&As, discussion forums, and more.
- Livestreaming is built in. Go live to every platform and even teach your course live if you want.
- Live, robust, and branded mobile app /or web access (iOS & Android)
- Easily create branded Spaces that can either be free for members or monetized independently as an upsell.
- Add paywalls and different membership tiers that are either community-wide or dedicated to a specific group or course.
Cons
- Fewer complex marketing systems than Kajabi.
Pricing
- From $99/mo for courses and community.
2. Mighty Pro
Best Kajabi alternative for premium, branded apps
We touched on branded apps above, but the ultimate Kajabi alternative for getting your courses (and community if you want) on your own branded app is Mighty Pro.
Mighty Pro builds you a native mobile app under your brand and launches it in the App Store and Google Play Store.
- No coding or maintenance. Mighty Pro handles everything, including launch, design, and customization.
- Get VIP technical support and proactive App Store and Google Play submissions.
- Splash screens, branded notifications and livestreaming.
Your native course app comes with all the features above, plus you get the support of the Mighty Pro team--Account Executives and Community Strategists who have scaled 7-figure creator brands and 8+-figure subscription businesses.
We've built apps for creators and brands like TED, Cambridge University, Tony Robbins, Jim Kwik, Sadie Robertson Huff, and Mel Robbins.
And if you're a current Kajabi customer making the leap, Mighty Pro takes care of the migration.
Schedule a call to learn more!
Mighty Pro overview
Pros
- Beautiful branded apps for every device.
- YOUR course on YOUR native app with notifications and livestreaming under your brand.
- The Mighty Pro team does all the work and proactive updates.
- VIP support and ongoing strategy.
Cons
- Mighty Pro is a premium service. If you're just getting started, start with Mighty Networks instead.
Pricing
Book a call for a custom quote.
3. Udemy
Best course marketplace alternative
For course creators who want to host their course on a marketplace, Udemy is a good alternative to Kajabi. Course marketplaces give you a very specific trade-off: they take a portion of creators' earnings in exchange for having your course listed on their marketplace. They do all the hosting, you list for free, and you get exposure and their audience, but no customization or ownership. And you usually earn less.
If you decide you want to go this route, Udemy is one of the better Kajabi alternatives.
- It has a decent creator payout model: you keep 97% of the revenue you bring to the platform (e.g. through direct links). But you only keep 37% of revenue from students who find you on Udemy.
- Udemy doesn't put many restrictions on who can teach, and they let you set your own pricing (from free to $299).
- You can choose to have your course boosted in Udemy promotions (although they also reserve the right to cut your price).
Udemy doesn't require any upfront payment on your part, they take it all out of the back-end earnings. But Udemy has 64 million students and 210,000 courses. So like any course marketplace, there are lots of potential students but it can be tough to be seen.
Udemy overview
Pros
- Course marketplace with tons of existing users to (potentially) find your course.
- No upfront payment, customer support, design, or customization work. Udemy handles it all.
- Fairly flexible monetization models with options for direct sales.
Cons
- You're fighting for attention among 210,000 courses.
- Udemy takes a good chunk of your revenue.
- You don't own the customers, ever. You're building Udemy's business.
- You get zero engagement options and no live teaching. There's only one way to teach on Udemy.
Pricing
- Udemy takes 3% or 63% of your revenue, depending on how students find your course.
4. LearnWorlds
Best for async courses
This is a new Kajabi alternative, but LearnWorlds has created a really solid course platform with many of the same features Kajabi has. It comes with a website builder that combines with a SCORM-compliant LMS to create lots of different course options. Like Kajabi, it also integrates marketing tools so that you can incorporate basic email, sales funnels, or affiliate programs. LearnWorlds also has a mobile app option and includes a cohort teaching option, meaning you can host your course live.
While LearnWorlds is missing advanced marketing systems and the email platform isn't much to work with, it does have the same set of strengths Kajabi has--and the actual course platform is probably a bit better.
LearnWorlds DOES NOT have real online community or engagement features. Like Kajabi, it's best for asynchronous courses.
And although there's a low-cost plan to start with, to get the full effect of LearnWorlds, you need to choose a more expensive plan.
LearnWorlds overview
Pros
- Excellent course builder and LMS for async courses (and the option to teach live).
- Website builder with built-in marketing features like Kajabi.
Cons
- Very basic community features and no engagement features.
- Email and marketing tools are clunky and simple, and only available on more expensive plans.
Pricing
- Starts from $24/mo but full features are only available on higher plans
5. Thinkific
Another alternative to Kajabi to consider if you’re looking to create online courses is Thinkific. Thinkific is a course platform that also does website building, and has other digital product options.
Creators and entrepreneurs can create a wide range of content types for their online courses including quizzes, multimedia-based articles, videos, surveys, webinars, and more. And Thinkific has some automation tools which make onboarding students and sending mass emails much easier.
Thinkific is also much cheaper to get started, it lets you start for free, learn the basics, and then start paying when you’re ready to get your courses in gear.
Thinkific has a basic native email. But it's missing community tools for comprehensive engagement and it doesn't have native livestreaming--meaning a cohort course can only happen on Zoom.
And Thinkific's apps are pretty new and have been plagued with glitches and low ratings.
Thinkific overview
Pros
- Good LMS with lots of options for an async course and flexible delivery
- Drag-and-drop website builder with lots of templates and sales pages to choose from.
- Some Kajabi-style marketing tools like basic email, coupons, an affiliate program, etc.
Cons
- It's missing native livestreaming (for cohort courses) and built-in engagement and community features.
- The apps were only recently launched and have terrible reviews.
Pricing_
- Starts from a free plan, then $39-$399/mo
6. Teachable
Best-known Kajabi alternative
Teachable has all the features you need to async create courses, enroll students, and collect payments. It doesn’t have integrated email nor does it offer the same kinds of complex marketing features Kajabi is known for. And like Kajabi, it doesn’t have a good option for creating an online community. But it is a common alternative.
Now, it should be said that a lot of instructors start off on Teachable for their early online courses and tend to upgrade to Kajabi once they are successful. This is because Teachable isn’t as comprehensive.
Teachable also only has an iOS app, which is a huge disadvantage for getting your courses to your users, and it lacks the marketing and email functions–which you’d have to pay for elsewhere.
Choosing Teachable means managing more services in different places, but it’s still cheaper and simpler to use than Kajabi. However, it’s definitely not the best of the alternatives.
Teachable overview
Pros
- Good LMS with comparable content options to the other course platforms on this list
- Some built-in marketing features to help sell a course: up- and down-sells, triggers, and an affiliate program
- Landing page builder and tons of integrations
Cons
- Missing engagement features, discussion forums, events, livestreaming, etc.
- It doesn't have a way to teach a live course.
- It doesn't have Android apps. And 70% of all mobile users are on an Android device.
Pricing
- From $1 + 10% of revenue per sale
7. Skillshare
Skillshare is an interesting alternative to Kajabi for creatives. Like Udemy, Skillshare is a course marketplace. It has a lot of the same features, but it's further down this list for one reason: the payout structure on Skillshare isn't as good.
On Skillshare, you can create online courses, promote them, and grow your audience thanks to the platform’s large pre-existing user base. For some, the pre-recorded nature of Skillshare courses will be more approachable than having to teach “live,” but it’s also a less dynamic experience for your students that way.
Skillshare's downfall is the payment structure. It takes a portion of its membership revenue and divides it among teachers according to watch time. That's fine if you're a celebrity teacher, but if you're new to the platform there's a good chance your course is starting from the bottom--and competing against tons of other courses. It can be hard to earn.
You also need to have a minimum watch time before you can get paid. And even if you monetize, only a few creators will ever earn what their course would be worth on their own platform.
Skillshare overview
Pros
- Good course marketplace with high brand recognition.
- Well-known for creative courses and could be good for exposure.
- The project feature is cool and lets you build real stuff.
Cons
- You're struggling to get seen.
- It's hard to make money with the payout model.
- You have no ownership of your students--they're Skillshare's customers.
Pricing
- Free to use but payouts depend on Skillshare's revenue share model.
8. LearnDash
Best WordPress-based Kajabi alternative
A decade ago, many course creators were bloggers who had built a blog on WordPress and wanted to add a course to their offers. This isn't as common anymore. But if this describes you, you might be looking for a Kajabi alternative that's WordPress-specific.
Now, it's important to say this: Just because you have a WordPress blog or site doesn't mean you NEED a WordPress plugin for a course. It's easy to choose any course software on this list and host it as a sub-directory on your site.
However, if you're determined to go with a WordPress plugin, LearnDash is a good choice. It gives you a course creator that looks like the Gutenburg editor, with lots of course tools and customization to choose from. You have a drag-and-drop course editor, quiz options, and some e-commerce capability (most LearnDash users need a separate payment processing plugin).
LearnDash overview
Pros
- LMS plugin for WordPress with an intuitive interface.
- Flexible course delivery options with customization features & a drag-and-drop builder.
- Badges, quizzes, certificates, and some sales tools.
Cons
- WordPress plugins are complicated and often require custom development to look right.
- Even with several plugins, you won't get the functionality of a well-designed course platform.
9. WizIQ
WizIQ is an LMS and classroom software that has some useful course-building features, making it a decent Kajabi alternative. It's most commonly used for applications in certain industries like corporate training, government, or higher ed. And it does have quite a corporate feel to the design and UI.
That being said, the LMS is powerful, handling both asynchronous and synchronous learning and MOOC designs. It also has the option to deploy some white labeling under your brand.
WizIQ overview
Pros
- Solid course features: whiteboarding, breakout rooms, native livestreaming, and messaging.
- Useful data and analytics tools plus mobile apps for Android and iOS.
- Deploy your course under your brand.
Cons
- It can get really expensive; as you grow there are more and more costs. It's best for corporate customers because of the price.
- It's not self-service. You need to work with the WizIQ team, and there have been complaints about their customer service.
- The branding looks corporate.
10. Maven
Good cohort course marketplace
Maven is a cool concept for an online course platform; it focuses on teaching virtual instructor-led courses (cohort courses) with a marketplace feel.
Maven hand-selects instructors it feels can offer value to its followers, then it offers a live course that people pay for. Cohort courses can have a higher price tag (because of the live experience) and Maven's choice of industry pros makes for good quality courses.
Maven overview
Pros
-Unique learning platform that curates courses from experts.
-Potentially higher margins from a live course and better engagement for the students.
-Lots of support if you're selected and your course is listed in a course catalog.
Cons
- You need to apply and be selected.
- All the same problems of a marketplace apply: Maven owns the customers and keeps 10% of your revenue.
Pricing
- Maven keeps 10% of your revenue
11. Coursera
Best platform for affiliated teachers
If you're a college or university professor, or you have a senior position at a major company, Coursera is probably a good Kajabi alternative. While it's not open to everyone, Coursera helps people with impressive affiliations get their courses seen.
As a result, students can take courses that have real accreditations built-in (like college degrees). The degree pathways are expensive on Coursera (just like--you know--college), but there are some other options too that are affordable for everyone. And there are some really great free courses.
If you're accepted to teach on Coursera, you get access to a teaching portal that comes with assistance in creating content and training.
Coursera overview
Pros
- A marketplace platform with courses from industry and higher-ed leaders
- A supportive teaching platform to help teachers run a successful course to the huge user base (129 million people)
- Real accreditations from higher ed and companies
Cons
- You need to be accepted, and unless you have an impressive affiliation, you won't be.
- It's pre-recorded first, missing options for building engagement and live courses.
Pricing
- Coursera doesn't make its compensation public
12. Podia
Podia is an interesting alternative to Kajabi because they’ve built a platform that allows for online courses, memberships, and digital projects. It has some similarities to the all-in-one model of Mighty Networks, but they rely heavily on integrations for their platform instead of native features.
On Podia, you can create different kinds of content and offer it all in one digital storefront, so it’s easy to navigate and add new products. Some examples of what you can create are: online courses, digital memberships, one-off webinars, and digital downloads. They also offer solid 24/7 support to help you through your issues as they arise.
All said, Podia feels a bit like a more basic version of Kajabi and it has a similar focus. But as of writing this, Podia seems to be focusing more on its website builder than course platform.
Podia overview
Pros
- A drag-and-drop website builder with lots of templates to choose from
- The option to include courses or coaching with the website
- Some of the same tools Kajabi has for marketing, email, etc.
Cons
- The LMS, course tools, email, and marketing are all extremely basic.
- No mobile apps
Pricing
- Starting from 8% of your revenue
13. ClickFunnels
Best Kajabi marketing alternative
ClickFunnels isn't a course platform. But if you're interested in the features of Kajabi for marketing a digital product, it's probably the best alternative. It gives users pre-built sales funnels to choose from for selling pretty much anything--including a course funnel.
ClickFunnels overview
Pros
- Tons of research-based sales funnels from a company that focuses ONLY on selling stuff.
- Easy to build landing pages, upsells, connect emails, etc.
Cons
- It's expensive and you can't deliver a product directly. It would need to be paired with a course platform.
Pricing
- Starts from $127/mo
Ready to start?
If you're looking for the best Kajabi alternative to host your online course, come build with Mighty! Host any kind of course you want, whether cohort and/or async. Connect communities, forums, member profiles, events, live streams, and more. It's easy to sell and create bundles, and your network is available on beautiful, native apps for all devices (or even branded apps).
Come try Mighty! It's free for 14 days, no credit card required.
You can also try our free course name generator! It will help you find the right one.
