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Kajabi vs Open edX

Kajabi logo

Kajabi

Software

All-in-one platform for knowledge entrepreneurs

From
$179/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Open edX logo

Open edX

Software

Open-source platform powering online learning

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Open edX has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Kajabi starter plan limited to 1 product, 1 community, and 1 website; requires upgrade for scaling; Open edX open edX has no licensing fee as open source software, but the vendor's own site states that hosting and infrastructure costs are the operator's responsibility, so there is no bundled managed-hosting price to compare against SaaS competitors.
  • They diverge on capability: Kajabi covers Course builder, Open edX covers Course authoring.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Kajabi and Open edX actually diverge.

Attributes where Kajabi and Open edX differ
AttributeKajabiOpen edX
Starting price$179/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfree
Free tierNoYes
Founded20102012

Identical on both: platforms (Web, iOS, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Kajabi

  • Course builder
  • Website builder
  • Email marketing
  • Sales funnels
  • Memberships
  • Communities
  • Mobile app
  • Zapier

Only in Open edX

  • Course authoring
  • Interactive videos
  • Assessments
  • Discussions
  • Certificates
  • Mobile apps
  • xBlocks
  • LTI tools

Both cover

  • Analytics
  • Web support
  • IOS support
  • Android support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Kajabi

  • Solo creators launching single digital products or coursesnot Open edX
  • Small coaching businesses with course, community, and email marketing needsnot Open edX
  • Multi-product creators requiring customisation and white-label optionsnot Open edX

Open edX

  • MOOC creationnot Kajabi
  • Corporate trainingnot Kajabi
  • Blended learningnot Kajabi
  • Degree programsnot Kajabi

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Kajabi

  • Starter plan limited to 1 product, 1 community, and 1 website; requires upgrade for scaling
  • Starter and Basic tiers support only 1 community each; Growth tier caps at 1 community (Pro tier reaches 3)
  • Payment processing fees 2.9%–2.7% (Kajabi Payments) plus 5%–0.5% for third-party providers, tiered by plan
  • Admin user allowances escalate significantly: Starter (default 1), Basic (2), Growth (11), Pro (26)

Open edX

  • Open edX has no licensing fee as open source software, but the vendor's own site states that hosting and infrastructure costs are the operator's responsibility, so there is no bundled managed-hosting price to compare against SaaS competitors.

Pricing, plan by plan

Kajabi

$179/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Kajabi review.

Open edX

Free
  • Self-HostedFree
    • Full platform
    • Community support
    • All features
  • Managed Hosting$undefined/month
    • Hosted solution
    • Support
    • Maintenance

Which should you pick?

Choose Kajabi if

  • You need course builder.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want website builder.
Kajabi review

Choose Open edX if

  • You need course authoring.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want interactive videos.
Open edX review

Questions people ask

Is Kajabi or Open edX better?
Neither clearly leads. Kajabi starts at $179/month and Open edX at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Kajabi or Open edX?
Open edX has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $179/month for Kajabi and Free for Open edX.
Does Kajabi or Open edX run on more platforms?
Kajabi runs on Web, iOS, Android. Open edX runs on Web, IOS, Android.
Can I use Open edX for free?
Yes. Open edX has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Kajabi starts at $179/month.
What is Kajabi best used for?
Kajabi is most often used for solo creators launching single digital products or courses, small coaching businesses with course, community, and email marketing needs, multi-product creators requiring customisation and white-label options. Of those, solo creators launching single digital products or courses and small coaching businesses with course, community, and email marketing needs are not what Open edX is typically brought in for.
What can Kajabi do that Open edX cannot?
Kajabi covers Course builder, Website builder, Email marketing, Sales funnels. Open edX covers Course authoring, Interactive videos, Assessments, Discussions. Both handle Analytics, Web support, IOS support, Android support.
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