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LMS · head to head

Kajabi vs Thinkific

Kajabi logo

Kajabi

LMS

All-in-one platform for knowledge entrepreneurs

From
$143/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Thinkific logo

Thinkific

LMS

Create and sell online courses your way

From
$36/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Kajabi starter plan limited to 1 product, 1 community, and 1 website; requires upgrade for scaling; Thinkific no free plan, 14-day trial only
  • They diverge on capability: Kajabi covers Email marketing, Thinkific covers Quizzes.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Kajabi and Thinkific actually diverge.

Attributes where Kajabi and Thinkific differ
AttributeKajabiThinkific
Starting price$143/month$36/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, Mobile
Founded20102012

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (LMS).

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

  • Email marketing
  • Sales funnels
  • Mobile app
  • Facebook
  • Google Analytics

Only in Thinkific

  • Quizzes
  • Certificates
  • Marketing tools
  • ConvertKit

Both cover

  • Course builder
  • Website builder
  • Memberships
  • Communities
  • Analytics
  • Zapier
  • Stripe
  • PayPal
  • Mailchimp
  • 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 Thinkific
  • Small coaching businesses with course, community, and email marketing needsnot Thinkific
  • Multi-product creators requiring customisation and white-label optionsnot Thinkific

Thinkific

  • Course creationnot Kajabi
  • Membership sitesnot Kajabi
  • Coaching programsnot Kajabi
  • Corporate trainingnot 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)

Thinkific

  • No free plan, 14-day trial only
  • Transaction fees on third-party payment processors (5% on Basic tier)
  • PayPal only available on Grow plan ($199/month), not on Basic or Start
  • Limited customization on lower-tier plans
  • Cannot embed courses in external domains or iframes
  • Limited number of spaces per plan
  • Less interactive community features compared to alternatives
  • Features continuously moved to higher-priced tiers
  • Payment processing delays reported (up to 90 days)

Pricing, plan by plan

Kajabi

$143/month
  • Basic$179/month
    • 5 products
    • 1 community
    • 2,500 contacts
  • Growth$249/month
    • 50 products
    • 1 community
    • 25,000 contacts
  • Pro$499/month
    • Unlimited products
    • 3 communities
    • 100,000 contacts

Thinkific

$36/month
  • Basic$36/month
    • 1 course
    • Up to 500 students
    • Thinkific Payments (0% fees)
  • Start$74/month
    • Up to 3 courses
    • Up to 2,000 students
    • Third-party payment (3% fees)
  • Grow$149/month
    • Unlimited courses
    • Unlimited students
    • Third-party payment (0% fees)

Which should you pick?

Choose Kajabi if

  • You need email marketing.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want sales funnels.
Kajabi review

Choose Thinkific if

  • You need quizzes.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want certificates.
Thinkific review

Questions people ask

Is Kajabi or Thinkific better?
Neither clearly leads. Kajabi starts at $143/month and Thinkific at $36/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Kajabi or Thinkific?
Kajabi starts at $143/month and Thinkific at $36/month.
Does Kajabi or Thinkific run on more platforms?
Kajabi runs on Web, iOS, Android. Thinkific runs on Web, Mobile.
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 Thinkific is typically brought in for.
What can Kajabi do that Thinkific cannot?
Kajabi covers Email marketing, Sales funnels, Mobile app, Facebook. Thinkific covers Quizzes, Certificates, Marketing tools, ConvertKit. Both handle Course builder, Website builder, Memberships, Communities.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Kajabi: How much does Kajabi cost?

Kajabi offers three subscription plans: Basic at $179/month (or $143/month annual), Growth at $249/month (or $199/month annual), and Pro at $499/month (or $399/month annual). A 30-day free trial is available.

Source
Thinkific: Does Thinkific have a free plan?

No. Thinkific does not offer a free plan but provides a 14-day free trial. Paid plans start at $36/month (Basic tier).

Source
Kajabi: What are the payment processing fees on Kajabi?

Kajabi charges payment processing fees through Kajabi Payments: 2.9% + $0.30 on Basic plan, 2.8% + $0.30 on Growth plan, and 2.7% + $0.30 on Pro plan. Third-party providers charge lower rates (2%, 1%, and 0.5% respectively, excluding PayPal).

Source
Thinkific: Are there transaction fees on Thinkific?

Thinkific charges no transaction fees when using their built-in Thinkific Payments. Third-party payment processors incur 5% fees (Basic) down to 0% (Plus), plus 3.6% for Stripe with subscriptions.

Source
Kajabi: How many contacts can I store on each Kajabi plan?

Basic plan supports 2,500 contacts, Growth plan supports 25,000 contacts, and Pro plan supports 100,000 contacts with unlimited products and 3 communities.

Source
Thinkific: What payment methods does Thinkific support?

PayPal is locked to Grow plan ($199/month). Basic and Start plans do not support PayPal, limiting payment options for international creators and potentially reducing conversions.

Source
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