In 2024, course creators have plenty of options for choosing the right platform to build, host, and sell online courses. Two of the most popular platforms are Kajabi and Teachable. Both are designed to help entrepreneurs, coaches, and educators create and sell courses online, but they each come with features, pricing structures, and benefits. In this blog, we’ll compare Kajabi and Teachable regarding course creation, marketing tools, pricing, and ease of use. By the end, you’ll clearly understand which platform is better suited for your needs.
Overview of Kajabi and Teachable
Before getting into the details, let’s take a quick look at what each platform offers.
Kajabi is an all-in-one platform for building courses, hosting websites, managing email marketing, and automating sales funnels. It’s ideal for course creators who want an integrated system to run their entire business from one place.
Teachable focus primarily on course creation and selling. While it offers some basic marketing tools, it doesn’t provide the same level of business management features as Kajabi. However, it’s a simpler and often more affordable option for those focused solely on creating and selling courses.
Course Creation Tools
Both Kajabi and Teachable offer powerful tools for creating and delivering online courses, but they have different approaches.
Kajabi: Advanced Customization
Kajabi’s course builder is designed for creators who want flexibility and control over their course layout. With a simple drag-and-drop editor, you can build multimedia lessons using videos, quizzes, PDFs, and audio files.
- Customization: Kajabi offers more customization options for your course layout, allowing you to brand your course pages fully.
- Memberships and Subscriptions: Kajabi supports different pricing models, including memberships, subscriptions, one-time payments, and payment plans.
- Assessments and Quizzes: To engage students and track progress, you can add quizzes, polls, and assessments to your courses.
Teachable: Simplicity and Ease of Use
Teachable’s course creation tools are simpler and more straightforward. It’s ideal for users who want to get their course up and running without too much customization.
- Drag-and-Drop Builder: Like Kajabi, Teachable also uses a drag-and-drop interface to create lessons. You can add videos, quizzes, and downloadable files.
- Basic Customization: Teachable doesn’t offer the same level of customization as Kajabi, but it does allow you to customize your branding (colors, fonts, etc.).
- Course Compliance: Teachable includes features to ensure students complete lessons, such as requiring students to finish one section before moving on to the next.
Which Is Better for Course Creation?
If you want more control over how your course looks and feels, Kajabi offers more flexibility and customization. If you’re looking for a simpler, no-fuss setup, Teachable is easier to use and more straightforward.
Marketing and Sales Tools
One of the biggest differences between Kajabi and Teachable is in their marketing and sales capabilities.
Kajabi: All-in-One Marketing Solution
Kajabi goes beyond course creation by offering a full suite of marketing tools. This makes it an all-in-one solution for running an online business.
- Email Marketing: Kajabi includes email marketing automation, allowing you to create email campaigns, newsletters, and automated follow-up sequences.
- Sales Funnels: Kajabi’s “Pipelines” feature helps you create sales funnels that guide leads through the buying process, from signing up for a freebie to purchasing a course.
- Upsells and Cross-Sells: Kajabi makes it easy to offer upsells during the checkout process, helping you increase your average order value.
Teachable: Basic Marketing Features
Teachable includes basic marketing tools, but it doesn’t offer the same depth as Kajabi.
- Email Marketing: Teachable allows you to send course announcements and follow-ups, but it lacks the advanced automation features that Kajabi offers.
- Affiliate Marketing: Teachable has built-in affiliate marketing tools, allowing you to create an affiliate program to help promote your courses.
- Sales Pages: Teachable provides basic sales page templates, but they are less customizable than Kajabi’s templates.
Which Is Better for Marketing?
Kajabi clearly wins in the marketing category, offering more robust tools for email automation, sales funnels, and customer relationship management. If marketing is a key part of your business, Kajabi’s all-in-one solution is the better choice. Teachable works if you want simple marketing tools and don’t need advanced automation.
Pricing
Pricing is a key factor for many course creators, and Kajabi and Teachable have different approaches to pricing.
Kajabi Pricing
Kajabi is on the higher end of the pricing scale, but it includes a full suite of tools beyond course creation.
- Kickstarter Plan: $55/month paid annually (1 product, one pipeline, 250 contacts, and 50 active members).
- Basic Plan: $119/month paid annually (3 products, three pipelines, 10,000 contacts, and 1,000 active members).
- Growth Plan: $159/month paid annually (15 products, 15 pipelines, 25,000 contacts, and 10,000 active members).
- Pro Plan: $399/month paid annually (100 products, 100 pipelines, 100,000 contacts, and 20,000 active members).
Kajabi does not charge transaction fees on your course sales.
Teachable Pricing
Teachable is more affordable, especially for beginners.
- Free Plan: $0/month (limited to 1 course and transaction fees apply).
- Basic Plan: $39/month (5% transaction fee on sales).
- Pro Plan: $119/month (no transaction fees and more advanced features like quizzes and certificates).
- Pro+: $199/month (for large-scale course businesses).
Teachable charges transaction fees on its lower-tier plans, so while the upfront cost is lower, you’ll pay more if you’re making a lot of sales.
Which Is Better for Pricing?
If you’re looking for a budget-friendly option, Teachable is more affordable, especially for beginners. However, Kajabi offers more features, so if you’re running a larger business or need marketing tools, Kajabi’s higher price may be worth it.
Ease of Use
Both Kajabi and Teachable are designed to be user-friendly, but they have different learning curves.
Kajabi: Comprehensive but More Complex
Because Kajabi includes so many features, it has a steeper learning curve. It may take time to get familiar with all the tools and integrations, but once you do, you’ll appreciate the flexibility and power of the platform.
- Onboarding: Kajabi provides in-depth tutorials, training videos, and a knowledge base to help users get started.
- All-in-One Dashboard: Managing courses, email marketing, and sales funnels from one dashboard can streamline your workflow, but it also requires time to learn the full range of tools.
Teachable: Simpler to Use
Teachable’s focus is on simplicity. It’s easier to use, especially for beginners who are just getting started with online courses.
- Quick Setup: Teachable’s interface is intuitive, making it easy to set up your course and start selling without a long learning curve.
- Focus on Courses: Since Teachable focuses solely on course creation, there’s less to manage, making it easier for users who don’t need advanced marketing features.
Which Is Easier to Use?
Teachable is the simpler of the two, with a quicker setup process. Kajabi is more comprehensive, which means a steeper learning curve, but it offers more functionality once you get the hang of it.
Customer Support
Both platforms offer customer support, but Kajabi has a slight edge.
Kajabi Support
- 24/7 Live Chat: Kajabi provides 24/7 live chat support, along with email and a comprehensive knowledge base.
- Kajabi University: Kajabi offers “Kajabi University,” a series of training courses designed to help users get the most out of the platform.
Teachable Support
- Live Chat (Pro and Up): Teachable offers live chat support only for Pro and Business plan users. Lower-tier plans only get email support.
- Knowledge Base: Teachable has a knowledge base with tutorials and FAQs to help users troubleshoot issues.
Which Has Better Support?
Kajabi offers more comprehensive support, including 24/7 live chat for all users. Teachable’s support is limited on the lower-tier plans, making Kajabi the better choice for users who value quick customer service.
Conclusion: Kajabi vs Teachable – Which Is Better?
When comparing Kajabi and Teachable, the choice depends on your business needs.
- Choose Kajabi if you’re looking for an all-in-one platform that includes course creation, email marketing, sales funnels, and more. It’s ideal for entrepreneurs who want to manage their entire business from one platform and need robust marketing tools.
- Choose Teachable if you’re focused solely on creating and selling courses and prefer a simpler, more affordable platform. It’s a great choice for beginners or those who don’t need advanced features.
In the end, Kajabi offers more comprehensive features, making it the better option for businesses that want to scale. Teachable is better suited for those who want to keep things simple and cost-effective.
