Kajabi wins as the best all-in-one platform for serious entrepreneurs. Thinkific offers the best value for budget-conscious beginners at $74 per month, while Teachable excels at scaling creators with strong marketing tools.
Choosing the wrong platform costs creators time, money, and momentum; many switch platforms within their first year due to poor initial decisions.
This comparison breaks down real features, honest pricing, and actual user experiences across all three platforms. We’ll help you match your creator profile with the platform that delivers results for your goals.
Platform Overview: Teachable vs. Thinkific vs. Kajabi
Understanding each platform’s core focus helps narrow your decision before exploring detailed comparisons.
Teachable, Thinkific, and Kajabi are among the most popular course platforms for course creators, each with distinct advantages and limitations.
Teachable Overview
Teachable positions itself as a creator-friendly platform with robust marketing tools and student engagement features.
The platform excels in course delivery and student experience, making it an ideal choice for educators who prioritize content quality and learner satisfaction.
Thinkific Overview
Thinkific takes a different approach, emphasizing ease of use and affordability without sacrificing essential course creation capabilities.
Thinkific is significantly cheaper than Kajabi while providing vital features in course creation, making it particularly attractive for beginners and budget-conscious creators.
Kajabi Overview
Kajabi starts at a significantly higher price point as an all-in-one platform, generally offering more tools and features than its competitors.
This complete business suite encompasses course creation, email marketing, sales funnels, and website-building capabilities, all under one roof.
Teachable vs. Thinkific vs. Kajabi: Features Comparison (Side-By-Side)
When choosing between these three platforms, understanding their core features is essential for making an informed decision. Let’s examine each platform’s capabilities across the most critical areas for course creators.
| Feature | Teachable | Thinkific | Kajabi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Course Builder | Advanced | User-friendly | Comprehensive |
| Built-in Email Marketing | Limited | No | Full Suite |
| Sales Funnels | Basic | No | Advanced |
| Community Features | No | Limited | Robust |
| Mobile App | ✓ | ✓ | Enhanced |
| Integrations | Strong | Excellent | Moderate |
| Live Streaming | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| White-label Options | Pro+ | Growth+ | All Plans |
| Customer Support | Email/Chat | Email/Chat | 24/7 Live Chat |
| Scalability | High | High | Highest |
| Data Security | Enterprise | Standard | Enterprise |
The feature comparison reveals three distinct approaches to developing course platforms. Here’s what each platform excels at:
1. Course Builder
Creating engaging courses is the foundation of any successful online education business. Let’s see how each platform handles course creation.
Teachable Course Builder
Teachable offers an advanced drag-and-drop course builder with unlimited video hosting, quiz tools, certificates, drip content, and professional analytics for serious educators.
The platform features comprehensive course structures with modules, interactive elements, and robust student tracking capabilities, catering to educational business solutions.
Thinkific Course Builder
Thinkific focuses on user-friendly course creation with pre-built templates, enabling beginners to quickly create professional courses without the technical complexity.
The platform offers unlimited courses, along with intuitive design tools, multi-language support, and mobile optimization for global accessibility.
Kajabi Course Builder
Kajabi offers multimedia builders that integrate with marketing tools, providing white-label branding and a comprehensive business ecosystem for entrepreneurs.
Kajabi creates cohesive learning experiences that connect to marketing funnels, enhanced by mobile app integration and community engagement for superior user engagement.
Winner:
Teachable – For advanced creators seeking professional-grade tools. Thinkific – For beginners wanting simplicity. Kajabi – For all-in-one business needs.
2. Email Marketing
Email marketing is essential for nurturing leads, engaging students, and driving course sales. Here’s how each platform handles email communication.
Teachable Email Marketing
Teachable offers limited built-in email capabilities, requiring integration with third-party services like Mailchimp for marketing campaigns.
The platform offers basic notifications and student communication, but relies on a robust integration ecosystem for advanced email marketing functionality.
Thinkific Email Marketing
Thinkific lacks built-in email marketing tools, focusing on integrations with external platforms for marketing campaign management.
The platform offers student messaging and enrollment emails but requires external tools, providing flexibility through Zapier integration capabilities.
Kajabi Email Marketing
Kajabi includes a full-featured email marketing suite with advanced segmentation, targeting, broadcast campaigns, and sophisticated drip sequences, all accompanied by analytics.
The email tools replace standalone services, integrating with sales funnels and course content for automated marketing workflows.
Winner:
Kajabi – Built-in email marketing eliminates the need for external tools, while others require integrations.
3. Sales Funnels
Sales funnels guide prospects from awareness to purchase through strategic content and offers. Let’s examine the funnel capabilities of each platform.
Teachable Sales Funnels
Teachable offers basic funnel capabilities, including simple landing pages, checkout flows, coupon tools, and affiliate program management features.
The platform offers functional basics but requires external tools like ClickFunnels for advanced funnel building and sophisticated marketing campaigns.
Thinkific Sales Funnels
Thinkific lacks native funnel-building tools, depending entirely on third-party integrations for sales funnel creation and management.
Users typically integrate with ClickFunnels or Leadpages for effective campaigns, adding complexity but providing access to best-in-class tools.
Kajabi Sales Funnels
Kajabi offers an advanced funnel builder with pre-built templates, A/B testing, a drag-and-drop interface, and complete automation from lead capture through to sales.
The funnel capabilities rival dedicated platforms, offering sophisticated marketing campaigns with built-in optimization tools that eliminate external dependencies.
Winner:
Kajabi – Advanced funnel builder with complete automation. Others require external funnel-building tools.
4. Community Features
Building student communities enhances engagement and creates additional value for course participants.
Teachable Community Features
Teachable offers basic discussion forums and student messaging but lacks robust community engagement tools compared to dedicated platforms.
The platform offers course comments and discussions,, but its community moderation features are limited, requiring users to utilize external platforms for engagement.
Thinkific Community Features
Thinkific offers limited community options, including basic student messaging and discussions, which require external platforms for comprehensive community building.
Most users supplement their online presence with Facebook Groups or Discord for robust communities, adding complexity but providing specialized engagement tools.
Kajabi Community Features
Kajabi offers a complete community platform featuring forums, member directories, direct messaging, moderation tools, and seamless course integration.
The advanced engagement and gamification features create complete social learning environments that rival dedicated community platforms.
Winner:
Kajabi – Complete community platform with advanced engagement tools. Others offer basic functionality.
5. Integrations
Third-party integrations extend platform capabilities and streamline business workflows.
Teachable Integrations
Teachable offers a strong integration ecosystem with over 20 built-in tools, extensive Zapier connections, API access, and analytics compatibility.
The platform strikes a balance between built-in tools and third-party flexibility, enabling seamless integration with CRM systems, support platforms, and marketing automation tools.
Thinkific Integrations
Thinkific excels in integration capabilities, offering extensive Zapier support that connects to over 1,000 apps, API access, and partnerships with key business tools.
The platform’s integration ecosystem emphasizes flexibility and choice, enabling creators to build custom tech stacks tailored to specific requirements.
Kajabi Integrations
Kajabi offers moderate integration options focusing on essential tools while providing built-in functionality to reduce external dependencies.
The platform emphasizes reducing external tool needs through extensive built-in features, making additional integrations unnecessary for most creators.
Winner:
Thinkific – Most extensive integration ecosystem. Teachable – Strong balance of built-in and third-party tools. Kajabi – Fewer integrations are needed due to built-in functionality
6. Pricing Value
Cost-effectiveness depends on features included, scalability options, and overall return on investment.
Teachable Pricing Value
Teachable offers competitive pricing, including a free plan, paid plans starting at $59 per month, and no transaction fees on paid plans.
The platform provides excellent value for advanced features without premium pricing, offering professional-grade tools at reasonable costs compared to enterprise systems.
Thinkific Pricing Value
Thinkific delivers excellent value with a generous free tier, affordable paid plans starting at $49 per month, and unlimited courses and students.
The platform offers the best value for beginners and growing creators wanting professional tools without significant upfront investment or limitations.
Kajabi Pricing Value
Kajabi commands premium pricing starting at $149 per month, but justifies it through its all-in-one functionality, eliminating the need for multiple subscriptions.
The pricing reflects a complete business platform positioning, rather than just course hosting, and often provides better value than purchasing specialized tools separately.
Winner:
Thinkific – Best value for beginners and growing creators. Teachable – Excellent value for advanced features. Kajabi – Premium pricing justified by complete functionality.
7. Customer Support
Quality customer support is crucial when building and scaling your online course business.
Teachable Customer Support
Teachable offers email and chat support, along with comprehensive documentation, community resources, and responsive assistance through multiple channels.
The platform offers generally responsive support, along with an extensive documentation library and active community forums, providing additional self-service options. You can learn more about the teachable support and resolve your difficulties with ease.
Thinkific Customer Support
Thinkific offers email and chat support with extensive documentation, helpful onboarding resources, and regular webinar training sessions.
The platform excels in educational resources and community support, offering regular training webinars and active user communities that extend beyond traditional support.
Kajabi Customer Support
Kajabi offers 24/7 live chat support across all plans, along with dedicated success managers, premium onboarding assistance, and priority responses.
The support system includes personalized guidance, escalation procedures, and expert-led training sessions, reflecting our premium positioning and commitment to customer success.
Winner:
Kajabi – Most extensive support reflecting premium positioning and commitment to customer success through personalized assistance and immediate response times.
Pricing Breakdown: Teachable vs Thinkific vs Kajabi Cost
Pricing structures reveal each platform’s target market and value proposition, with significant variations in cost and included features.
Teachable Pricing
Teachable offers flexible pricing options tailored to creators at various stages of their business, featuring significant annual savings and transaction fee considerations across plans.
| Plan | Annual Price | Monthly Price | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $29/month | $39/month | 26% savings |
| Builder | $69/month | $89/month | 22% savings |
| Growth | $139/month | $189/month | 26% savings |
| Advanced | $309/month | $399/month | 23% savings |
Key Features: Unlimited product creation across all plans, global payments in 200+ countries, AI creation tools, mobile app access, and detailed student management system.
Best Value: Builder Plan offers the sweet spot with 0% transaction fees and essential business features for growing creators. Annual billing saves up to $600 yearly across all plans.
For those looking to reduce costs, you can save up to $600 with a Teachable coupon code when subscribing to Teachable’s plans.
Thinkific Pricing
Thinkific offers competitive pricing with generous feature inclusions and substantial annual discounts, targeting both individual creators and enterprise-level businesses with scalable solutions.
| Plan | Annual Price | Monthly Price | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $36/month | $49/month | 27% savings |
| Start | $74/month | $99/month | 25% savings |
| Grow | $149/month | $199/month | 25% savings |
| Plus | Custom Quote | Custom Quote | Enterprise pricing |
Key Features: Unlimited courses and students across all plans, communities, digital downloads, coaching sessions, no transaction fees, and complete HTML/CSS customization control.
Best Value: The Start Plan offers unlimited core features at mid-tier pricing with excellent scalability. Annual subscriptions save up to 27% with exceptional scalability features.
Kajabi Pricing
Kajabi positions itself as a premium all-in-one platform with higher price points but comprehensive business tools, offering significant annual discounts for serious entrepreneurs.
| Plan | Annual Price | Monthly Price | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kickstarter | $69/month | $89/month | 22% savings |
| Basic | $119/month | $149/month | 20% savings |
| Growth | $159/month | $199/month | 20% savings |
| Pro | $319/month | $399/month | 20% savings |
Key Features: All-in-one business platform with marketing automation, email campaigns, website builder, detailed analytics, and powerful sales funnel creation tools.
Best Value: The Growth Plan offers comprehensive business tools with substantial contact limits and advanced marketing features. Annual billing provides 20-30% savings across all tiers.
Verdict
Thinkific delivers exceptional value at $74 per month, annually, with unlimited courses, students, and no transaction fees, offering the best feature-to-price ratio for growing creators, despite higher entry costs.
For budget-conscious creators, it’s crucial to carefully evaluate the total cost of ownership, including transaction fees and required integrations, when making their platform decisions.
Teachable vs Thinkific vs Kajabi: Which Platform Is Better For Different User Types?
Platform selection should align with your current business stage, technical expertise, and growth objectives for optimal results.
Matching platforms to creator profiles ensure you invest in capabilities that support your specific business model and growth trajectory.
1. Best for Beginners: Thinkific offers essential features for course creation at a more affordable price point, with exceptional ease of use and comprehensive onboarding resources that significantly reduce the learning curve for new creators.
Before committing to any platform, you can explore Teachable capabilities through their 7-day free trial, which provides complete access to premium features.
2. Best for Scaling Creators: Teachable excels with robust marketing features and proven student reach capabilities, offering advanced analytics and engagement tools that support business growth without overwhelming complexity.
3. Best for All-in-One Business: Kajabi offers a broad suite of tools and features, serving as a one-stop solution for all business needs, eliminating the need for multiple software subscriptions, and providing seamless integration across various business functions.
The platform choice ultimately depends on balancing your current needs with future growth plans, ensuring your selected solution can evolve with your business requirements.
Teachable vs Thinkific vs Kajabi Reviews
Real user experiences provide crucial insights into the strengths and weaknesses of each platform. Here’s what actual course creators are saying about their journey with these platforms.
Teachable Reviews
Users consistently praise Teachable affordability and ease of use, particularly for beginners creating their first courses. However, recent pricing changes and customer service issues have sparked significant concern among long-term users.
The mixed reviews highlight a platform in transition. While new users appreciate the straightforward course creation process, established creators express frustration with product limitations and evolving pricing structures that impact their business scalability.
Thinkific Reviews
Thinkific users appreciate the platform’s free plan and complete course-building features. However, billing transparency and customer service responsiveness remain persistent pain points for many subscribers.
These reviews reveal a platform with strong technical capabilities but inconsistent customer experience. Users value the flexibility and features but frequently encounter challenges with subscription management and accessing support.
Kajabi Reviews
Based on comparative mentions in reviews, Kajabi emerges as the premium choice for creators seeking comprehensive business tools. Users migrating from other platforms consistently cite Kajabi’s all-in-one approach and superior customer support.
The feedback positions Kajabi as the platform of choice for serious entrepreneurs willing to invest in a complete business solution, though specific user experiences vary.
Verdict
Reviews consistently show that Teachable suits beginners, while Thinkific offers flexibility with support concerns, and Kajabi provides premium, all-in-one solutions for established creators who prioritize extensive business tools.
Customer Support And Resources Of Teachable, Thinkific, And Kajabi
Support quality and available resources significantly impact your platform experience, especially during critical business moments.
The most significant difference is Kajabi’s 24/7 live chat support, while Teachable offers live chat only on specific pricing tiers.
Support comparison reveals distinct approaches to customer service:
1. Support Response Times: Kajabi leads with 24/7 availability, while Thinkific and Teachable offer business-hours support with varying response times depending on the plan level.
2. Knowledge Base Quality: All platforms maintain thorough documentation, with Thinkific offering exceptionally detailed step-by-step guides for beginners and technical users.
Additionally, you can find real examples of successful Teachable courses to inspire your own course creation journey.
3. Community Forums: All platforms feature user communities and wide knowledge bases, along with customer training programs that include weekly webinars, fostering peer-to-peer learning and problem-solving.
4. Training Resources: Each platform offers onboarding processes, with Kajabi providing the most comprehensive business training, extending beyond just platform usage.
Quality customer support becomes essential when technical issues arise during course launches or enrollment periods, making platform choice a critical factor.
Verdict: Kajabi excels with 24/7 live chat support and comprehensive business training, while Thinkific offers superior documentation. Teachable provides adequate support but limits live chat to higher-tier plans, making support accessibility plan-dependent.
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Conclusion: Kajabi Is The Better Platform Than Teachable And Thinkific!
Kajabi wins as the best all-in-one platform for serious entrepreneurs who need complete business automation. Thinkific remains the smart choice for budget-conscious beginners prioritizing affordability, while Teachable serves to scale creators needing strong marketing capabilities.
The key is matching your current stage with future growth plans. Don’t choose based on price alone; invest in the platform supporting your long-term vision.
Start with free trials from all three platforms to test their course creation tools and student experience before committing. Make the choice that boosts your success.
FAQs
All three platforms support course exports; however, some formatting and interactive elements may need to be recreated during the migration process.
Teachable and Thinkific provide white-labeling on higher-tier plans, while Kajabi includes white-label options across all subscription levels.
Kajabi offers superior 24/7 live chat support, whereas Teachable and Thinkific provide quality email support and limited live chat support.
These three platforms offer more comprehensive marketing tools than Podia, while providing a more straightforward setup than WordPress-based LearnDash solutions.
Consider transaction fees on basic plans, third-party integration costs, and premium template expenses when calculating total platform investment.
