Table of Contents
Introduction
“Thinkific vs Kajabi” I wish I knew all this earlier. Did you know that course creators who use premium platforms like Kajabi and Thinkific earn an average of 3.5x more than those using budget solutions? That statistic blew my mind when I first came across it, and it perfectly illustrates why choosing the right platform is such a crucial decision!
It was quite the journey figuring out which one delivered the best return on investment. There were moments when I questioned whether the premium pricing was worth it (spoiler alert: it was, but not for everyone!).
Making the wrong choice here isn’t just about wasting money. It’s about potentially limiting your business growth, spending countless hours wrestling with platform limitations, and possibly even having to migrate your entire course catalog down the road (trust me, it’s not fun!).
In this comprehensive comparison, I’ll walk you through everything you need to consider when choosing between Kajabi and Thinkific in 2025. We’ll look beyond just the feature lists to examine the real ROI each platform can deliver, based on your specific business model, goals, and teaching style. Let’s dive in!
Kajabi vs Thinkific: At a Glance Comparison
Before we get into the nitty-gritty details, let’s start with a high-level comparison to set the stage.
Platform Origins and Philosophy
Kajabi launched in 2010 with a vision of creating an all-in-one platform that handles every aspect of an online knowledge business. In contrast, Thinkific came onto the scene in 2012 with a more focused approach, emphasizing course creation excellence first, with expansion into other areas over time.
The philosophical difference is significant—Kajabi aims to be your entire business infrastructure, while Thinkific focuses on being the best course platform with the ability to integrate with your existing tools.
Core Audience and Typical Users
In my experience working with a number of course creators, I’ve noticed Kajabi tends to attract established businesses and creators who value having everything under one roof, even if it means a higher investment. Their typical user is often a course creator looking to scale beyond $10K/month with sophisticated marketing.
Thinkific, meanwhile, appeals to a broader range of course creators, from beginners to enterprises, with its more flexible pricing structure and focus on the learning experience. Their sweet spot seems to be educators who care deeply about pedagogy and learning outcomes, with marketing as a secondary consideration.
Pricing Starting Points
The elephant in the room is always pricing, right? Kajabi’s plans start at $119/month when paid annually ($149 monthly), which represents a significant investment for new creators. Thinkific’s pricing begins much lower at $39/month annually ($49 monthly).
Note: This price gap is substantial, but I prefer their grow and growth plans which don’t have much differences, but as we’ll explore throughout this article, comparing just the sticker price misses much of the value equation.
Market Position
As of 2025, Thinkific reports over 50,000 active course creators on their platform, while Kajabi claims over 40,000. Both have processed billions in course sales, but Kajabi generally reports higher average revenue per creator—likely due to their focus on the higher-end market and more comprehensive marketing tools.
The key difference I typically tell my consulting clients is this: Kajabi is a business platform that includes courses, while Thinkific is a course platform that can connect to business tools.
Comprehensive Feature Comparison
These platforms are the best in the market right now so we need a detailed comparison to evaluate further
Course Creation and Content Management
Both platforms excel at core course creation, but they approach it differently.
Thinkific‘s course builder is more intuitive for beginners. The first time I used it, I had a basic course framework up within an hour, with no technical headaches. Their drag-and-drop system makes reorganizing content a breeze, and the bulk upload feature saved me hours when importing content.
Kajabi’s course area (they call them “Products”) feels more sophisticated but has a steeper learning curve. I spent nearly a full day getting comfortable with their product blueprints and content organization. The trade-off is greater flexibility in how you structure your content—something I’ve come to appreciate for more complex course offerings.
Content Delivery Options
Both platforms support video, audio, PDF, quizzes, and text lessons, but Thinkific edges ahead with more assessment options including assignments, surveys, and better quiz functionality. I’ve found this particularly valuable for certification-style courses where verifying comprehension is critical.
Kajabi counters with superior automation capabilities. I love how you can trigger specific actions based on student behavior, like unlocking bonus content when someone completes a specific lesson, or sending a congratulatory email after finishing a module.
Marketing and Sales Tools
This is where the platforms diverge most dramatically.
Email Marketing
Kajabi includes a robust email marketing system that has actually allowed me to cancel my separate email provider, saving $70/month. It supports visual email builders, segmentation based on course activity, and automation sequences that rival dedicated email platforms.
Thinkific, by comparison, offers basic email notifications but requires integration with a third-party email service (like AWeber or ActiveCampaign) for any serious email marketing. While the integration works smoothly, it’s an extra expense and another platform to manage.
Sales Funnels and Pipelines
Here’s where I’ve seen the biggest ROI difference. Kajabi’s pipeline system is a game-changer if you use sophisticated marketing funnels. I was able to build a complete webinar registration > attendance > offer sequence within the platform, complete with conditional logic and upsells.
Thinkific, while continually improving their marketing features, still relies a little on third-party integrations for complex sales funnels. For simple course sales, their checkout process works beautifully, but for anything requiring multiple steps or conditional logic, you’ll need additional tools.
Website and Landing Page Capabilities
Site Builders
Both platforms allow you to build your entire website, not just course-related pages.
Thinkific’s site builder is more straightforward, with drag-and-drop functionality that feels similar to basic website builders like Wix. I found I could create clean, professional pages without any design background. Their template selection has improved substantially in recent years, though customization options still have some limitations.
Kajabi’s site builder offers more advanced capabilities and better design flexibility. For my coaching program’s website, Kajabi allowed me to create a more branded, unique design—though it did take longer to master. Their newer “Pages” feature rivals dedicated landing page builders in functionality.
Blog Functionality
If content marketing is part of your strategy, Kajabi’s native blogging platform might be valuable. I’ve used it to publish SEO-focused articles that drive traffic directly to my course sales pages, all within the same platform and domain—a nice advantage for search rankings.
Thinkific lacks native blogging capability, which means you’ll need to use WordPress or another platform for your blog, then connect it to your Thinkific site. Not a dealbreaker, It can be good for some creators, but it creates a slightly disjointed experience and requires maintaining multiple platforms for those who are not blogging already.
Pricing Breakdown: Understanding the True Cost
This is where things get interesting—and where many creators make costly mistakes by not looking beyond the sticker price.
Published Pricing Plans
Kajabi’s three-tier structure:
- Kickstarter: $71/month (annual or $89/month) – Newly Introduced
- Basic: $119/month (annual) or $149/month
- Growth: $159/month (annual) or $199/month
- Pro: $319/month (annual) or $399/month
Thinkific‘s four-tier structure:
- Basic: $39/month (annual) or $49/month
- Start: $79/month (annual) or $99/month
- Grow: $149/month (annual) or $199/month
- Thinkific+: Custom pricing for high-volume needs
Looking at just these numbers, Thinkific appears significantly more affordable. But that’s not the complete picture…
Hidden Costs and Additional Expenses
Here’s where my experience reveals the less obvious costs.
With Thinkific, I found myself paying for several additional tools, Suddenly, my “affordable” Thinkific setup was costing me a little more.
With Kajabi, most of these features are included, meaning the higher sticker price often results in lower total costs. Of course, if you already have and love these separate tools, the calculation changes.
Transaction Fees and Payment Processing
Payment processor fees apply as:
- Stripe/PayPal typically charge 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction on both platforms
- Kajabi offers Kajabi Payments (powered by Stripe) with slightly better analytics
- Thinkific recently added TCommerce with similar capabilities
These costs are identical for both platforms, so they don’t impact the comparison significantly.
Ease of Use and Learning Curve
Interface and Design
Kajabi’s interface is more sophisticated and offers greater power, but at the cost of a steeper learning curve. It took me about a week of consistent use to feel comfortable navigating all areas of the platform. Their unique terminology (calling courses “Products” and funnels “Pipelines”) adds to the initial confusion.
Setup and Onboarding Experience
Both platforms offer guided onboarding, but they take different approaches:
Thinkific‘s onboarding feels like a friendly tour guide, showing you the basics and letting you explore at your pace. They focus on getting your first course published quickly, which builds confidence.
Kajabi’s onboarding is more comprehensive and business-focused. They guide you through not just course creation, but setting up your entire sales process. It’s more time-intensive initially, but potentially time-saving long-term if you use all their features.
Customer Support Experience
In my experience, both platforms offer excellent support, but with different strengths:
Thinkific‘s support team excels at helping with course-specific questions and tends to respond quickly to basic issues. Their help articles are clear and well-organized for self-service.
Kajabi’s support goes deeper on marketing and business strategy questions. Their live chat has saved me countless hours by helping solve complex automation and pipeline issues that would have taken me days to figure out alone.
Affiliate Program Management
Both platforms offer built-in affiliate management, but with different capabilities:
Kajabi’s affiliate system tracks affiliate performance, makes automatic commission payments, and provides affiliates with their own dashboard. However, it lacks some advanced features like multi-tier commissions.
Thinkific‘s affiliate features are solid but basic. For advanced affiliate management, you might need a third-party solution, adding to costs and complexity.
Student Experience and Engagement Features
The student experience ultimately determines course completion rates, satisfaction, and referrals, so these features directly impact long-term ROI.
Course Player and Content Delivery
Thinkific‘s course player feels more education-focused, with excellent progress tracking, clean navigation, and a distraction-free learning environment. Their recently redesigned player is among the best I’ve seen for keeping students focused on learning rather than getting lost in navigation.
Kajabi’s course player is highly customizable and works well, but sometimes feels like it prioritizes marketing over pure learning experience. That said, their community integration within the course player creates a more cohesive social learning environment.
Community Building Capabilities
Kajabi’s Community feature is directly integrated with their courses, creating a seamless experience for students moving between learning content and discussion. This integration has noticeably improved engagement in my programs.
Thinkific has recently added their own Communities feature, which works. Before this addition, most Thinkific users relied on Facebook groups or other external platforms for community.
Mobile Learning Experience
Both platforms offer good mobile web experiences, but Kajabi has an edge with their native mobile app. My students frequently mention how convenient it is to watch course videos and participate in discussions through the app, especially for on-the-go learning.
Thinkific’s mobile web version is responsive and well-designed, but the lack of a native app creates some limitations around offline viewing and push notifications.
Who Should Choose Kajabi?
Based on my experience with both platforms, Kajabi is the better investment for:
Business Models That Benefit Most
- Course creators selling premium programs ($500+)
- Businesses offering membership subscriptions alongside courses
- Coaches combining 1:1 services with digital products
- Creators with multiple products and complex marketing
- Businesses with email marketing as a core strategy
Technical Skill Considerations
While Kajabi has a steeper learning curve, you don’t need significant technical skills to use it effectively. The ideal Kajabi user:
- Is willing to invest several days in learning the platform
- Values having everything in one system
- Prefers not to manage multiple tools and integrations
- Has some basic marketing knowledge or willingness to learn
Budget Alignment
Kajabi makes financial sense when:
- Your business generates at least $3,000/month in course sales
- You’re currently paying for multiple marketing tools that Kajabi could replace
- You value time savings from having an integrated system
- Your offer price point is high enough to absorb the platform cost
Success Story
One of my clients (she told me not to mention her name) switched from Thinkific to Kajabi for her $997 nutrition course. Despite the higher platform cost, her annual revenue increased by $47,000 because Kajabi’s email sequences and sales pipelines allowed her to implement more sophisticated marketing that dramatically improved conversion rates and reduced cart abandonment.
Who Should Choose Thinkific?
Thinkific tends to be a better investment for:
Business Models That Benefit Most
- First-time course creators testing new concepts
- Educators focused primarily on learning outcomes
- Businesses with established marketing tools they love
- Content creators with lower-priced courses (under $500)
- Creators who prefer simplicity over marketing sophistication
I recommend Thinkific to most of my clients who are launching their first course, as it lets them focus on content creation without being overwhelmed by marketing features they’re not ready to use.
Technical Skill Considerations
Thinkific is more accessible for:
- Creators with limited technical confidence
- Those who want a quick launch with minimal learning curve
- People who prefer intuitive interfaces over maximum flexibility
- Educators who prioritize teaching over marketing
Budget Alignment
Thinkific makes financial sense when:
- You’re just starting out and revenue is unpredictable
- You already use and love specific marketing tools
- Your business doesn’t need complex marketing automation
- You want to minimize upfront costs while testing course ideas
Migration Considerations: Moving Between Platforms
If you’re already established on one platform, the migration question becomes crucial. Here’s what to know:
When Migration Makes Sense
Based on my experience helping clients with platform migrations, it’s generally worth the effort when:
- Your current platform is limiting business growth
- You’re spending too much time working around limitations
- The cost savings or revenue increase will recoup migration expenses within 6 months
- Your course catalog is relatively small (under 5 courses)
ROI Calculation: Getting Your Money’s Worth
Here’s a practical framework I use with clients to calculate the true ROI of each platform:
Step 1: Calculate Total Platform Costs
For Kajabi:
- Platform subscription: $1,428-$3,828/year depending on plan
- Payment processing: ~3% of revenue
- Additional tools needed: Usually minimal
For Thinkific:
- Platform subscription: $468-$1,788/year depending on plan
- Payment processing: ~3% of revenue
- Additional tools needed: Often $900-$2000/year for email, landing pages, etc.
Step 2: Estimate Revenue Factors
Consider how each platform might impact:
- Conversion rates on sales pages (Kajabi typically 15-30% higher in my experience)
- Average transaction value (upsells and order bumps)
- Completion rates (impacts referrals and testimonials)
- Email marketing effectiveness
- Launch frequency and complexity
Step 3: Calculate Time Investment
I track hours spent on platform management:
- Kajabi typically saves 5-10 hours weekly for businesses using multiple marketing features
- Thinkific generally requires less time for course management but more time coordinating between different marketing tools
Step 4: Project Long-Term Scaling Costs
As your student base grows:
- How do platform costs scale?
- Will you need more expensive plans?
- Do transaction fees become significant?
Future-Proofing Your Business: Platform Development and Roadmaps
Development Pace and Innovation
Both companies regularly release new features, but with different focus areas:
Kajabi tends to innovate more rapidly in marketing and sales features. Over the past year, they’ve released significant updates to their email platform, checkout experience, and analytics. Their development seems guided by increasing conversion rates and simplifying marketing.
Thinkific has focused more on improving the learning experience, with major updates to their course player, assessment options, and community features. Their development priorities clearly center on creating better educational experiences.
Third-Party Ecosystem
Thinkific has a more extensive third-party app ecosystem, with many specialized integrations and add-ons. This approach provides flexibility but can create a more fragmented experience.
Kajabi focuses on building features directly into their core platform, resulting in fewer third-party options but a more cohesive experience. Their approach reduces integration headaches but may limit specialized functionality.
Long-Term Viability
Both companies are well-funded and established:
- Kajabi received $550 million in growth funding in 2021
- Thinkific went public on the Toronto Stock Exchange in 2021
- Both have large, active user communities
- Neither shows signs of slowing development or innovation
From a future-proofing perspective, both platforms appear to be safe long-term bets, though their development priorities will likely continue to reflect their different philosophies—Kajabi as a business platform, Thinkific as an education platform.
Conclusion
After using both platforms and helping hundreds of course creators make this decision, I’ve found that the “best” choice truly depends on your specific needs and business model.
Kajabi delivers superior ROI for established creators who:
- Sell premium-priced courses or memberships
- Need sophisticated marketing automation
- Want an all-in-one business solution
- Value time savings over minimizing upfront costs
- Are ready to invest in a platform that grows with their business
Thinkific provides better value for creators who:
- Are just starting their course business
- Focus primarily on educational excellence
- Prefer simplified course creation over marketing bells and whistles
- Already use and love specific marketing tools
- Want to minimize costs while testing course concepts
Spend time building a sample course, setting up key marketing elements, Remember that the platform itself is just a tool—your course content, teaching style, and marketing strategy matter far more to your ultimate success. Choose the platform that lets you focus your energy on what you do best, whether that’s creating amazing educational experiences or building sophisticated marketing systems to reach more students.
You can also check Other Course Builders Ranked by me.
What’s your experience been with either platform? Have questions about specific features or use cases? Share in the comments—I’d love to continue the conversation and help you make the right choice for your unique situation!
