Kajabi vs Thinkific: | Podcastbricks

Kajabi is an all-in-one platform designed to streamline every aspect of running an online business. Beyond course creation, Kajabi offers tools for website building, email marketing, sales funnels, and community management, making it a comprehensive solution for creators who want to manage everything under one roof. Launched in 2010, Kajabi has grown to serve over 40,000 entrepreneurs, generating billions in sales across 160 countries. Its focus on marketing and business automation makes it particularly appealing to creators aiming to scale their operations.

Thinkific, founded in 2012, is a dedicated Learning Management System (LMS) focused primarily on course creation and delivery. With over 50,000 creators and 100 million courses sold, Thinkific is known for its user-friendly interface, affordability, and robust course-building tools. While it offers some marketing and sales features, Thinkific’s core strength lies in providing an intuitive platform for educators who prioritize content creation and student engagement over extensive marketing integrations.

Both platforms are cloud-based, requiring no technical expertise, and they support a wide range of content types, including videos, quizzes, and downloadable resources. However, their approaches differ significantly, making a side-by-side comparison essential.

Feature Comparison

Course Creation and Delivery

Both Kajabi and Thinkific excel in course creation, offering drag-and-drop builders that simplify the process of structuring and uploading content.

Kajabi: Kajabi’s course builder is intuitive, with templates for mini-courses, full courses, memberships, and coaching programs. Creators can organize content into modules with videos, audio, text, and assessments. Kajabi’s native live session feature allows for real-time interaction without third-party tools like Zoom, a unique advantage. The platform also supports drip content, evergreen courses, and customizable branding, ensuring a professional look. However, Kajabi’s course creation tools are slightly less flexible than Thinkific’s, particularly for complex curriculums with multiple layers of organization.
Thinkific: Thinkific’s course builder is designed specifically for educators, offering a streamlined experience with advanced features like AI-powered course outline and quiz generators. Creators can structure courses with chapters, lessons, and diverse content types, including videos, quizzes, surveys, and assignments. Thinkific supports bulk uploads, a video library for reusing content, and completion certificates, making it ideal for structured learning experiences. Its ability to add intermission and progress pages between lessons enhances student engagement and course completion rates, a feature Kajabi lacks.

Verdict: Thinkific edges out Kajabi for course creation due to its flexibility, AI tools, and focus on student engagement. Kajabi is better suited for creators who need integrated live session capabilities.

Website and Page Building

A professional website and landing pages are critical for attracting and converting students.

Kajabi: Kajabi’s website builder is a standout, offering customizable themes, unlimited hosting, and a blogging module. Its drag-and-drop page builder, with a variety of widgets and blocks, allows for highly flexible designs. Kajabi’s Premier theme includes six preset styles, making it easy to create a cohesive brand presence. Creators can build entire websites, not just course pages, making Kajabi a one-stop shop for online businesses.
Thinkific: Thinkific’s website builder is simpler, primarily designed for sales pages and checkout processes rather than full websites. Its drag-and-drop editor is user-friendly but less flexible than Kajabi’s, with fewer customization options. Thinkific supports custom domains and branding, but creators often rely on third-party tools like WordPress for comprehensive website needs.

Verdict: Kajabi wins for website building due to its robust, flexible tools and ability to replace standalone website platforms.

Marketing and Sales Tools

Marketing is crucial for course success, and both platforms offer tools to attract and convert students.

Kajabi: Kajabi’s marketing suite is a major differentiator, featuring built-in email marketing, sales funnels (pipelines), and automation tools. Creators can segment subscribers, create targeted email campaigns, and track user behavior to optimize conversions. Kajabi’s funnel templates simplify the process of building sales pipelines, and integrations with tools like ConvertKit and HubSpot enhance its capabilities. The platform also supports webinars and affiliate marketing, making it ideal for creators focused on scaling their audience.
Thinkific: Thinkific’s marketing tools are more basic, focusing on course-specific promotions. It offers features like digital downloads, affiliate marketing, and integrated payment gateways, but lacks native email marketing or advanced funnel-building capabilities. Creators often need third-party tools like Mailchimp for email campaigns. Thinkific’s strength lies in its sales flexibility, such as tiered pricing and gated content, but it doesn’t match Kajabi’s comprehensive marketing suite.

Verdict: Kajabi is the clear winner for marketing, offering a robust, all-in-one solution that minimizes the need for external tools.

Community and Engagement Features

Engaging students beyond course content is increasingly important for retention and community building.

Kajabi: Kajabi includes built-in community tools like discussion boards, live events, and group challenges, fostering interaction among students. Its mobile app allows creators to connect with their community on the go, a feature Thinkific lacks. However, Kajabi’s community features are less advanced than dedicated platforms like Mighty Networks.
Thinkific: Thinkific offers basic community features, such as discussion forums and quizzes, but its focus is on course delivery rather than community building. Creators can integrate with third-party tools to enhance engagement, but this adds complexity. Thinkific’s branded mobile app (available on higher-tier plans) supports student interaction, but it’s not as robust as Kajabi’s.

Verdict: Kajabi leads for community features due to its built-in tools and mobile app, though both platforms may require integrations for advanced community needs.

Analytics and Reporting

Understanding student behavior and course performance is essential for optimization.

Kajabi: Kajabi provides detailed analytics, including course progress, revenue tracking, and marketing campaign performance. Its Sales Dashboard offers insights into customer behavior, helping creators refine their strategies.
Thinkific: Thinkific’s analytics are equally robust, focusing on student engagement, course completion rates, and revenue. Its detailed reporting tools help creators identify knowledge gaps and improve course content.

Verdict: Both platforms offer strong analytics, making this a tie. The choice depends on whether you prioritize marketing insights (Kajabi) or student engagement metrics (Thinkific).

Pricing and Value

Pricing is a critical factor for many creators, especially those just starting out.

Kajabi Pricing

Kajabi’s plans are premium, reflecting its all-in-one approach:

Kickstarter: $69/month (50 landing pages, 1 product, 250 contacts, 50 customers)
Basic: $149/month (unlimited landing pages, 3 products, 10,000 contacts, 1,000 customers)
Growth: $199/month (unlimited landing pages, 15 products, 25,000 contacts, 10,000 customers)
Pro: $399/month (unlimited landing pages, 100 products, 100,000 contacts, 20,000 customers)

Kajabi offers a 14-day free trial (extendable to 30 days via some affiliate links) but no free plan. Its higher cost includes marketing tools that might otherwise require separate subscriptions, potentially offsetting the expense for creators who need these features.

Thinkific Pricing

Thinkific is more affordable, with a free plan and flexible paid tiers:

Free: Limited to 3 courses, no transaction fees
Basic: $49/month (unlimited courses, basic features)
Start: $99/month (advanced engagement tools)
Grow: $199/month (full feature set, ideal for scaling)

Thinkific offers a 30-day free trial for paid plans and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Its free plan is a major draw for beginners, though it lacks advanced features.

Verdict: Thinkific is the budget-friendly option, especially for new creators. Kajabi’s higher price is justified for those who leverage its marketing and automation tools.

Usability and Learning Curve

Ease of use is critical, especially for creators without technical expertise.

Kajabi: Kajabi’s interface is sleek and modern, with a slight learning curve due to its extensive features. The platform mitigates this with a smart search bar, comprehensive help articles, and Kajabi University, a resource center for creators. Its drag-and-drop builders for courses and websites are intuitive, but mastering the marketing tools may take time.
Thinkific: Thinkific’s interface is exceptionally user-friendly, designed with beginners in mind. Its course builder is straightforward, and onboarding is excellent, with guided tutorials and a clean dashboard. While it offers fewer features than Kajabi, this simplicity reduces the learning curve.

Verdict: Thinkific wins for usability, particularly for new creators. Kajabi’s interface is intuitive but requires more time to fully utilize its advanced features.

Customer Support

Reliable support is essential for resolving issues quickly.

Kajabi: Kajabi offers 24/7 live chat support across all plans, a major advantage for urgent matters. It also provides a comprehensive knowledge base, free courses, and a highly engaged Facebook community for peer support.
Thinkific: Thinkific’s support is robust but varies by plan. Live chat is available during US business hours for paid plans, and email support is responsive. Like Kajabi, Thinkific offers a knowledge base, free training, and a Facebook community, but the lack of 24/7 live chat is a drawback.

Verdict: Kajabi takes the lead for its round-the-clock support, though Thinkific’s resources are sufficient for most users.

Scalability and Integrations

As your business grows, scalability and integrations become critical.

Kajabi: Kajabi’s all-in-one design minimizes the need for integrations, but it supports tools like Zapier, ConvertKit, and HubSpot. Its higher-tier plans accommodate larger audiences and more products, making it ideal for scaling businesses.
Thinkific: Thinkific integrates with over 90 tools, including WooCommerce, Mailchimp, and Zoom, offering flexibility for creators who prefer a modular approach. Its unlimited courses and students across paid plans ensure scalability, though marketing limitations may require additional tools.

Verdict: Kajabi is better for creators who want an all-in-one solution, while Thinkific suits those comfortable with third-party integrations.

Who Should Choose Kajabi?

Kajabi is ideal for:

Entrepreneurs and infopreneurs who want a comprehensive platform for courses, marketing, and website management.
Creators focused on marketing, leveraging email campaigns, funnels, and automation to scale their audience.
Businesses with larger budgets, willing to invest in premium features to streamline operations.
Community-driven creators, needing built-in tools for engagement and mobile app access.

Who Should Choose Thinkific?

Thinkific is best for:

Educators and course-focused creators, prioritizing high-quality course delivery and student engagement.
Beginners or budget-conscious creators, benefiting from the free plan and affordable pricing.
Creators comfortable with third-party tools, willing to integrate marketing and community solutions.
Businesses needing scalable course creation, with unlimited courses and students on paid plans.

Final Thoughts

Choosing between Kajabi and Thinkific depends on your priorities, budget, and business goals. Kajabi is the go-to choice for creators who want an all-in-one platform with powerful marketing tools, a robust website builder, and community features. Its higher price is justified for those who leverage its full suite to replace multiple subscriptions. Thinkific, on the other hand, excels as a cost-effective, user-friendly LMS focused on course creation and delivery, making it ideal for educators and beginners who don’t need extensive marketing capabilities.

Both platforms offer free trials, so testing them firsthand is the best way to determine which aligns with your needs. If you’re focused on building a marketing-driven online business, Kajabi is likely the better fit. If your priority is creating engaging, high-quality courses on a budget, Thinkific is the way to go.