Kajabi vs. Teachable | Podcastbricks

Kajabi markets itself as an all-in-one platform for creators who want to run their entire online business from a single hub. Founded in 2010, Kajabi has evolved into a comprehensive solution that combines course creation, website building, email marketing, sales funnels, and community management. It’s designed for creators who want a seamless, integrated experience without relying on multiple third-party tools. Kajabi’s robust feature set makes it ideal for established businesses or those planning to scale, though its premium pricing reflects its extensive capabilities.

Teachable, launched in 2014, focuses primarily on course creation and delivery. It’s known for its user-friendly interface and affordability, making it a popular choice for beginners and creators who want to focus on teaching rather than managing a complex business ecosystem. While Teachable has expanded its offerings to include coaching, digital downloads, and basic marketing tools, its core strength lies in providing a straightforward platform for hosting and selling courses. Teachable’s flexibility and lower price point appeal to those just starting out or with niche offerings.

Course Creation and Content Management

Kajabi’s Course Creation

Kajabi offers a robust course builder that’s both visual and intuitive. You can organize your content into modules, lessons, and submodules, allowing for a structured learning experience. Kajabi supports various content types, including videos, audio files, PDFs, quizzes, and text, with unlimited video hosting powered by Wistia for high-quality streaming. The platform’s drag-and-drop interface simplifies content organization, and its AI-powered Creator Studio can help draft course outlines or repurpose content for marketing.

One standout feature is Kajabi’s drip content functionality, which lets you release lessons based on a schedule or student progress. This is great for keeping students engaged over time. However, Kajabi limits lessons to one primary media type per lesson (e.g., video or audio), which can result in more lessons if you want to mix formats. You can add supplementary materials like checklists or worksheets, but the structure is less flexible than some competitors.

Teachable’s Course Creation

Teachable’s course builder is equally user-friendly, with a step-by-step process that guides you through setting up your course. Like Kajabi, it supports videos, audio, PDFs, text, and quizzes, with unlimited video hosting via Wistia. What sets Teachable apart is its flexible lesson editor, which uses a block-based system. This allows you to mix multiple content types (e.g., video, text, and quizzes) within a single lesson, offering more creative freedom than Kajabi’s more rigid structure.

Teachable also supports drip content and bulk uploading, automatically creating lessons from multiple files. Its AI tools, including integration with Unsplash for visuals and text generation for summaries or quizzes, add efficiency to course creation. However, Teachable doesn’t offer submodules, which can make organizing complex courses less granular compared to Kajabi.

Verdict: Teachable wins for flexibility in lesson design, while Kajabi excels in organizing content-heavy courses with its submodule feature. Choose Kajabi if you prioritize structure, or Teachable if you want to mix content types freely.

Marketing and Sales Tools

Kajabi’s Marketing Suite

Kajabi’s biggest differentiator is its all-in-one marketing capabilities. It includes a built-in email marketing system, allowing you to send broadcasts, create automated sequences, and segment your audience without external tools like Mailchimp or ConvertKit. Kajabi’s visual funnel builder, called Pipelines, lets you design landing pages, opt-in forms, and sales funnels to guide prospects from discovery to purchase. This integration ensures all your marketing efforts—email, funnels, and courses—work seamlessly together.

Kajabi also supports webinars, blogging, and affiliate marketing, making it a powerhouse for creators who want to scale their audience. Its automation engine lets you set triggers and actions (e.g., tagging a user after a purchase), reducing manual work and saving on tools like Zapier. For creators focused on branding, Kajabi’s white-labeling options remove platform branding entirely, enhancing professionalism.

Teachable’s Marketing Tools

Teachable’s marketing features are more limited. It doesn’t offer native email marketing or funnel building, so you’ll likely need third-party tools for these functions. However, Teachable supports basic sales pages, checkout pages, and thank-you pages, which are automatically generated and linked when you create a course. You can also offer upsells or bundles within lessons, adding revenue opportunities.

Teachable integrates with tools like Mailchimp, ConvertKit, and Zapier, but this can increase costs and complexity compared to Kajabi’s all-in-one approach. On the plus side, Teachable’s affiliate program is straightforward, letting students or partners promote your courses for a commission. Its focus remains on course delivery rather than comprehensive marketing.

Verdict: Kajabi dominates for marketing, offering a complete suite that eliminates the need for external tools. Teachable is better for creators who already have marketing systems in place or prefer simpler sales features.

Pricing and Value

Kajabi Pricing

Kajabi’s pricing reflects its premium positioning:

Basic: $149/month (3 products, 3 funnels, 1,000 active members)
Growth: $199/month (15 products, 15 funnels, 10,000 active members)
Pro: $399/month (100 products, 100 funnels, 20,000 active members)

Kajabi offers a 30-day free trial but no free plan. The product limits (e.g., courses, coaching, or memberships) can feel restrictive, especially on the Basic plan, and the higher cost may deter beginners. However, the inclusion of marketing tools, analytics, and customization often justifies the price for established creators.

Teachable Pricing

Teachable is more budget-friendly:

Free: $0/month ($1 + 10% transaction fee per sale, 1 product)
Basic: $59/month (5% transaction fee, 5 products)
Pro: $159/month (no transaction fees, 50 products)
Pro+: $249/month (no transaction fees, unlimited products)

Teachable’s free plan is appealing for testing, though transaction fees add up. The Basic plan’s transaction fees and product limits may push growing creators to higher tiers. Teachable’s unlimited course creation on paid plans is a major advantage over Kajabi’s product caps.

Verdict: Teachable is more affordable and beginner-friendly, especially with its free plan. Kajabi’s higher price is warranted for those leveraging its marketing and automation features, but it’s less accessible for new creators.

Customization and Branding

Kajabi’s Customization

Kajabi’s website and page builder is highly flexible, offering a library of customizable themes and a drag-and-drop editor. You can create a full website, landing pages, or a blog, all tailored to your brand. Kajabi supports complete white-labeling, removing any platform branding from your site, checkout, or login pages. Its mobile apps (iOS and Android) are feature-rich, supporting in-app purchases and notifications, enhancing the student experience.

Kajabi’s course player is sleek, with templates that prioritize usability and aesthetics. You can tweak colors, logos, and layouts to match your brand, though advanced customization may require CSS knowledge for some elements.

Teachable’s Customization

Teachable’s website builder is simpler, with fewer pre-built templates and customization options. Its default template is functional but less polished than Kajabi’s, and the platform doesn’t fully remove its branding (e.g., “Powered by Teachable” appears on some pages unless you upgrade). Teachable’s course player is clean and professional, with basic customization for colors and logos.

Teachable offers an iOS-only app, which is less robust than Kajabi’s mobile offerings. For creators prioritizing a unique, branded experience, Teachable’s limitations in design flexibility can feel restrictive.

Verdict: Kajabi wins for customization and branding, offering more templates, white-labeling, and mobile app support. Teachable is sufficient for basic branding but lacks Kajabi’s polish.

Analytics and Student Engagement

Kajabi’s Analytics

Kajabi’s analytics are comprehensive, tracking student progress, revenue, and engagement metrics. You can monitor how students interact with your content, including lesson completion rates and video watch times, for up to 1,000 students per course. Kajabi’s dashboard also provides insights into sales, opt-ins, and funnel performance, helping you optimize your marketing efforts. Its gamification features, like badges for course milestones, boost engagement.

Teachable’s Analytics

Teachable offers strong analytics focused on course performance. You can track student progress, quiz results, and completion rates, with detailed reports on engagement. Teachable’s native certificate creation and course compliance options (e.g., mandatory lesson completion) are advantages over Kajabi, which lacks these features. However, Teachable’s analytics don’t extend to marketing or funnel performance, limiting its scope compared to Kajabi.

Verdict: Teachable edges out for course-specific analytics and compliance features, while Kajabi is better for holistic business insights, including marketing data.

Community and Interaction

Kajabi’s Community Features

Kajabi’s community tools are robust, allowing you to create forums, host live sessions, and run challenges or events. Features like Kajabi Live enable direct interaction without external tools like Zoom. Gamification elements, such as leaderboards, foster engagement, making Kajabi ideal for creators building membership sites or communities alongside courses.

Teachable’s Community Features

Teachable introduced community features in 2024, but they’re less developed. You can enable discussion threads and file uploads in course comments, but it lacks Kajabi’s live session capabilities or gamification. For deeper community integration, Teachable relies on third-party tools like Circle, which adds cost and complexity.

Verdict: Kajabi is far superior for community building, offering native tools that Teachable can’t match without integrations.

Customer Support and Scalability

Kajabi’s Support

Kajabi provides 24/7 chat support on higher plans, with email and help center resources available. Its active user community and extensive tutorials help creators troubleshoot issues. Kajabi’s all-in-one nature makes it highly scalable, supporting businesses as they grow without needing multiple tools.

Teachable’s Support

Teachable offers email and live chat support on paid plans, with a detailed help center and community forums. Its simplicity makes it easy to use for beginners, but its reliance on integrations for marketing or community features can hinder scalability compared to Kajabi.

Verdict: Kajabi offers better support and scalability for growing businesses, while Teachable is adequate for smaller operations.

Who Should Choose Kajabi?

Kajabi is the better choice if:

You want an all-in-one platform with integrated marketing, funnels, and email tools.
You’re scaling a course business and need advanced customization and analytics.
Community building or membership sites are part of your offering.
You can afford the higher price for a premium, white-labeled experience.

Who Should Choose Teachable?

Teachable is ideal if:

You’re a beginner or on a tight budget, especially with its free plan.
Your focus is on course creation and delivery, not complex marketing.
You prefer flexibility in lesson design and don’t need submodules.
You already use external marketing or community tools and want a cost-effective course platform.

Final Thoughts

Both Kajabi and Teachable are excellent platforms, but they serve different needs. Kajabi’s all-in-one approach, with its powerful marketing tools, customization, and community features, makes it the go-to for creators building a scalable online business. Its higher price reflects its value for those who leverage its full suite. Teachable, with its affordability and flexible course builder, is perfect for beginners or niche creators who prioritize simplicity and don’t need extensive marketing tools.