New Kajabi vs ClickFunnels (2025): Which is Best for Your Business?

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By Amelia
23 Min Read

New Kajabi vs ClickFunnels (2025): Which is Best for Your Business?

Choosing the right online platform can feel like the difference between launching a successful business and struggling to get off the ground. The debate over new kajabi vs clickfunnels is a common one for entrepreneurs, course creators, and marketers because both are powerful tools, but they solve fundamentally different problems. One is an all-in-one business hub designed to house your entire digital empire, while the other is a specialized conversion machine built to maximize sales.

This guide breaks down the essential differences, features, and pricing in this detailed Kajabi vs ClickFunnels comparison. We'll help you move past the hype and decide which platform truly aligns with your business goals, whether you're selling a course, a physical product, or a high-ticket coaching program. By the end, you'll have a clear answer on which one deserves your investment.

Quick Summary

  • Choose Kajabi if: You're a knowledge entrepreneur who wants an all-in-one platform to create, market, and sell digital products like online courses, memberships, and coaching programs without needing multiple other tools.
  • Choose ClickFunnels if: Your primary goal is to generate leads and drive sales for any type of product (digital, physical, or service) through highly optimized, multi-step sales funnels. It excels at conversion.
  • Core Difference: Kajabi is a content and business management system that includes funnels. ClickFunnels is a dedicated sales funnel builder that can be integrated with other business tools.
  • Pricing Philosophy: Kajabi's higher price reflects its all-in-one nature, potentially saving you money on separate email, website, and course hosting. ClickFunnels' pricing is focused on the number of funnels and contacts you need to drive sales.

Overview: What Are New Kajabi and ClickFunnels?

Before we dive into a feature-by-feature breakdown, it's crucial to understand the core philosophy behind each platform. They were built with different end-users in mind, and this shapes every aspect of their design and functionality.

What is New Kajabi?

new kajabi vs clickfunnels

Kajabi bills itself as the single platform for knowledge entrepreneurs to run their entire business. Think of it as a digital storefront, classroom, and marketing department rolled into one. It’s designed for creators who sell their expertise through online courses, membership sites, coaching programs, and other digital products.

The key idea behind Kajabi is integration. It provides tools for website creation, blogging, email marketing, landing pages, sales funnels (called Pipelines), and robust course delivery. The goal is to eliminate the need to stitch together a dozen different software tools, which can save time, reduce technical headaches, and provide a seamless experience for both you and your customers.

What is ClickFunnels?

new kajabi vs clickfunnels

ClickFunnels, on the other hand, is a specialized tool with one primary mission: to help you convert visitors into leads and customers through sales funnels. A sales funnel is a guided, step-by-step process that takes a potential customer from initial awareness to making a purchase. ClickFunnels is the undisputed leader in this space.

It provides an intuitive, visual drag-and-drop editor to build every page in your funnel, from opt-in pages to sales pages, order forms, one-click upsells, and thank you pages. It's not designed to be an all-in-one business platform. Instead, it's a powerful engine you place at the center of your marketing efforts to drive revenue, whether you're selling a book, a supplement, a webinar seat, or a software subscription.

Key Features Comparison: A Head-to-Head Look

Understanding the core philosophy is one thing, but the features are where the real differences become clear. Here’s a breakdown of how New Kajabi and ClickFunnels stack up in the most important categories.

Feature New Kajabi ClickFunnels Winner
Primary Focus All-in-one platform for digital products Specialized sales funnel builder Depends on need
Sales Funnels Template-based "Pipelines" Highly flexible visual funnel builder ClickFunnels
Course Creation Advanced, with quizzes, community, drip Basic membership site functionality Kajabi
Website Builder Full-featured website & blog builder Funnel pages only (not a full website) Kajabi
Email Marketing Built-in, with automations & sequences Built-in on higher plans ("Follow-Up Funnels") Kajabi
Page Builder Good, but more structured Extremely flexible drag-and-drop ClickFunnels
Checkout Process Simple and integrated Advanced, with order bumps & upsells ClickFunnels
Affiliate Marketing Built-in affiliate management system Built-in affiliate management system Tie

This table gives a high-level view, but let's explore the nuances of these features in more detail. The "winner" truly depends on what you prioritize for your business.

Pricing Structure of New Kajabi and ClickFunnels

new kajabi vs clickfunnels

Cost is a major factor for any business, and the pricing models of these two platforms reflect their different approaches. It's not just about the monthly fee; it's about the total value and what other tools you might be able to cancel.

Kajabi Pricing

Kajabi's pricing is straightforward, with three main tiers. It's generally considered the more expensive option upfront, but its value comes from being an all-in-one solution.

  • Basic Plan: Typically starts around $149/month. This plan gives you a set limit on products, funnels (pipelines), and active customers. It's a great starting point for new creators.
  • Growth Plan: Usually around $199/month. This plan significantly increases your limits on products and funnels and adds key features like advanced automations, affiliate marketing, and the ability to remove Kajabi branding.
  • Pro Plan: Often priced at $399/month. This is for established businesses with large audiences, offering the highest limits and access to a code editor for advanced customizations.

The key takeaway with Kajabi is that even the Basic plan includes website hosting, video hosting, email marketing, and course delivery. If you were paying for these services separately (e.g., Teachable + ConvertKit + Leadpages), Kajabi's price can become very competitive.

ClickFunnels Pricing

ClickFunnels also offers a tiered pricing structure, with its plans focused on the scale of your sales and marketing efforts.

  • Basic Plan: Starts at $127/month. This plan limits you to one website, 20 funnels, and a certain number of pages and contacts. It's designed for those just starting with funnel building.
  • Pro Plan: Priced at $157/month. This tier expands your limits, allowing for more funnels, pages, and payment gateways. It's suitable for businesses running multiple campaigns.
  • Funnel Hacker Plan: The top tier, typically around $208/month. This plan offers the highest limits and includes access to advanced analytics and training materials.

It's important to note that ClickFunnels' core strength is funnels. While higher-tier plans include email marketing features, you might still need separate tools for things like a full-fledged blog, advanced course hosting, or community management, which could add to your overall monthly software bill.

Note: Pricing for both platforms can change. Always visit the official Kajabi and ClickFunnels websites for the most current information.

User Interface and User Experience (UI/UX)

How a platform feels to use daily can significantly impact your productivity and enjoyment. Both Kajabi and ClickFunnels are powerful, but they offer different user experiences.

Kajabi is widely praised for its clean, modern, and intuitive interface. The dashboard is well-organized, making it easy to navigate between creating a product, designing a landing page, and checking your analytics. Because everything is integrated, the workflow feels logical. For example, when you create a "Pipeline," Kajabi automatically generates the necessary landing pages and email sequences for you, which you can then customize.

This guided approach is excellent for users who want a clear path to follow.

ClickFunnels has a very functional, purpose-driven interface. The visual funnel builder is its centerpiece and is incredibly intuitive for mapping out customer journeys. You can see every step of your funnel on a single screen and easily drag and drop pages to reorder them. However, some users find the overall navigation outside of the funnel builder to be a bit dated or complex, especially when setting up integrations or managing account settings.

It has a steeper learning curve, but once mastered, it offers immense power and flexibility.

Pro Tip: If you value a polished, all-in-one experience and prefer guided setups, Kajabi's UX will likely appeal more to you. If you are a visual thinker who wants granular control over every step of your sales process, you'll appreciate the power of the ClickFunnels editor.

Sales Funnel Creation: A Detailed Look

This is the category where the two platforms differ the most. Both can build funnels, but they do it in very different ways.

Kajabi's Approach: Pipelines

Kajabi calls its funnels "Pipelines." These are pre-built templates based on common marketing strategies, such as a product launch, a webinar, or a freebie opt-in. When you select a Pipeline, Kajabi automatically creates all the necessary components: the landing page, the opt-in form, the thank you page, and a series of pre-written emails.

This approach is fantastic for beginners or anyone who wants to launch quickly without getting bogged down in the technical details. You simply fill in your content, customize the look and feel, and you're ready to go. The downside is a lack of flexibility. While you can customize the pages, you're largely confined to the structure of the chosen Pipeline template.

It's difficult to build a highly complex, custom funnel with multiple branching paths.

ClickFunnels' Approach: The Visual Funnel Builder

ClickFunnels is built from the ground up for funnel creation. Its visual, drag-and-drop editor gives you complete freedom to design any kind of funnel you can imagine. You start with a goal (e.g., collect emails, sell a product) and then add pages one by one, linking them together to create a custom flow.

This is where ClickFunnels' power lies. You can easily add one-click upsells, downsells, and order bumps to maximize the value of every customer. The platform's A/B split testing is also more advanced, allowing you to test variations of your pages to see which ones convert better. For anyone serious about conversion rate optimization and building sophisticated sales processes, ClickFunnels is the clear winner in this category.

Course Creation and Management

If your business revolves around selling knowledge, this section is critical. This is Kajabi's core strength and a key differentiator in any new kajabi comparison.

Kajabi offers a world-class learning management system (LMS). You can structure your courses with modules and lessons, upload various content types (video, text, audio, downloads), and create a professional student experience. Kajabi hosts your videos, so you don't need a separate service like Wistia or Vimeo.

Key course features in Kajabi include:

  • Quizzes and Assessments: Test your students' knowledge and track their progress.
  • Community Forums: Build a dedicated community space directly within your course area.
  • Drip Content: Release course modules over time to guide students through the material.
  • Certificates of Completion: Automatically issue certificates to students who finish your course.

ClickFunnels, by contrast, handles courses through its "Membership Area" feature. It's functional for delivering content behind a paywall but lacks the sophisticated educational tools of Kajabi. You can create modules and lessons, but you won't find native quizzes, certificates, or advanced student engagement features. It's best suited for simple video courses or resource libraries where the primary goal is content delivery, not a deep learning experience.

Marketing Tools and Automation

Both platforms offer built-in tools to help you market your products, but again, their capabilities reflect their core focus.

Kajabi provides a surprisingly powerful email marketing system. You can send one-off email broadcasts, create automated sequences, and segment your audience based on their behavior (e.g., who purchased a product, who completed a course). The visual email editor is easy to use, and the automations allow you to create simple "if this, then that" rules to nurture your leads.

ClickFunnels' email marketing capabilities, known as "Follow-Up Funnels" (previously Actionetics), are available on its higher-tier plans. It's a powerful system designed specifically for funnel-based marketing. You can create highly targeted email, text, and even desktop notification sequences based on where someone is in your funnel. It also includes lead scoring to help you identify your most engaged prospects.

However, for general-purpose email marketing like sending a weekly newsletter, many users find Kajabi's system more straightforward.

Many ClickFunnels users on the basic plan choose to integrate with a third-party email service provider like ActiveCampaign or GetResponse for more flexibility, which is an important consideration for your overall budget.

Customer Support and Resources

When you're running your business on a platform, reliable support is essential. Both Kajabi and ClickFunnels have invested heavily in helping their users succeed.

Kajabi is known for its excellent customer support, including 24/7 live chat on most plans. This is a huge benefit when you run into a technical issue late at night. They also offer "Kajabi University," a vast library of training videos and tutorials, and a very active official Facebook community where users share tips and support each other.

ClickFunnels also has a strong support system and an incredibly passionate community. They offer standard ticket-based support and have an extensive knowledge base. The real strength of the ClickFunnels ecosystem is its culture, driven by co-founder Russell Brunson. They provide a wealth of free training, books (like DotCom Secrets), and events like Funnel Hacking Live, all designed to teach the principles of direct response marketing and funnel building.

Both platforms offer great resources, but Kajabi's 24/7 live chat support gives it a slight edge for immediate technical help.

Best Use Cases: Who Should Choose Which?

new kajabi vs clickfunnels

Ultimately, the best platform for you depends entirely on your business model. This isn't about which tool is "better" in a vacuum, but which one is the right fit for your specific goals.

When to Choose New Kajabi

Kajabi is the ideal choice for:

  • Course Creators: If your primary product is an online course, Kajabi's LMS is second to none.
  • Coaches and Consultants: You can sell coaching sessions, host client resources, and build your entire brand on one platform.
  • Membership Site Owners: The combination of content delivery, community, and recurring billing makes it perfect for memberships.
  • Digital Product Sellers: Anyone selling ebooks, templates, or workshops who wants an integrated system for marketing and delivery.
  • Entrepreneurs Who Value Simplicity: If you want to avoid technical overwhelm and manage everything from one dashboard, Kajabi is your answer.

When to Choose ClickFunnels

ClickFunnels is the superior choice for:

  • Direct Response Marketers: If you live and breathe conversion rates, A/B testing, and maximizing average order value, ClickFunnels is built for you.
  • E-commerce Businesses: Use it to create high-converting funnels for physical products, moving beyond a standard Shopify store.
  • Affiliate Marketers: It's a popular tool for building bridge pages and lead generation funnels to promote other people's products.
  • Businesses Selling High-Ticket Services: Create application funnels to qualify leads for expensive programs or services.
  • Anyone Needing Complex Funnels: If you need multi-step order forms, one-click upsells, and intricate sales paths, ClickFunnels provides the necessary flexibility.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Why is everyone leaving ClickFunnels?

While "everyone" is an exaggeration, there has been a trend of some users moving away from ClickFunnels. This is often because their business model evolves. A user might start with ClickFunnels to validate a product idea but then move to an all-in-one platform like Kajabi once they decide to build out a full course and community. The rise of powerful ClickFunnels alternatives that offer more integrated features has also given users more choices than they had a few years ago.

What is the best alternative to ClickFunnels?

The best alternative depends on your needs. If you need an all-in-one platform for digital products, Kajabi is a top contender. If you're looking for another dedicated funnel builder with a different feature set or price point, platforms like Leadpages, Instapage, or GrooveFunnels are often considered. For e-commerce, Shopify with funnel-building apps is also a popular combination.

Is Kajabi a funnel builder?

Yes, Kajabi has funnel-building capabilities through its "Pipelines" feature. However, it's more of a template-driven system designed for simplicity and speed. It's not as flexible or powerful as ClickFunnels' dedicated visual funnel editor, which allows for much more customization and complexity in your sales process.

How much do ClickFunnels cost a month?

As of late 2024, ClickFunnels' pricing generally starts around $127 per month for its Basic plan. The Pro plan is around $157/month, and the Funnel Hacker plan is about $208/month. These prices can change, so it's always best to check their official website for the most current details and any promotional offers.

Why is Kajabi so expensive?

Kajabi's price tag seems high at first glance, but its value proposition is that it replaces multiple other software subscriptions. A typical creator might pay for course hosting (e.g., Teachable), email marketing (e.g., ConvertKit), a landing page builder (e.g., Leadpages), and website hosting. When you add up those individual costs, Kajabi's all-in-one price often becomes comparable or even cheaper, with the added benefit of seamless integration.

Final Thoughts: Which Platform is Right for You?

After this deep dive into the new kajabi vs clickfunnels debate, the answer should be clearer. It's not a question of which platform is objectively superior, but which one is strategically aligned with your business.

Kajabi is the undisputed champion for knowledge entrepreneurs who want to build an entire business ecosystem around their content. It's the central hub for your courses, memberships, website, and marketing. If your product is your content, Kajabi provides the integrated, professional environment you need to thrive.

ClickFunnels, however, remains the king of conversion. It is a specialized, high-performance engine designed to do one thing exceptionally well: turn traffic into customers. If your primary focus is on maximizing sales, optimizing your checkout process, and building complex, high-converting funnels for any type of product, then ClickFunnels is the sharpest tool for the job.

Your choice is simple: Are you building a content empire or a sales machine? If it's the latter, and you're ready to master the art of the sale, then give ClickFunnels a try and see how its powerful funnel-building tools can transform your business.

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