Choosing the right platform to sell online courses in 2026 is a critical decision that can make or break your creator business. With dozens of options available, two platforms consistently stand out for serious course creators: Kajabi and Teachable.
This comprehensive 2026 comparison breaks down pricing tiers, course creation features, marketing tools, email automation, checkout experience, and scalability—giving you the data you need to choose the platform that offers better value for your specific needs and budget.
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📋 Table of Contents
- 1. Platform Overview & 2026 Positioning
- 2. Pricing Comparison 2026
- 3. Course Creation Features
- 4. Marketing & Sales Tools
- 5. Email Marketing & Automation
- 6. Checkout & Payment Processing
- 7. Analytics & Reporting
- 8. Best Use Cases for Each Platform
- 9. Migration Considerations
- 10. Final Verdict & Recommendations
Platform Overview & 2026 Positioning
Both Kajabi and Teachable position themselves as comprehensive solutions for course creators, but they approach the market with different philosophies and target audiences.
Founded: 2010 | Headquarters: Irvine, California | Focus: All-in-One Business Platform
Kajabi bills itself as the "all-in-one" platform for knowledge entrepreneurs. Beyond just courses, it includes website building, email marketing, funnels, memberships, and community features—all integrated into a single ecosystem. In 2026, it serves over 50,000 creators generating billions in revenue.
🎯 2026 Strengths:
True all-in-one solution, extensive automation capabilities, premium branding and customization, excellent for scaling multiple product types (courses, memberships, digital downloads), strong focus on business growth features.
Founded: 2014 | Acquired by: Hotmart (2020) | Focus: Course Creation & Hosting
Teachable started as a focused course platform and has evolved while maintaining its core simplicity. It excels at making course creation easy and intuitive while offering enough marketing features for serious creators. The platform hosts over 100,000 instructors who've taught millions of students.
🎯 2026 Strengths:
Superior course creation experience, easier learning curve, better value for pure course creators, strong student management tools, excellent affiliate marketing capabilities, more transparent pricing for beginners.
⚡ Quick 2026 Comparison:
Kajabi: Better for creators who want everything in one place (website, email, courses, community) and are willing to pay a premium for automation and scaling features.
Teachable: Better for creators focused primarily on courses who want excellent course creation tools, good marketing features, and better pricing for the core features they need.
Pricing Comparison 2026
Understanding the true cost requires looking beyond monthly fees to transaction fees, feature limitations, and scaling costs.
| Plan | Kajabi | Teachable | Best Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Plan | $149/month | $39/month | Teachable |
| Transaction Fees | 0% (all plans) | 5% (Basic), 3% (Pro), 0% (Business) | Kajabi |
| Students Included | 1,000 (Basic) | Unlimited | Teachable |
| Products Included | 3 products | Unlimited | Teachable |
| Email Contacts | 10,000 | 1,000 (Basic), 5,000 (Pro) | Kajabi |
| Bandwidth/Storage | Unlimited | Unlimited | Equal |
| Migration Support | Free migration | Self-service only | Kajabi |
💰 True Cost Comparison for $10K Monthly Revenue
Insight: At $10K revenue, Teachable Basic costs significantly more due to transaction fees. However, Teachable Pro ($119/month + 0% fees) would be $168/month total—still slightly higher than Kajabi but with better course features.
Course Creation Features Comparison
Both platforms offer robust course creation tools, but with different approaches and strengths.
Course Creation Features Score (2026)
Teachable slightly edges out Kajabi in pure course creation features, while Kajabi offers better integration with other business tools.
Course Features Compared
| Feature | Kajabi | Teachable | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drag-and-Drop Builder | Basic | Advanced | Teachable |
| Video Hosting | Wistia-powered | Built-in (good quality) | Kajabi |
| Drip Content | Advanced scheduling | Basic scheduling | Kajabi |
| Quizzes & Assessments | Basic quizzes | Advanced quizzes | Teachable |
| Completion Certificates | Customizable | Basic templates | Kajabi |
| Course Bundles | Advanced bundles | Basic bundles | Kajabi |
| Course Analytics | Basic metrics | Detailed insights | Teachable |
| Mobile App | Native apps | Progressive web app | Kajabi |
💡 Key Course Creation Insight for 2026:
Teachable's Course Focus: Teachable was built specifically for course creation and it shows. The interface is more intuitive for organizing content, creating assessments, and managing student progress.
Kajabi's Business Integration: While slightly less polished for pure course creation, Kajabi's courses integrate seamlessly with websites, email sequences, and funnels—creating a cohesive learning and buying experience.
Marketing & Sales Tools Comparison
This is where the platforms diverge most significantly. Marketing capabilities can dramatically impact your revenue.
Marketing Tools Score (2026)
Kajabi dominates in integrated marketing features, while Teachable offers excellent checkout and affiliate tools.
Marketing Features Compared
| Feature | Kajabi | Teachable | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website Builder | Full-featured | Basic landing pages | Kajabi for full sites |
| Sales Funnels | Visual funnel builder | Basic checkout funnels | Kajabi for automation |
| Checkout Pages | Customizable | Highly optimized | Teachable for conversions |
| Affiliate Program | Built-in (Pro plan) | Advanced management | Teachable for affiliates |
| Coupons & Discounts | Basic coupons | Advanced options | Teachable for promotions |
| Upsell/Order Bumps | 1-click upsells | Basic upsells | Kajabi for maximizing AOV |
| Payment Plans | Flexible plans | Standard plans | Kajabi for flexibility |
| Abandoned Cart Recovery | Automated | Manual setup | Kajabi for automation |
Email Marketing & Automation
Email capabilities can significantly impact your student engagement and revenue.
Based on 2026 creator surveys and deliverability testing
📧 Email Marketing Tips for 2026:
- Kajabi: Use their visual automation builder to create sophisticated student onboarding sequences, course completion follow-ups, and re-engagement campaigns without leaving the platform.
- Teachable: Integrate with ConvertKit, Mailchimp, or ActiveCampaign for advanced email marketing. Teachable's Zapier integration makes this seamless.
- Cost Consideration: Kajabi's built-in email saves $49-299/month on external email tools. Teachable requires separate email service costs.
- Segmentation: Both platforms allow student segmentation based on course enrollment, progress, and purchase behavior.
Checkout & Payment Processing
A smooth checkout experience can significantly impact conversion rates and revenue.
✅ Checkout Verdict:
Teachable wins for checkout optimization: Their checkout flow is specifically designed for maximum conversions, with fewer steps, better mobile optimization, and support for more payment methods including digital wallets.
Kajabi offers better value: No transaction fees mean you keep more revenue, and the integrated approach means students never leave your ecosystem during purchase.
Analytics & Reporting 2026
Data-driven decisions require robust analytics capabilities.
| Analytics Feature | Kajabi | Teachable | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue Analytics | Detailed reporting | Basic reporting | Kajabi for business insights |
| Student Progress | Basic tracking | Detailed analytics | Teachable for engagement |
| Course Completion | Basic metrics | Advanced tracking | Teachable for course quality |
| Marketing Analytics | Funnel analytics | Basic source tracking | Kajabi for marketing ROI |
| Export Capabilities | CSV exports | API + CSV | Teachable for data flexibility |
| Real-time Data | Near real-time | 24-hour delay | Kajabi for immediate insights |
| Custom Reports | Custom dashboards | Standard reports only | Kajabi for custom analysis |
Best Use Cases for Each Platform
Your specific goals, business model, and technical comfort determine which platform makes more sense.
- You want an all-in-one platform (website, email, courses, community)
- You plan to sell multiple product types (courses, memberships, digital downloads)
- You value automation and want to build sophisticated marketing funnels
- You're serious about scaling and willing to invest in premium tools
- You want to minimize the number of tools and subscriptions you manage
- You need advanced email marketing capabilities without extra costs
- You prioritize premium branding and design customization
- You expect high revenue where 0% transaction fees save significant money
💼 Ideal Kajabi Users:
Full-time creators, established coaches, scaling course businesses, entrepreneurs selling multiple products, those wanting integrated automation, businesses with $5K+ monthly revenue.
- Your primary focus is creating and selling online courses
- You want the best possible course creation and student management tools
- You're on a tighter budget or just starting out
- You already have a website and email marketing tools you love
- You want to maximize checkout conversions
- You plan to leverage affiliate marketing heavily
- You prefer a simpler, more focused toolset
- You teach internationally and need multi-currency support
💼 Ideal Teachable Users:
Subject matter experts, part-time creators, educators, course-first businesses, those with existing marketing tools, beginners wanting lower entry costs, businesses focused on international students.
Migration Considerations & Best Practices
If you're considering switching platforms, here's what to know for 2026.
Migration Checklist
- Content Audit: Document all courses, lessons, videos, quizzes, and student data
- Student Communication: Notify students 30 days before migration with clear instructions
- Content Migration: Plan for 2-4 weeks depending on course complexity
- Testing: Test all courses, payments, and emails in the new platform before going live
- Redirects: Set up URL redirects for all old course links
- Payment Migration: Coordinate payment processor transfers if needed
- Support Training: Prepare for student questions during transition
⚠️ Critical Migration Considerations:
- Student Progress: Progress data may not transfer between platforms
- URL Changes: All course URLs will change, affecting SEO and bookmarks
- Email Sequences: Recreate automation sequences in the new platform
- Affiliate Links: Update all affiliate tracking links and codes
- Testing Period: Run both platforms parallel for 1-2 weeks
- Downtime Planning: Schedule migration during low-traffic periods
Final Verdict & Recommendations
🏆 2026 Final Recommendations:
Choose Kajabi if:
- You want everything in one platform and value integration over specialization
- Your monthly revenue exceeds $3,000 (0% transaction fees save money)
- You plan to build a comprehensive online business with multiple revenue streams
- You value automation and want to minimize manual marketing work
- You're willing to invest in premium tools for long-term scaling
Choose Teachable if:
- Your primary focus is creating the best possible learning experience
- You're starting out or have a limited budget
- You already have and love your website and email marketing tools
- You want the highest possible checkout conversion rates
- You value simplicity and focused tools over comprehensive suites
For most creators: Start with Teachable to validate your course idea and initial revenue. Migrate to Kajabi once you reach $3-5K monthly revenue and need more automation and integration.
✅ Keep Learning
Frequently Asked Questions
Technically yes, but it's generally not recommended due to complexity. Some creators use Teachable for courses and Kajabi for marketing/email, but this requires complex integrations and often results in a disjointed student experience. For most businesses, choosing one platform and using it fully is more efficient.
Kajabi: Offers 24/7 chat support, extensive knowledge base, and community forums. Higher-tier plans include priority support. Generally praised for responsive and helpful support.
Teachable: Provides email support with 24-48 hour response times, comprehensive help center, and community. Business plan includes priority support. Support quality is good but can be slower during peak times.
Thinkific: Similar to Teachable but with stronger course creation tools and weaker marketing features. Better for complex course structures but requires more technical setup.
Podia: Positioned between Kajabi and Teachable—more features than Teachable but simpler than Kajabi. Good for creators who want digital downloads and memberships alongside courses without Kajabi's complexity.
General positioning: Thinkific (course focus) → Teachable (balanced) → Podia (simple all-in-one) → Kajabi (comprehensive all-in-one).
Kajabi: You can download your content (videos, files, etc.) but the platform becomes inaccessible. Student data and progress are typically lost unless exported before cancellation.
Teachable: Similar approach—you can export course content and student data before cancelling. After cancellation, your school becomes inaccessible to students.
Important: Always export all content and data BEFORE cancelling any platform subscription. Set reminders 30 days before renewal to make this decision.
Teachable generally has better international support with 137+ countries, 29 currencies, and localized checkout experiences. Their payment processing handles international transactions well.
Kajabi supports international payments but with fewer currency options. However, its 0% transaction fees can be advantageous for high-volume international sales.
For global audiences: Teachable's multi-currency support gives it an edge, but test both platforms with your specific target countries.
Migration is possible but requires planning:
- Content: You'll need to re-upload videos and reorganize course structure
- Students: Can be migrated but progress data typically doesn't transfer
- Payments: May require new payment processor setup
- URLs: All course links will change, affecting SEO
Best practice: Plan for 4-8 weeks migration time, communicate clearly with students, and run both platforms parallel during transition. Kajabi offers free migration assistance for qualifying schools.