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These are three all-in-one platforms at very different prices. Each one bundles some mix of email marketing, sales funnels, online courses, checkout and a website under a single login. The pitch is the same: stop paying for five separate tools. The price gap is huge, though. One has a free plan. Another starts at $179/month on monthly billing.
Most beginners overbuy. They pick the platform with the slickest demo, then pay for capacity they won’t use for a year. This guide is for creators and small businesses who want courses, email, funnels or a simple site in one place, and who want to pay for the stage they’re at now, not the one they hope to reach.
All prices are in USD from each vendor’s official pricing page, as of October 2026.
Quick answer: our verdict
- Systeme.io: best for budget-first funnels and email. Free up to 2,000 contacts, paid from $17/month (as of October 2026), and no transaction fees. It’s the right starting point for most beginners. Try Systeme.io
- Kajabi: best for a polished course brand on a bigger budget. Basic is $179/month monthly or $143/month billed annually (as of October 2026). Buy it when you’re already selling and want a premium storefront, community and app. Try Kajabi
- Kartra: best for a deep marketing suite, with more complexity. Essentials is $59/month, and Starter (the realistic plan) is $119/month, as of October 2026. Choose it if you’ll actually use the helpdesk, calendars, video hosting and advanced automations. Try Kartra
If you’re unsure, start on Systeme.io’s free plan. It costs nothing to find out whether an all-in-one suits the way you work.
30-second summary table
|
Systeme.io |
Kajabi |
Kartra |
|
|
Free plan |
Yes (2,000 contacts) |
No (free trial; 30-day money-back guarantee) |
No (14-day trial; 30-day money-back guarantee) |
|
Entry paid price (as of October 2026) |
Startup: $17/mo |
Basic: $179/mo monthly, $143/mo annual |
Essentials: $59/mo monthly, $52/mo annual |
|
Contacts on entry paid plan |
5,000 |
2,500 |
500 |
|
Email sends |
Unlimited on all plans |
Unlimited marketing emails |
10,000/mo on Essentials; unlimited from Starter |
|
Funnels |
3 (Free), 10 (Startup), 50 (Webinar), unlimited (Unlimited) |
Unlimited |
Included; funnel mapping on all plans |
|
Courses |
1 (Free), 5 (Startup), 20 (Webinar), unlimited |
5 products on Basic |
1 on Essentials; unlimited from Starter |
|
Platform transaction fee |
0% |
No revenue share; card processing applies (Kajabi Payments 2.9% + $0.30 on Basic, US) |
5% on Essentials; 0% from Starter |
|
Community / memberships |
Communities included (check limits by plan on their site) |
1 community on Basic |
Membership portals (1 on Essentials; unlimited from Starter) |
|
Learning curve |
Low |
Low to medium |
Medium to high |
|
Best-fit buyer |
Beginners, budget-first |
Established course creators |
Marketers who want one deep suite |
Pricing reality check
Sticker prices only tell half the story. What matters is what you’d pay at your contact count, and what fees come off each sale.
Systeme.io pricing (as of October 2026)
- Free: $0. 2,000 contacts, 3 sales funnels, 1 course, 1 blog, 1 custom domain, unlimited email sends. Limits include 1 automation rule, 1 email campaign and 500 students. No credit card required, and the plan never expires.
- Startup: $17/month. 5,000 contacts, 10 funnels, 5 courses.
- Webinar: $47/month. 10,000 contacts, 50 funnels, 20 courses, plus evergreen webinars.
- Unlimited: $97/month. Unlimited contacts, funnels, courses and automation rules.
Every plan includes unlimited email sends, unlimited sub-accounts, 0% transaction fees and Stripe/PayPal integration. Annual billing advertises two months free.
Kajabi pricing (as of October 2026)
- Basic: $179/month monthly, or $143/month billed annually. 5 products, 1 community, 1 website, 2,500 contacts, 2 admin users.
- Growth: $249/month monthly, or $199/month billed annually. 50 products, 25,000 contacts, 11 admin users, 500 AI credits.
- Pro: $499/month monthly, or $399/month billed annually. Unlimited products, 3 communities, 3 websites, 100,000 contacts, and a branded mobile app.
All plans include unlimited funnels, landing pages and marketing emails. Kajabi takes no revenue share. Kajabi Payments card processing is 2.9% + $0.30 on Basic (US). If you use a third-party processor where Kajabi Payments is available, there’s an extra 2% fee on Basic, 1% on Growth and 0.5% on Pro (PayPal excluded). Every plan has a 30-day money-back guarantee, and extra contacts cost $125/month per 25,000.
Kartra pricing (as of October 2026)
- Essentials: $59/month monthly, or $52/month billed annually. 500 contacts, 10,000 emails/month, 1 product, 1 course, 5 pages, a 5% Kartra transaction fee, and 30 Kartra AI uses.
- Starter: $119/month monthly, or $99/month billed annually. 2,500 contacts, unlimited email, unlimited products and courses, 0% transaction fee.
- Growth: $229/month monthly, or $189/month billed annually. 12,500 contacts, 3 custom domains, automations, surveys and quizzes, affiliate management, helpdesk.
- Professional: $549/month monthly, or $429/month billed annually. 25,000 contacts.
Kartra’s FAQ says that if you go over your contact limit, you’re automatically upgraded to the next tier and charged a mid-cycle reconciliation fee. That jump from $119 to $229 can surprise you, so watch your list size.
What it costs at 2,500 contacts
Take a typical small creator with 2,500 contacts and a couple of products. As of October 2026, that’s $0 on Systeme.io if you can live with the free plan’s limits (2,000 contacts is close, so realistically $17/month on Startup). It’s $143–179/month on Kajabi Basic and $99–119/month on Kartra Starter. Over a year, the gap between Systeme.io Startup and Kajabi Basic works out to roughly $1,500 (annual billing) to $1,950 (monthly billing).
Feature-by-feature
Email marketing
All three include email broadcasts and automation. Systeme.io and Kajabi don’t cap sends. Kartra Essentials caps at 10,000 emails/month, and Starter and above are unlimited. Systeme.io’s free plan limits you to 1 automation rule, which is the main reason to move to Startup.
Funnels and landing pages
Systeme.io limits the number of funnels by plan but includes 1-click upsells, order bumps and A/B tests. Kajabi includes unlimited funnels and landing pages on every plan. Kartra’s funnel mapping and campaign tools are a core strength, and Growth adds funnel simulation and more advanced automations.
Courses and memberships
Kajabi is the most course-focused of the three, with cohort courses, video transcriptions, communities and a branded mobile app on Pro. Systeme.io covers courses well for the price. Kartra’s membership portal builder is capable, but Essentials allows only one membership or course.
Payments and community
Systeme.io connects to Stripe, PayPal and several regional processors with 0% platform fees. Kajabi has its own payments product, Kajabi Payments, plus third-party options with the fees above. Kartra supports multiple processors, but Essentials adds a 5% platform fee.
Learning curve
Systeme.io is the simplest to pick up. Kajabi is polished and guided. Kartra has the most features, so it takes the longest to set up properly.
Pros and cons
Systeme.io
Pros
- A genuinely usable free plan, with no credit card and no expiry.
- 0% transaction fees and unlimited email sends on every plan.
- Paid plans start at $17/month (as of October 2026).
- Built-in affiliate program management for your own products.
Cons
- Designs and templates are less polished than Kajabi’s.
- The free plan’s 1 automation rule and 1 email campaign limits are tight.
- Fewer advanced marketing tools than Kartra’s higher tiers.
Kajabi
Pros
- Polished course, community and storefront experience.
- Unlimited funnels, landing pages and marketing emails.
- No platform revenue share.
- 30-day money-back guarantee.
Cons
- The most expensive entry point: $143–179/month (as of October 2026).
- Basic caps you at 2,500 contacts and 5 products.
- Extra fees if you use a third-party payment processor.
Kartra
Pros
- A deep suite: email, SMS, funnels, checkouts, calendars, video and more.
- Strong funnel mapping and campaign tools.
- 0% transaction fees from Starter up.
Cons
- Essentials is very limited (500 contacts, 1 product) and adds a 5% fee.
- Automatic tier upgrades when you exceed your contact limit.
- Steeper learning curve than the other two.
Who each platform is best for
- Systeme.io: beginners, side businesses and budget-conscious founders who want funnels, email and a course without monthly overhead.
- Kajabi: creators who already have revenue and want a premium brand experience, community and app, and who are comfortable paying for it.
- Kartra: marketers who want an all-in-one marketing suite and will use the advanced features.
Lock-in notes: read this before you commit
All-in-ones are convenient because everything is connected. That’s also what makes them hard to leave. Before you build, plan your exit:
- Own your domain. Register it with a registrar, not the platform, so you can repoint it later.
- Export contacts regularly. Keep a monthly CSV of your list and customer data, and confirm what each platform lets you export before you build on it.
- Know your payment setup. Before you launch recurring products, ask the vendor how active subscriptions would move if you ever leave. That’s the hardest piece to migrate.
- Course content is portable, but design isn’t. Keep original videos and files outside the platform. Pages and funnels usually have to be rebuilt.
- Watch automatic upgrades. Kartra auto-upgrades when you pass your contact limit, and Kajabi charges for extra contact blocks. Clean your list so you aren’t paying for inactive contacts.
StackPilot recommendation
For most small businesses and new creators, start with Systeme.io. Use the free plan until you hit 2,000 contacts or need more automations, then move to Startup at $17/month (as of October 2026). It’s the lowest-risk way to run funnels, email and a course from one login.
Move to Kajabi once you’re consistently selling and the polish, community and app justify $143+/month. Choose Kartra only if you’ve listed the specific advanced features you need, such as the helpdesk, calendars or advanced automations, and you’ll actually use them.
Try Systeme.io | Try Kajabi | Try Kartra
FAQ
Is Systeme.io really free?
Yes. As of October 2026, the free plan supports 2,000 contacts, 3 funnels and 1 course with unlimited email sends. It doesn’t expire and doesn’t require a credit card.
Why is Kajabi so much more expensive?
Kajabi positions itself as a premium, polished platform for established creators, with communities, cohort courses and a branded app on higher plans. You pay for polish and support, not just features.
Does Kartra charge transaction fees?
Only on Essentials, which carries a 5% Kartra fee as of October 2026. Starter and above are 0%. Your payment processor’s own fees still apply.
Which is best for selling online courses?
Kajabi has the most course-centered experience. Systeme.io is the best value. Kartra works well if courses are one part of a larger funnel.
Can I switch platforms later?
Yes, but expect to rebuild pages and funnels. Contacts and course files move more easily. Own your domain and export your data regularly. Systeme.io advertises free migration on its pricing page. Ask any vendor exactly what its migration help covers before you switch.
Do I need a separate email tool with these?
No. All three include email marketing. A separate tool only makes sense if you need features they lack. See our guide to the best email marketing tools under $50/month.
Pricing and features verified on vendor pages as of October 2026. We’ll update this post when plans change.