HighLevel vs Kajabi: which all-in-one fits a course creator?
Kajabi and HighLevel are both “all-in-one” platforms, but they come at it from opposite directions. Kajabi was built for creators selling knowledge products. HighLevel was built for marketing agencies and later added courses and communities. Both can run a course business. The question is which trade-offs suit you.
Snapshot
| HighLevel | Kajabi | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Agencies and service businesses; courses and communities included | Creators and experts selling courses, communities and coaching |
| Entry price (monthly) | $97 / mo (Starter) | $179 / mo (Basic), or $143 / mo billed annually |
| Contacts | Unlimited on all plans | 2,500 (Basic) · 25,000 (Growth) · 100,000 (Pro) |
| Marketing email | Included, but sending is usage-billed | Unlimited marketing emails listed on all plans (within contact limits) |
| SMS / phone | Built in (usage-billed) | Not a core listed feature |
| CRM / pipelines | Full CRM with pipelines | Contact management and automations; not a sales-pipeline CRM |
| Courses & communities | Yes: courses, quizzes, certificates, communities with paid tiers | Yes: products limited by plan (5 / 50 / unlimited), communities (1 / 1 / 3) |
| Booking calendars | Built in | Coaching products exist; check calendar depth for your use |
| Transaction fees | Platform takes no cut of course sales as far as the pricing page shows; payment-processor fees apply | No platform revenue share. Kajabi Payments card fees, or an extra 2% / 1% / 0.5% on third-party processors depending on plan |
| Trial / guarantee | 14-day free trial listed | Free trial offered; 30-day money-back guarantee on every plan |
Sources, checked 6 October 2026 (BST): HighLevel pricing · Kajabi pricing. Kajabi’s full plan prices: Basic $179/mo ($143/mo annual), Growth $249/mo ($199/mo annual), Pro $499/mo ($399/mo annual). All USD.
#Ad — Paid link: I earn a commission if you sign up through this link. Urban Huntsman Ltd (which runs CourseSignal) is an independent HighLevel affiliate and also a HighLevel agency.
Where Kajabi is the better choice
- You want a creator-first experience with less setup and fewer agency-style menus.
- Predictable email costs: Kajabi lists unlimited marketing emails within your contact tier, while HighLevel bills sending by usage.
- You value the 30-day money-back guarantee Kajabi advertises on every plan.
- You don’t need SMS, phone, pipelines or appointment-heavy sales.
Where HighLevel is the better choice
- Big list, modest budget: contacts are unlimited on every HighLevel plan, while Kajabi’s plans cap contacts (extra blocks of 25,000 contacts cost $125/month according to Kajabi’s FAQ).
- Sales calls are part of your funnel: calendars, pipelines, SMS reminders and follow-up workflows are built in.
- Lower entry subscription: $97 vs $179 a month on monthly billing, before usage charges.
- You run more than one brand or client: Starter includes 3 sub-accounts.
Switching from Kajabi
HighLevel has a Kajabi course importer that brings over published lessons (video, text, images). Quizzes and assignments have to be rebuilt. Read our Kajabi → HighLevel migration checklist before you cancel anything.
Decision shortcut
- Count your contacts today and in 12 months. Over Kajabi’s tier limit? Price both properly.
- List every tool you pay for besides the course platform (email, scheduler, CRM, SMS, funnels). Use our cost worksheet.
- If the extras list is empty, Kajabi (or a simpler course platform) is likely the calmer choice.
- If it’s long, trial HighLevel and build one real offer before deciding.
Ready to test HighLevel?
Build your actual offer during the trial, not a demo course. That is the only fair comparison.
#Ad — Paid link: I earn a commission if you sign up through this link. Urban Huntsman Ltd (which runs CourseSignal) is an independent HighLevel affiliate and also a HighLevel agency.
Related: HighLevel review · Best course platforms UK · HighLevel vs Thinkific.