What Kajabi costs today
As of October 2026: Basic $179, Growth $249, Pro $499 a month ($143, $199, $399 a month billed yearly). 14-day free trial. No platform fee on Kajabi Payments; card processing is 2.9% + $0.30 on Basic, 2.8% on Growth and 2.7% on Pro.
Quick comparison
| Platform | Type | Starts at | All-in at $1,000 / $5,000 a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allied Tribes | Paid Tribes, courses, events, live video, AI guide | Free | $96 at $1,000 a month, $436 at $5,000 a month |
| Kajabi (for reference) | All-in-one course and marketing suite | $179 a month | $214 at $1,000 a month, $354 at $5,000 a month |
| Skool | Paid group app with courses | $9 a month | $109 at $1,000 a month, $244 at $5,000 a month |
| Teachable | Online course platform | $39 a month | $124 at $1,000 a month, $264 at $5,000 a month |
| Circle | Branded group platform | $89 a month | $144 at $1,000 a month, $364 at $5,000 a month |
| Mighty Networks | Group platform with courses and branded apps | $79 a month | $134 at $1,000 a month, $354 at $5,000 a month |
| Thinkific | Online course platform and LMS | $109 a month | $138 at $1,000 a month, $254 at $5,000 a month |
| Podia | All-in-one creator storefront | $49 a month | $134 at $1,000 a month, $274 at $5,000 a month |
| Whop | Marketplace and payments for digital access | No monthly fee | $33 at $1,000 a month, $165 at $5,000 a month |
| Patreon | Fan membership platform | No monthly fee | $135 at $1,000 a month, $675 at $5,000 a month |
| Heartbeat | Paid group platform for creators and coaches | $49 a month | $134 at $1,000 a month, $449 at $5,000 a month |
| Stan Store | Link-in-bio creator store | $29 a month | $64 at $1,000 a month, $204 at $5,000 a month |
| Discord | Chat and voice app with paid server subscriptions | No monthly fee | $154 at $1,000 a month, $770 at $5,000 a month |
Assumes US card payments, an average sale of $50, and the cheapest plan on each platform at that revenue. Where a platform adds card processing on top of its own fee, Stripe's standard 2.9% + $0.30 is used. Member limits, taxes, currency conversion, payout fees and add-ons are not included.
The alternatives
1. Allied Tribes
Best for: starting free or cheaply, and keeping a paid group, courses, events, live video and paid one-to-one sessions together. Price: Free, Pro $11 a month, Leader $111 a month. Fees: 11%, 5% or 3% plus Stripe. All-in cost: $96 at $1,000 a month, $436 at $5,000 a month. Freya, a built-in AI guide, sets up your Tribe with you. Allied Tribes vs Kajabi.
2. Skool
What it is: Paid group app with courses. Choose it if you already earn more than about $1,500 a month from one group, your members live in the Skool app, and gamified levels are the core of your experience. Price: Hobby $9 a month, Pro $99 a month. No free plan; 14-day free trial. Fees: 10% on Hobby, 2.9% on Pro. Skool processes payments itself and its fee covers card processing. All-in cost: $109 at $1,000 a month, $244 at $5,000 a month. Allied Tribes vs Skool.
3. Teachable
What it is: Online course platform. Choose it if you sell courses and nothing else, and your sales are steady enough that a 0% fee plan pays for itself. Price: Starter $39, Builder $89, Growth $189 a month ($29, $69, $139 billed yearly). No free plan. Fees: 7.5% transaction fee on Starter, 0% on Builder and up, plus card processing. All-in cost: $124 at $1,000 a month, $264 at $5,000 a month. Allied Tribes vs Teachable.
4. Circle
What it is: Branded group platform. Choose it if you need a fully branded experience and automations, and your revenue already covers an $89 to $419 monthly plan. Price: Professional $89, Business $199, Scale $419 a month billed yearly; monthly billing costs more. 14-day free trial. Fees: 2% on Professional, 1% on Business and Scale, plus Stripe processing. All-in cost: $144 at $1,000 a month, $364 at $5,000 a month. Allied Tribes vs Circle.
5. Mighty Networks
What it is: Group platform with courses and branded apps. Choose it if a branded app under your own name matters more to you than the monthly price. Price: Launch $79, Scale $179, Growth $354 a month (billed yearly). 14-day free trial. Fees: 2% on Launch, 1% on Scale, 0.5% on Growth, plus card processing. All-in cost: $134 at $1,000 a month, $354 at $5,000 a month. Allied Tribes vs Mighty Networks.
6. Thinkific
What it is: Online course platform and LMS. Choose it if you run formal training at scale and need LMS features more than a social home for learners. Price: Start $109, Grow $219, Expand $499 a month ($82, $164, $374 billed yearly). No free plan; 30-day trial. Fees: No platform fee; Thinkific Payments charges 2.9% card processing. All-in cost: $138 at $1,000 a month, $254 at $5,000 a month. Allied Tribes vs Thinkific.
7. Podia
What it is: All-in-one creator storefront. Choose it if email and a simple website are the core of how you sell. Price: Mover $49, Shaker $99, Earthquaker $179 a month ($42, $84, $150 billed yearly). 14-day free trial. Fees: 5% on Mover, 0% on Shaker and Earthquaker, plus Stripe or PayPal processing. All-in cost: $134 at $1,000 a month, $274 at $5,000 a month. Allied Tribes vs Podia.
8. Whop
What it is: Marketplace and payments for digital access. Choose it if you sell access to an existing Discord or Telegram group, or software, and want the lowest possible fees. Price: No monthly fee. Fees: 2.7% + $0.30 per domestic card payment, with extra charges for international cards, currency conversion, billing, tax tools and fast payouts. All-in cost: $33 at $1,000 a month, $165 at $5,000 a month. Allied Tribes vs Whop.
9. Patreon
What it is: Fan membership platform. Choose it if your fans already know Patreon and you mainly post exclusive work for them. Price: Free to start. Fees: 10% of earnings, plus payment processing, currency conversion and payout fees. All-in cost: $135 at $1,000 a month, $675 at $5,000 a month. Allied Tribes vs Patreon.
10. Heartbeat
What it is: Paid group platform for creators and coaches. Choose it if you want a branded app or the lowest percentage at high revenue, and a $49 to $849 monthly plan fits your budget. Price: Build $49 (up to 350 members), Grow $149 (up to 5,000), Scale $849 a month (unlimited, with a branded app). 14-day free trial, no card. Fees: 5% on Build, 2.5% on Grow, 1.25% on Scale, plus Stripe processing. All-in cost: $134 at $1,000 a month, $449 at $5,000 a month. Allied Tribes vs Heartbeat.
11. Stan Store
What it is: Link-in-bio creator store. Choose it if you sell products and bookings from your social bio and do not need a group for your buyers to gather in. Price: Creator $29 a month ($300 a year), Creator Pro $99 a month ($948 a year). 14-day free trial. Fees: No platform fee; Stripe or PayPal processing of 2.9% + $0.30. All-in cost: $64 at $1,000 a month, $204 at $5,000 a month. Allied Tribes vs Stan Store.
12. Discord
What it is: Chat and voice app with paid server subscriptions. Choose it if your members already live in your Discord server and you mainly sell access to roles and channels there. Price: No monthly fee. Selling is open to eligible servers only. Fees: 10% platform fee plus 6% payment processing on desktop and browser purchases. The 10% is taken after processing, about 15.4% in all, before other transaction fees. Mobile app store fees are added to the buyer's price. Payouts arrive within 45 days after each month ends, with a $100 minimum for the first payout. All-in cost: $154 at $1,000 a month, $770 at $5,000 a month. Allied Tribes vs Discord.
How to choose
- At $1,000 a month in sales (Kajabi about $214): every other platform here costs less than Kajabi.
- At $5,000 a month in sales (Kajabi about $354): Whop, Stan Store, Skool, Thinkific, Teachable and Podia cost less; Mighty Networks, Circle, Allied Tribes, Heartbeat, Patreon and Discord cost the same or more.
- Email marketing is how you sell: Podia includes it at a lower price than Kajabi. Allied Tribes, Skool and the course platforms would need a separate email tool.
- Your course works better with a group around it: Allied Tribes, Skool, Circle and Mighty Networks are built around one.
- Formal training at scale: Thinkific goes deepest on LMS features.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest alternative to Kajabi?
For simple sales, Whop has no monthly fee and costs least. Among platforms that host a course and a group together, Allied Tribes costs least at low revenue: about $96 a month all-in at $1,000 in sales, against about $214 on Kajabi Basic. At higher revenue Kajabi's lack of a platform fee narrows the gap, so check the table at your own numbers.
Why is Kajabi more expensive in 2026?
In January 2026 Kajabi retired its Kickstarter plan and raised Basic from $149 to $179 a month. Many reviews written before then still quote the old prices.
Does any Kajabi alternative include email marketing?
Podia includes email marketing on its plans. Allied Tribes does not have email broadcasts or funnels; it uses Tribe posts, chat and in-app notifications instead.
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