# Skool vs Kajabi: pricing, fees and features

Source: https://alliedtribes.com/compare/skool-vs-kajabi

Updated: 2026-10-26

Skool describes itself as a community platform where you can discover communities or create your own, with a feed, courses, a calendar and gamification. Kajabi calls itself the operating system for human expertise: courses, coaching, communities, memberships, podcasts, email, funnels and a website builder in one suite. Here is how the two compare, with prices checked on skool.com and kajabi.com in October 2026.

> **Who wrote this** Allied Tribes publishes this page and is neither Skool nor Kajabi. Both sides get a "where it wins" list, prices come from each platform's own site, and Allied Tribes appears only as a third option at the end.

## The short answer

Choose **Skool** if your group is the product, you want to start for $9 a month, and you do not need email or funnels. Choose **Kajabi** if email marketing, funnels and a website are how you sell, and a $179 a month starting price fits your revenue.

People search "Skool vs Kajabi" when deciding between a simple community with courses and a full marketing suite with email and funnels.

## Price and fees at a glance

**Skool vs Kajabi at a glance, as of October 2026**

|  | Skool | Kajabi |
| --- | --- | --- |
| What it is | Paid group app with courses | All-in-one course and marketing suite |
| Price | Hobby $9 a month, Pro $99 a month. No free plan; 14-day free trial. | Basic $179, Growth $249, Pro $499 a month ($143, $199, $399 a month billed yearly). 14-day free trial. |
| Fees | 10% on Hobby, 2.9% on Pro. Skool processes payments itself and its fee covers card processing. | No platform fee on Kajabi Payments; card processing is 2.9% + $0.30 on Basic, 2.8% on Growth and 2.7% on Pro. |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Free trial | 14 days | 14 days |

## What it costs to sell $1,000, $5,000, $20,000 a month

Skool costs less at every level compared here ($1,000, $5,000 and $20,000 a month in sales): $109 against $214, $244 against $354, $679 against $879. These are all-in monthly costs on each platform's cheapest plan for that revenue.

**All-in monthly cost, Skool vs Kajabi, with Allied Tribes for reference (October 2026)**

| Sales per month | Skool | Kajabi | Allied Tribes |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| $1,000 | $109 on Hobby | $214 on Basic | $96 on Pro |
| $5,000 | $244 on Pro | $354 on Basic | $436 on Pro |
| $20,000 | $679 on Pro | $879 on Basic | $1,411 on Leader |

_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._

## Where Skool wins

- **A far lower starting price:** Hobby is $9 a month against Kajabi Basic at $179.
- **Gamification at the core:** levels, a leaderboard and content that unlocks by level.
- **An established discovery directory** that already sends people to groups.
- **Simplicity.** Skool does fewer things, so there is less to set up.

## Where Kajabi wins

- **Email marketing, sales funnels and a website builder** are built in. Skool has none of them.
- **Affiliate tools** for paying partners who refer buyers.
- **More in one suite:** coaching, memberships and podcasts sit beside courses and the community.
- **No platform fee on Kajabi Payments**, only card processing.

## A third option: Allied Tribes

Allied Tribes keeps a paid group, Lessons (courses), events, live video and paid one-to-one sessions in one place, with Freya, a built-in AI guide, to set it up. It has a Free plan and Pro at $11 a month. At $1,000 a month, Allied Tribes costs about $96, less than both. At $5,000 a month, Allied Tribes costs about $436, more than both. At $20,000 a month, Allied Tribes costs about $1,411, more than both. Its fee is a percentage of sales, so it suits groups that are starting out more than groups already selling thousands a month. See [Allied Tribes vs Skool](https://alliedtribes.com/compare/skool) and [Allied Tribes vs Kajabi](https://alliedtribes.com/compare/kajabi).

## Frequently asked questions

### Is Skool cheaper than Kajabi?

Skool costs less at every level compared here ($1,000, $5,000 and $20,000 a month in sales): $109 against $214, $244 against $354, $679 against $879. Figures are all-in monthly costs, including card processing, on each platform's cheapest plan for that revenue.

### How much does Skool cost in 2026?

As of October 2026: Hobby $9 a month, Pro $99 a month. No free plan; 14-day free trial. 10% on Hobby, 2.9% on Pro. Skool processes payments itself and its fee covers card processing.

### How much does Kajabi cost in 2026?

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.

### Do Skool or Kajabi have a free plan?

No. Neither has a free plan; Skool's trial is 14 days and Kajabi's is 14 days. Allied Tribes has a Free plan with no monthly fee and no card.

Sources:
- [Skool pricing](https://www.skool.com/pricing)
- [Kajabi pricing](https://kajabi.com/pricing)

**Or start your Tribe free** No card, no trial clock. Upgrade to Pro or Leader only when the lower fees pay for themselves. Start free at https://alliedtribes.com/hq/auth.html?mode=signup