When it comes to creating and selling online courses, there are many options available. Two popular platforms that often come up in comparison are Kajabi and Thinkific. Both offer a variety of features and tools to help course creators build and market their content, but which one is right for you?
Kajabi is an all-in-one platform that provides course creators with everything they need to create, market, and sell their courses. It includes features such as landing pages, email marketing, and a sales funnel builder. Thinkific, on the other hand, is a course creation platform that focuses on providing users with a simple and intuitive course building experience.
Kajabi: Pros and Cons
When it comes to online course creation, Kajabi is a popular platform that has gained a lot of attention. However, like any tool, it has its pros and cons. Here are a few things to consider:
Pros
- All-in-one platform: Kajabi offers a comprehensive set of features that include course creation, website building, email marketing, and more. This makes it a great choice for those who want an all-in-one solution for their online business.
- Superior course delivery: Kajabi’s course delivery is top-notch, with features like drip content, quizzes, and assessments. It also has a mobile app that allows you to connect with your customers on the go.
- Robust community features: Kajabi offers a range of community features that allow you to engage with your students and build a loyal following. This includes features like forums, comments, and live events.
Cons
- Expensive pricing: Kajabi’s pricing plans are quite expensive, with the basic plan starting at $149/month. This makes it less accessible for those who are just starting out or on a tight budget.
- Limited customization options: While Kajabi offers a range of templates and themes, it has limited customization options. This can be frustrating for those who want more control over the look and feel of their online course.
- Steep learning curve: Kajabi can be quite complex and overwhelming for beginners. It takes time to learn and master all of its features, which can be a drawback for those who want a more straightforward and easy-to-use platform.
Thinkific: Pros and Cons
When it comes to Thinkific, there are several pros and cons to consider. Here are some of the most important:
Pros
- Free plan: Thinkific offers a free plan that allows you to release your course at no cost. However, this plan comes with some limitations.
- Course builder: Thinkific offers a course builder designed for course creators. It’s simple and gives creators the ability to build their entire course without a big learning curve.
- Customization options: Thinkific offers a lot of customization options, including the ability to create custom pages, add your own branding, and more.
- Affiliate program: Thinkific has an affiliate program that allows you to earn money by referring new customers to the platform.
Cons
- Limited sales and marketing tools: Thinkific simply does not have the same sales and marketing functionalities as Kajabi. This can make it more difficult to market and sell your courses.
- Limited integrations: Thinkific has fewer integrations than Kajabi, which can make it more difficult to connect with other tools you may be using.
- Limited support: While Thinkific does offer support, it may not be as comprehensive as what you would get with Kajabi.
Overall, Thinkific can be a good option for those who are just starting out with online course creation or who don’t need the same level of sales and marketing tools as Kajabi. However, if you’re looking for a more comprehensive platform with more advanced features, Kajabi may be the better choice.
Kajabi vs Thinkific: Features Comparison
When choosing between Kajabi and Thinkific, it’s important to consider the features of each platform. Here’s a comparison of the key features of both platforms.
Online Course Creation
Both Kajabi and Thinkific offer a range of features for creating online courses, including the ability to create and manage course content, set up quizzes and assessments, and track student progress. However, Kajabi offers more advanced features for course creation, such as the ability to create and sell membership sites, webinars, and coaching programs. Kajabi also provides more customization options for course design.
Website Builder
Kajabi and Thinkific both offer website building tools that allow you to create a professional-looking website for your online course business. However, Kajabi’s website builder is more robust and offers more customization options, including the ability to add custom code and integrate with third-party tools. Kajabi also provides more templates and design options for your website.
Landing Page Builder
Both Kajabi and Thinkific include landing page builders that allow you to create high-converting landing pages for your courses. However, Kajabi’s landing page builder is more advanced and includes more customization options, such as the ability to add custom code and integrate with third-party tools. Kajabi also provides more templates and design options for your landing pages.
Email Marketing
Kajabi includes an integrated email marketing system that allows you to send targeted emails to your subscribers and customers. Thinkific, on the other hand, does not include an email marketing system and requires you to integrate with third-party email marketing tools, such as Mailchimp or ConvertKit. Kajabi’s email marketing system is more advanced and includes more automation and segmentation options.
Ease of Use
When it comes to creating and managing online courses, ease of use is a critical factor that can make or break a platform. In this section, we will compare the ease of use of Kajabi and Thinkific.
Kajabi
Kajabi is a comprehensive platform that offers a wide range of features and tools to help you create, market, and sell your online courses. Despite the platform’s complexity, Kajabi is relatively easy to use, thanks to its intuitive user interface and drag-and-drop editor.
One of the standout features of Kajabi is its visual editor, which allows you to customize your course pages and sales pages with ease. You can easily add text, images, videos, and other multimedia elements to your pages and arrange them in any way you like.
Kajabi also offers a wide range of templates and themes that you can use to create a professional-looking website in minutes. The platform also provides a variety of pre-built pipelines and automations, making it easy to set up email campaigns, sales funnels, and other marketing strategies.
Thinkific
Thinkific is a user-friendly platform that is designed to be easy to use for both beginners and experienced course creators. The platform provides a simple and intuitive interface that allows you to create and manage your courses with ease.
One of the standout features of Thinkific is its course builder, which allows you to create courses using a drag-and-drop editor. You can easily add and arrange course modules, lessons, quizzes, and other elements to create a comprehensive course curriculum.
Thinkific also provides a wide range of customization options, allowing you to brand your courses and website to match your business’s look and feel. The platform also offers a variety of integrations with third-party tools such as Zapier, Mailchimp, and Google Analytics, making it easy to automate your marketing and sales processes.
Pricing Comparison
When it comes to pricing, both Kajabi and Thinkific offer a variety of plans to choose from. However, there are some key differences to consider.
Kajabi’s pricing plans start at $149 per month for the Basic plan, which includes features such as unlimited landing pages, marketing emails, and products. The Growth plan is priced at $199 per month and includes additional features like affiliate marketing and advanced automations. The Pro plan is the most expensive at $399 per month and includes all the features of the other plans as well as a dedicated success manager and custom development.
On the other hand, Thinkific’s pricing plans start at a lower price point of $39 per month for the Basic plan, which includes features such as unlimited courses, quizzes, and students. The Pro plan is priced at $79 per month and includes additional features like certificates and priority support. The Premier plan is the most expensive at $399 per month and includes all the features of the other plans as well as onboarding support and a dedicated account manager.
It’s worth noting that both platforms offer a 30-day money-back guarantee, which allows users to try out the platform before committing to a plan.
Customer Support
When it comes to customer support, both Kajabi and Thinkific offer a range of options to help you get the most out of their platforms. However, there are some differences between the two.
Kajabi offers 24/7 technical and customer support through chat, making it easy to get help whenever you need it. They also have a comprehensive knowledge base and a community forum where you can connect with other users and get advice and tips.
On the other hand, Thinkific offers virtual chatbot customer support, which is available 24/7. They also offer the option to create a support ticket, and a live Q&A training session. However, their response time may take up to 24 hours.
While both platforms offer excellent customer support, Kajabi’s 24/7 chat support makes it a better option for those who need immediate assistance. However, Thinkific’s personalized virtual chatbot support and live Q&A training sessions may be more suitable for those who prefer a more hands-on approach to learning.
Integration Capabilities
When it comes to integration capabilities, both Kajabi and Thinkific offer a variety of options to connect with other tools and platforms.
Kajabi offers native integrations with popular tools like Zapier, Mailchimp, and Stripe. They also offer a robust API, allowing for custom integrations with other tools. Additionally, Kajabi offers a WordPress plugin, which allows you to easily embed Kajabi content on your WordPress site.
Thinkific also offers a number of native integrations, including Zapier, Mailchimp, and Stripe. They also offer a robust API, allowing for custom integrations with other tools. Thinkific also offers a WordPress plugin, which allows you to easily embed Thinkific content on your WordPress site.
One area where Kajabi shines is in their integrations with marketing automation tools like Infusionsoft and ActiveCampaign. These integrations allow you to easily automate your marketing campaigns and track your results within Kajabi.
On the other hand, Thinkific offers a unique integration with Shopify, allowing you to sell your courses directly through your Shopify store. This can be a great option if you already have a Shopify store and want to add online courses to your offerings.
User Reviews
We scoured the internet to find user reviews for both Kajabi and Thinkific. Here’s what we found:
Kajabi User Reviews
Kajabi has a 4.7 out of 5 rating on Trustpilot with 487 reviews. Users praise Kajabi for its ease of use, customizable themes, and excellent customer support. One user wrote, “I’ve used several platforms and Kajabi is by far the easiest to use and has the best customer support.”
On G2, Kajabi has a 4.3 out of 5 rating with 179 reviews. Users appreciate Kajabi’s marketing tools, course creation capabilities, and integrations with other software. One user wrote, “Kajabi is the only platform I need to create and market my online courses. It’s intuitive and has everything I need to run my business.”
Thinkific User Reviews
Thinkific has a 4.6 out of 5 rating on Trustpilot with 1,132 reviews. Users love Thinkific’s ease of use, customer support, and course customization options. One user wrote, “Thinkific has been a game changer for my business. It’s easy to use and has helped me create professional-looking courses.”
On G2, Thinkific has a 4.5 out of 5 rating with 431 reviews. Users appreciate Thinkific’s course creation tools, integrations, and customer support. One user wrote, “Thinkific has everything I need to create and sell my online courses. Their customer support is top-notch and always there to help when I have questions.”
Conclusion
After exploring the features, pros, and cons of both Kajabi and Thinkific, we can confidently say that both platforms offer great tools for creating and selling online courses.
If you’re looking for a platform that provides more customization options and advanced marketing tools, Kajabi might be the better choice for you. Its page builder is more powerful and allows for greater customization, and it offers features such as podcasting and community building.
On the other hand, if you’re on a budget and looking for a more affordable option, Thinkific might be the better choice. It offers a great user experience, ease of use, and excellent customer service.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the differences between Kajabi and Thinkific?
Kajabi is an all-in-one platform for creating and marketing digital products, while Thinkific is focused solely on online course creation. Kajabi offers more advanced sales and marketing functionalities, such as email marketing automation and affiliate management, while Thinkific has a simpler interface and is more affordable.
What sets Kajabi apart from other online course platforms?
Kajabi’s all-in-one platform and advanced marketing features make it a comprehensive solution for creating and marketing digital products. Its email marketing automation, affiliate management, and customizable checkout pages set it apart from other online course platforms.
