Getting a website is the first step to having an online business. The next is usually getting site visitors, and then there’s the challenge of converting those site visitors into actual customers. That’s where sales funnel platforms like ClickFunnels and Kajabi come in. We’ve already done a detailed ClickFunnels review, and we can comfortably say the platform sets the standards for sales funnels globally.
However, there are worthy competitors like Kajabi that can’t be ignored. What’s more, different platforms can’t be perfect in all aspects. In our case, there are clear distinctions between the audiences that ClickFunnels and Kajabi target. The best sales funnel platform for you as an online business owner is the one that has been designed specifically for you.
By the time you finish reading this guide, you should be able to select the best platform for your business.
Brief Overview of ClickFunnels and Kajabi
ClickFunnels can be described as a sales funnel platform that was originally built (by renowned online entrepreneur Russell Brunson) to help website owners convert their site visitors into actual buyers. Like all sales funnels, the goal was to take potential customers through a customer journey that builds trust and effectively converts leads. Today, ClickFunnels is more than a sales funnel. The platform is a website builder, sales funnel builder, content management system, shopping cart, email autoresponder, and so much more.
Kajabi can be described as a sales funnel specifically for persons interested in showcasing and possibly selling their knowledge through online courses, podcasts, coaching programs, memberships, and more.
ClickFunnels vs. Kajabi Differences
For a more in-depth comparison, ClickFunnels and Kajabi differ on three main factors, namely the target audience, product, and purpose of the platforms.
1. Target Audience
As mentioned above, Kajabi is designed for people who would love to share their knowledge online via membership sites, online courses, coaching, etc. Kajabi offers an intuitive interface and simple templates that give you a fast and easy way to create and sell your knowledge.
ClickFunnels, on the other hand, targets individuals looking to sell both services and physical products. While it’s possible to build membership sites and courses with ClickFunnels, they have a wider target audience. They are perfect for persons looking for front-end page builders and more. In fact, ClickFunnels is all you may require to sell any product or service online.
2. Product and/or Service
As mentioned, Kajabi is designed for knowledge Commerce entrepreneurs. It’s basically a content delivery system focused on helping digital entrepreneurs make online courses, membership sites, eBooks, etc., via pre-built templates. You simply need to fill-in-the-blanks to start selling the knowledge you already have in a variety of formats. Kajabi also helps end-users learn better when they buy your training or course.
ClickFunnels is designed around creating robust funnels and a variety of products and services. You can do what Kajabi can do and more as a knowledge entrepreneur online keen on launching your own physical product in the future.
3. Purpose
The last major comparison between Kajabi and ClickFunnels is on purpose. While both platforms focus on helping their target audience to succeed, the suitability of one platform over the other can be best assessed on your purpose online.
Kajabi was built to give knowledge eCommerce entrepreneurs the easiest time when launching their online courses, training, etc. They have purposed to offer a simple all-in-one solution for infopreneurs, online educators, and clientele like influencers with similar intentions.
ClickFunnels, on the other hand, caters to the needs of a variety of users. The platform isn’t as simplified and works for many types of online entrepreneurs, including infopreneurs and online educators.
In a nutshell, ClickFunnels and Kajabi possess overlapping features, but an in-depth look reveals that some types of people may benefit more from one platform than another. Kajabi is better for content delivery, while ClickFunnels is great for eCommerce involving physical and digital products and persons who don’t mind some tech sophistication.
Feature Comparison: Kajabi vs ClickFunnels
1. Sales Funnel Creation and Optimization
There are similarities between the sales funnel features of Kajabi and ClickFunnels. Both platforms have pre-built funnels, making the sales funnel creation process very simple (in just one click). You can also get blank templates that allow you to build sales funnels from scratch if that’s what you want.
The main difference in sales funnel creation is Kajabi sales funnels have pre-written email sequences. You get optimized emails already drafted for you at every step. You can also tweak if you like or use the optimized funnels as they are. ClickFunnels, on the other hand, requires you to write email copies from scratch.
In a nutshell, if you wish to do the least in sales funnel creation and optimization, Kajabi may be better. However, those who don’t mind taking control of the sales funnel creation and optimization process will find ClickFunnels ideal.
2. Membership Site Capabilities
Kajabi has simplified membership management software. The platform has a membership site builder as well as membership management software, which is everything you require to establish and manage a successful membership website.
You’ll get commerce tools like Kajabi Payments, which includes Afterpay and other great payment options. You’ll also get AI tools for building and launching products, as well as a creator studio with easy-to-use editing tools and intuitive reports.
ClickFunnels also has membership site funnels that allow you to create and launch membership sites fast and easy. You can create exclusive members-only experiences, offer varying content, test and prove new ideas, and grow a list of loyal subscribers. However, for content-based membership sites, Kajabi may be a better bet, given its focus on knowledge eCommerce entrepreneurs.
3. E-commerce and Product Selling
ClickFunnels and Kajabi for online courses and more: As mentioned, Kajabi is an all-in-one platform for course creators and other knowledge eCommerce entrepreneurs. Content creators love Kajabi due to their focus on course creation tools. While it’s possible for knowledge entrepreneurs to create courses with ClickFunnels, the process is different and somewhat more challenging.
For instance, you will be required to host content on YouTube or Vimeo before adding the videos to ClickFunnels. Generally, ClickFunnels doesn’t offer as much support for creating digital products like online courses, making them better for other products.
On the other hand, Kajabi is renowned for creating courses, membership sites, coaching programs, etc. While you can build from scratch if you like, Kajabi is simpler. In a nutshell, Kajabi was made for online educators.
4. Email Marketing and Automation
Both platforms have great email marketing systems, with the most notable difference being the level of complexity. ClickFunnels is somewhat more complicated to use. ClickFunnels is also more suitable for transactional emails. If you want the freedom to send all kinds of emails, you may need another service, which translates to extra costs and integration challenges.
Kajabi users just need to sign up and upload their email list to start sending emails. It’s also possible to create drip campaigns and professional emails fast and easy. Most importantly, Kajabi offers email marketing with A/B testing (analytics tools), and it’s possible to create complex rules for email automation triggered by factors like user behavior, purchases, and other email metrics. For a more advanced email marketing solution, Kajabi is better; otherwise, ClickFunnels offers a straightforward solution.
5. Design and Customization
ClickFunnels and Kajabi have design and customization tools, including website-building templates. However, Kajabi is designed for beginners. There are many pre-made templates and drag & drop functionality allowing you to create professional websites with no coding experience. The templates are also responsive on all devices. However, customization options on factors like template layout may be limited.
ClickFunnels is a more powerful tool but is more challenging to use. You need some coding expertise to get the best out of ClickFunnels. While there are a wide range of pre-built templates, you can create from scratch. In a nutshell, Kajabi is a better choice for limited customization. However, Clickfunnels stands out for advanced design customization.
6. Pricing Plans Comparison
Cost is a critical factor when comparing any online platforms, let alone sales funnels. A quick glance at the pricing options reveals that Kajabi is the more expensive plan. Here’s a summary table to show the difference.
| ClickFunnels | Kajabi | |
| Basic Plan | $147 paid monthly, $127 paid yearly. | $149 paid monthly, $119 paid yearly |
| Mid | $197 paid monthly, $157 paid annually. | $199 paid monthly, $159 paid yearly |
| Pro | $297 paid monthly, $208 paid annually. | $399 paid monthly, $319 paid yearly |
| Funnels | 20 basic plan, 100 for mid, unlimited funnels for pro plan | 3 basic plan, 15 for mid plan, 100 funnels for pro plan |
| Pages/Domains | 1 for basic, 3 for mid, 9 for pro | 1 for basic, 1 for mid, 3 for pro |
All platforms have a discount for those who pay annually. However, Kajabi costs more, considering you get less funnels, pages, and domains on a plan-to-plan comparison basis. While you can argue that Kajabi eliminates costly 3rd party integrations, ClickFunnels offers everything under one roof. Unless you want a specialized platform as a knowledge entrepreneur, ClickFunnels is cheaper and less limiting.
7. User Experience and Interface
As mentioned, while both platforms don’t require coding experience to use at basic to mid-levels, Kajabi is more user-friendly and easy to use. For those willing to customize their templates from scratch and enjoy more options, ClickFunnels is better.
8. Integration and Compatibility
Kajabi offers wider integrations than ClickFunnels i.e., with payment processors, email marketing platforms, and CRM systems. Custom integrations are also available, as well as compatibility with major devices and web browsers.
ClickFunnels doesn’t offer custom integrations and only focuses on integrations with popular CRM systems, payment processors, and email marketing platforms. If you wish for more integration, Kajabi is a better bet. However, if you can work with the tools and services available, ClickFunnels is all you need.
9. Support and Customer Service
Both platforms have many self-help resources (tutorials, webinars, knowledge bases, etc.). However, Kajabi offers 24/7 support (besides email and phone support). ClickFunnels doesn’t offer 24/7 live chat. However, you’ll likely get all the help you need in self-help resources.
Decision-Making Factors
Given the above ClickFunnels and Kajabi differences and similarities, which platform is better for you? How should you decide? Well, consider the factors below;
1. Summarizing the Key Differences and Strengths of Each Platform
Before you decide, note down the main pros and cons of each platform to make comparison easier. Based on the information provided, it’s easy to distinguish which platform is better in regard to different factors.
2. Considering Your Business Goals and Specific Needs
Proceed and consider your goals. As seen above, Kajabi is perfect for knowledge entrepreneurs, while ClickFunnels works for both knowledge entrepreneurs and everyone else. If you need a highly specialized platform for online course creation, coaching, membership site, Kajabi will match such specific needs perfectly.
3. Weighing the Importance of Pricing, Features, And User Experience
Lastly, consider the cost. As seen, different platforms have similar pricing tiers. However, they offer different things. Determine if you need to pay for the pro plan (for advanced users) or lesser plans based on the features you need and factors like user experience.
Conclusion
We recommend ClickFunnels for specific scenarios i.e., when you don’t want to limit your online entrepreneurial journey i.e., when selling both physical goods and services online and need highly custom solutions at an affordable rate. ClickFunnels also offers more funnels, pages, and domains.
We recommend Kajabi to knowledge entrepreneurs who want to turn what they know into a business i.e., sell a course, coaching, membership, etc. Kajabi is also perfect for those who don’t want complex funnels and hard-to-use platforms. Kajabi is made for users keen on launching their businesses fast and easy. If 24/7 live chat is also critical, Kajabi is for you!
However, since both platforms have a 14-day free trial, we encourage you to test both platforms (including ClickFunnels 2.0) before making your decision. While we’ve tried our best to give you a detailed ClickFunnels vs Kajabi review, there’s obviously more to both platforms i.e., ClickFunnels vs. Kajabi affiliate programs and more. The importance of ensuring you are working with the right platform can’t be overemphasized.