Kajabi vs Teachable (2026): The Real Math on Transaction Fees & Tool Stacks
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Quick Verdict: Which Platform Fits Your Real Business?
- Choose Teachable if you are launching your first course, want to minimize upfront risk, or already have dedicated email and marketing tools that you love. Teachable Starter ($39/mo or $29/mo annual) supports 5 published products with a 7.5% platform transaction fee, while Builder ($89/mo or $69/mo annual) supports 10 published products with 0% platform transaction fees.
- Choose Kajabi if you want to run courses, advanced email marketing, sales funnels, community memberships, and coaching inside one deeply unified ecosystem. Kajabi Basic ($179/mo or $143/mo annual) is justified when its integrated toolset eliminates software subscriptions you would otherwise buy separately.
- Do not choose Kajabi based on revenue alone. A creator earning $5,000/month from a single course with an existing email tool is often far better served by Teachable Builder than by a more expensive all-in-one suite.
Section 1: Transaction Fees & The Break-Even Arithmetic
Most comparisons gloss over fee structures, yet pricing model philosophy is where these two giants diverge completely. Teachable offers a low sticker price but takes a cut of your sales on its entry tier. Kajabi has a steep monthly price floor but takes 0% in platform transaction fees when using its native payment gateway.
How Teachable Starter Actually Charges You
Teachable Starter costs $39/month (billed monthly) or $29/month (billed annually). On this plan, Teachable charges a 7.5% platform transaction fee on every single sale. Standard payment processing fees (typically ~2.9% + $0.30 via Teachable Payments) apply separately across all platforms.
The Break-Even Formula: Starter vs. Builder
At what exact monthly sales volume does paying a 7.5% transaction fee cost you more than upgrading to Teachable Builder ($89/mo with 0% platform fees)?
Monthly Billing Break-Even:
($89 − $39) ÷ 0.075 = $666.67 / month in course sales.
Annual Billing Break-Even (Monthly Equivalent):
($69 − $29) ÷ 0.075 = $533.33 / month in course sales.
The math is unequivocal: if you sell more than roughly $667/month on a month-to-month plan (or $533/month on an annual commitment), you are paying a voluntary penalty by staying on the "cheaper" Starter plan.
| Monthly Course Sales | Starter ($39 + 7.5% Fee) | Builder ($89 + 0% Fee) | Cheaper Option | Monthly Overpayment on Starter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $300 | $61.50 | $89.00 | Starter | — |
| $500 | $76.50 | $89.00 | Starter | — |
| $667 | $89.00 | $89.00 | Break-Even | $0 |
| $1,000 | $114.00 | $89.00 | Builder | +$25.00/mo |
| $1,500 | $151.50 | $89.00 | Builder | +$62.50/mo |
| $3,000 | $264.00 | $89.00 | Builder | +$175.00/mo |
| $5,000 | $414.00 | $89.00 | Builder | +$325.00/mo |
The Kajabi Side: High Floor, Flat Ceiling (With an Important Exception)
Kajabi Basic costs $179/month (monthly) or $143/month (annual). When processing transactions via Kajabi Payments, Kajabi charges 0% platform fees.
Crucial Fact Check: The Third-Party Stripe Penalty:
If you operate in a country where Kajabi Payments is supported and you choose to connect an external Stripe gateway, Kajabi charges an additional fee on sales:
- Basic Plan: 2% additional fee
- Growth Plan: 1% additional fee
- Pro Plan: 0.5% additional fee
Exceptions: This extra fee does not apply to PayPal transactions, nor does it apply to creators based in countries where Kajabi Payments is currently unavailable. Always confirm native payment gateway eligibility before enrolling.
Section 2: Total Cost of Ownership — All-in-One vs. The Franken-Stack
A course platform rarely operates in isolation. You need email broadcasts, landing pages, and lead capture funnels. Teachable focuses on course delivery, leading many creators to construct a multi-tool "Franken-stack". Kajabi bundles these functions natively.
However, comparing Kajabi exclusively against the most bloated, expensive external tool combinations is misleading. Here is an honest appraisal of the realistic setups:
| Stack Architecture | Tool Components | Monthly Fixed Cost | Platform Fee on Sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setup A: Lean Starter | Teachable Starter + Kit Free (up to 10k subscribers) | $39 | 7.5% |
| Setup B: Zero-Fee Lean | Teachable Builder + Kit Free | $89 | 0% |
| Setup C: Marketing Stack | Teachable Builder ($89) + Kit Creator ($59) + Leadpages ($49) | $197 | 0% |
| Setup D: Kajabi All-in-One | Kajabi Basic (Courses, Email, Pages, Funnels, Community) | $143 (annual) / $179 (monthly) | 0% (with Kajabi Payments) |
The Truth About Stack Economics
- If you only need course hosting and basic email broadcasts: Setup B (Teachable Builder + Kit Free) at $89/month is dramatically cheaper than Kajabi Basic ($179/month). Buying Kajabi for simple video delivery is paying for an enterprise cockpit to drive down the street.
- If you genuinely use paid email automation and dedicated funnel tools: Setup C costs $197/month across three subscriptions. Consolidating into Kajabi Basic ($143–$179/month) saves $18 to $54 per month while eliminating integration friction and Zapier webhook failures.
Section 3: Product Limits & Feature Capabilities
It is common to hear marketing claims that Teachable only supports basic video while Kajabi does everything. Let us look at what the platforms actually provide in 2026:
| Capability | Teachable (2026) | Kajabi (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Published Products (Entry Plan) | 5 products on Starter (10 on Builder) | 5 products on Basic (50 on Growth) |
| Active Contacts / Students | Unlimited students (plan tiered email) | 2,500 contacts on Basic (expandable) |
| Native Community | Included (Memberships & Spaces) | Included (Gamified Community Engine) |
| Coaching Products | Native coaching sessions | Native 1-on-1 coaching packages |
| Digital Downloads & Bundles | Supported | Supported |
| Native Podcast Hosting | Not a core feature | Built-in private/public podcast feeds |
| Sales Funnel Pipelines | Basic checkout upsells | Multi-stage visual pipeline automations |
| Affiliate Management | Included on Builder ($89) and above | Included on Growth ($199) and above |
The Core Distinction: Teachable can build courses, communities, memberships, and upsells. Kajabi does not have a monopoly on these features. Rather, Kajabi excels in orchestration: linking an email trigger to a funnel stage, granting community access upon course completion, and managing marketing campaigns within one database.
Section 4: The Hidden Gotchas & Trade-Offs
Teachable Gotchas
- The Scaled Fee Penalty: While reasonable at $200/mo in sales, a 7.5% platform fee on $2,000/mo equals $150/mo in fees alone—costing more than an entire Builder subscription.
- Payout Timing Dependencies: Depending on whether you use Teachable Payments or custom gateways, reserve hold periods and payout delays can impact cash flow for creators who rely on immediate capital for ad spend.
- External Marketing Dependence: If your launch relies on complex tagging, behavioral branching, and automated email warm-ups, Teachable native email will feel restrictive.
Kajabi Gotchas
- 2,500 Contact Ceiling on Basic: If your free lead magnet list hits 2,501 people, you must upgrade to the Growth tier ($199/mo annual / $249/mo monthly) or purchase supplemental contact blocks.
- Platform Lock-in: Hosting your courses, domain, email list, community, and funnels in one proprietary platform makes migrating away down the road significantly more arduous.
- Setup Complexity: The learning curve is real. New creators frequently spend weeks tweaking pipelines and web themes instead of validating curriculum demand.
Section 5: Definitive Decision Matrix
| Creator Archetype | Recommended Platform | The Deciding Rationalization |
|---|---|---|
| Validating a first course, zero audience | Teachable Starter | Lowest upfront commitment ($39). The 7.5% fee is negligible while earning under $500/mo. |
| Established course creator with existing email tool | Teachable Builder | $89/mo with 0% platform fees. Keeps your proven email stack without paying Kajabi overhead. |
| Multi-product creator (Course + Community + Coaching) | Kajabi Basic | Eliminates 3+ disparate tools. Centralizes customer logins and billing into a single ecosystem. |
| High-ticket funnel & webinar marketer | Kajabi (Basic or Growth) | Native pipelines, order bumps, one-click upsells, and behavioral email tagging outperform basic checkout pages. |
Test Both Platforms Risk-Free
Both providers offer free trials to explore their administrative dashboards before committing financial resources.
Explore Kajabi (14-Day Trial) Explore Teachable (Free Tier)Frequently Asked Questions
Does Teachable Starter limit you to only one course?
No. In 2026, Teachable Starter allows up to 5 published products across courses, coaching, downloads, and memberships. Builder expands this allowance to 10 products.
Does Kajabi really charge 0% in transaction fees?
Yes, when using native Kajabi Payments. Standard payment processing fees (~2.9% + $0.30) apply. If you connect an external Stripe account in an eligible region, Kajabi assesses a 2% fee on Basic (1% on Growth, 0.5% on Pro).
At what revenue does Teachable Builder become cheaper than Starter?
For monthly billing, the exact break-even point is $666.67/month in sales. For annual billing, the break-even is $533.33/month in sales equivalent.