Systeme.io vs Kajabi: Real Monthly Cost at $0, $1K and $5K in Sales

Kajabi costs $179 a month. Systeme.io has a free plan and a $17 paid plan. So is the cheap one "good enough", or will you outgrow it and end up paying for Kajabi anyway?

This Systeme.io vs Kajabi comparison answers that with numbers, not feature lists. You'll see what each platform really costs at $0, $1,000 and $5,000 a month in sales, and at 1,000 and 10,000 contacts. We cover Kajabi's extra fee if you use your own payment processor, what you give up with Systeme.io, and a short checklist if you're switching.

We don't sell either platform's course, and we'll tell you when Kajabi is the better buy.

On this page

1. Systeme.io vs Kajabi: who wins each category
2. How we compared
3. Real monthly cost at $0, $1,000 and $5,000 in sales
4. Cost by list size: 1,000 vs 10,000 contacts
5. Kajabi's third-party processor fee, explained
6. Systeme.io: the low-cost all-in-one
7. Kajabi: the premium bundle
8. What you give up with Systeme.io
9. When Kajabi is worth it
10. Who should pick which
11. Switching from Kajabi to Systeme.io: a checklist
12. FAQ
13. The bottom line

Systeme.io vs Kajabi: who wins each category

Here's the short version. Prices are monthly billing at the time of our last check. Please confirm on each official pricing page before you buy.

Systeme.io wins on cost. Kajabi wins on finish, mobile delivery and a few extras. The rest of this guide shows whether those extras are worth the gap.

How we compared

We compared real monthly cost at named sales levels and list sizes, each platform's cut of a sale, the limits you hit first, and what you give up by going cheaper. Prices, limits and fees come from official pricing pages, plan data and help centers, and vendor claims are attributed. We didn't run paid accounts for this comparison. Our full method is on how we review.

Real monthly cost at $0, $1,000 and $5,000 in sales

Here's what you'd pay each month for one course and a list under 2,000 contacts: plan price plus any platform fee.

How we got these numbers:

• Systeme.io: no transaction fees on any plan, so cost is the plan price. We assume Startup ($17) once you're selling, because Free's 1 tag, 1 automation rule and 1 email campaign rarely cover a freebie plus a paid product. Our Systeme.io review shows exactly where Free runs out.
• Kajabi with Kajabi Payments: $179 with no Kajabi cut.
• Kajabi with your own Stripe: $179 + 2% of sales. At $1,000 that's $179 + $20 = $199. At $5,000 it's $179 + $100 = $279.
• Card processing is left out. You pay it on both platforms. On Kajabi Payments, US rates are 2.9% + 30¢ on Basic. On Systeme.io, Stripe or PayPal charges its own standard rate.

At $5,000 a month, Kajabi Basic takes about 3.6% of revenue ($179 ÷ $5,000) on Kajabi Payments. Systeme.io Startup takes about 0.3%.

Paying yearly narrows the gap a little. Kajabi Basic drops to $143 a month ($1,716 a year), and Systeme.io Startup drops to $170 a year, about $14 a month. That's still roughly $1,546 a year apart.

Enter your own monthly sales to see what Kajabi and other course platforms cost once plan price and platform fees are added, then compare with Systeme.io's flat $0, $17 or $47.

Prefer a full page? Try our real cost calculator.

Cost by list size: 1,000 vs 10,000 contacts

Both platforms also price by contacts, and their tiers break at different points.

The step that matters most is at 2,500. Kajabi Basic includes 2,500 contacts, so a list of 3,000 puts you on Growth at $249. Kajabi does sell extra contacts ("blocks of 25,000 for $125 a month"), but Basic plus one block is $304, so Growth is the cheaper route.

At 10,000 contacts over a year:

• Systeme.io Webinar: $564 on monthly billing, or $470 paid yearly.
• Kajabi Growth: $2,988 on monthly billing, or $2,388 paid yearly ($199 a month).

That's a gap of $1,918 to $2,424 a year, before any processor fee. Note that 10,000 is Webinar's ceiling, so a list still growing would move to Unlimited at $97, which is still under Kajabi Basic.

Both include unlimited marketing emails. If email is most of your business, a dedicated email tool may suit you better than either; see the best email marketing for creators.

Kajabi's third-party processor fee, explained

Kajabi takes no revenue share if you use Kajabi Payments. If you use another processor (except PayPal) where Kajabi Payments is available, add 2% on Basic, 1% on Growth or 0.5% on Pro.

Kajabi's pricing page adds that if you're in a region where Kajabi Payments isn't offered, "there is no additional processing fee."

Here's what that fee adds at common sales levels:

Systeme.io's pricing page says: "No transaction fees. Accept payments using Stripe or PayPal at no extra cost." You pay Stripe's or PayPal's normal processing, and nothing on top.

Systeme.io: the low-cost all-in-one

Systeme.io

Best for: Beginners and lean sellers who want funnels, email and courses in one place

Free plan; paid from $17/mo

Free plan

Yes, 2,000 contacts, no card needed (per Systeme.io)

Platform fee

0% on every plan

Startup ($17/mo)

5,000 contacts, 10 funnels, 5 courses

Sender email

needs your own domain (no Gmail or Yahoo)

Skip it if: your brand depends on a premium look, your students expect a mobile app, or you'd rather pay more than spend time on templates.

Start Systeme.io free →Opens systeme.io · affiliate link

Systeme.io bundles funnels, checkout, email, courses, communities, a website and blog, and your own affiliate program. Plans are Free, Startup ($17), Webinar ($47) and Unlimited ($97) a month, with 2 months free on annual billing.

Startup allows 10 funnels and 5 courses; Webinar allows 50 funnels and 20 courses (Systeme.io's own plan data; the pricing FAQ's "unlimited" wording overstates this). Students are unlimited on paid plans, and every plan sends unlimited emails.

Two practical points to plan for:

• Your own domain for sending. Systeme.io's help center says @gmail.com addresses can no longer send to your list, and Yahoo is blocked by its own email policy. Budget for a domain and a mailbox on it.
• Limits are enforced. Go over a limit and Systeme.io warns you for 3 days, then restricts the account (opt-ins, payments and campaigns stop) until you upgrade or trim. On cancellation, contacts above 2,000 are archived, not deleted.

Start Systeme.io free →Free plan: 2,000 contacts, 0% transaction fees

Kajabi: the premium bundle

Kajabi

Best for: Established creators who use the whole bundle

From $179/mo · trial up to 14 days

Free plan

No (trial of up to 14 days)

Platform fee

0% with Kajabi Payments or PayPal

Basic

2,500 contacts, 5 products, 1 website

Refunds

30-day money-back guarantee

Skip it if: you're pre-revenue, or your list is past 2,500 contacts and $249 a month for Growth would be a big share of your sales.

See Kajabi's plans →Opens kajabi.com

Kajabi's plans are Basic $179, Growth $249 and Pro $499 a month, or $143, $199 and $399 billed annually. Every plan includes unlimited funnels, landing pages and marketing emails, plus a custom domain.

The jump from Basic to Growth buys more than contacts. Growth adds your own affiliate program, removes Kajabi branding, unlocks advanced automations and webhooks, and includes 500 AI credits (Basic has none). Pro adds the branded mobile app, API access and 100,000 contacts.

Kajabi says "every plan has a 30-day money-back guarantee." Its trial runs up to 14 days with a card authorization hold, and bulk contact import, a custom email domain and some automation actions are locked during it. Bringing an existing list? You'll likely need a paid plan to test a full migration.

See Kajabi's current plans →Opens Kajabi's official site

What you give up with Systeme.io

A fair comparison covers this side too. These are the gaps we could verify.

A student mobile app. Kajabi's help center says the Kajabi Mobile App "is free and ready to use without setup", and members can open "courses, coaching, private podcasts, and Backstage" in it. A Branded Mobile App with your own logo is included on Pro, or $199 a month as an add-on. We couldn't find a Systeme.io student app on its official pages; third-party reviews say students use a mobile browser. If an app matters to your students, please confirm with Systeme.io first.

Polish and design time. Kajabi's own comparison page says Systeme.io's funnels "appear somewhat outdated". That's a competitor's claim, but independent reviewers also describe some Systeme.io templates as dated. Budget extra design time if your brand relies on a premium look.

Coaching, podcasts and community depth. Kajabi delivers coaching programs and podcasts alongside courses, and its comparison page notes podcasts aren't among Systeme.io's features. On community count, Systeme.io leads (5 on Startup vs 1 on Kajabi Basic). If coaching or a podcast is a core product, map how you'd deliver it in Systeme.io before you commit.

Email editor depth. Kajabi's comparison page says Systeme.io has "limited merge field options". That's Kajabi's view, so test the editor on the free plan if you rely on personalized emails.

Unlimited funnels. Kajabi includes them on every plan. Systeme.io caps them at 10 on Startup and 50 on Webinar.

Support. Kajabi's comparison page says Growth and Pro include 24/7 chat support. Systeme.io advertises 24/7 online support with "an average response time of under 2 hours", though some low-star reviews describe slower help.

When Kajabi is worth it

For some creators, Kajabi earns its price. It's likely worth it if:

• It's a small share of revenue. At $10,000 a month in sales, Kajabi Basic is under 2% of revenue. Growth vs Systeme.io Unlimited is a $152 gap, or about 1.5%.
• Your students use an app. The free Kajabi Mobile App, or a branded app on Pro, may lift engagement for programs people take on their phones.
• You run a podcast, coaching and courses together and want them in one dashboard.
• You'd pay to save design time. If Kajabi's templates save you a few hours a month, the gap can pay for itself.
• Many members already pay through Kajabi Payments. Moving recurring subscriptions can put revenue at risk (see the checklist below).

A simple test: Kajabi Basic costs $162 a month more than Systeme.io Startup. If Kajabi's extras will earn or save you more than that each month, it's a reasonable buy.

Who should pick which

Match your stage, not your ambitions:

• Pre-revenue or testing an idea: Systeme.io Free. Move to Startup ($17) when you add a second freebie or a paid product.
• $1,000 to $5,000 a month, list under 5,000: Systeme.io Startup at $17, unless you specifically need Kajabi's app or podcast.
• List of 5,000 to 10,000: Systeme.io Webinar ($47) vs Kajabi Growth ($249). The $202 gap is hard to justify unless Kajabi's extras drive sales.
• $10,000+ a month and using the whole bundle: Kajabi is a fair choice. Use Kajabi Payments or PayPal to avoid the extra fee, and consider annual billing.
• Course-first, with email handled elsewhere: neither may be ideal. Our Thinkific vs Teachable comparison covers dedicated course platforms.

Switching from Kajabi to Systeme.io: a checklist

Most of the risk is in moving paying members, not videos. The short version:

1. Count what you use. Products, funnels, contacts, communities. Pick the Systeme.io plan by your tightest limit (Startup: 10 funnels, 5 courses, 5,000 contacts).
2. Set up a sender address on your own domain before you import anyone.
3. Export everything first: contacts, your customer list (who owns which product) and original video files.
4. Rebuild one product and test it with a real purchase, then refund it.
5. Sort out subscriptions. Recurring payments live with the processor that holds the card details. If yours run through Kajabi Payments, ask Kajabi support in writing whether they can move. If not, plan a re-subscribe campaign with a clear end date.
6. Overlap at least one billing cycle so nobody loses access mid-move.
7. Move your domain last, then cancel Kajabi.

Systeme.io's pricing FAQ lists a free migration service on its Unlimited plan; ask for a timeline in writing, as some reviewers say migrations ran long. The full step-by-step is in our Kajabi alternatives guide.

FAQ

Is Systeme.io better than Kajabi?

For most beginners, Systeme.io is the better value: a free plan, a $17 paid plan and 0% platform fees. Kajabi fits better if you want a student app, podcasts and a more polished look, and its price is a small share of your revenue.

How much cheaper is Systeme.io than Kajabi?

On monthly billing, Systeme.io Startup is $17 and Kajabi Basic is $179, a gap of $162 a month. At 10,000 contacts, it's $47 (Webinar) against $249 (Growth). Add Kajabi's 2% fee if you use your own Stripe on Basic.

Does Kajabi charge transaction fees?

Kajabi takes no revenue share if you use Kajabi Payments. If you use another processor (except PayPal) where Kajabi Payments is available, add 2% on Basic, 1% on Growth or 0.5% on Pro. Card processing applies either way.

Does Systeme.io have a mobile app like Kajabi?

We couldn't find a Systeme.io student app on its official pages; third-party reviews say students use a mobile browser. Kajabi offers a free Kajabi Mobile App for members, and a branded app on Pro or as a $199/month add-on.

Can I move from Kajabi to Systeme.io?

Yes, with some manual work. Export contacts, customer lists and videos, rebuild and test one product, and plan how to move recurring subscriptions. Systeme.io lists a free migration service on its $97 Unlimited plan.

Is Kajabi worth the money?

It can be once you're earning steadily: at $10,000 a month in sales, Basic is under 2% of revenue. Before that, $179 a month is a big fixed cost.

The bottom line

Kajabi is a polished, premium all-in-one, priced like one. Systeme.io gives you funnels, email, checkout and a course for $0 to $47 a month up to 10,000 contacts, with no platform fee.

If you're starting out or selling up to a few thousand dollars a month, Systeme.io is the easier recommendation. Start free, upgrade to Startup when you add a second offer, and put the $162 a month toward your business. If you're established, use the bundle and want an app for your students, Kajabi earns its place. Use Kajabi Payments to avoid the extra fee.

Create your free Systeme.io account →Free plan: 2,000 contacts, no card needed

Still comparing? See Kajabi's pricing or read our Kajabi alternatives guide.