Does Kajabi charge transaction fees on sales?

No, Kajabi does not take a percentage or revenue-share transaction fee on its paid subscription plans, allowing you to keep 100% of your course and community earnings minus standard payment gateway processing fees.

Can I build advanced email sequences directly inside Teachable?

Teachable provides basic student emails and integrations, but for complex, automated email marketing sequences, most publishers rely on third-party email service providers like ConvertKit or ActiveCampaign.

How do landing page design limits compare between Kajabi and Teachable?

Both platforms utilize user-friendly, block-based site builders. They excel at fast deployment of high-converting sales pages, but publishers requiring highly custom CSS/HTML architecture or external web hosting often find them restrictive compared to dedicated website builders like Webflow or WordPress.

Kajabi vs. Teachable: Platform Comparison for Digital Publishers

Question: Should a digital publisher host their membership community and online courses on 'Kajabi' or 'Teachable', considering landing page design customization limits, built-in email marketing automation sequences, and transaction fee structures on base subscription tiers?

Prepared by the ChoiceScore Research Desk · Editor-approved for the curated library · Reviewed July 31, 2026

It depends Choice Score: 78/100

Direct answer

Choose Kajabi if you require an all-in-one ecosystem with robust built-in email marketing and zero transaction fees, or Teachable if you prefer lower upfront software costs with third-party tool integrations.

Summary

Digital publishers evaluating Kajabi versus Teachable must weigh all-in-one convenience against modular flexibility. Kajabi provides a unified suite featuring advanced email marketing automation, fully integrated membership communities, and zero revenue-sharing transaction fees, though at a higher starting software cost. Teachable offers a lower-tier entry point and flexible course-building structures, but relies on third-party tools for advanced email sequences and imposes transaction fees on its free or lowest-paid tiers unless using specific payment gateways.

Choice Score breakdown

Email Marketing & Automation 90/100 — Kajabi includes native advanced sequencing; Teachable requires integrations.
Design Customization 75/100 — Both offer block-based site builders with CSS/HTML limitations.
Transaction Fees & Cost Efficiency 70/100 — Kajabi charges zero transaction fees; Teachable applies fees on lower tiers.

Best for / Not best for

Best for

Publishers who want native email marketing automation without third-party plugins
Creators seeking zero transaction fees on higher-volume sales
Businesses wanting an all-in-one operating system for courses, communities, and blogs

Not best for

Bootstrapped creators with very limited initial software budgets
Publishers deeply invested in external CRM ecosystems like ActiveCampaign or HubSpot
Sellers needing highly bespoke, custom-coded web application front-ends

Scenarios

High-Volume Established Publisher (60% likely)
A digital publisher generating $20,000 monthly across courses and community memberships, utilizing extensive email automation funnels.
Bootstrapped Solopreneur (30% likely)
An emerging creator starting with low initial sales volume and a tight software budget, needing simple course hosting and basic landing pages.
Hybrid Stack Integrator (10% likely)
A publisher who prefers WordPress for landing pages and ActiveCampaign for marketing, using the platform solely as a secure content locker.

Calculations

Metric	Result	Formula
Estimated Annual Software TCO (Kajabi Base vs Teachable Paid)	Kajabi: $1788/yr \| Teachable: $468/yr (Illustrative Base Tiers)	monthly_subscription_cost × 12
Transaction Fee Impact at Scale	Kajabi: $0/yr \| Teachable (Base): $5000/yr in fees	annual_gross_revenue × transaction_fee_percentage
Third-Party Email Add-on Cost	600 USD/year	monthly_email_tool_cost × 12

Pros & cons

Pros

Kajabi offers a completely unified ecosystem with zero revenue-sharing transaction fees on its paid plans.
Kajabi includes native, advanced email marketing sequences and visual funnel builders.
Teachable provides an accessible entry point with dedicated course and digital product management features.

Cons

Kajabi's monthly subscription cost is significantly higher for early-stage or low-volume publishers.
Teachable's base subscription tiers may include transaction fees unless utilizing specific integrated payment processors.
Both platforms have structured block builders that impose distinct boundaries on advanced custom landing page layouts.

Assumptions

Base Subscription Pricing: Illustrative standard industry averages — Used to model relative platform TCO differences between all-in-one and modular systems.
Transaction Fee Structures: Varies by tier and gateway — Teachable imposes transaction fees on lower/free tiers unless using specific gateway configurations.

Practical next steps

Audit your current monthly revenue and projected growth trajectory over the next 24 months.
Calculate your current tech stack expenditures, including separate email service providers, landing page builders, and community tools.
Test trial accounts on both Kajabi and Teachable to evaluate the intuitive feel of their course and community builders.
Review transaction fee implications based on your expected checkout volume and payment gateway preferences.
Select the platform that best aligns with your budget and desire for all-in-one integration versus modular flexibility.

Methodology

This comparative evaluation analyzes official platform pricing structures, native feature capabilities (such as email marketing automation and community hosting), and financial trade-offs between all-in-one software fees and transaction fee models.

Sources

Sources support specific claims; they do not replace our analysis. Read the research and source standards.

FAQ

Does Kajabi charge transaction fees on sales?: No, Kajabi does not take a percentage or revenue-share transaction fee on its paid subscription plans, allowing you to keep 100% of your course and community earnings minus standard payment gateway processing fees.
Can I build advanced email sequences directly inside Teachable?: Teachable provides basic student emails and integrations, but for complex, automated email marketing sequences, most publishers rely on third-party email service providers like ConvertKit or ActiveCampaign.
How do landing page design limits compare between Kajabi and Teachable?: Both platforms utilize user-friendly, block-based site builders. They excel at fast deployment of high-converting sales pages, but publishers requiring highly custom CSS/HTML architecture or external web hosting often find them restrictive compared to dedicated website builders like Webflow or WordPress.

Related decisions

What are the best Kajabi alternatives for course creators?
How do payment gateway options differ between Teachable and Kajabi?
Is community hosting better on Kajabi or Skool?

Disclaimers

Platform pricing, feature sets, and transaction fee policies are subject to change by Kajabi and Teachable at any time.

Financial modeling and cost comparisons are illustrative and depend heavily on individual sales volume and choice of payment processor.