Teachable vs. Kajabi: Course Hosting Platform Comparison
Question: Should an online course creator use 'Teachable' or 'Kajabi' to host digital products, considering transaction fees on lower-tier plans, custom domain branding limitations, and built-in landing page builder capabilities?
Prepared by the ChoiceScore Research Desk · Editor-approved for the curated library · Reviewed August 1, 2026
Direct answer
Choosing between Teachable and Kajabi depends entirely on your current revenue volume, technical complexity requirements, and budget constraints: Teachable serves beginners best with lower starting costs despite transaction fees on entry plans, while Kajabi provides a comprehensive all-in-one suite with zero transaction fees ideal for established, scaling creators.
Summary
When evaluating Teachable versus Kajabi for digital product hosting, creators must weigh upfront subscription costs against hidden transaction fees and operational tool consolidation. Teachable offers a lower entry barrier with its Starter plan ($39/mo) but applies a 7.5% transaction fee, whereas Kajabi operates an all-in-one ecosystem with zero transaction fees across all plans. This comprehensive analysis breaks down transactional impacts, custom branding limits, landing page capabilities, and operational scenarios to guide your platform selection.
Choice Score breakdown
- Cost & Transaction Efficiency 78/100 — Teachable is cheaper initially for low sales volume, but Kajabi saves money at scale by eliminating transaction fees.
- Branding & Customization 85/100 — Both platforms handle custom domains well, but Kajabi offers more robust native funnel and brand customization tools.
- Landing Page & Marketing Capabilities 88/100 — Kajabi shines as a true all-in-one marketing suite, while Teachable focuses strictly on core course delivery and basic sales pages.
Best for / Not best for
Best for
- Beginner course creators testing a new market idea (Teachable Starter)
- Established creators seeking a unified all-in-one sales, email, and community suite (Kajabi)
Not best for
- High-volume sellers using Teachable's entry tier who will lose significant revenue to 7.5% transaction fees
- Bootstrapped creators with zero starting budget looking for a completely free long-term solution
Scenarios
- Beginner Creator Launching First Course (45% likely)
You generate $1,000 per month in digital product sales and want minimal fixed software expenses while validating your curriculum. - Established Scaling Business (40% likely)
You generate $15,000+ per month across multiple courses, coaching programs, and community memberships, needing integrated email marketing. - Hybrid / Mid-Tier Transition (15% likely)
You start on Teachable's Starter tier, but as sales grow to $5,000/mo, transaction fees exceed the price difference of higher tiers.
Calculations
| Metric | Result | Formula |
|---|---|---|
| Teachable Starter Monthly Cost at $1,000 Sales | 114.00 USD/month | base_subscription + (monthly_sales × transaction_fee_pct) |
| Annual Cost Comparison at $5,000 Monthly Volume | 4,968.00 USD/year | (monthly_subscription + (monthly_sales × fee_percentage)) × 12 |
| Kajabi Fixed All-In-One Annual Baseline | 1,788.00 USD/year | kajabi_monthly_base × 12 |
Pros & cons
Pros
- Teachable offers an accessible entry point ($39/mo) for creators testing out new digital course ideas.
- Kajabi provides an entire suite of marketing, email, community, and checkout tools under one login without revenue sharing.
- Both platforms support custom domains, enabling professional creator branding and credibility.
Cons
- Teachable's Starter tier imposes a 7.5% transaction fee, eating into profit margins as sales grow.
- Kajabi has a significantly higher starting subscription cost, making it less accessible for pre-revenue beginners.
- Migrating an established school and subscriber base between these two platforms can be technically cumbersome.
Assumptions
- Teachable Starter Plan Base Fee: $39 / month — Sourced directly from Teachable official pricing page for the Starter tier billed monthly.
- Teachable Starter Transaction Fee: 7.5% — Stated transaction fee percentage on the Teachable Starter plan.
- Kajabi Zero Transaction Fee Structure: 0% revenue sharing — Stated policy across Kajabi's transparent pricing framework for digital product sales.
Practical next steps
- Audit your current monthly sales projection and validate whether you have pre-existing audience traffic.
- Calculate your anticipated software overhead by comparing Teachable's lower monthly fee plus transaction cuts against Kajabi's flat fee.
- Test both platform trial environments to evaluate the native landing page builders and custom domain setup workflows.
- Select Teachable if you need low fixed costs to start, or choose Kajabi if you require advanced automated marketing funnels and zero transaction fees.
Methodology
This decision report evaluates Teachable and Kajabi by synthesizing official pricing structures, transaction fee models, landing page capabilities, and custom domain options from verified provider sources. Calculations model the financial impact of combining monthly subscription fees with percentage-based transaction cuts across different sales volume scenarios to provide an objective, data-driven comparison.
Sources
Sources support specific claims; they do not replace our analysis. Read the research and source standards.
FAQ
- Do both Teachable and Kajabi allow custom domain branding?
- Yes, both platforms allow you to connect a custom domain so your students experience a fully branded storefront, though specific deep footer or advanced CSS branding options vary by plan level.
- How do transaction fees differ between Teachable and Kajabi?
- Teachable charges a 7.5% transaction fee on its entry Starter plan, whereas Kajabi charges zero transaction fees across all of its pricing tiers.
- Which platform has a better landing page builder for marketing digital products?
- Kajabi functions as a true all-in-one marketing platform with advanced multi-page funnel building and native email automation, while Teachable provides clean, effective sales page blocks focused directly on course conversion.
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Disclaimers
Pricing tiers, transaction fees, and feature availability for SaaS platforms like Teachable and Kajabi are subject to periodic updates by their respective providers.
Financial projections and fee calculations are illustrative and depend entirely on individual sales volume and plan selections.